BUCKINGHAM INSURANCE LEAGUE CUP 2024/25 – A REVIEW

The first round of this year’s competition gave eight Division One sides the opportunity to take on teams from the higher divisions, three of them having some success, going through via penalty shootouts. An entertaining 90 minutes at Long Bennington ended in a 4-4 draw with Kiveton Miners Welfare, the home side taking the tie 6-5. Armthorpe Welfare and Kinsley Boys also went through after 1-1 draws with Glapwell and Hatfield Town respectively. They were joined by RHP who won an all Division One match against Bottesford Town. Bessacarr did well to restrict Doncaster City to three goals, while Stapenhill came close to upsetting Graham Street Prims, losing by the odd goal in five. The highest score came at Elite who put nine past AFC Phoenix while Melbourne Dynamo, Arnold Town and Holbrook Sports also had clearcut wins, eliminating AFC Normanton, Mayfield and Mansfield Hosiery Mills.

Round Two also had 16 ties as the winners were joined by the teams fortunate enough to have received first round byes. All but one of the nine remaining Division One sides bit the dust. Melbourne Dynamo and Doncaster Cityknocked nine past Ashland Rovers and RHP, Yorkshire Main beat Armthorpe 8-2 and Dinnington went through 4-0 at Long Bennington, but the highest score in this season’s competition came at Scunthorpe where AFC Bentley took 780 JLC apart, the final score 13-4. Kirton Brickworks did survive, eliminating Deane & District on penalties, Staveley Reserves and Holbrook Sports also winning from the spot. Derby Singh Brothers overturned the form book to put out South Normanton and there were also wins for Harworth Colliery, Cromford, Blidworth Welfare, Linby Colliery and Wirksworth Ivanhoe.

Into the third round and the final Division One side went out, AFC Bentley taking their goal total to 19 in two matches winning 6-1 at Kirton while in two all Premier South ties Holbrook Sports again went through via the penalty routeto put out Derby Singh Brothers as did Wirksworth Ivanhoe against Linby. Both Doncaster City and Dinnington Town came through with three goal margins eliminating Blidworth and Graham St Prims. Harworth Colliery travelled to Cromford & Wirksworth Town winning 4-2, Melbourne Dynamo and Yorkshire Main making up the quarter finalists.

Three of the quarter finals were close run things. A Jack McKay goal was all that divided Doncaster from , while a Dan Watson double gave Wirksworth Ivanhoe a place in the semis, no penalties for Holbrook this time. AFC Bentley eliminated Harworth Colliery 2-0 with Brad Maddison and Danell Joseph the scorers. Dinnington had the easiest passage as Yorkshire Main couldn’t raise a team.                             

Richard Lane                                                                                                   

Abacus Central Midlands Alliance League Roundup for March 29

MIDWEEK GAMES

A handful of midweek fixtures this week included three in the Black Dragon Badges Premier South Division. A second successive win, while still leaving them one off the bottom, may raise thoughts of a Great Escape. A thoroughly entertaining 90 minutes on Tuesday saw them win 4-0 against a youthful Mickleover RBL side who certainly played a full part. After half an hour of close misses, it was the veteran Josh Parfitt who broke the deadlock after 34 minutes. Two goals in the opening six minutes of the second half gave Parfitt his hat trick, Will Hunter’s fourth on 82 minutes ending a morale-boosting performance. Linby Colliery led twice at Holbrook Sports but had to settle for a point, the hosts scoring in stoppage time. Linby got off to a great start, Paddy Stefaniek giving them a 7th minute lead which they held until six minutes before half time when Billy Barnes got the equaliser. It remained level until the final minute of normal time, when the visitors got what must have seemed to be the winner, Ewan Gibson scoring from the spot only for Taylor Greig to level the scores deep into added time. A mid-table encounter between Mickleover Reserves and Arnold Town ended with the teams exchanging positions, thehosts winning 3-1. Luke Thompson put Mickleover ahead in the opening few minutes, Jamie Crawford levelling the score with a quarter of an hour played.Harry Atwal restored Mickleover’s lead shortly after the restart, Bernard Nsiah Yaa confirming the win with 20 minutes to play, Arnold keeper Danny Rigley pulling off some excellent saves to keep the margin at two.

