GEORDIE REPLACE QUARRYDALE AT THE TOP

Samba Nottinghamshire Senior League

Division Two North

FC GEORDIE 4 QUARRYDALE UNITED FC 2

Going in to the match Quarrydale United lead the table by a single point from second placed FC Geordie, so a tight game was expected here at the William Lee Ground in Calverton in the lashing cold rain,as I stood under the shelter of a line of trees which didnt give that much shelter as the leaves were falling off in the slight breeze.

Both sides line ups were handed in quite early to match referee Gary Bryant and soon the game was on its way, with both teams teasing each other for the early breakthrough, as the rain got heavier and the ball got pitch covered in leaves became a bit slippy but not dangerous.

I was soon joined by local Mansfield based hopper Peter Watmough who had caught two buses and got soaked walking from the bus stop to the ground and also a referees assessor who's name Ive forgotten again from the Newark area but comes from down Cornwall way.

In the 27th minute, the deadlock was broken when FC's top striker TROY SMITH found the back of the net to give his side the lead. Geordie had got their tails up and how they didnt score another two in two minutes couldnt be believed by the home crowd as the ball bobbled around the area and the visiting keeper made two reflex saves, but in the 32nd minute he could do little when it became 2-0 when the ball was cut back from the right side for TROY SMITH to head home.

Quarrydale pressed forward but also found the home keeper in fine form and no way past him. After the half time break, it was Quarrydale with the first chance of the half and DANIEL FISHER pulled his side back in to the game as he blasted his shot home. All thoughts of a comeback though  disappeared within minutes, when MASON BRAMWELL headed his side in to a 3-1 lead. The game was really open and end to end with keepers making saves and tough tackles going in from both sides which you would expect in a top of a table clash.

The rain began to ease a little and a free kick was hit long from 40 yards by CALLUM BRADWELL after 65 minutes which dipped over the keepers net, it took a while before some people noticed that the ball had nestled in to the back of the net to begin the players celebrating.

With the clock running down in the 77th minute, Quarrydale was awarded a penalty after a handball incident inside of the home area and was duly dispatched by DANIEL FISHER to set upa tense last thirteen minutes, but in the 82 nd minutes, things got worse for the visitors as they were reduced to ten men after a second yellow card was shown

70 photos from the match can be seen on this LINK