Maltby Main 1-0 Worskop Town
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 29th August 2020
Sometimes there are games you enjoy and, other times, there are games you endure!
This one definitely wasn't for the faint-hearted and at times it was akin to some of the lowest points of boredom during lockdown, earlier this year.
For the large part, it was dreadfully dull with too many aimless long punts, too many balls going out of play, and two teams who could barely string a pass together. Played on a terrible sloping pitch which didn't help, the game perfectly mirrored the weather which was cold, damp, drizzly and absolutely crap for the entire afternoon.
In fairness, Maltby (of the NCEL Premier Division) should take pride in the fact they reduced Worksop to their level, prevented them from getting on top and dictating things, and ultimately were victorious. If it wasn't for the fact their manager spent the majority of the match screaming at the officials - encouraged by his entourage of morons behind the dugout who seemed to be treating the game as a World Cup Final, then I'd be willing to give them more credit.
Worksop can't take much comfort from their performance - it was simply dire and, apart from a decent spell of pressure just before the break and a useful 'long-throw' which a couple of their defenders had in their locker, they didn't offer too much.
Being reduced to 10 men didn't help the Tigers' cause (especially as the player who got the red card was reeled in hook, line and sinker by his opponent) although the most surprising thing about it was the inevitable mass-brawl took over an hour before it happened.
The only goal came just after half-time when a Maltby player was on the receiving end of a late tackle just inside the visitors' half - cue the ghoulish screams from their manager. Instead, the referee played a very good advantage and Liam Preston eventually slotted home after a team-mate had done most of the hard work by running through on goal, drawing the 'keeper off his line, and then squaring it.
There isn't much else that can be said about the game other than I left early (which is a rarity for me nowadays) and that I think I've done very well to stretch it out across eight paragraphs!
Next Up: Mossley vs Oldham Athletic (potentially)...
As a new feature/article (call it whatever you want) which I'm going to trial on the blog this season, here's a round-up on how some of the former scholars from yesteryear at Doncaster Rovers have got on in their games over the course of the weekend.
The primary reason behind this is my own opinion that ex-youth teamers who didn't make the grade are sometimes forgotten by the club/fans, drift away from the limelight and ultimately don't get much coverage after they leave. Therefore, this may help to put their names back out in the public domain a bit more so people can see what they're now upto (and achieving) nowadays further down the pyramid.
After all, the majority of these lads had the most fun and the best few years of their careers whilst on the books at Cantley Park so it's only right they aren't forgotten.
Elliott Walker; now with Rossington Main.
Starting locally, then Rossington Main thumped newly-formed Wakefield (who are managed by Adam Lockwood) as they won 4-1 in West Yorkshire with Jack Watson getting on the score-sheet. 'Rozzo' have recruited a number of old scholars this summer including Elliott Walker and Cameron Barnett.
Elsewhere, Elliott's older brother Tyler Walker featured alongside Conner Williamson as Armthorpe Welfare were beaten 3-1 on home soil by Newark Town despite Adam Lee opening the scoring in the first few minutes of the game.
Further afield, then Brad Grayson was another ex-scholar on the score-sheet today as Frickley Athletic romped to a 5-0 success at Bridlington Town.
Goalkeeper Kian Johnson - part of last year's title-winning youth team, was on the bench as Worksop Town succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at Maltby Main. Amongst Kian's current team-mates at Worksop are former DRFC fringe players Oscar Radford and James Baxendale.
One of Maltby's rivals in the NCEL Premier Division are Staveley Miners Welfare who have a plethora of old scholars such as Matty Davies, Matt Parkin, Joe Pugh and their most recent signing Myron Gibbons. The Trojans won 3-1 at Retford.
Rieves Boocock, who set records during his time at Rovers, was another former scholar on the winning side as Cleethorpes Town team won 4-1 at Barton Town, though there was no such good fortune for midfielder Morgan James (now at AFC Mansfield) as they went down 1-0 at home to Swallowsnest.
Elsewhere, Cody Prior was part of an inter-squad friendly at Sheffield FC as they prepare for another year at 'Step 4' in the same division as Stocksbridge Park Steels who have re-signed Reece Fielding for another 12 months.
Finally, pre-season is always a busy time of year for transfers so good luck to Cameron Foulkes who will be with Bottesford Town for the upcoming season and also James Leverton who recently joined Gainsborough Trinity.
It's been a busy few days with so much going on in the football world so here's a little post to fill a bit of space about specific bits and pieces which I'm interested in.
A busy few days at the Keepmoat.
The big news yesterday was obviously Ed Williams signing for Doncaster Rovers.
Don't worry, I'm not going to type up another 3,628-word article - you can read it here instead. It was good to see such a positive reaction from those who'll now get to watch his talents every week and his interview with Adam Oxley on BBC Radio Sheffield was really nice and I thought it tapped perfectly into his character, what he's about, and proved just how excited he is about this huge opportunity for him which has taken so long to happen. Having seen his development over so many years, it's hard not to be happy and I just want him to go on and absolutely flourish now.
It wasn't any surprise that he picked the 'Number 18' shirt, either, because that's what he had at Cheltenham in his season as a first-year professional.