One game in the Premier North resulted in a 3-0 win for Blidworth Welfare at Worksop Town Reserves. Blidworth went ahead on 24 minutes with a goal from Archie Ward, the lead doubled six minutes before half time as Kyle Bacon unleashed a thunderbolt from just inside the Worksop half. The visitors madethe game safe midway through the second half, Ward again the scorer.

Kinsley Boys kept up the pressure on Macron Store Nottingham Division One leaders Bessacarr, hammering Harworth Colliery 7-0 on their own ground. Lucas Stubbs got a third consecutive double, Rio Cooke also scored twice,Danny Miller, Olly Tate and Jack White also on the scoresheet. In the South Division Burton Hornets continued their improved second half to the season by beating Borrowash Victoria 4-1, the goals coming from Mitchell Bamford (2), Jono Dawkins and Scott Freeman, Vics replying through Charlie Holness, while Heanor Town cleared another in their backlog of fixtures, seeing off Cromford & Wirksworth Town 2-0, Niall Slack and Joe Nice with the goals. 

SATURDAY’S MATCHES

It’s as you were at the top of the Premier North as it comes down to the wire, Doncaster City and Dinnington Town hoovering up three more points each, with City now in the driving seat. (That’s enough cliches). Doncaster put six past AFC Phoenix to not only add the points but also to stretch their superior goal difference even further. Mason Barlow began the scoring on 12 minutes, Ben Dyer with the second after half an hour, his second and another from Kieran Mortimer approaching half time virtually ended it as a contest. Jack McKay got on the scoresheet on 77 minutes, Stuart Ludlam bringing up the half dozen in the final minute. Just up the road, Dinnington Town also got the points. beating Yorkshire Main 4-0. Once more the damage was done in the first half, Will Eades’ opener in the 16th minute followed by further strikes from Logan Liggins on 35 and Brad Kerr a minute before the break. The only addition to the score in the second half was in the 79th minute, Nathan Jessop with the goal. At the other end of the table the relatively mild weather caused some teams to begin a late attempt to escape the bottom three although one of the three relegation places will go to the departed Woodhouse Colts. Glapwell managed finally to get over their usual weakness, conceding a goal or two in the first ten minutes, going ahead with a double from Liam Kamsika in the closing minutes of the first half. Cameron Burgin stretched the lead in the 56th minute before Kamsika completed his hat trick three minutes from the end. The win brings Glapwelllevel on points with Phoenix, the goal difference in the Yorkshire club’s favour by just one. Rossington Main Reserves also won, for just the third time this season, Liam Cooper with the only goal of the game against neighbours Harworth Colliery. Blidworth Welfare put on a workmanlike performance tocomplete a comfortable 4-1 win at home to AFC Bentley. The only first half goal went to the hosts, Liam Carver on target after 33 minutes. Brad Sykes levelled on 55 before an exhilarating run down the left by Carver was squared to leave Archie Ward with a tap-in four minutes later. Tris Burrell made it three with 69 minutes on the clock, a fine individual goal from Ward tying things up for Blidworth. Staveley Reserves drew 1-1 with Ollerton Town, Oli Brown’s goal for Staveley two minutes into the second half countered by Ashley McEwan for the visitors in the 66th minute. The Worksop derby was also drawn but SJR and Town Reserves couldn’t conjure up a goal.

