Saturday 31 October 2020

Notts County (U18s) 1-2 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)

Notts County (U18s) 1-2 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)
Football League Youth Alliance
Saturday 31st October 2020

Doncaster Rovers exercised a ghost of yesteryear as Alex Wolny’s dramatic injury-time winner ensured it was a ‘Happy Halloween’ visit to Notts County. 

On a saturated pitch where Rovers’ youth team title hopes once went up in smoke, this time it was the hosts who were left having nightmares by how they managed to be beaten.

A point apiece would have been a fair outcome; both sides had spells on top at different points only to then be guilty of not converting chances when they were created.

Rovers twice hit the post through Will Hollings and Charlie Bell during a goalless first 45 minutes whilst Notts were also wasteful from their own openings at the other end.

It was Sam Geeves who eventually broke the deadlock in County’s favour when he found the bottom corner following a corner shortly after the re-start and that 1-0 lead would have been extended further had two chances in quick succession not gone begging.

The misses (as predicted at the time) proved crucial because Rovers soon levelled thanks to a scrappy goal which both Owan Derrett and Corie Cole were claiming afterwards.

A draw looked increasingly likely from this point until deep into injury-time when Wolny headed home after some great work by Tom Henson to spark jubilant scenes and earn the lads their second three points in the Football League Youth Alliance (North-East Division) this season.

It means Donny are now three games unbeaten in competitive action heading into next week’s FA Youth Cup tie away to Coventry Sphinx which may, or may not, take place - who knows?

Anyway, the game began amidst a heavy autumnal feel. The weather conditions were challenging due to a cross-field wind and driving rain, whilst one side of the grass pitch adjacent to the dugouts was littered with hundreds, if not thousands, of golden leaves that had fallen from the nearby trees.

Though Notts initially adapted the better of the two teams to begin with - forcing three corners inside the opening 10 minutes (two of which were dealt with by Max Jemson), it was Rovers who had the first proper chance. A right-wing cross was scuffed by Luca Nelson on the edge of the box in a central position but the ball fell nicely for Will Hollings, located just behind him, and his sweetly struck came back into play off the inside of the post before the defence scrambled away the danger.

The Magpies were on top, to a degree, and soon squandered a gilt-edged chance. A long free-kick was played into the box from both wide and deep on the right flank and it was headed across goal towards the opposite post where a County player somehow blazed it aimlessly over the top. Rovers’ defence had been caught out, unquestionably, and at a bare minimum the shot should have been on target.

The miss was a significant let off and it provoked a positive response by Rovers who soon went equally as close when Henson slipped Nelson through and under pressure his low shot was smothered by an advancing ‘keeper. The subsequent rebound almost spun straight into the path of Derrett before a hurried attempted clearance went straight to Nelson on the edge of the box and his second effort trickled just inches wide of the post.

More pressure followed as Lewis Cunningham’s left-footed, curling free-kick from out on the right flank caught the wind and had to be watched carefully by the home ‘keeper in order to avoid any embarrassment.

By the half-hour mark, although there had been scrappy and niggly exchanges, Rovers were beginning to get on top and play the better football in bits and pieces. Cunningham was enjoying lots of space and freedom down the left flank because his marker seemingly wanted to do anything but mark him, yet the lads’ ball retention needed improvement as too many direct balls from the back were being given too easily to the opposition.

Notts, however, enjoyed the next opportunity as a quick throw, in line with the edge of the area, ended with a striker unleashing a powerful effort which went straight into the arms of Ben Bottomley.

With half-time looming, Bell’s tenacity almost paid off as he came within a whisker of firing Doncaster ahead. The midfielder received possession around 25 yards out, looked up and hit a low drive which caught a slight deflection and cannoned back off the post. It was unlucky, and no one could quite react quickly enough to follow-up on the rebound as the hosts breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Jemson then underlined his defensive contribution with an important block in one move in first half stoppage-time before he also headed away the danger just moments later as the scoreline remained goalless.

In the early stages of the second half, Notts had what was undoubtedly their best of pressure and the opening goal arrived on 52 minutes when an outswinging corner wasn’t dealt with and the ball dropped inside the box for Geeves whose low stab-shot towards Bottomley’s bottom-left corner possibly went through Cunningham’s legs and into the back of the net.