Elsewhere, related to Doncaster Rovers, it was a proud day for Danny Amos who received another international call-up to Northern Ireland's Under 21s squad for their upcoming fixtures - away to Malta and then at home to Denmark in September. It's great that a player at DRFC has again been noticed by the selectors ahead of many others and hopefully he'll get some game-time over the course of the 180 minutes. He's a smashing lad and I'm sure the experience will only help enhance both his character and profile which can't do any damage to his career in the long-term.
Although I haven't seen the full squad list yet, one of his team-mates on a previous occasion was a lad called Jake Dunwoody - a talented, hard-working midfielder who quit Stoke City earlier this summer (where he was Under 21s captain) in order to seek out regular first team football. He's subsequently penned a deal with Derry City in the Republic of Ireland and played in the Europa League Qualifiers in Lithuania only a few days ago. Remember the name because in a few years once he's established and got experience under his belt, then he might well end up being picked up by a bigger club.
Danny Amos goes to win the ball in a game against Rotherham.
Another lad who recently made a brave and bold decision; this time only yesterday, was Sam Osborne at Notts County.
'Ozzy' as he's known, at 21, has decided to leave Meadow Lane, where he came through the academy ranks, in pursuit of regular first team games. A new contract offer was on the table for him and he could have easily signed it, stayed put in an environment he's comfortable with and perhaps run the risk of being a peripheral figure again for another year. Therefore, I've got nothing but complete admiration for his decision to leave; he knows what he wants, has assessed the risks involved, knows what he needs at that stage of his career, and I seriously hope it works out well for him.
I'm blessed to have seen some good players over the years and long may it continue!
Get some tunes on, bang the volume up and listen very carefully because Ed Williams is back in the Football League after signing for Doncaster Rovers.
As if playing against Wayne Rooney wasn't enough 'off the scale' next level complete and utter madness for one week, this is even bigger, even better and it's hard to overstate just how much of a massive moment it is for him, his family, his friends and others close to him. Years of graft, endeavour, determination and commitment have culminated in this proud occasion and if you could bottle up the emotions of the day then the price tag would be astronomical.
This is Ed Williams' chance to shine. It's real and it's happening! It's beaming, it's bright and if you didn't quite catch it before then I'll say it again: ED WILLIAMS IS BACK in the Football League after signing for Doncaster Rovers!
What a story it is as well for any young footballer out there in need of inspiration or a reason as to why you should never give up on chasing your dreams!
It's happened. Love it! (Photo: Doncaster Rovers).
To give you some more background on Rovers' latest recruit (or fresh info if you didn't read my post last week), in his younger days then Ed was a bubbly, spiky-haired kid who looked a bit like Gareth Bale and had a huge love for football. He grew up (almost literally) on the terraces of Whaddon Road watching Cheltenham and idolising players in their team such as Jamie Victory - one of his future coaches, Damian Spencer, Martin Devaney, John Brough and many others. He was fortunate enough to join the Robins' academy set-up at Under 11s with his good mate Joe Hanks and the duo progressed all the way through the youth system to be offered professional deals in March 2013.
His highlights whilst playing in the youth team included a pre-season trip to Holland where the squad met Steve McClaren (who was FC Twente's manager at the time), playing against Tottenham Hotspur in the Third Round of the FA Youth Cup and setting up a goal before scoring the winning penalty in a County Cup shoot-out victory over Cirencester.
Nevertheless, it wasn't to be for him during his time as a first-year professional so today's emotions are in stark contrast to those felt precisely 2,305 days ago on Tuesday 6th May 2014, when it was publicly confirmed by Cheltenham's then boss, Mark Yates, that he wouldn't be offered any extension to his contract at the club once it expired that summer. He was basically told 'You're not good enough to be a professional footballer' - words which no youngster ever wants to hear regardless of how gently they're delivered. You only have to take one look at Jon Palmer's video interview with him not long afterwards to see it was a massive knock to his confidence.
Ed showing his skills in the youth ranks at Cheltenham (Photo: @EdWilliams_95).
Aged 18 at that point, albeit 19 by the time the following season got underway, he could have easily chucked the towel in, retreated into his shell, believed what he'd been told, and just faded away into insignificance in the obscure echelons of non-league football.
Even after he'd enrolled on a three-year Sports Performance degree at Hartpury University - thus affording him the chance to keep training full-time and crucially improve his physical strength whilst also giving himself some academic options to fall back on, he no doubt endured some fleeting thoughts about what might have been? What if he'd been born six weeks later and had been one of the oldest in his YT group as opposed to one of the youngest? Would that have made a difference? What if his first-year pro contract had been in 2014/15 when Cheltenham went through four managers including his old youth team coach, Russ Milton, as opposed to the year before? Would that have helped? If it had been somebody else making the decision on his future, would they have had a different opinion? Could anything else have been different along the way for it to have been him on the pitch smashing in a last-minute equaliser on the half-volley away at Mansfield, as opposed to his old team-mate in the academy, Zack Kotwica?
