Rainworth Miners Welfare 2 v Liversedge 3 (AET) - NCEL LC QF

Monday 30th April 2018
Toolstation NCEL League Cup Quarter Final
at Kirklington Road
Rainworth Miners Welfare (1) 1 - HT ET (2) FT 2
Max Pemberton 7, 103
Liversedge (0) 1 - HT ET (1) FT 3
Stephen Wales 72
Joe Walton 109, 114
Admission £5. Programme 50p. Attendance 75
Rainworth Miners Welfare are fulfilling their fixture obligations until the end of the season, but have recently resigned from the NCEL, in what us a cutting their cloth accordingly financial measure. And though it will be a sad day to see the Wrens leaving a league that they have been punching above their weight in this season, one must appreciate that common sense has prevailed and the Kirklington Road based club won't be approaching an uncertain future, whereby they would've been living beyond their means if they hadn't taken remedial action; unlike several other clubs at this level of football's food chain, whose hand to mouth existence is never likely to improve, but could get much, much worse and escalate out of control, far more rapidly than they would even dare to imagine, if they too don't adopt a belt and braces policy.

Hey look, it's mi' old mate Luke Walker

Caution prevents abortion, so much kudos and respect to all concerned with the Wrens reaching such a major decision. The spirit of the 'self preservation society' lives on in Rainworth... and prevention is always better than struggling to find a cure.
Liversedge stopped by in Nottinghamshire tonight, for the latest instalment, of their marathon fixtures catch up tour, which sees them repeating last weeks strength and resource sapping schedule of playing on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday night. The FA wouldn't expect a full time professional club to undertake such a ridiculously top heavy roster of games, but seem to be under the impression that it's okay to insist that part time players who have work commitments during the day, and unpaid volunteers. to drop everything and travel here, there and everywhere, on consecutive days (Liversedge are playing at Bottesford Town tomorrow night and face Thackley at home on Thursday).
The demands that this is putting on some clubs is completely unacceptable and is bordering on becoming scandalously unfair.
I wouldn't imagine that 'Sedge' have any of the weather gods on their committee, so they can hardly be held accountable for the numerous postponements that they have suffered from, as well as other NCEL clubs, but the powers that be have decreed that all remaining games will be played inside a tight timescale, with no extension to the season being allowed, so the regions clubs will just have to get on with it. The NCEL themselves, have bent over backwards and made a decent job of sorting out the problems caused by a Winter without end, but their hands are tied by an higher authority.
Anyway, less talk, more torque and on with the show... hold on tight folks, because tonight's game was a high tempo, all action, incident packed scorcher.
Anybody who thinks that Liversedge have been dragging their heels and are in someway a tad responsible for their own problems, should've got themselves along to Kirklington Road tonight, to see just how much effort they are actually putting in against all odds to make the best of a bad job.
They looked tired and must have been running on adrenaline alone towards the end of the game, as they came back from behind, twice and finally forced the issue towards the end of extra time.
Which of course meant that they had another thirty minutes to add onto the two hundred and seventy they are already expected to play this midweek and they now have a semi final to squeeze in (next Thursday) against the winner of this week's Handwworh Parramore v Ollerton Town tie.
It beggared belief that the hosts were a goal to good at the break, given that 'Sedge' had probably created three times as many chances as Craig Denton's side. But the outgoing Wrens manager has put a quality side together this season and when you have a player of the calibre of Matty Sykes storming through the left channel to the dead ball line and putting the ball on a plate for Max Pemberton in the six yard box, then you probably don't need as many opportunities as your opponents to take the initiative in games. Even the players on the Rainworth subs bench would walk into the starting line up of most teams at this level... and there were certainly several managers who would agree, given that four were in attendance tonight, running the rule over the Wrens players who will become available to sign on for their own teams any time soon.
Following Pemberton's opener, Brad Jones almost doubled his sides lead with a venomous strike thar deflected just past the right hand upright. But Liversedge got organised, closed ranks high up the pitch and set about attacking their hosts, switching the ball from one side to the other across the pitch to good effect and made Rainworth work damn hard to hold onto their lead.
With Richard Adams and Steve Wankiewicz at the heart of the home side's defence, it was never going to be easy for 'Sedge' to get very much of the ball in front of the hosts goal, but they were unperturbed and battled away gamely anyway.
Brandon Kane set up Rhys Davies for the visitors first attempt on goal, but his shot spun off of a defender and went wide, with Tom Jackson going close from Kane's resulting corner kick.
Joe Walton did well to find space to deliver the ball to Kane, ten yards out, but his first time strike was saved by Andy Francis, who blocked the ball with his knees... they all count.
At the back, Tom Brook was a tower of strength for the visitors and almost everything above shoulder height in his domain belonged to him. Meanwhile the visitors continued to pepper the Rainworth area, with balls from all angles: Aaron Fell picked out Walton with a left wing delivery but when the 'Sedge' striker got his head to the ball he diverted it past the wrong side of the right hand upright.
Jackson knocked the ball sideways to Davies, who saw his shot blocked by Wankiewicz, and was thwarted moments later as Adams took the ball off of his toe as he was about to shoot.
Ross Goodwin made a last ditch tackle at the expense of a corner, to stop Kane sneaking the ball in just inside the post and Jones had to head the ball away as it approached the front stick from Sam Gibson's corner, but he did so without any fuss. Jones is a bit cocky sometimes, but he's usually dependable too, so you can put up with it.
In spite of having had most of the forward play in the first half, Jon Rimmington almost saw his side go in at half time two goals behind, when Goodwin stormed forward with menace at full tilt, but Chandler Hallwood saved his angled shot.
HT: Wrens 1 v Sedge 0
I don't know if it's against the rules or not, so I hope that I don't get anybody into trouble, but I heard (allegedly) that Craig Denton works part time as a hypnotist, and at half time he had managed to convince Andy Francis that he was Gordon Banks... it would certainly explain a few things. However, it was probably a bit far fetched (only a bit though) to suggest that he had also tricked both linesman into hoodwinking the referee Richard Eley, by flagging every throw in and offside decision the way of the Wrens.