Now leading, County were keen to further build up a head of steam and get a second goal but instead, they wasted two golden chances in quick succession - misses which would ultimately prove critical!

When Bottomley dived at the feet of a Magpies player who’d broken through there was a fear he might invite contact and concede a penalty. As it happened, he reached the ball first though it squirmed away from his grasp and towards an opponent located deep on the byline inside the area. With no realistic angle to shoot and the ‘keeper scampering back to where his covering defenders were, the ball was played invitingly to a team-mate in a much better position before the eventual shot, under pressure, somehow went wide.

Rovers were living very dangerously and rode their luck further on the hour mark when a Notts corner was met by a free header on the edge of the six-yard box but with the goal gaping again, the ball went over.

It was evident by this point that something had to change and Paul Stancliffe soon turned to his substitutes as Dan Wilds and Alex Wolny were introduced for Hollings and Nelson, respectively, whilst skipper Ethan Bojang was also replaced by Michael Nesbitt with around 20 minutes remaining.

The lads now began to ask questions of their own and Derrett almost created something when some good work on the right culminated in an attempted ball towards the near-post, but a Magpies defender slid in to make a vital interception before the danger was cleared away.

However, the pressure resulted in an equaliser on 73 minutes.

Derrett, again, was strongly involved because it was his initial teasing ball across the face of goal which just evaded Wolny, though the move was kept alive by Cunningham. He recycled it with an equally-inviting second ball across the face of goal where Derrett’s glancing touch took it goalwards and Cole was on-hand to convert from point-blank range.

Both players were claiming the goal afterwards and even having consulted with the ‘Dubious Goals Panel’ (otherwise known as a vote on Instagram) even that finished 50/50. There’s little doubt the ball was going in anyway, irrespective of Cole’s touch though that probably did take it over the line for sure!

Buoyed at being back level, Rovers now added Tavonga Kuleya for the final quarter-of-an-hour or so and he made an immediate impact through his quick pace and persistence. He twice got beyond Notts’ backline and on the first occasion he turned on the accelerators to carry the ball from just beyond the halfway line, but wasn’t quite able to release a pass to Wolny who was galloping alongside him in arguably a more promising position which meant the danger petered out.

Just minutes later, his persistence ensured he got through again and this time from deep inside the box on the inside-right, he did pick out Wolny who flashed a shot narrowly wide before letting out a frustrated scream as he knew he should have done better with it.

Bottomley and Nesbitt then both received a yellow card in the closing minutes after some ‘argy-bargy’ shenanigans inside the Doncaster area. It started after the ‘keeper reacted to a player leaving his foot in on him long after the ball had gone, but it was quickly dealt with by the referee.

In honesty, the Magpies had more of the territorial pressure during the closing quarter-hour whereas Rovers had created the better opening but been unable to convert them. It seemed as though both sides would be forced to settle for a point apiece until the lads launched one final attack during the fourth minute of injury-time when the whistle seemed imminent.

The move began from the back as Bottomley’s kick towards halfway was deftly brought down courtesy of a fantastic first-time touch by Josh Clemitson who’d been operating in midfield since Nesbitt’s introduction. He sprayed the ball out towards Cunningham, high up on the left channel, who then won (and took) a throw-in. Literally seconds remained, and the ball was quickly worked to Henson whose neat, nifty and direct running resulted in him getting into the box where he stood a perfect cross up for Wolny who headed it beyond the despairing ‘keeper and into the bottom-right corner.

It was harsh on the hosts given it was virtually the last action but delightful to see Rovers’ entire squad sprint down the touchline to join in the celebrations!

The referee (sporting the world's worst hairstyle - so I hope he's got an hairdressers appointment booked in the next few days) consequentially opted to add on some more time during which there were a couple of throw-ins following the re-start, albeit no further goalmouth action as Donny’s defence stayed solid to get the win.

Overall, it was a dramatic win (and there’s no better way to win a game - or a worse way to lose) but probably a draw would have been a fair outcome. Notts will certainly look back at their misses when the score was 1-0 and wonder ‘What If?’ and likewise, if they hadn’t won, Rovers would have been ruing their own missed chances.

Across the team, there were some good displays. Max Jemson deserves a mention as he made several blocks and used his aerial presence extremely well in this game to head away the danger on half a dozen occasions, whilst Tom Henson performed admirably, got an assist and should be applauded. Top boy!