My own personal opinion is that if Ed had been on the books at Whaddon Road in 2014/15 or, instead, if the club had gone through multiple bosses when he was under contract, he may well have featured at some point - even if it was just a token appearance in the FA Cup, Johnstone's Paint Trophy, or at the tail end of the League Two season. However, it wasn't to be and whilst he was unfortunate in some ways never to get on the pitch for a first team game, on the flip side he swerved a bullet by not having to endure and experience, first-hand, the trials and tribulations which came with the club's relegation from the Football League.
A new beginning: Ed playing for Cirencester in the Southern Premier League! (Photo: Truro City).
The 'What if?' scenarios and possibilities are all entirely hypothetical, but what Ed did do in 2014/15 was refocus, knuckle down and combine his studies at Hartpury with part-time football at Cirencester in the Southern Premier Division (Step 3). Despite being one of the smallest clubs at that level, they punched above their weight, missed out on the play-offs by only a few points and he featured for the vast majority of the season up until the closing weeks, playing in a variety of positions - including on the left-wing. He scored the opener against Cambridge City (when Fejiri Okenabirhie, incidentally, was in the opposition line-up), weighed in with eight goals in total - including one at Histon and a brace at Mangotsfield and registered just as many assists, if not more, some of which were in other wins at Dorchester, Dunstable and also one at Arlesey just as the game ticked into stoppage-time and only a few moments after a shot of his had rattled the upright.
It was a successful season on the whole and it earned him a step up to the Conference North with Gloucester, then under Tim Harris' management. At the time, the Tigers were ground-sharing at Whaddon Road so it was a return to familiar surroundings and it was at GCFC where he played alongside some of his old youth team pals such as Kieran Thomas (the best pit-bull in Weston-Super-Mare right now), Joe Hanks, Zack Kotwica, Bobbie Dale and, a bit later on, Harry Williams. Another young lad called Tom Owen-Evans; a phenomenal player with bucket loads of skill and someone else who I could quite easily write essays about, also came on loan for a brief time as well.
The 2015/16 campaign was a mixed one as an early-season hip injury hindered Ed's progress to some extent, though he still made 23 appearances and impressed his boss sufficiently enough to earn another deal for the following year. Keen to add more goals to his game as an attacking player, he began 2016/17 in blistering fashion - netting a brace against Gainsborough which included a deft, controlled lob over the 'keeper. That was followed that up with a string of good displays and assists whilst physically, he was becoming stronger all the time. Further goals followed at home to Boston and then away at Harrogate, before a well-worked goal in a late-season win over Kidderminster. Overall, he didn't score as many as he'd have probably liked to - though he did help set-up Zack Kotwica for a goal after a fabulous tricky, solo run in an end-of-season draw at Stockport (which killed their promotion hopes) in front of what was a then-record attendance in the Conference North. His progress, development and potential was evident in abundance over the course of the campaign and he ended it in a stronger position than what he started it, in terms of both impact and self-confidence.
Growing stronger with Gloucester (Photo: Gloucestershire Live).
The end of the 2016/17 season coincided with Ed's graduation year at Hartpury, so to give some background on his academic attributes (and a bit more on what he achieved during his three-year stint at university), he graduated with a 2:1 in Sports Performance - striving tirelessly to achieve his degree with endless hours put into essays and dissertations, something which should give you an indication towards his character. On the pitch, he regularly featured in the University's Mens 'A' team who won their respective regional league every year he was in it, in addition to twice reaching the BUCS National Cup Final. The other year (2017) they were semi-finalists. He contributed goals along the way, including a free-kick in a victory over Chichester, but the pinnacle of his university football days arrived in April 2017, just weeks before graduating, when he was selected ahead of hundreds of others to represent England at that level.
If anyone is unsure as to the standard of this level of football, Hartpury is a high-quality, elite sporting institution amongst the very best in the country. Therefore, it's lads with decent sporting talent who get places there and not just predominantly average, run of the mill type students, you might find at other universities across the country. The footballing alumni at Hartpury includes one player who has since appeared for Spartak Moscow and Porto having also made over 100 outings in France's Ligue 1, another player who featured abroad under a current Premier League manager and has since represented his country, and a further international who went on to establish himself in Australia. Naturally, not everyone goes on to have such a distinguished career, of course, but this at least should show that it's a decent/respectable standard - and one where Ed's potential was again being recognised!
England University Football recognition (Photo: @EdWilliams_95).
Anyway, having graduated, the now 22-year-old continued playing part-time at Gloucester, though they'd now switched to the Conference South and had begun ground-sharing at the Jubilee Stadium in nearby Evesham - a place where he'd spent time on loan as part of his 'work experience' when he was initially starting out in senior football whilst on Cheltenham's books.
It was during 2017/18 that Ed established himself as the mercurial talent and the main man in the team; proof of which can be found by the fact he won the highly-coveted 'Players' Player Of The Season' award - the ultimate individual honour to receive for a player! He was also the Supporters' Player Of The Season, too, and multiple different facets of his game shone at various different points.
