NCEL Match Review #66
12th April, 2009
Saturday was the day of the underdog in the KoolSport NCEL Premier Division as all the top three sides lost, two of them to teams battling to avoid relegation.
Leaders Mickleover Sports were beaten 1-0 at home by Lincoln Moorlands Railway who, despite their eighteenth position, are now the in-form team in the top flight.
Railway have picked up sixteen points out of the last eighteen on offer and are now five points clear of the bottom two.
Sports' lead at the top, however, was only cut to two points as Selby Town were held to a 0-0 draw at next-to-bottom Brodsworth Welfare.
And, third placed Bridlington Town were beaten 4-1 at Hallam who climb to sixth.
Rob Ward, Gavin Hunter and James Tevendale had the Sheffield side three-up by the 32nd minute.
The visitors woke up and pulled one back through Damien Fearn before the break.
But, they could not claw themselves back into the game and Liam Allott grabbed the vital fourth for the hosts on 72 minutes.
The stuttering by the top sides has opened the door in the title race again for Long Eaton United who won 2-0 at basement side, Eccleshill United.
Craig Mitchell scored just after the half-hour and Paolo Piliero made sure of the victory on 83 minutes to condemn Eccleshill to a bottom two finish.
Long Eaton who are fourth are now just five points behind Mickleover in what is shaping up to be one of the tightest and most dramatic title run-ins for several years.
At the other end of the table, seventeenth-placed Shirebrook virtually guaranteed themselves Premier Division football next season as they won 2-1 at fifth-placed Arnold Town.
Nathan Watson put the visitors ahead on eleven minutes and Callum Wilkinson doubled their advantage halfway through the second period.
Dennis Simms grabbed a late consolation for the Eagles as their visitors returned to Derbyshire from Eagle Valley with the points that move them five clear of nineteenth with two to play.
Biggest scorers of the day were Thackley who won 7-2 at Nostell Miners Welfare.
They were 2-0 up by the interval thanks to a seventh-minute strike from Andrew Fox and a goal just before the break from Chris Coy.
Craig Stephens brought Nostell fleetingly back into the encounter on 50 minutes but they then fell apart, conceding five goals in eighteen minutes.
Coy completed his hat-trick whilst Ross Daley and Dean Walters also found the net and Nicky Boshell converted a 56th minute penalty.
A shell-shocked Nostell claimed their second of the afternoon as the game went into stoppage time through Danny Highley.
Glyn Cotton struck a hat-trick of penalties for Parkgate as they beat Winterton Rangers 5-1 at Green Lane.
The Steelmen came from behind to record the victory after Andy Holt had opened the scoring on sixteen minutes.
Cotton converted his first spot-kick on 20 before Simon Asquith ensured a half-time lead for the hosts.
Mark Caine also found the net in between two more penalties from Cotton in a second period that belonged to Parkgate.
And, honours were even at Muglet Lane as Maltby Main and Dinnington Town played out a 1-1 draw.
Rob Branagan had the hosts ahead on forty minutes but that was cancelled out by Liam Cartledge midway through the second half.
In Division One, Rainworth Miners Welfare took a massive step in securing promotion to the top flight.
They beat fourth-placed visitors Staveley Miners Welfare 2-1 to put themselves three points clear in second and knock their opponents out of the promotion chase.
Barry Alberry gave the Wrens a ninth-minute lead but they were pegged back from the penalty spot as Lee Gregory converted a spot-kick on 49.
However, Rainworth had a penalty of their own nine minutes from time that was struck home confidently by Phil Bignall.
They need four points from their last two games or any slip-up from third-placed Askern Villa to clinch a move into the Premier Division.
There was no movement in the top half of Division One with Barton Town Old Boys keeping hold of fifth place with a fine 4-0 win over visitors Teversal.
Chris Spinks struck early in the first half whilst Gareth Barlow's brace and Barton's fourth from Sean Thompson all came after the interval.
Sixth-placed AFC Emley had a comfortable 3-0 victory at bottom side Glasshoughton Welfare.
Matt Neesam and Josh Nodder gave them a two-goal advantage at half-time.
And, they wrapped up the victory with three minutes remaining as goalkeeper Jamie Green stepped up to score from the penalty spot.
Glasshoughton now have only two games in which to claim their first league victory of the season.
Leeds Carnegie stay seventh with a 2-0 win at Brighouse Town, Alex Smith and Kyle Hawthorne with the goals, one in each half.
And, they remain ahead on goal difference of Bottesford Town who were 4-1 victors at Tadcaster Albion.
Craig Bridge claimed a nineteen-minute first-half hat-trick whilst, in between his first and second, a Josh Birch own goal saw the game over as a contest by the interval.
Andy Green made sure there was something to cheer about for Taddy as he snatched a consolation on 84 minutes.
Appleby Frodingham climb to eleventh after a 4-2 win at home to Yorkshire Amateur.
Lee Everitt and Ryan Hibbard both claimed second-half braces after the Ammers had taken the lead before the interval.
And, Rossington Main move up one place to thirteenth after a stunning 6-0 victory at Grimsby Borough.
They were three-up by the break as Michael MacDonald opened the scoring and Lee Holmes netted twice.
Andrew Culshaw, Sean Nicholls and William McGhie then claimed Main's biggest win of the season in the second half.