In the Premier South, the string of clubs in distant pursuit of South Normanton continue to take points from each other. This week it was the turn of Melbourne Dynamo to make things more difficult for Holbrook St Michaels, the only goal of the game bringing Dynamo’s Jack Goodband’s tally to 30 in all games. Graham Street Prims came from a goal down to win 4-1 at Bakewell Town. Ewan Sutherill gave Bakewell the lead but a double from Jack Tipper and one each for Pharrel Waite and Riley Moore kept Prims in the top four. A goal in each half kept Linby Colliery in runner up spot as they beat Gresley Rovers Reserves 2-0. Ewan Gibson’s 21st minute penalty put Linby in front at half time Mason Moore giving them the all-important second after 55 minutes. Cromford & Wirksworth Town produced a devastating second half display to defeat Derby Singh Brothers 6-1. The only goal in the first 45 came from Scott Taylor in the 12th minute, the hosts turning it on after the interval. Singhs were reduced to ten men on 55 minutes, giving Cromford a little more space. Taylor got his second on 64, but a late burst of four in twelve minutes turned the screw, Ben Cartwright’s 78th minute goal was followed two minutes later by James Hirst. Another three minutes and Luke Roper made it five. Singhs got a consolation goal on 86, Khaleeq Shaffique converting a penalty, but Roper had the final word, grabbing his second with two minutes to play. The Derby side will be looking nervously over their shoulders after Teversal completed their third win of the week and are now only three points behind Singhs. Their latest victorycame at the expense of AFC Normanton, the final score 4-1. A double in six first-half minutes from Cory Burton gave Teversal the interval lead beforeOwen Stockley gave Normanton a glimmer of hope two minutes into the second half. Kurt Bamford restored the two goal lead just three minutes later, Josh Parfitt making sure of the points in the 71st minutes. The Mickleover derby went in favour of RBL, Lewis Deavin with the only goal of the game. Arnold Town recovered from a run of three defeats as they came out on top 3-1 against Holbrook Sports. Toby Francis got them off to a great start with a goal in the third minute and it was an hour later when Gerrard Hallam added number two. Ewan Barnes kept Holbrook interested with a penalty five minutes later butArnold finally made sure of the points when Jake Ogden got the third a couple of minutes into added time. Wirksworth Ivanhoe warmed up for this week’s League Cup semi-final with a 3-2 defeat of Mansfield Hosiery Mills with Tom Mellor, Fin Frost and Ryan Marchington all finding the net, the Mills going close through Tom Torrington and Aston Thompson.

The Division One Cup reached the semi-final stage and will have representatives from the North, West and South divisions. Lucas Stubbs was again in goalscoring form for Kinsley Boys, grabbing another hat trick in their  5-0 defeat of Crowle Colts with Rio Cooke and Cory Woodward adding one each. Evo Sports progressed at the expense of Linby Colliery with three second half goals. Rhys Hockey finally broke the deadlock in the 67th minute, Vinny McKinney making it two with 75 played, Hockey making sure eight minutes from tIme. FC Sunnyhill will be entertaining hopes of a double after the SouthDivision champions shaded their game at Holbrook St Michaels 3-2. Sunnyhill’s goals came from Myles Sturges, Daniel James and Devante Rettie, with Kieran Smith and Charlie Harrison taking the Saints close. A double from Shilo Wilson gave Little Eaton their place in the semi-finals as they won 2-1 at Kirton Brickworks, whose scorer was Louis Colley.

Two matches, 17 goals in Division One North with Bessacarr still setting the pace. They lead Kinsley Boys by seven points, having played two more games,following a 6-3 win at Epworth Town Colts. Daniel Boulton’s hat trick and a goal each from Beau Bailey, Oliver Beaglehole and Will McGhie won it for the visitors, Joe Bartlett (2) and Sam Davies with Epworth’s reply. Not for the first time Cory Beedle’s goals inspired a win for Bottesford Town. He contributed four in his side’s 5-3 defeat of Armthorpe Welfare. Fin Davies was Bottesford’s other scorer, Nicholas Marin, Panashe Nemaruru and Harrison Mercer getting one each for the visitors.

Congratulations to Shirebrook Soldiers on winning the Division One East title, finally picking up the all-important points with a 3-2 win at Ashland Rovers. Two goals from Ben Charlesworth and one for Owen Biddle secured the title, Ashland’s reply coming from Eddie Morgan and an own goal. Pilsley and RHP fought out an entertaining 4-4 draw. Scorers for Pilsley, who were two goalsadrift at one stage, were Jack Lewin with two, Nathan Flint and Jack Sellars, while an Aiden Horner double, and one apiece for Jason Thurlby and RhuelSamuels ensured a share of the points for RHP who for the second week running failed from the penalty spot. Kye Pilmore and Isaac Potter were Mansfield Hosiery Mills Blue’s matchwinners in a 2-1 defeat of Long Bennington for whom Jenson Longden got the goal. 