The lads had to battle at times - it wasn’t easy, it was often scrappy, tough, tenacious and niggly. Sometimes, they conceded the ball too cheaply and made life difficult for themselves - especially by conceding the first goal. Perhaps a better team would have punished them more for their mistakes?

There’s no doubt the more impressive, more fluid team display (certainly from a passing perspective) was against Preston North End in the EFL Youth Alliance Cup last week. Nevertheless, they’ve got the job done and can use it as momentum to go into what will be a tough game against Coventry Sphinx in the FA Youth Cup next week.

That’s if, of course, the game is played… although a second lockdown has possibly come at the perfect time for one or two Notts County players who were ‘debating’ the defeat afterwards!

Team: Ben Bottomley, Tom Henson, Max Jemson, Josh Clemitson, Lewis Cunningham, Will Hollings (Dan Wilds), Charlie Bell, Ethan Bojang (C) (Michael Nesbitt (C)), Owan Derrett (Tavonga Kuleya), Corie Cole, Luca Nelson (Alex Wolny). Unused Sub: Luke Chadwick.











































Wednesday 28 October 2020

Doncaster Rovers (U18s) 2-2 Preston North End (U18s)

Doncaster Rovers (U18s) 2-2 Preston North End (U18s)
Football League Youth Alliance Cup (Group Stage)
Wednesday 28th October 2020

Owan Derrett and Luca Nelson scored a goal each as Doncaster Rovers drew 2-2 with Preston North End in their opening group fixture in the Youth Alliance Cup.

Although PNE will be far the happier side with the result considering they equalised in the 88th minute, once Rovers have overcome the disappointment of having not won a game which they deserved to based on the overall balance of play, they'll be able to see the positives regarding their performance.

They dominated for lengthy periods against opponents who were technically decent and also created the more frequent chances - only to not have the result guaranteed by the time a visiting substitute let fly with a goalbound effort following a corner routine in the dying minutes.

It's frustrating; it's disappointing but it happens - that's football! 

The finale can definitely be used a 'learning curve' going into the next game (away to Notts County this weekend). It's a golden opportunity to turn a negative into a positive by using the frustration felt right now as motivation to ensure that game ends in success. If there is a collective anger, desire, determination, willingness and focus right the way across the team and it's combined with a similar performance then I'd be optimistic there will be a successful outcome on Saturday!

Aside from the finale, the team performance today (and, in some cases, individual showings), was impressive and there are positives to be found. To back this point up, for example, if comparisons were drawn between today's performance and ones against Lincoln and Scunthorpe in September, it's immediately clear and obvious to see that progress has been made in many areas.

The lads shouldn't be too hard, or too harsh, on themselves because things are still a 'work in progress' and whilst there are some areas which remain a cause for concern (e.g. the lads have taken a while at the start of most games before they get into any rhythm), I'm happy to take the positives from this result.

Anyway, as for the game...

Played on the 4G pitch adjacent to the Keepmoat Stadium, it was immediately apparent that Preston were a good technical team containing a number of players both with decent ability on the ball and capable of some brilliant movement. 

The Lilywhites established a foothold almost from the outset, then dominated possession throughout the first quarter-of-an-hour or so during which they naturally had the territorial advantage. The focus and concentration levels across the entire Doncaster back-line needed to be high because it seemed any mistake could lead to an opening, whilst the centre-back pairing of Max Jemson and Josh Clemitson both made interceptions in order to keep their counterparts at bay.

It was clear Rovers were up against good opponents and Ben Bottomley made his first save of the game after four minutes when he was quick from his line to smother a shot following some good work inside the area by PNE's No.9 to get into a shooting position.

Preston were playing positively and soon created two more openings in quick succession.

The first opening came from a well-worked corner and saw the woodwork rattled with a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area, before Bottomley was soon at full-stretch as he tipped over another strike - this time following a driving run and shot from a further distance.

Rovers' threat up to the midway point in the first period had been sporadic. Although they'd actually worked the ball forward on a few occasions - including one move where an offside flag came to the visitors' rescue, it was still Preston who were looking much the more dangerous team.

Therefore, it came as a surprise when Doncaster took the lead on 24 minutes.

