KoolSport Northern Counties East League Premier Division
At: Welfare Ground, Kirklington Road
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Admission: £4; Programme: £1
Attendance: 79
Weather: cloudy, mild, dry
Duration: first-half: 47:47; second-half: 50:04
Aha! Time for another of my coincidental links. Yesterday’s FA Cup Third Qualifying Round draw gave my old team Stafford Rangers a potential home time against Bedworth United, the team that defeated Rainworth Miners Welfare 2-1 on Saturday in controversial circumstances. So controversial, in fact, for a variety of reasons that Rainworth have appealed for the tie to be replayed.
Mention Rainworth Miners Welfare FC and I think of one of those romantic cup runs took place in the FA Vase back in 1981/82 season. I was still at university (or more accurately polytechnic) when the true amateurs of Rainworth, then of the Notts Alliance, made it through all the way to the final at Wembley where they lost to Forest Green Rovers. Their home semi-final against Barton Rovers, according to the history on the club’s website, attracted a crowd of 5071 which is still the biggest attendance for a Vase tie outside the final.
It was a trouble-free journey up the A38 and I knew exactly how to find the ground. From the end of the Mansfield bypass where the A617 met the A6191, I took the B6020 towards Rainworth, following a learner in a Ridings diving school car, to the heart of the village. Just past the Rainworth Fish Bar and next to the Robin Hood pub, the turn up to the Welfare Ground was on the left. It was up the hill on Kirklington Road just before the Welfare building.
A large sign advertised the next home game. The Alan Wright memorial gates marked the entrance and through them into what previously was a large recreation ground before development of the stadium – nowadays a playing field on the left and stadium on the right.
The turnstiles were located in one corner of the stadium and all the main facilities were around this corner. A building behind the near goal, known as the Welfare end, housed the changing rooms and ‘T-bar’ with several small building on the near touchline. Banking ran up to a wall next to the road. A stand containing around 150 individual tip-up seats stood n halfway down the near touchline. Opposite were the dugouts either side of the halfway line and another area of cover with standing room and, I guess, another 60 black seats in two rows. The bypass ran beyond the far goal, protected by a large tall net, though it would take some shot to reach the road! All in all a really neat and tidy place to watch football.
Through the turnstiles, programmes £1, the first person who said “hello” to me turned out to be ‘Rainworthgord’, forum user, match reporter, PA man, programme editors, etc. After picking up a teamsheet (free to programme purchasers), I had a chat with Gordon about the Bedworth game and found out that he was at my personal ‘match no. 1’, a game in October 1971 between Stafford and the now defunct Nottinghamshire-based Sutton Town.
I enquired about club badges and was grateful to Secretary Les for finding one for me when it looked as it all current stock had been sold.
The programme, bang up to date with the events of Saturday, included a league table which showed visitors Selby Town (18 points from eight games) in fourth position, three points behind leader Bridlington Town. Rainworth, in the NCEL Premier Division for the first time ever this season, were on 10 points from six games in 12th position and had the incentive of leaping into the top half with a win tonight.
Once the fair-play handshakes were over, the respective captains met in the middle and the referee announced: “turn around, red kick”. Visitors Selby (wearing all red) got the action underway defending the near Welfare end in the first half. I opted for seat in the newer stand on the near side – back row, blue seat.
The home fans near me in the stand were soon applauding their side’s opening effort on goal. Matt Baxter hit a rising 35-yard drive which Selby’s Adam Mitchell saved underneath the bar.
Rainworth (wearing all white) made a positive start and the tall defender Barry Alberry sent a far post header straight at Mitchell from Simon Wright’s deep corner. They went even closer in the 9th minute. Ant Lynam was given space down the right and cut into the area before firing a low angled shot. The ball hit defender Chris Gowan and was heading for the net until Scott Pickles got back to clear off the line.
Selby were “not switched on”, to quote one comment I heard, but created problems for the Rainworth defence on the quarter hour. Tom Matthews’ free-kick looped up towards goal off the wall where Luke Ibbetson saw a header blocked and eventually the ball was cleared.
Gordon came over a mentioned an interesting fact. Rainworth’s Brendan Sweeney once played in the Champions League against Liverpool for Cork City – but when?
Despite not winning one for as long as I can remember, I opted again for a go in the raffle, lucky strip blue 831–835.