He showed confidence in converting penalties in matches at St Albans and Truro - a trip which must have been a complete ball ache so close to Christmas. Neat and nifty footwork was apparent with goals at Hungerford, Hemel Hempstead and Bognor Regis and another season highlight; perhaps even a career one, was his injury-time effort in a 3-2 victory at Welling on the world's worst ever football pitch. His pace, skill and attributes were becoming widely known across the National League and his value to Gloucester was underpinned with class, consistency and assists - including one against Bath in August when he had a particularly good game and was unlucky not to get on the score-sheet on a few occasions.
Despite it not being the most settled year off the pitch as Marc Richards replaced Tim Harris as manager around the midway point, it was testament to Ed's character and talent that he continued to perform to a high individual standard and be so highly-acclaimed by those around the club.
Signing for Kidderminster and a return to full-time football (Photo: Kidderminster Harriers).
Unsurprisingly, after what had been such a positive season with nine goals to his name (second in the scoring charts to Joe Parker), his talent was highly sought after and he moved back into full-time football with Kidderminster - playing here alongside two former DRFC players in James Baxendale and Jim O'Connor; both of whom have spoken highly about his ability.
It was during the initial 5 or 6 months immediately following his switch to Kiddy (from July up to the first few weeks of November), when he played, in my opinion, some of the best games of his career to date. His impact continued to be significant and checking his game-by-game highlights at that time, watching interviews, seeing reports, reading fans' comments on message boards, etc, you couldn't be anything but delighted for him. Everything which was being stated just reinforced my own opinion on him that he could (and probably would) progress far.
He went through a golden patch of scoring for fun, creating danger and posing numerous problems for the opposition. His form was tremendous; so much so he earned the Conference North's 'Player of the Month' accolade in the September and was also soon mentioned by the Non-League Paper alongside Josh Koroma (now at Huddersfield), Tom Walker (now at Harrogate) and Tyler French (now at Bradford) as being amongst the best youngsters outside the Football League. More recognition was to be had by call-up's to the England 'C' squad on two separate occasions, six months apart, for fixtures with Estonia and Wales. Although his goal-scoring form tailed off as the season grew old, not helped by a short-term injury set-back which kept him out for around six weeks, he nevertheless finished 2018/19 with a double-figure goals tally.
Just a humble lad earning his place in the 'Team of the Week' again (and again)...
What must have been the weirdest moment of his career to date (other than playing against Wayne Rooney last weekend and reading this post and wondering how I've got such phenomenal knowledge!) also occurred that season when Neil McFarlane left Aggborough to take up a position with Brentford, only to be replaced by Mark Yates - the same manager who released him at Cheltenham. I don't even know where, or even how, you'd go about beginning that conversation!
His old gaffer only came in on a short-term deal until the end of the 2018/19 campaign and last season was equally as unsettled at Aggborough, off the pitch, as John Pemberton, Russ Penn, James Shan and then Russ Penn (again!) all spent time in the Harriers' hot-seat. On the pitch, Ed couldn't replicate the frequency at which he'd scored goals the season beforehand but he did achieve some personal highlights - notably bagging decent goals against Aston Villa and Burton in pre-season. He featured in the majority of league games as an attacking midfielder, though a brief injury as we entered 'pandemic-year' prevented his appearance for DRFC in a trial game. He was offered the chance to extend his stay with the club, just over three months ago, but decided now is the time for him to pursue his long-held ambition of playing in the Football League.
Ed playing for England C against Estonia (Photo: @EdWilliams_95).
As I wrote last week, I've tracked Ed's career for years, having first seen him play when he was part of what I genuinely believe was the best overall crop of youngsters to have emerged from Cheltenham's academy set-up at any point over the past decade. I'm not sure as to whether it was the Russ Milton effect, as I've heard he's meant to be brilliant at what he does, or if it was Jamie Victory's influence, but someone, somewhere, was doing a really good job at Whaddon Road in that era to nurture the talent of so many players who've either gone on to make 100+ appearances at either Conference North/South level or higher up the ladder, or go abroad and flourish in life.
Ultimately, although I'd seen him before and knew what he was about - having been impressed with how he performed when he came on against Tottenham on a freezing cold night in the FA Youth Cup just before Christmas, if it wasn't also for the fact that someone on the sidelines said 'it's his birthday today' when he was playing on the right-wing in a game against Notts County seven months later, coupled with the fact that he dominated Brad McGowan in that game (another lad who'd have gone on to play in the Football League had it not been for a horrible leg injury) then I wouldn't have been bothered to follow his career so extensively all the way up to the present day. A week or so after that Notts County game, he had another good hour or so in a friendly against an experienced Kidderminster line-up who'd been Conference Premier runners-up just a few months before. That period of games consolidated my opinion on him, there and then beyond any doubt, and everything he's achieved since is testament to his character and the person he is.
In the present, I know Ed's potential and what he'll bring to Doncaster Rovers, what his capabilities and weaknesses are, the positions he performs best in and even things down to important but trivial details such as where he's most likely to put a penalty. Therefore, with everything I've seen, I've got so much confidence and belief that he can do well. I'm delighted, 'over the moon', 'buzzing' and not far off doing triple back-flips given that he's now got this brilliant opportunity to impress so many more people in so many more places with his talent.
Making an impression against Spurs in in the FA Youth Cup (Photo: @EdWilliams_95).
