Jock Mitchell Memorial Trophy
Lincoln & District Sunday Football League Cup Final
at Lincoln Moorlands Railway Athletic FC
NettlehamFC (1) 4
John Marklew OG 45
Bryan Skayman 48
Chris O'Mahoney 76
Joe Simpson 78
Queen Athletic (0) 2
Joel Sturgess 49
John Marklew 52
Admission £5, Programme 50p
By virtue of their win tonight, Nettleham completed the league and cup double, having already won Division 3 of the Lincoln & District Sunday League, by a five point margin over Birchwood United, while Queen Athletic finished in sixth place, some fifteen points behind tonight's opposition.
Jason Bristow's side tried to make in roads down the right flank, but found Matt Wilson, to be in a very determined mood, marshalling that particular route into his his team's area.
Many years I have travelled, over land and sea, in pursuit of the beautiful game, in all it's shapes, sizes, formats and a variety of differing standards, across a myriad spectrum of levels.
(M) Wilson's touch, ability to read the game, willingness to get forward, distribution skills and instinctive know how of when to commit himself to making a tackle (and when not to), is almost identical to that of the ex Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Newcastle United, QPR, Coventry City, Everton, Watford and Brentford etc. etc. model of consistency. Mind you, Sansom is now 59 years of age and more often than not as drunk as a lord, but I couldn't tell you what Matt's excuse is.
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| Lucky mascot Joe Skako leads out the Nettleham team |
Bryan Skayman won a corner out on the right and took it himself, but Simon Gould headed just wide when he met the ball with a looping header. He didn't do much wrong all night other than that though, and was probably the Nettles engine room that held everything else they did together.
Nick Cooper threaded a long pass through the opposition defence for Tom Parker to run onto, but Mouncastle advanced from his line and saved bravely at the number eleven's feet.
I'm reliably informed that Kerrigan doesn't mind the 'banter' about his big tab holes, because they distract people from noticing how crap his hairstyle is.
Who needs enemies, with mates like James has got, eh!?
Kerrigan set up the next chance for Nettleham, hooking the ball forward for Skayman to chase,but Mountcastle responded quickly again and dealt with the impending danger.
Parker's left wing corner was flicked on by Kerrigan, but Neil Hewlett was well placed to get his head to the ball and another Nettleham attack broke down.
The Queen Athletic defence were buckling without actually breaking, while 'Nettles' attack, who should have comfortably been ahead by now, just weren't finding that all important final touch in front of Mountcastle's goal... which was clearly demonstrated, when Parker slid in, just inside the 'Queen' six yard box, with the goal at his mercy from Skayman's delivery, but was inches away from connecting with the ball.
With the game galloping along at a rare old pace towards half time, Nettleham finally breached the 'Queen' defence, when Liam Hutchinson arrived at the perfect moment to meet Parker's right wing corner with a thumping header, that crashed off of the left hand upright. The ball was half cleared but Skayman latched onto it and cut in from the left side of the area, before testing Mountcastle with a crisply struck half volley, that the keeper did well to turn round his left hand post at full stretch.
HT: Nettles 1 v Queen 0
Three minutes after the restart, Nick Cooper headed a Joel Sturgess cross away and Nettleham quickly moved forward, turning defence into attack, Hutchinson knocked the ball forward to Skayman, who was already twenty yards inside the opposition half, when he turned and sprinted forward until he reached Mountcastle near the penalty spot, where he changed direction and speed and his his momentum took him past the stranded keeper, before rolling the ball into the empty net.
So the cup favourites were now two goals ahead, in the second half and looking the fresher of the two sides... surely Nettleham already had one hand on the trophy now, or did they?
And from their next attack, Queen Athletic were level, when Marklew won a header just inside the 'Nettles' area, with his back to goal, and craftily flicked the ball backwards, where it dipped just under the crossbar via (E) Wilson's outstretched fingertips. "You've redeemed yourself John!" shouted out one of his coaches as the teams shaped up to restart the game, but I noticed when I got home, that Adam Foxon has been credited with the goal on the FA website. So apologies to him if he got the final touch and I'm talking rubbish here, but from my vantage point it looked like John Marklew's goal... and I thought it was even more impressive than the one he got at the same end just before half time too.
Mountcastle made good catches to from wide balls into his area from both Skayman and Parker, with Kerringan and Chris O'Mahoney homing in.
O'Mahoney stopped Monk launching a long pass forward from the centre circle, when the ball hit him directly in his private parts, with a sickening thud.
Every man in the ground winced in an all knowing response to that sound, but then burst into spontaneous laughter too, because when it boils down to it, underneath our calm and caring exterior appearances, we're all horrible and sadistic swines really.
Parkinson sprinted towards the Nettleham goal, but Joe Simpson made a timely last ditch interception to prevent him getting his shot away... and Cooper moved in sharply to win the ball from Liam Grainger after Moulds and Parkinson had linked up well to get the ball back into the 'Nettles' goal area.
Skayman collected the ball out on the right flank, took his time waiting for O'Mahoney to make himself some space and planted an inch perfect cross to the feet of Nettleham's number ten, who took the ball down with one foot and buried it into the back of the net with the other, to put his side back in front again, in the seventy sixth minute.
Two minutes later Nettleham added a fourth goal, when Parker's left wing corner towards Hutchinson was only half cleared as far as the edge of the area and Simpson spanked the ball past Mountcastle.
The likelihood of Darren Giovannetti's side squandering a two goal lead for a second time, looked increasingly unlikely now, as some very tired looking players, on both sides, dragged their weary torsos through the closing stages of the game.
Mountcastle did well to deny Ash Murphy with a stop down at his feet, after Kerrigan had opened up the 'Queen' defence with a through ball... and though the crestfallen keeper got into a tangle on the edge of his area, he managed to recover and retrieve the ball with Skayman and Kerrigan both jostling for possession.
Nettleham had been the best side on the night and were worthy winners, but on the strength of his input to this cup final, Mountcastle didn't deserve to be on the wrong end of a thrashing.
As the game ran over into stoppage time, Parker missed a sitter, but I reckon that he can be forgiven for that, in lieu of the massive part that he had played his team's victorious finale to their successful season.
So well played Queen Athletic who had bust a gut to stay in this game and deserve a share of the plaudits and congratulations to Nettleham on winning a league and cup double.
FT: Nettleham 4 v Queen Athletic 2
I was asked what I thought about the referee and match officials at this level... and it needs to be said that they must have had a good game, because I didn't really notice any of them as they kept this high tempo game flowing and well under control, sans any unnecessary stoppages. So let's all give praise where it is due to: Mike Redgrift, Danny Topliss and Flick Levett, along with their fourth official Steve Fisher.
