Balcan Lighting Supplies Lincolnshire Football League Supplementary Cup
At Fulstow Playing Field
CGB Humbertherm (0) 1
Robin Beecroft 58 pen
Grimsby Borough Academy (0) 3
Sam Sarbutt 47
Luke Fanthorpe 53
Joe Stuart 71
More photographs: HERE
"Lest we forget
The visitors kicked off with a familiar looking face in goal, in Jack Pearson, who had played for Grimsby Town against the very successful Mansfield Town Under 18 side, over the course of the last two seasons, when I'd travelled far and wide, with the back to back EFL Youth Alliance (North) championship winning side, before hanging up my stopwatch and retiring from being actively involved in football, in any official kind of capacity (anywhere, or ever again) in the Summer, so that I could broaden my horizons, sans any kind of responsibility and have a permanent rest from the daily (and often all day and all night) politics of the game, while extending my thrill seeking network far and wide, visiting towns, cities, villages and a whole variety of grounds that I had never been to before; such as today's lush, green and pleasant enclosure on the corner of Thoresby Road, in Fulstow.
It would be fair to say, that Pearson's opposite number, Robbie Aldrich in the Humbertherm goal had the busier afternoon afternoon of the two keepers.
I was impressed by the home side's number one, the last time that I saw him play, in spite of the fact that his side lost five-nil at Horncastle Town.
I was impressed by the home side's number one, the last time that I saw him play, in spite of the fact that his side lost five-nil at Horncastle Town.
I'd go so far as to say that (R) Aldrich was probably man of the match today, with some of his saves in the final twenty minutes earning praise from the locals who'd turned out and those who'd travelled across to support Grimsby (Hi Mustapha! Nice to have made your acquaintance).
The dressing rooms, kitchen and toilet facilities at the Fulstow Playing Field, were spotless and spacious, the welcome was very friendly and although there was no snack bar at the ground, Carl Martin broke of from his management duties in the run up to kick off and offered the put the kettle on.
Gareth Southgate didn't offer anything like that kind of personal touch and customer service last night at Wembley Stadium... and he's got far more staff than Carl has helping him out!
Gareth Southgate didn't offer anything like that kind of personal touch and customer service last night at Wembley Stadium... and he's got far more staff than Carl has helping him out!
CGB Humbertherm FC - Stadium tour
This afternoon's game kicked off at 1.30pm, given that there are no floodlights and there might have been a requirement for extra time, if the scores were level after ninety minutes, but in the event, the visitors had a full compliment of substitutes to use, whereas the hosts didn't and that was critical in the final analysis as 'Boro' had the option to freshen things up, by sending some lively and very talented youngsters on to ram home their advantage later on, while the 'Therms' (I'm sure I've heard them called that somewhere before, but if I haven't, then I insist that they adopt it as a nickname with immediate effect), were hampered when their main striker Mark Fairburn, had to go off injured early in the second half, having tweaked either his thigh or hamstring, when he attempted a spectacular (falling off his) bicycle kick clearance around the half hour mark, which he clearly struggled to shake off from thereon in.
The match officials in charge of this step 7 cup tie: Andrew Pontin and his assistants Robbie Hall and Jon Woods, impressed me with their approach, that seemed to suggest that they accepted that you'd expect a certain amount of contact, when twenty two Lincolnshire League players are charging around the field of play at full tilt, so just get on with it and expect a few knocks here and there... as long as nothing too untoward happens.
On occasion, I've seen players being given a certain amount of leeway, taking advantage and seeing just how far they can push things and get away with transgressions and skulduggery, but neither side today took advantage of Mr Pontin, and seemed to be enjoying a few physical, firm but (borderline) fair challenges... and it certainly added to the entertainment on offer from a spectators point of view.
When I'm Prime Minister (remember where you read that first), whistle happy referee's will be sent to the electric chair, once I've got rid of all the filthy buggers who let their dogs crap on public playing fields and football pitches. And all of those Lycra clad dick-head cyclists who clog the A and B roads of this green and pleasant land at weekends won't be far behind them either.
Sam Rhodes was being kept busy by Alex Booker, but was staying as close to him as was legally acceptable without being accused of sexual assault, while Tom Summers and Joe Stuart were proving to be a twin tower of solid resistance at the back for Grimsby, as Fairburn combined with Jack Barker and Pete Herriman to try forcing a way through the visitors defence.