This move has been in the pipeline for several months, stretching back right to the start of the year. As soon as I knew that he was meant to be coming to DRFC on trial, not only was it very interesting on a personal level, but it also proved to me the recruitment guys were identifying good talent.
Fans are sometimes quick to press the 'panic button' if they don't see a flurry of transfer activity, but this signing shows that Darren Moore, Adam Henshall and everyone else involved in the recruitment aspects are doing their homework to ensure it's the players with the right personalities and the right characteristics who are being signed. Good recruitment is critical to success; it's EVERYTHING and, if each signing is being as well-identified and researched by DM's staff, I've got no qualms whatsoever. There are two other lads (both of whom are playing in the Conference North this year) who are very similar to Ed with the position they play in; one already mentioned in this piece whilst the other is exactly the same age as him. The others have already played in the Football League and, having seen them all extensively, Ed's the all-round best of the three and I believe in my own ability to recognise a young player who'll go on to reach a decent level!
Of course, it may or may not work out for Ed at DRFC; there's multiple and endless little things which can happen that can influence a player's time at a club - that's just football. However, he's a good, technical player with bags of potential and when he steps out onto the pitch then, personally, I'll have nothing other than complete faith in him to do the job required. It's challenging for any player to 'step up' to the Football League though, lets remember, he's earned this move after years of graft, self-belief and by having a damn good attitude - so he deserves a crack at it. Playing alongside new team-mates and against opponents with an enhanced technical intelligence than what he's been used to previously will only help push him on even more in his development, too.
I'm really looking forward to seeing him in action regularly and ultimately, if myself, Darren Moore, those at Kidderminster, Paul Fairclough in the England 'C' set-up, his old team-mates at Gloucester, those involved in university football, the guys at Cheltenham, etc, have all recognised his talent and reached pretty much the same conclusion that he's worth a 'step up' to a higher challenge, then we can't all be wrong!
Shiny 'Player of the Month' trophies for the man with super-shiny teeth (Photo: Kidderminster Harriers).
So welcome to Doncaster Rovers, Edward, and good luck.
It's a pleasure to have you 'up north' and I know you'll deliver displays on the pitch as well as you can deliver a 12" pepperoni on stuffed crusts with a side of chicken wings. What I'm looking forward to more than anything is some of the supporters who I've known for years coming up to me and saying: 'He's a good player' when I've already known that for donkeys years. Drop me a message when your family is coming up to a game (once the world is back to normal anyway) and I'll make sure the drinks are ready and waiting on the table for when they arrive and that they feel right at home.
This is your moment; your chance to dazzle new audiences with those astonishing white teeth of yours, but more importantly, your name is back above the number on your shirt and it'll no doubt look fantastic when it's been framed to go alongside the 'Williams 18' one from back in the day at Cheltenham.
As I also touched upon at the start of this piece, for any young footballer out there who has ever been rejected by a club, this is one example of what can be achieved so long as you have the right attitude and work-ethic. Be inspired, believe, be confident and stick at it because if this article proves anything, it's that you never know who is watching your games and who you could be impressing!
I'll finish with a quote from the ultimate 'big dog' amongst big dogs in the football world; the legendary, the indisputable Sir Adebayo Akinfenwa, who memorably said not too long ago: 'The only opinion which matters is the opinion you have of yourself'.
It couldn't be more correct or appropriate!
WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! For anyone who didn't quite catch it at the start of this piece or can't quite hear it on the other side of the world, then I'll say it one more time: ED WILLIAMS IS BACK IN THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE!
I'll leave this goals montage right here. Go smash it pal... ❤️🔥
Harworth Colliery 1-2 AFC Mansfield
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 25th August 2020
This pre-season is all about catching up with old faces - whether it be those I'm familiar with from my time watching different clubs in recent years, or just randomly going to games with mates who I've not seen for a while because of 'lockdown'.
Although I've passed Harworth's ground on the bus probably hundreds of times, I'd never actually seen a game there until this evening when they hosted AFC Mansfield of the Northern Counties Premier Division.
If the game was dissected into four quarters then nobody would disagree that Harworth had the better of the opening 20 minutes or so and were unfortunate not to poke their noses ahead early on when AFC's stand-in 'keeper for the night went walkabout - failing to reaching a downfield through ball ahead of his opponent who, despite an initially difficult angle, eventually carved out a shooting position but saw his shot, under pressure, go wide.
The visitors eventually battled their way back into proceedings and assert some authority in the middle of the park up to half-time, though their finishing left plenty to be desired as three shots went wide when each time, the player should have done better. The home 'keeper was only seriously tested when he made a powerful low save at his near-post around 10 minutes before the break.
After the re-start, Mansfield looked on top until a lack of concentration on the back of a throw-in just after the hour mark resulted in a goal for Harworth. Leigh Warriner got in-behind much too easily and, already inside the six-yard box, he unleashed an emphatic, net-busting thunderbolt strike from a few yards which gave the 'keeper absolutely no chance at his near-post.
However, the Bulls dusted themselves down and having already gone close to an equaliser with a shot which cannoned back off the post following a quick and neat counter-attack down the right flank, they eventually levelled when Matt Sykes let fly with a fabulous left-foot strike from 20 yards. Only minutes later the turnaround was completed with Phil Buxton getting through on goal and firing a shot across the 'keeper which nestled in the bottom corner.