PNE's high defensive line, coupled with a quick attack, did the damage. Luca Nelson and Corie Cole combined really well with the younger of the duo then delivering an appetising ball across the box from the inside-left channel towards the unmarked Owan Derrett who finished with aplomb to make it 1-0.

The goal signalled a huge momentum shift as Rovers then completely dominated things up to half-time and played some of, if not actually their best football to date this season.

Derrett was foiled by a near-post save during the second phase of play after Charlie Bell's set-piece was only partially cleared by the Lilywhites defence, before Clemitson went just as close to making it 2-0 when he unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the box which was tipped behind; the shot coming about after a really well-rehearsed free-kick involving Bell and Lewis Cunningham.

Just beyond the half-hour mark, Cole should have been celebrating a second assist when he broke past the halfway line and released an utterly sublime through ball (one of the best I've seen anywhere this season!) for Derrett who was accelerating alongside him on the blind-side of the defender. The goalscorer was unable to add second though with his subsequent effort trickling wide of the post and so it remained 1-0. 

PNE didn't heed the warning signs though as just two minutes later, the same two players linked up again - this time it was Cole put through on goal by his team-mate who'd used his pace excellently after some initial midfield work by Will Hollings during an earlier phase of play and drifted out wide, but the 'keeper made the deftest of saves to keep out Cole's low attempt.

Nelson then went close with a shot which just went wide on the back of some good individual skill soon afterwards, whilst at the other end, skipper Ethan Bojang and Clemitson both made blocks during the five minutes immediately prior to half-time - the whistle for which couldn't come soon enough for Preston!

Although the pressure wasn't quite as intense after the re-start (and the heavens had by now opened!), Doncaster continued to probe, press and lurk with intent in the early stages of the second period with Nelson again going agonisingly close to scoring when his 20-yard drive came back off the upright.

With the wind now having an effect on proceedings, Bell also clipped the woodwork with a right-footed in-swinging corner which almost caught out a back-peddling 'keeper a couple of minutes later.

A midfield battle then ensued over the next few minutes before Rovers' next cluster of chances in quick succession - amongst which Cunningham (still awaiting his first goal in the youth team) put one high and wide from around eight yards out, whilst the visiting 'keeper then thwarted Nelson by saving his goalbound effort from Nelson following some more neat and clever play by Cole.

Given how they'd played, Rovers should have been much further ahead by this point so it was 'sods law' that they were punished for not converting their chances on 65 minutes. A PNE player picked up possession around 20 yards out, turned to shoot (from what appeared to be a tight angle) on the inside-right channel and unleashed a lightning-quick shot with total venom which beat Bottomley and rippled the net, via a deflection off the under-side of the woodwork. It was a very good strike!

With a quarter of the game still remaining, the equaliser meant things were now very much in the balance once again and although Donny looked to be more fluid on the ball, the visitors remained a dangerous threat - especially their substitutes who had just been introduced.

Rovers went close again on 73 minutes courtesy of another set-piece by Bell as his whipped, teasing and dangerous in-swinging delivery from a corner was right under the crossbar and had to be watched extremely carefully by the PNE 'keeper, who tipped it away to avoid embarrassment.

Preston's luck didn't hold out though and moments later, they found themselves behind in a goal which was testament to hard-work and persistence by Nelson; attaching himself tightly to the shoulder of the last defender who to shield the ball out of play following a downfield ball, then managing to nip it off him at the byline, before carving out an angle and slotting it home for 2-1.

Although PNE will likely consider the goal to have been the result of an individual mistake, it's worth remembering that it simply wouldn't have happened had Nelson not been so persistent in his efforts to chase the ball down and make it difficult for the defender in the first place!

Though it seemed as if Nelson's finish might prove to be difference between the two teams, it proved not to be the case as PNE equalised with 88 minutes on the clock - a short corner routine culminating in an unmarked player being allowed the time and space to curl an attempt into the top corner from 20 yards - another good finish albeit one where more could have been done to prevent the opening anyway!

However, Rovers could have still snatched the win in dramatic fashion with what was practically the last kick of the game. Nelson showcased yet more persistence, hard work and strength to battle his way into the box whilst under pressure and he flashed a low cross-shot across the face of goal which went agonisingly wide of the far-post despite Bojang also sliding in but unable to get a touch on the ball!

