Saturday 24th October by Stan Wilton

AROUND THE COUNTIES
By STAN WILTON
Saturday 24th October 2020
It’s turning into a funny old season with everyone beating everyone else. Tuesday evening saw RAINWORTH MINERS WELFARE climb the table with a 2-0 victory over visiting EASTWOOD COMMUNITY courtesy of a first half goal from Ryan Ingram and a second two minutes from the end from Kurtis Bamford. Saturday saw the Wrens visit a BELPER UNITED side still smarting from last week’s 5-0 home defeat to a SHERWOOD COLLIERY side who retained their league leadership despite not having a game. And the result was first half goals from Curtis Williamson and Jake Dodds paving the way for a 3-0 home win when Richard Hanslow added the third in the 70th minute. This takes “Brilliant Belper” into second place.
Elsewhere it was a case of splendid come-backs and second wins. Let’s start with the second wins. BARROW TOWN moved away from the foot of the table with a 3-1 win at BORROWASH VICTORIA – their second successive victory. And…..they came from behind to do it. Lynton Francis poked the Vics in front on 19 minutes and for a long time it looked like being the winner. Enter Scott Smith. His 70th minute goal pulled the Riversiders level, his 78th minute second put them ahead and he went on to record the day’s only hat-trick to confirm all three points in stoppage time.
Not to be outdone, TEVERSAL also recorded their second successive win, but they were ahead three times in their game at HEANOR TOWN who lost goalkeeper Joe McCormack after 22 minutes with a broken finger. Max Thornberry took over the gloves. Tom Widdowson put Tevie in front after five minutes and the crowd of 127 on a miserable afternoon had to wait until the 73rd minute for debutant Matt Brian to restore parity with a deflected shot. Ex-Lions Lee Naughton came off the bench for Tevie to put them back in front on 79 minutes and then hit the winner in stoppage time after Joe Nice had restored parity for a second time two minutes from the end.
HUCKNALL TOWN came back from the dead to remain in contention with a 3-2 win at CLIFTON ALL WHITES. Ryan Smith gave Whites a 16th minute advantage only for Jamie Crawford to level just before the break. Jake Richardson again put the home side in front early in the second half but Jordan Phillips levelled within ten minutes. Adam Nelson got the visitors winner in stoppage time.
DUNKIRK also came from behind to claim the points at KIMBERLEY MINERS WELFARE. Isaac Stones on 26 put the Miners in front; James Price on 44 levelled. Luis Parkes restored home advantage on 66 and they were heading for all three points until the Boatmen staged a smash and grab finish with Callum Robinson levelling on 89 and Matt Baker snatching victory in stoppage time.
Luke Manlove in the first half and Joe Harris in the second had given SHIREBROOK TOWN a comfortable advantage but they reckoned without CLIPSTONE’s Charlie Dawes who pulled one back in the 77th minute and then snatched a point for the visitors seven minutes later.
Lee Fell’s 65th minute goal looked like being good enough to gain GRAHAM STREET PRIMS all three points from their visit to WEST BRIDGFORD, but Aboubacar Sylla got the home side a point with a late leveller.
There wasn’t much to choose between the teams at RADFORD either. Mitchell Woodbine put visiting INGLES in front on the half hour mark and Joe McLoughlin levelled seven minutes into the second half.
Match of the Day though was undoubtedly at Coronation Park where EASTWOOD COMMUNITY, still sore from that midweek defeat at Rainworth, entertained OLLERTON TOWN and it took a 67th minute goal from the Red Badgers’ Blair Anderson to claim the points and send the visitors to their first defeat of the season in front of the day’s best crowd of 221.
And on a day of horrible weather it was good to note that four of the nine games had crowds of three figures.