Harworth blooded plenty of youngsters from the bench in the closing minutes, which allowed the visitors to apply some more pressure, though the closest they came to adding a third goal was when Sykes' snap-shot flew just wide of the post.
All in all, it was a decent game played at a good tempo. It was sometimes feisty, it was sometimes niggly, but it was great value for just £2! Harworth should be quite pleased given that Mansfield, two divisions higher than themselves, were forced to work hard in order to achieve victory.
Mansfield have some decent and promising players - certainly Matt Sykes who should be really happy with what he produced in the second period, whilst Josh Wilde did okay either. Morgan James, who was substituted early - somewhat unluckily, still has bucket loads of talent as I know from his time at Doncaster where I saw some of his games. His nifty footwork, movement and technique in possession bodes well for his future and it can help him to achieve plenty this season. He showed it best in a move just before half-time when he turned quickly, took three players out the game, and unleashed a shot.
It was good to see Liam Marsden again - a top lad and the yellow card proves you've not changed a bit since your days at the Stags. Have a good season, pal!
Next up: Armthorpe vs Houghton Main (maybe?), Retford vs Staveley (maybe?) or somewhere else on Saturday. Who knows?
Although those nail-biting, joyous and dramatic nights under the floodlights at Belle Vue seem like only yesterday, it's actually 15 years ago since Doncaster Rovers captivated the nation's attention and went all the way to the Quarter-Finals of the Carling Cup.
It was a brilliant time for the club - an unexpected success story during the 'golden era' of John Ryan's ownership with some fantastic moments to last a lifetime. Who can forget Jan Budtz's sudden impact against Manchester City, hammering Aston Villa and dancing along to the chorus from Tony Christie's Amarillo as the goals went in, or that sweeping counter-attack in the 121st minute against Arsenal which culminated in Gilberto Silva's gut-wrenching equaliser?
Good and bad; they're some of the best times I've ever had watching football anywhere in the country over the past two decades.
Of course every journey often begins in humble surroundings and today's date (23rd August) is the 15-year anniversary of the First Round clash away at the Racecourse Ground against Wrexham.
It proved to be Rovers' only road-trip in the competition in 2005/06 and they went into the clash as favourites to progress after registering their first win of the season at Swansea City three days previously. Wrexham, having just been relegated to League Two, were experiencing a tough time with ownership problems off the pitch and issues on it, too, as they'd lost the services of top scorer Juan Ugarte earlier that summer and had scored just twice in their opening four games of the new campaign.
The Racecourse Ground; the birthplace of Rovers' Carling Cup dreams (Photo: Rob Waite)
If the form-book was anything to go by, however, a tight game was expected. Both games in League One, the previous season, had finished 0-0 and neither were particularly memorable.
Initially, it was anticipated that this game would see the return of Steve Roberts to North Wales - the centre-back having chosen to leave the Red Dragons for Rovers during the close-season. However, an injury picked up in a previous game prevented his appearance.
Although by and large it was a scrappy clash, Wrexham (who included a certain Darren Ferguson in their starting line-up - whatever happened to him?) actually began positively and it was only some good goalkeeping from Andy Warrington which stopped Rovers from falling behind in the first half.
Dave Penney's half-time team talk obviously had some affect as the team delivered a much tighter, more controlled and more disciplined performance after the re-start although, after a lengthy due to Wrexham defender Shaun Pejic being carried off with ligament damage, extra-time seemed more and more probable with each passing minute.
Nevertheless, with the prospect of 30 more minutes looming large, emotions changed with five minutes remaining as substitute Adam Hughes - the unlikeliest of potential scorers, popped up with the winner, right infront of the travelling contingent of less than 300 fans, for what would turn out to be his only goal in a DRFC shirt. The Australian midfielder, at the club on a six-month contract which didn't get renewed, converted from close-range after Dave Mulligan's initial corner twice wasn't cleared by the Wrexham defenders.
Those saves by Andy Warrington, and other earlier missed chances, had cost the hosts massively!
The win was pleasing as it allowed fans and players alike to dream of a trip to a decent stadium in the next round as top-flight teams without any European commitments entered at that point. The draw wasn't for a few more days as it was scheduled to happen during the broadcast of Soccer AM the following Saturday. When the teams were drawn though, it wouldn't be a trip to Tottenham, Aston Villa, Leeds or any other big club for Rovers...
Instead, Manchester City (infamous pre-season opponents the year before - and with a certain Joseph Barton still on their books) were coming to little old Belle Vue.
After five months of being driven to the point of insanity by the negative narrative trotted out by the mainstream media, today was always going to be a fantastic occasion as crowds were (finally!) permitted to watch football matches once again.
The sport is now officially back and although it'll still be some time before spectators are allowed to attend what is now described as 'elite level' football, that's not necessarily a bad thing as it represents a perfect opportunity to get out and about seeing some of the lads now playing non-league football who I've enjoyed watching over the years!