It meant the lads had to settle for a draw and endure the frustration of having been minutes away from a well-deserved victory, though they can certainly take so much pride from their efforts.

Paul Stancliffe has described it as 'the best performance so far this season' and I'd be inclined to agree because there were many pleasing and positive aspects.

Both Luca Nelson and Owan Derrett applied themselves superbly to the cause; Derrett with his pace and the way in which he worked the channels very effectively when he drifted out wide and Nelson with his endeavour, persistence and in how he managed to get his body infront of the defenders so many times when battling to win the ball. It was a very good 'shift' for them both and they deserved a goal each - although they probably wish they could have scored at least one more each! 

Corie Cole, in my opinion, was superb with some of the things he did. It was his best performance which I've seen and his potential, intelligence and link-up play was frighteningly good at times; I just wish he'd managed to get an assist off that through ball during the first half.

Elsewhere, there were some other good showings. As a unit, the defence did well and is beginning to look more confident (though naturally there are still some things to work on in order to become steely, resilient and have a 'We shall not be breached' mentality). Charlie Bell stamped his authority on the game to a good standard again for a second successive week and was heavily involved, whilst Josh Clemitson deserves a mention as he played the full game at centre-back and looks more assured, confident and composed compared to this time last season. It's very good to see!

On the whole, if the lads put in performances similar to this every week then they're going to have an enjoyable season and get some good results. Preston are a very good team with some very good players (as they showed early on) yet Rovers more than competed with them in this game!

Team: Ben Bottomley, Tom Henson, Max Jemson, Josh Clemitson, Lewis Cunningham, Charlie Bell, Ethan Bojang, Will Hollings, Corie Cole, Owan Derrett, Luca Nelson. Subs Used: Dan Wilds, Alex Wolny.







Saturday 24 October 2020

Rossington Main 4-2 Hallam

Rossington Main 4-2 Hallam
Northern Counties East League (Division One)
Saturday 24th October 2020

It's now five matches unbeaten (including four straight wins) for resurgent Rossington Main - their best run of form in over two-and-a-half years, as they came from behind to earn a 4-2 win over Hallam.

Micah Parsons, Jason Stokes, Tyla Bell and Spenser Shepperd grabbed a goal apiece on a soaking wet afternoon at Oxford Street which saw an inexplicably bad referee (not poor, just downright bad) give one of the most bizarre red cards that I've ever witnessed, whilst a former Premier League player also made his first appearance for the hosts.

Although Rozzo stay in fifth spot in the league table, the result means Ben Hunter's team have now scored 23 goals this month - a feat which could quite possibly be a club record whilst competing at Northern Counties East League level.

There were many positives across the pitch; Bailey 'Mascher' Conway delivering yet another decent performance, Jason Stokes underlining his importance with another goal, whilst Callum Fielding also pulled off some important saves at key times to keep Hallam at bay.

The visitors will ultimately reflect on this loss with a mixture of regrets and frustration. Although they controlled the first 45 minutes and seemed in a good position to go on and pick up maximum points at that stage, some poor finishing cost them dearly and they were well-beaten come the final whistle.

As so often seems to be the case, Rossington initially took a while to get going - even though Stokes enjoyed the first opening of the game on 10 minutes when his powerful right-foot shot from the edge of the area drew an equally good save from visiting goalkeeper Dave Reay.

Jack Watson's afternoon then came to a premature end only a couple of minutes later when he went down with a hamstring injury and needed to be replaced by Sheppard.

Sheppard acquitted himself well to the game (and put in a decent individual showing), but Rozzo were penned back by a strong and combative Hallam team who applied plenty of pressure at this point, looked up for it, and eventually took the lead in bizarre fashion. 

Fielding intended to get a move going from the back and rolled the ball out to his nearest defender, Jake Boyd, but a lapse in concentration meant it instead ran straight into the path of an opponent. In a very dangerous position, the grateful Hallam player could hardly believe his luck as he slipped a pass through for Iren Wilson who hit a punishing shot into the bottom-right corner.

The inquest began straight away between Fielding and Boyd - fingers were pointed and different points of vie expressed, but there was no escaping from the fact that it was a complete c*ck up and a poor goal to concede which meant Rossington had plenty of work to do.

