Venue: The Stag Ground, Nuthall Road, Kimberley, Nottinghamshire
Competition: East Midlands Counties League
Referee: Mr. Kevin Guise
Scorers:
Welfare - Kirkham (26), Kelly (45), Sibenge (86)
Sports - Mather (11), Chilaka (24), Strode (OG 52)
Line-ups:
There are always plenty of midweek games available as the season draws towards it's conclusion. This one wasn't a scheduled game for me and the daftlad, but it's hard to resist when the venue is a mere 10 minute drive away.
Holbrook were just one place and one point above Kimberley in the EMCL table before kick off with the same number of games played. Inevitable really that it would end up as a draw!!
Holbrook were just one place and one point above Kimberley in the EMCL table before kick off with the same number of games played. Inevitable really that it would end up as a draw!!
To be quite honest, this was a poor end of season game played by two teams with little to play for. A top eight finish would probably be high enough to qualify for the F.A. Cup, but that now looks highly unlikely for either team.
Shake
Third team
Holbrook took an early lead when Welfare keeper Harry Daykin allowed a 20 yard NIALL MATHER free kick to slip under his body at his near post. Jemaine Gordon almost levelled soon after, but his header from close range grazed the bar before flying safe.
The visitors their lead on 24 when a great ball over the top was collected by NDUOMA CHILAKA and was lifted calmly over Daykin. Two minutes later, the home team were back in the game - a Nathan Kelly corner curled to the far stick where it hit STEVE KIRKHAM on the nose and somehow ended up in the back of the net. It was all a bit surreal as no-one in the crowd seemed to realise that Kimberley had scored until the players had lined up for the restart!
Kimberley were awarded a free-kick just outside the box on 45, and NATHAN KELLY curled the ball home, thanks in no small part to a deflection off the wall that left Danny Graves in the Holbrook goal stranded. H-T 2-2
A defensive blooper saw Holbrook re-take the lead on 52. REECE STRODE calmly passed the ball back to his keeper after he had intercepted a Kyle Hazeldine cross. Unfortunately for Strode, Daykin had decided to advance to make the pass-back easier and the ball rolled straight past him and into the net, dead centre!
Hazeldine had a tremendous shot tipped over by Daykin on 54, but Kimberley began to show a little more of their abilities and were unlucky not to have drawn level from a corner when Kirkham's header flew inches past the outside of the post. Henry Sibenge had a shot cleared away off the line soon after, as the home team drove forward looking for the equaliser.
Their pressure was rewarded on 86 when they drew a free-kick out of the Holbrook defence some 20 yards from goal. HENRY SIBENGE stepped up and curled a beauty into the corner of the net to give Kimberley a share of the points that, it could be argued, they barely deserved. F-T 3-3
Admission: £4.00
Programme: £0.50
Attendance:51
Charity: £4.50