Of all the matches being played this afternoon, Armthorpe Welfare versus Staveley Miners Welfare was always my first choice given the amount of lads in both teams who I either know, or have watched at some of their previous clubs.
In Armthorpe's ranks were Tyler Walker, a decent enough right-back - albeit he was wearing what can only be described as a pair of salmon-coloured 'flippers' for boots, Reece Lucas, who came on trial at Mansfield five years ago and Conner Williamson; a 'happy go lucky' centre-back who decided to morph into 'Mr Bagsman' as he got on the score-sheet by smashing one in to the bottom corner.
Tyler and Conner were both at Doncaster Rovers in their younger days and in Staveley's line-up were even more old DRFC academy lads such as Matt Parkin (who featured in the first half and still appeared to be as rapid as I remember him to be). Matty Davies, a nifty and talented winger who was once on the receiving end of a horror tackle by Matt Rhead, was also present, whilst another ex-scholar, Joe Pugh, was in attendance for part of the game having played in Staveley's reserves' clash over at Armthorpe Pavilion earlier in the day.
Finally, Corbin Shires (what a character he is!) is another player I know well as he came through the ranks at Mansfield as a first-year pro when I was also employed at Field Mill.
It was also a pleasure to have a catch up with Staveley's newest recruit, Myron Gibbons, who was watching on from the stands and was at DRFC only last season. No doubt when he's involved in the action (hopefully soon!) he'll be licking his lips at the chance to get some goals, get regular minutes and enjoy his football once again.
Although it was a largely sunny afternoon, true to form, the weather turned only a few minutes before kick-off as rain started lashing down! There wasn't enough rain to cause flooding but in the first few seconds of the game, Armthorpe's defence did their best 'Noah's Ark' impersonation as they appeared to be all at sea with Staveley waltzing through, unchallenged, and nearly scoring.
The visitors, one division about their counterparts, continued to look really bright and dominant in the early exchanges - causing more problems, especially on the right flank, and they came close again when a 25-yard free-kick had to be tipped over the upright.
Although Armthorpe gradually settled and began to see a bit more of the ball, Aaron Moxam did eventually fire Brett Marshall's team into a 1-0 lead but, frustratingly for them, they didn't hold onto it for very long.
Following a goalmouth scramble which the visitors were lucky to survive on the half-hour mark, the hosts got back on level terms when centre-back Conner Williamson momentarily morphed into Thierry Henry and scored the best goal which I've seen this season! Already in a good position inside the box, he showed some neat footwork to bring the ball under control before unleashing one swing of his 'magic right wand' to plant the ball firmly in the bottom corner. The 'keeper had no chance; it was a strike of pure quality which had 'Va Va Voom' aplenty and it was 1-1!
Bravo, Conner!
With no further goals up to half-time, Staveley, donning a bright orange strip, once again began the second period in the ascendancy and nearly re-established a lead through Corbin Shires' headed attempt which was fortunate to be cleared away.
Only a few minutes later, they did go 2-1 up as Jonathan Froggatt's close-range effort was judged to have crossed the line. However, for a second time they failed to hold onto it as Armthorpe levelled again with Luke Williams finding himself in the right place at the right time to slot home from only a few yards after the visiting 'keeper spilled a long-range shot.
The match then came to a premature end with around 10 minutes to go as the lively Adam Baskerville went charging through on goal, only to collide with the 'keeper and land horribly on his neck with it being immediately clear he was in some discomfort. Hopefully, he'll be okay in the long-term though if rumours are true that he's chipped his tooth then I've no idea how he'll be able to receive the necessary dental work during a pandemic!
All in all, it was an entertaining game and worth the £5 admission fee, but most of all it was decent to see the lads playing with smiles on their faces and enjoying themselves.
It's not often I'll do a post such as this but, then again, it's not often your local team appears to be on the verge of signing someone who you've tracked from afar for several years after recognising his ability in Cheltenham Town's youth team.
When it's confirmed, Ed Williams should be a decent signing for Doncaster Rovers. This is very much his big chance and something which he'll have wanted for so long.
There'll no doubt be some fans who'll question it - partly due to the fact he was released as a youngster by Cheltenham without having featured in their first team and partly because he's never played in the Football League. Those concerns are understandable although, in this instance, they're misguided because he isn't your stereotypical non-league 'slogger' or anything remotely close to that. It's quite the opposite and his talent/ability should shine through at a level where he'll now be surrounded by better players on a daily basis - many of whom will be on a similar technical wavelength. He's also an athlete who looks after himself and is used to full-time training as he's been in that environment with Kidderminster for the past two years so, again, that won't be a concern.
Just like anyone stepping up three divisions, nevertheless, he'll notice a difference in class compared to what he's been accustomed to in the Conference North - a league where it can sometimes be a tough battle with some opponents who just want to kick you harder and harder to stop you from performing well. Not every player can handle it (and certainly there's players in the Football League right now who wouldn't be able to), but he found a way to overcome it with Gloucester initially and then more recently with Kidderminster. What's certain is that he's already a good player and this move, whether it works out or otherwise, will help him to become an even better player.
