Venue: The Welfare Ground, Blidworth, Nottinghamshire
Competition: F.A.Vase 2nd Round Qualifying
Referee: Mark Thomas
Scorers:
Blidworth - Liam Theakstone (35, 57), Max Curzon (48), Sam Dockwray (83)
Clipstone - Jake Currie (16), Brandon Shaw? (73)
Line-ups
Blidworth: Henderson, Homer, Lowe, Bowring, Harris, Webster, Green, Dockwray, Theakstone, Bacon, Curzon. Subs - Ashton, Camm, Bennett
Clipstone: White, Paling, Armstrong, Rawson, Shaw, Hill, Whitehead, Austin, Owen, Currie, Ord. Subs - Smith, Wood, Mawby
Clipstone's staring eleven was arguably not their strongest, and with £800.00 for the win, it seemed a strange decision to start the game with both top scorer Jamie Smith and influential midfielder Dan Wood on the bench.
Blidworth's line up included former Mansfield Town favourite Danny Bacon - and he was immense in front of the back four. Along with Sam Dockwray, they gradually took control and generally bossed the game. Admittedly Clipstone had the better of the game for the first 20 minutes or so, but as soon as Welfare worked out their game plan, it became quite clear that the step 7 team would be more than a match for their step 6 visitors.
Cobra's debutant Jake Currie opened the scoring on 16, firing across and over Sam Henderson from the corner of the box, after he was allowed too much room by the home defence.
Had Blake Owen scored with 24 played, the outcome of the game could have been very different. As it was, the no. 9's side foot shot from Matty Ord's cross struck the base of the near post and the loose ball was hacked away.
Owen - so close!
It was now that Blidworth began to control the game, and it was no surprise on 35 when LIAM THEAKSTONE levelled the scores, the striker finding acres of space in the corner of the penalty area before firing a neat, curling shot across Rob White from 20 yards. H-T 1-1
Paling and Shaw can only watch on as Theakstone's shot enters the net
Welfare boss Rob Camm's team talk must have been easy, I imagine something along the lines of "just keep doing what you're doing". They were back on the pitch a full 5 minutes before their opposition - and looked raring to go.
Straight from the restart they caused panic in the Clipstone defence, and were deservedly ahead on 48. MAX CURZON netted by calmly lifting the ball over White, but the midfield play that set up the goal was right out of the top drawer.
Things got even better for the home team in the 57th minute when Curzon fired in a superb cross from the right and THEAKSTONE volleyed the ball home from 12 yards out.
Clipstone made three changes in an effort to claw their way back into a game that was slipping away from them, bringing on Smith, Wood and Mawby. These changes certainly gave the Cobras a lift, and they reduced their arrears on 73. A cross from the right was headed goalwards by Brandon Shaw and everyone in the box seemed to freeze as the ball crossed the line. Not too sure if the goal was awarded to Shaw, but it was just the boost needed - and just seconds later it looked like Jamie Smith would head them level , but the big man could only manage to steer the ball wide of the post.
The home team weathered the next few minutes of pressure and wrapped up the victory on 83, SAM DOCKWRAY clipping the ball superbly into the far corner after Curzon had picked him out in the box. F-T 4-2
Admission: £4.00
Programme: £1.00 (editing a programme is not an easy job, but this publication ranks amongst the poorest value for money so far this season)
Attendance: 70 - officially.
Charity: £4.50 (getting a bit expensive is this charity lark!)
