East Midlands Counties League
At: Terrace Road
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: £4 including programme
Weather: sunny spells, windy
Attendance: 202
Duration: first-half: 45:41; second-half: 45:09
Yesterday had us on a 14-hour trip to Devon for my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday celebrations. After a refreshing sleep and lie in, not to mention the obligatory trip to Asda, I was back on the road for a shortish journey to Bank Holiday double in the East Midlands Counties League. Six games were scheduled for today in the EMCL – five in the afternoon and one in the evening – and I opted to begin at an intriguing fixture involving Ellistown and Gresley FC, before moving on to see the evening game at nearby Ibstock.
On the outskirts of Coalville, I wondered if the SatNav was telling the truth when it wanted to direct me away from Ibstock. I thought I’d be approaching Ellistown from that direction so I wondered if the postcode I had correct. I rebelled against the machine and headed down the A447 before taking a turn to the delightfully named Donnington-Le-Heath, eventually picking up signs to Ellistown. The ground, on Terrace Road, was to the south through the village on the road towards Bagworth, ½ mile from St Christopher’s Church and past the last house. By the way, the post code for the ground is LE67 1GD.
The entrance to the ground was on the right between signs on the opposite sides of the drive for Battram Bowls Club and Ellistown FC. There was also a sign advertising today’s game as well for passing motorists and dog walkers. An old pit wheel had a prominent position in the car park and the turnstile was round to the right of the club building.
Through the turnstile, where I picked up a programme, the pitch (orientated north-west–south-east) ran widthways. All the facilities were down the nearside. To the right towards the corner was the clubhouse building which included the tea bar, and to the left was a small brick-built stand containing two rows of individual blue tip-up seats. On halfway over on the far side was a brick structure in need of a new roof. Beyond that was a second pitch, running parallel with the main pitch, on which the players warmed up. The main pitch was enclosed by a white post and yellow/blue rail, and behind both goals were high nets. There were no fewer than six floodlight pylons down each side.
Such was the interest amongst the Gresley fans, that programmes sold out well before kick-off and around 2-45 pm there was a queue at the turnstile.
The programme provided a history of the home side, a club steeped in mining traditions. United Collieries FC, later renamed Ellistown FC, was formed in 1993 by the merger of the teams of Ellistown and Bagworth collieries.
Ellistown went into this game occupying 14th position in the 20-team division with three points from three games (one win and two defeats). On Saturday, they were in FA Cup action at Neil Grayson’s Glapwell and from reading the report in the programme sounded unlucky not to force a replay. Ellistown’s league victory was 2-0 at home to Ibstock United and they also defeated Holwell Sports in an FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round replay.
Visitors Gresley FC were only formed in the summer following the liquidation of Gresley Rovers. They were in 7th position with four points from three games, coming from a win, draw and defeat in the league.
The Gresley Secretary, a long-serving man named Reg, kindly provided the line-ups and the Ellistown Secretary sold me a club badge (which pleased Junior ‘iwf’ when I got home). I promised to compare notes with Reg on the match stats at full-time.
Teams emerged in fair-play fashion, lined-up on the pitch in front of the changing rooms, and I took a seat in the stand, seat 66, ready for kick-off.
Ellistown must have won the toss and they decided to take advantage of the wind in the first half. Gresley, who got the action underway, attacking the southern end, or right to left in relation to my position sat in the stand.
In sunny conditions, some of the Gresley fans behind the goal their team was attacking soon made their voices heard. I counted 35 fans behind the goal and there must have been at least 150 Gresley fans in total – ensuring a profitable day, no doubt, for Ellistown off the field.
Gresley (white shirts, red shorts and white socks) took the lead in the 8th minute. Tom Betteridge raced down the left and crossed into the area. Rob Spencer fed Brian Woodall who had a simple chance to slot home from 10 yards out at the far post.
With Ellistown urged to ‘get your heads up’, the visitors continued to threaten. Spencer saw a close-range shot blocked in front of goal and Matthew Hill drove the rebound over the bar.
There was a minor scare for the Gresley keeper Simon Baldwin just after the quarter hour mark. Rob Johnson delivered a cross-cum-shot from out on the right which Baldwin pushed over the bar at the expense of a corner.