For any fans specifically interested in what he'll offer to the team, he's predominantly right-footed, confident with the ball at his feet and running at players, a decent passer and someone who isn't scared to have a pop from outside the area. He offers some versatility as he started out on the wide-right at Cheltenham (the position I first saw him play) but has since come inside and now usually operates in a more central, attacking-midfield role. He's also decent from the penalty spot, having scored a couple in the past (Chester (2018), and Cirencester (2013) being two which spring to mind) so if he's able to wrestle that responsibility from one of his new team-mates, he should be alright.
His first season at Kidderminster (2018/19) was actually much more successful than last term which was probably frustrating for him on a personal level in some ways as he couldn't quite replicate his exploits from his first 5-6 months at Aggborough - a period which culminated in a deserved call-up to the 'England C' team (versus Estonia) not long after earning the Conference North's 'Player of the Month' accolade. Despite only turning 25 in July, he's got a good amount of experience already - having made roughly 200-250 senior appearances for Cirencester, Gloucester and Kidderminster up to now, plus whatever he made during his 'work experience' type loans at Bishop's Cleeve and Evesham in his youth team/first-year pro days at Whaddon Road. He studied at Hartpury from 2014-2017, thus still training full-time after leaving CTFC, and played in their Mens First XI who were often near the top of the table in the BUCS League. At weekends, he was at Cirencester (2014-15), then Gloucester up to 2018, then Kidderminster.
Like anyone, he's overcome some injury problems during that time too.
At Cheltenham, in 2011/12, he was sidelined with a back problem for about half-a-season or so before forcing his way into contention during 2012/13 - returning during a pre-season trip to Holland (where they played Willem II and NAC Breda and even caught Steve McClaren's eye) and ultimately doing enough to earn a professional contract after featuring in youth, reserve and some Gloucestershire Cup games later that season, having also trained with the first team. During his spell at Hartpury, I'm sure he was also sidelined for a time (in possibly the 2015/16 season), then he had a minor ankle injury at Kidderminster midway through the season before last. Nevertheless, these are seemingly all in the past and he's overcome them with what he's achieved since to be in line for this move 'up the ladder' right now.
For a bit more background, he was in Cheltenham's youth side at the same time as Michael Gonzalo (who, surprisingly to me, didn't get offered a contract), Joe Hanks (a decent midfielder whom he joined the academy with - probably the time of the 2006/07 season), Harry Williams and Zack Kotwica (both of whom were a year younger) and at least three of those players were probably the club's main hopes back when he was on the Robins' books. Luke Thomas, undoubtedly the best player to emerge from their set-up in recent years, wasn't quite on the radar at that time as he's a few years younger, but what a phenomenal player he's become!
The place where it all began (and continued with Gloucester)...
The reason why he was released by Cheltenham (or, rather, Mark Yates, as it was his decision) back in May 2014 was because at that time he hadn't fully-developed physically as a footballer - something which he's pretty much said himself in his own words, but that development has happened in the years since to become the player he is right at this moment in time. Even by just looking at 'then and now' comparison-type photos, it'll be noticeable to those who haven't seen him play before. His release was nothing to do with pure footballing ability because that's always been present in his game.
Now he seems to have pretty much got this move back to the Football League, he should be something of a symbol to every youngster out there who has been released by a professional club - whether that be at the end of a scholarship or a first-year pro contract. Football is about opinions and, if you're prepared to do the hard work, graft, do the right things off the pitch (for six years in Ed's case), and speak to the right people who can help you/your career, then you might find a manager with a different opinion to what you were told at 18/19 who'll ultimately give you the chance to achieve what you've always wanted for such a long time!
I've already spoken to three players who've played alongside Ed and they're all in agreement that he's a good player. They're keen to see how he does this season and wishing him well because they recognise that he's a talented lad with the big chance, literally, at his feet right now.
I don't know if the 'Pizza Delivery Boy' story in his past is true (if it is then I'll have an extra-large pepperoni with stuffed crusts), but he'll definitely have the whitest teeth in the Football League. If he falls over in-front of an open goal though (like he did against Darlington not too long ago), then I hope he gets battered by his team-mates for it, but joking aside, I'm absolutely rooting for him to do well.
Good luck, Ed.
P.S: If you read this, you might remember a game you was at where Nick Powell popped one in from 25 yards in about 40 degrees sunshine - it was way too warm that day! Keep up all your hard work and, with a bit of luck, you'll hopefully get to play in the same stadium at some point. Fingers crossed!
P.P.S: I haven't mentioned that goal against Aston Villa yet, so here it is for anyone that wants to see it (1m 20secs - you won't be disappointed)...
Having scoured YouTube to the nth degree in an effort to find as much footage as possible from Doncaster Rovers games in previous years, there are some 'missing' games in the Video Archive which I'm keen to track down.
If anyone has footage of the following games; listed in chronological order following the club's return to the Football League in 2003, then please get in touch or upload it to YouTube where I'll be able to pick it up relatively quickly and archive it accordingly.
Likewise, if you have any 'missing' footage of games during the Football Conference era (1998-2003) or prior to that - whether it's from other clubs' end of season reviews, news reports or programmes such as 'Soccer Sunday' or 'Football League Extra'.
Many ex-players haven't seen this footage for several years and may want something to show the kids, etc.