Shortly after I parted with £1, Rainworth took the lead in the 20th minute. From the right, Cameron Fearon propelled a long throw towards the near post where the ball was flicked on for Danny Naylor to volley into the bottom left corner.
Rainworth central defender Ian Streather was booked on the half hour for tripping Luke Ibbetson who was making progress down the right.
A long-range effort by Gowan sailed over the bar though did give Selby enough encouragement to “keep it up”. And they went even closer when Stuart Dove sent a close-range header straight at Rainworth keeper and skipper Mark Hales.
Lynam had a chance to double his side’s lead. He stayed onside and broke down the right before hitting a low shot which Mitchell kept out with his boot. From the rebound, Lynam forced a corner from which Baxter’s header was cleared off the line.
The referee played advantage after Josh O’Neill went down under Naylor’s challenge and when play stopped the home midfielder received a 44th minute yellow card. Selby finished the half on the attack and really should have equalised. Instead, Brenton Leister fired over from just a few yards out.
Having had a tea from the T-bar before the game, I took up Gordon’s invitation to go into the Visiting Team Officials room during the interval. Alas, no luck with the raffle when the numbers were announced - first prize to 781 and second prize to 786. ‘Walsall Neil’ sent me a text to say ‘at Millwall ht 0.0’.
Shortly after the second half commenced, the attendance of 79 was announced of the tannoy.
Rainworth should have doubled their advantage. Mitchell failed to reached Sweeney’s left-wing cross but unmarked Lynam fired over at the far post to groans from home fans.
The miss didn’t matter as Lynam made amends in the 55th minute by netting his side’s second goal. Julian Topliss broke down the right with Selby wanting a raised offside flag and crossed low to the far post. Lynam was perfectly placed to sidefoot home into the bottom left corner. The referee had a quick word with the assistant over on the far side and the goal stood. I think Selby’s bench continued their protests as the referee needed a word with them as well.
Mr Cook had another situation to deal with five minutes later. Gowan chopped down Naylor and escaped with just a booking. The Rainworth midfielder was forced off and, while his side were temporarily down to ten men, Hales leapt up on his line to hold a chip from Leister hit from the edge of the area.
Naylor was unable to continue and replaced by Jermain Hollis in the 62nd minute.
The home defence survived a scare. Tom Reid delivered a perfect ball from the right to the far post towards unmarked Stuart Dove. The cross presented the striker with a routine tap-in but instead he ballooned the ball over the bar.
I really was enjoying this game and Selby halved the deficit in the 69th minute to set up a tense finale. Dove was the provider with a ball into the area from the right which Ibbettson fired home from barely six yards out. Skipper Leister raced into the back of the net to retrieve the ball in an attempt to quickly get the game restarted.
Rainworth responded with a tactical substitution as striker Topliss was replaced by Andy Jones in the 71st minute. Two minutes later, Selby brought on Ian Beckram in place of O’Neill. “C’mon we need one more. C’mon Wreneth,” were the cries from the nervous home fans sat near me.
Selby made another substitution in the 82nd minute replacing Leister with Steve Lyon who took over the captain’s armband. But it was the home side who went close to scoring. Hollis got down the right to the byeline before pulling the ball back. It reached Jones who hit a well-stuck 25-yard shot only to see it blocked by a defender inside a crowded area. Mitchell produced a smart save to turn round a 35-yarder from Baxter.
The closing stages were really end-to-end and one still nervous home fans asked the nearby assistant who long was left. “I’ve got 2 1/2 minutes duck,” came the reply. That mist have been to the start of stoppage time
Tom Matthews made a bid for glory with a surging run down the middle. However, his progress was halted by Fearon’s saving tackle on the edge of the area. Rainwroth quickly broke upfield and Lynam got clear but Mitchell bravely claimed the ball at the feet of the striker.
Into stoppage time and chances continued to be created. Mitchell thwarted Lynam with a decent near-post save. Craig Robinson replaced Reid (90+1 minutes) who could have set up one last opportunity for an equaliser but sprayed his pass towards Michael Staley out for a throw instead.
Once the league table was updated, Rainworth had in fact leapt all the way up to fifth position.
The programme editor hoped that any groundhoppers would ‘return home with good memories of our club and our village’. I certainly did!
Goals:
1-0 Naylor (21)
2-0 Lynam (55)
2-1 Ibbetson (69)