Heanor Town finally reached the halfway point in their season, still with an outside chance of pinching top spot in Division One West. Despite going behind to a Sam Rosling goal for Bakewell Town, they soon recovered, finally winning 4-1 thanks to a brace from Josh Jennison and one for Ryan Cumberland and Tommy Cave. Any celebrations at Mickleover Athletic will have to be put on hold for a while yet, although they did themselves a favour with a 2-1 win at Rowsley 86, the match appearing to be heading for a draw when Cole Hassell hijacked the points in the 92nd minute. Earlier, Lewis Bagshaw had put them in front on 28 minutes, Aaron Eyre levelling ten minutes into the second half.

In Division One South Castle Donington’s Josh Charleston ended the season in style with all of his side’s goals in a 4-0 win at Borrowash Victoria, two coming in the first five minutes, the others in the second half. A spectacular goal from all of 40 yards out by Umar Hussein proved the only one of the game betweenBaobab United and Holbrook Sports.

This week’s individual scoring award goes to Michael Dennis who netted all five of Ashland Rovers’ goals in a 5-4 win at Little Eaton. The hosts, who were 4-1 down at half time fought back but ran out of time, their goals coming from Kaden Sewell (2), Dan Guild and Sam Hartshorne. The other Drayton PACS Division Two game was at Aston Village who ran out 5-1 winners against basement side Castle Donington. There was another individual scoring achievement here, Kieran Isaacs responsible for four of the goals, including three in a ten minute spell midway through the first half, Marcus Hall with Aston’s final goal in the 88th minute.

Richard Lane

Abacus Central Midlands Alliance League Roundup for March 22

The two horse race at the top of the Black Dragon Badges Premier North Division may, and I repeat may, have been resolved on Wednesday as Doncaster City avenged their defeat at home to Dinnington Town by winning the reversefixture 2-0. Jordan Turner gave the visitors an early advantage with a 10thminute goal, Mason Barlow’s second, three minutes into the second half, proving a goal too far for the hosts. A crumb of comfort for Dinnington came from the size of the crowd, estimated at around 800, but I’m sure they would have traded it for three points. The onus is now with Doncaster, who are a point behind with a game in hand. Time will tell.

Mansfield Hosiery Mills ended a six game winless run in style as they sent Mickleover RBL home on the wrong end of a 5-0 scoreline. Billy Brooks and Warwick Wood’s first half goals were backed up by a second for Brooks and a Tom Torrington double. A quickfire hat trick by Regan Bickerton kept Melbourne Dynamo’s long distance pressure on the leaders alive at Arnold Town. The visitors led from the 22nd minute when Jack Goodband took his season’s tally to 21, but it was Bickerton’s eight minute treble that ensured the win, his first goal timed at 73 minutes with a second three minutes later and the third on 81. 

Congratulations to South Normanton, winners of Thursday night’s AbacusLighting Floodlit Cup Final against Harworth Colliery. The match, however,won’t live very long in the memory, a scrappy, attritional game ending with each team reduced to ten men. The only goal of the game came from the Shiners’ Jordan Macaskill after just ten minutes, while Harworth had their opportunities but lacked anyone to add the finishing touch.

SATURDAY’S MATCHES

Doncaster City occupy top spot in the Premier North Division after finally catching up their games in hand. With four games to play they lead Dinnington by two points and have a superior goal difference. They inflicted what has become a rare defeat on Staveley Reserves, the final score 6-1. City led in the 26th minute with a Ben Dyer goal but were pegged back six minutes later. Josh Nicholls levelling the scores. The visitors retook the lead on the half hour, Jack McKay with the goal, to which Fallet Bamba added a third a minute before half time. The second half belonged to McKay who took his tally to four, his second half hat trick coming on 63, 71 and 84 minutes, doing the goal difference no harm at all. Hatfield Town are a distant third, but have enjoyed an exceptional season without the resources of some of their rivals, They also had a 6-1 win on their cross-Doncaster trip to Yorkshire Main. Joe Smith opened the scoring in the second minute and then saw his penalty w