"Oi! Liner... look into my eyes"

Sure enough, at the outset of the second half, Francis dominated his area and played out of his skin, calling out: "Where's that effing Pele bloke? Tell him to bring it on!" and breaking into a few verses of 'Back Home'. I must admit, I was more than a little suspicious at this point, as the Rainworth keeper turned a close range shot from Davies away for a corner, plucked Kane's right wing corner out of the air before clearing the ball up the field to Geoff Hurst and then grabbing the ball off of Walton's head from Cameron Taylor's delivery moment's later, and bollocking Jackie Charlton for not picking his man up on crosses.
Mind you, I think the hypnosis must've been starting to wear off, because I don't recall England's World Cup winning goalkeeper running the clock down quite as much and wasting an absolute eternity over taking every single goal kick and fielding each and every ball that arrived at his feet.
Kyle Jordan left Liversedge's defence for dead with a burst of pace from Tom Poole's long knock, but Hallwood managed to block his effort, much to the disappointment of his fan club from Worksop, who'd made the short trip across to Kirklington Road.
Davies went down under a challenge from Rob Ludlam in the Wrens area, but the Rainworth number two had got the ball first and the referee was well placed to make such a decision.
'Sedge' attacked again and forced a corner out on the left, Walton escaped the attentions of Alan Mullery, but headed wide of the target. Jordan Windass was the next visitors player to find Walton with a delivery into home side's goalmouth, but Francis held onto his angled cross/shot.
Stephen Wales picked up the ball and ventured forward on the left before laying the ball off to Fell making a run into space inside him and he beat Francis but his shot crashed back off the post.
With eighteen minutes remaining, Wales took responsibility for getting the Yorkshire side back into the game, when he paced forward through the left channel, paused momentarily, waited for Francis to commit himself... and drilled the ball into the bottom left hand corner.
Walton was denied by a worldly of a save from Francis at full stretch, after Wales had picked him out with a decent cross.
Kane sprinted with the ball, straight down the middle towards the Rainworth area, but just as he was entering shooting range, he was stopped by a raised flag and pulled up for an offside offence, even though he was thirty yards from goal and there was a Wrens defender stood level with the edge of the area, playing him on.
The linesman was still obviously under the spell of the 'Great Dentono's' magic powers, or maybe he'd mistaken Francis' pale blue shirt for one of Liversedge's sky blue ones..

This sign is actually straight, it's me that was wonky

Both sides had chances inside the final five minutes of the scheduled ninety; Poole was fouled a few yards outside the visitors area and took the free kick himself. I hope they sent him into the adjoining field to recover that ball after the game, have you seen the price of a decent Mitre Multiplex these days?
James King raced forward, cut inside from the left and unleashed a curling shot, that must've frightened anyone in the tea bar half to death as the ball crashed against the window.
Adams intercepted the ball as Poole broke into the Rainworth area and cleared his lines, but as Luke Walker and Gareth Curtis converged on Hallwood, they couldn't quite find the decisive  killer touch between them and the game was going to be decided in extra time or on penalties now.
90 Minutes: 1-1
Liversedge showed their teeth first in extra time, but when Davies was fouled twenty yards from goal, Jackson's free kick deflected into the arms of the grateful Francis.
Walker had a shot saved and play once again switched ends with Walton setting Wales up for a thumping shot that came back off the underside of the bar
Smack bang between the dug outs, a scrum of players battled for the ball on the touchline and a Rainworth player knocked it out of play. But... both linesman had been put under the same spell at half time and though it was obviously a blatant wrong call, the Wrens were awarded the throw in, which they promptly got on with, attacked the Sedge area and regained the lead as Pemberton finished emphatically.
ET HT: 2-1
I think it would be fair to say that the visitors management felt 'miffed' at the way a few decisions had gone against them... probably with no small amount of justification too.
Ironically, given all the effort and endeavour that 'Sedge' at put in as they took the game to Rainworth's hard working defence, when they equalised for the second time, it was from an ultra direct move, when Hallwood hoofed the ball high into the night sky, when it came eventually down and bounced just inside the far penalty area and fell just right for the chasing Walton to nudge a looping header over the advancing Francis.
Liversedge had their tales up now, so to speak and Wales sped past two challenges before shooting and Francis did well to judge the direction of the ball as it took a deflection and held onto it. Wales took up possession again and put in a measured delivery to Walton whose header crashed off the bar.

Nostalgic memorabilia on the tea bar wall.