Both number eights were making a mark on the game, with Paul Coulam winning the ball inside his own half and looking to distribute it forward quickly for Fairburn and Barker, or out wide to James Cook, while Sam Sarbutt was operating just behind the Boro attackers and proving to be adept at digging the ball out of crowded situations and providing goal-scoring opportunities for Booker and Fanthorpe, the latter of who, was getting no room to manoeuvre because of the close attention of Alex Aldrich. I asked a local if the two Aldrich's in the Humbertherm line up were related, but he just winked at me and said "Everybody is related round here matey!"
And before anybody takes offence at that last statement, just let me add that my mother and my sister (two different people as it happens), both only live a few miles down the road from here.
There were chances at both ends as the first half reached it's conclusion... and Fanthorpe and Callum Lovett really ought to have done better, when Booker whipped the ball across the face of the 'Therms' goal from out on the right hand side of the area, but they both simultaneously left it at the back post.
HT: 0-0
Given these two sides respective league positions, whereby 'Boro' are second in the table, but joint top on points with Horncastle, while Humbertherm occupy the bottom rung of the ladder, but have games in hand on the two teams directly above then, namely Brigg Town Development and AFC Boston, then going in goalless at the break represented something of a feather in the cap of the home side.
But eight minutes after the interval, things had started to go horribly wrong for the Fulstow based side.
As the visitors celebrated; Fairburn, who'd tried to carry on after the break, had to limp out of the game. And before his replacement, Robin Beecroft had even had a chance to have his first touch of the ball, Boswell (definitely him this time), lifted the ball over Humbertherm's back line for Fanthorpe to run onto and he nicked it past the advancing keeper to double Boro's lead.
In between times Boswell had drilled the ball just wide of the left hand upright from twenty yards out.
But, with his first touch of the ball, Beecroft threaded a free kick through to Barker, who was between Summers and the ball, as he played off him and went tumbling to the ground as the defender went shoulder to shoulder with him.
The referee was close enough to give the incident a second coat of looking at and he blew up and pointed to the spot.
Those of a Humbertherm persuasion appealed for the penalty, while the Grimsby contingent were less convinced, but the referee had made his impartial verdict and with his second touch of the ball, Beecroft planted it past Pearson. And if Paul Coulam would've shifted to the side a bit, I would've got a half decent photo of the spot kick for the 'Therms' number twelve to keep for posterity.
Game on!? Well, briefly maybe.
Jake Thompson, the home sides captain, ran himself into the ground, in pursuit of the fresh legged youngsters that Grimsby poured onto the pitch and the extremely busy Aldrich, made a string of saves to keep his side in the game. But in the seventy first minute, Connor Southern put in a pinpoint cross from right wing corner kick and Joe Stuart, another skipper who had put in a shift worthy of the armband this afternoon, powered a thumping header into the roof of the net.
There was still time left for Aldrich to pull off three more quality saves, as 'Boro' poured forward in a concerted attempt to put the game to bed, but Grimsby had to be content with their two goal cushion, as they saw the game out and Humbertherm stood and took a collective standing count, like a team of prize fighters putting up a damage limitation rearguard action until the bell sounded. Okay, it was a whistle really, but allow me to elaborate and exaggerate slightly, as I set the scene for the grand finale and climax of this energy sapping game. It was knackering just watching it at times.
Alridge was finally beaten again right at the death, but Southern smashed the ball wide of the post.
FT: CGB Humbertherm 1 v Grimsby Borough Academy 3
I don't think that anybody would dispute the fact that the best team won, but I was glad that the hosts only lost by a very respectable scoreline, because not only do they seem like a genuinely decent group of lads at CGB Humbertherm, they had all worked bloody hard against a good and very fit Grimsby side today.
This afternoon was a landmark game for me personally, because I've now visited every single ground in the Lincolnshire League, but that doesn't mean that I won't be travelling back into my neighbouring county any more later this season and beyond.
There is a lot of fun to be had and plenty of good people involved in football round these parts... and just as soon as the fixtures are updated on FA Full Time website in the new year, there are certain to be a good few revisits on the cards.
Right... which direction is home from here!?
