Saturday 15th November 2014 - kick off 3:00pm
Competition: East Midlands Counties League
Referee: Sam Kane
Scorers:
Eagles- Courtney Hastings (31, 35, 59), Danny Hayes (71)
Miners - Jermaine Gordon (4)
Line-ups:
Arnold - Ross Cherry, Craig Meakin, Stephen Cox, Danny Haynes, Simon Hore, James Price, Luke Smith, Jimmy Spiers, Courtney Hastings, Warren Hatfield, Danny Chadwick.
Kimberley - Matt Walsh, Scott Carlile, Ethan Winfield, Ian Shepherd, Jacob Webster, Roberto Labbatte, Charlie Ward, Jordan Whitehead, Jermaine Gordon, Liam Honeyman, Richard Dean.
Seems strange that these teams have never previously met, but this first meeting was well worth the wait! Both teams a credit to step 6 football and to the EMCL.
Kimberley were missing a few of their regular starters, Martin Lench and Anthony Gregory amongst those absent. Arnold have a star-studded (at this level) line-up and should on paper, be more than competitive in the EMCL. That they are only mid-table is something of a surprise.
It was slightly murky down the Valley when we arrived, and although the visibility worsened as the game went on, it never looked to be in any danger of being abandoned.
Kimberley opened the scoring in just the 4th minute, a free-kick headed down at the far post to where JERMAINE GORDON was on hand to rifle home from close range.
nod down...
.... Gordon celebrates
Arnold had a really good shout for a penalty two minutes later when Courtney Hastings was dragged down in the Kimberley box, but the Referee waved play on despite the strikers' protests. Soon after, the Eagles had another good shout for a penalty when Danny Hayes almost had his shirt stripped from his back as he went to attack a Luke Smith free-kick. His vociferous protests brought him a meeting with Mr. Kane and his skipper Simon Hore. No caution though!
Warren Hatfield hit a powerful drive from 20 yards on 18, but Matt Walsh in the visitors' goal collected with some ease. Hayes always creates problems when he goes forward for set-pieces, and when Smith fired in another free-kick from the right on 31, the centre-back nodded down and COURTNEY HASTINGS drove the ball across Walsh to bring the scores level.
Hastings fires home
The home team took the lead four minutes later, this time Smith's well placed right wing corner giving HASTINGS the simplest of headers at the far stick.
Hasting heads Arnold ahead
Right on the stroke of half time, Kimberley lost the services of Liam Honeyman after he came out worst in a challenge with Smith. H-T 2-1
HASTINGS completed his personal triple on 59, a snap shot from the edge of the box flying past the diving Walsh and entering the goal in off the post. Hastings saw his piledriver well saved by Walsh on 66, but the keeper was unable to prevent another home goal a few minutes later. Another free-kick from Smith, this one from just inside the halfway line, met with a powerful, stooping header on the run by DANNY HAYNES.
Danny Haynes - quality
Haynes saw another header well saved by Walsh on 82, and the visiting keeper also made a terrific save from Hatfield as the game entered second half stoppage time. F-T 4-1
Nice to see Warren in action again
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £1.30
Attendance: 70
Charity: £3.75
Pics: Kev Goodman
MOM: Courtney Hastings for his clinical finishing, but a close second would be Luke Smith for his cracking set-pieces