Gresley were certainly impressing with the passing football, though a penalty appeal for handball didn’t impress the referee at all. However, the ‘man in black’ did point to the spot in the 23rd minute when Ellistown keeper Ben Muskin tripped Spencer inside the area. Muskin emerged a hero by blocking Carl Spencer’s poor spot kick with his legs.
Just after the half-hour mark, around 30 noisy geese flew over the ground. Micky Lyons worked his way through the Ellistown defence to set up a decent chance for Spencer who fired straight at Muskin.
With just a one-goal deficit, Ellistown (wearing yellow shirts, blue shorts and yellow socks) began to threaten before the interval. They were awarded a free-kick 35 yards out from which Martin Fox sent a left footer just wide of the right-hand post but Baldwin looked to have it covered. Don Parkin fired straight at Baldwin as the home side created another half-chance. Parkin was then unable to take advantage when the keeper’s clearance hit one of his own defenders.
At half-time, I got myself another drink and returned to seat 66 to contemplate the first-half action and which might follow after the break. I wrote: ‘Ellistown were still in with a chance especially with the opportunities they had at the end of the half. Would they make Gresley pay for not turning their possession into more first-half goals?’
The home side made a substitution for the start of the second half with Richard Lewis replacing Parkin. Gresley defender Jack Coulson was booked in the 50th minute after bringing down Lewis 30 yards out. Once again the man with the white boots, Fox, took the free-kick and this time the ball flew over the bar.
Ellistown created another chance from Johnson’s diagonal throughball. It hit Coulson and Smith sent the loose ball wide of the target. The home side then made a second chance with Steve Sadler replacing central defender Jamie Hunt in a straight swap.
Gresley finally doubled their lead in the 60th minute, shortly after Lyons fired straight at Muskin from 25 yards out. The goal was created by Woodall out of the right who crossed into the area for unmarked Spencer to head home at the near post. The travelling fans behind the goal was pleased: “We love you Gresley, we do …”
Spencer should have made it three in the 71st minute. Tom Betteridge got down the left at pace before squaring the ball to Spencer in front of goal. The forward looked certain to score but miskicked to send the ball wide.
Ellistown sub Lewis tangled with Tom Betteridge two minutes and received a yellow card.
The home side thought they’d pulled a goal back in the 76th minute when Johnson hammered a low shot into the bottom left corner. The referee didn’t spot a raised flag for offside which went up during the build-up and initially signalled a goal. After consulting the flag-raising assistant referee, a free-kick was the eventual outcome.
Gresley made their first change a minute later with Oliver Hancock replacing Spencer.
To compound Ellistown’s frustration over the goal that wasn’t, Gresley netted a third goal in the 79th minute. Tom Betteridge on the left inside the area flicked the ball past the advancing Muskin for Woodall to slot home his second of the game into an unguarded net.
The visitors made a second change in the 80th minute as Jamie Burnett went off and Callum Keenan came on for the last ten minutes. Ellistown replaced James Rigby with Mark Roberts in the 84th minute. Substitutions continued two minutes later with Gresley swapping two-goal Woodall for Chris Burnham. Slater was then booked in the 88th minute for a foul on Fox.
Ellistown almost pulled a goal back. Johnson played the ball out to Damian Heskey on the left who crossed deep into the area for Carl Timms to head wide at the far post.
A delightful strike from Hancock, 45 seconds from the end of normal time, wrapped up both the scoring and afternoon’s action. The substitute fired straight into the left side of the net from the edge of the area, with Muskin able only to watch the ball fly past.
At the end of the game, I compared times and stats with the Gresley Secretary as promised, and we had a chat about future ambitions for the newly-formed club. While doing so, I got a call from ‘Walsall Neil’ to say he and ‘Boro Mike’ were heading for Oldbury Athletic (groundsharers at Halesowen Town) instead of Ibstock. They had just seen Coton Green beat Burntwood.
I wondered if the 202 crowd was a record home gate for Ellistown in the East Midlands Counties League. It certainly was, smashing the previous record of 80 for the home game with 2008/09 Champions Kirby Muxloe back in March.
Goals:
0-1 Brian Woodall (8)
0-2 Rob Spencer (60)
0-3 Brian Woodall (79)
0-4 Oliver Hancock (90)
