Venue: Hucknall RL Sports ground, Watnall Road, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire
Competition: CML South Division
Referee: Colin Brooks
Scorers:
Rolls - Chay Betteridge ( 56)
Town - Aaron Evans (10, 30), James Duncan OG (42), Elliott Pitt (47), Nick Morgan (74)
Starting line-ups:
Rolls - Jack Walker, Greg Conn, Rory Smith, Jack Matthews, Aaron Short, James Duncan, Jonathan Buckley, Josh Askey, Jack Allen, Jack Smith, Chay Betteridge
Town - James Beddingham, Cayne Maxwell, Elliott Pitt, Joe Atkinson, Alex Arnold, David Leak, Dwayne Ngandi, Nathan Robinson, Aaron Evans, Toby Birch, Matthew Clowes
This most local of derbies (both teams have their grounds on Watnall Road) was one that we had been looking forward to since the fixtures were released.
Hucknall Rolls moved into the CML from the NSL for season 2014-15, whilst Town were already established in the division. Rolls appear to have kept faith with most of last season's squad - but the Hucknall Town team is made up mostly of recent signings. They have 47 players signed on according to the CML website!
The home team looked dangerous from set-pieces, but failed to take full advantage of their height advantage early doors. The early promise was stifled slightly though in the 10th minute when Town striker AARON EVANS saw his acrobatic overhead kick loop over Jack Walker and into the back of the net.
Three minutes later, James Duncan managed to beat James Beddingham in the visitors' goal, only for his powerful header to cannon off the bar and fly out for a goal-kick.
Chay Betteridge saw his header on 29 fly just over the bar, but it was Town who scored the next goal, AARON EVANS given a simple close range tap-in after superb wing play from Nathan Robinson.
Betteridge forced a fingertip save out of Beddingham on 35 when he fired in a 25 yard free-kick - and when Rolls had two chances cleared off the line soon after it appeared that the writing was on the wall for the home team.
It got even worse with half-time looming - a corner from the right deflected into his own goal by centre-half James Duncan. H-T 0-3
0-3 became 0-4 within just two minutes of the restart, Cayne Maxwell overlapping down the right and firing in a cross that ELLIOTT PITT met with a looping volley that left Walker grasping at thin air.
Pitt had a chance to add his second straight away after he hit Walker's poor clearance towards goal - luckily for Rolls the shot didn't quite have enough pace, and the keeper had time to run back and collect the ball before it crossed the line.
Rolls began to dictate play as Town dropped back, and they did pull one back on 57, CHAY BETTERIDGE driving home from close range after the visitors failed to cut out a Rory Smith cross from the right.
Betteridge went close again seconds later, but was unlucky to see his shot rebound off the angle of post and bar, and then Jack Matthews had two efforts deflected for corners in quick succession.
Town made a couple of changes on 72, Niall Williams and Nick Morgan entering the fray. No doubt manager Andy Graves will be chuffed that the fifth yellow's goal was created by one, and converted by the other. To start with it looked like Williams's through ball had caught Toby Birch offside - the assistant actually flagged for this, but play was waved on as it was NICK MORGAN who ran through the Rolls backline and collected the pass before firing home sweetly from the edge of the box. F-T 1-5
We had a bit of a downpour halfway through the second half!
Natures umbrella!!
Admission: £3 (inc programme)
Attendance: h/c 95
Charity: £4.50