Hallam's vocal few fans situated directly behind the goal were quick to hurl p*ss takes in Fielding's direction but they had nothing more to celebrate up to half-time. Despite shading possession and coming close once or twice from set-plays, they weren't able to force home another goal.

The break sparked a momentum shift because Main came out after the re-start looking much more focused and, ultimately, they tore their visitors to bits.

At different points, there were some decent examples of neat passing football - one of which led to the equalising goal within six minutes of the re-start. Sheppard (I think) was put through on goal and unleashed a hard low drive which the 'keeper palmed straight into the path of Parsons, six yards out, to make it 1-1.

It was a deserved equaliser after a bright re-start though it inadvertently sprang Hallam back to life and they dominated the next five minutes or so (albeit with the aid of one or two beneficial refereeing decisions). Having been awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position on the edge of the box, you wouldn't have bet against them regaining the lead and had Fielding not expertly dived to his near-post to tip wide Steven Woolley's goalbound attempt, they would have done so.

They then went close with a Chris Wood header from the subsequent corner but just when Rossington seemed to be living dangerously, it was they who went ahead.

Stokes found himself in acres of space midway inside Hallam's half after a quick and clever ball forward and although the out-rushing 'keeper (with a starting position close to the edge of the box) did his best to make it difficult, the midfielder's lobbed attempt went over him and into the back of the net.

The turnaround was complete but with half-an-hour left, the action was far from finished.

Throughout the game, the referee (whose name is sadly unknown; a huge shame because I'd have loved for this blog post to come up when he next Google's his own name) made a string of perplexing decisions which went against both teams at various points. At no point did he ever demonstrate confidence, nor did he really have a grip on proceedings either. Basically, he just looked incompetent and brandished several yellow cards whilst Hallam's Daniel Paterson (No.7) did his level best to try and run the game instead. 

Having had both benches infuriated at different times - either for letting certain fouls go unpunished or for making downright basic wrong decisions, the official was forced into a huge call when Sheppard burst away down the inside-right channel and drew an untidy challenge on the side-edge of the penalty area.

It was a foul and it was just a case of whether it had been committed inside the box or not. My gut reaction screamed 'penalty' but God forbid the official be melodramatic because he instead went over to his linesman to discuss things, amidst a backdrop of screaming and shouting, and took what seemed an absolute age before eventually (and probably correctly!) pointing to the spot.

Tyla Bell was left with responsibility from 12 yards and like every good, responsible talisman, he remained ice cool under pressure to fire his shot past the 'keeper, make it 3-1, and extend his goalscoring run to three consecutive games.

With around 20 minutes to go, the landmark moment arrived in the career of the evergreen Gary McSheffrey who replaced Bell for his debut in a substitution which consequentially added about two years to the average age of Rozzo's line-up.

The introduction of a former Premier League player was probably the last thing Hallam wanted at this point, though being introduced from the bench is nothing new for the 38-year-old as it was how he made his professional debut for Coventry City way back in February 1999 - a time which is so long ago that Britney's Spears' 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' was top of the charts!

It's fair to say the world has changed quite a bit and a lot has happened in the (many!) years since; for instance, several lads involved in this game hadn't been conceived in 1999 - let alone born, VHS sets were more popular than DVD players back then, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook didn't even exist, Manchester City were competing alongside York and Macclesfield in the old 'Division Two' and, best of all, there's been nearly 5,500 episodes of Coronation Street since his debut at Villa Park during which Gail has seen off four husbands and had as many surnames as Cheryl Tweedy/Cole/Fernandez-Versini/Payne - no wonder she just wants to be known as 'Cheryl' nowadays!

And if that doesn't make him feel old, the fact he's now joined a very small group of footballers to have played in four different decades (and before the age of 40), probably will do!

McSheffrey's no doubt seen several strange things in football but what happened within five minutes of his introduction must rank as being 'up there' with the most bizarre - and, yes, predictably, it involved 'Mr Referee' once again.

Knowing time was against his team, Hallam's 'keeper attempted to re-start play from a goal-kick but it was too early for the referee's liking as he'd just finished unnecessarily 'nit-picking' with another incident. A re-take was ordered before words were exchanged between the pair which culminated in the official strutting over to his linesman and 'sin-binning' him. Reay, the 'keeper, genuinely looked flabbergasted but the ridiculous saga didn't finish there as Hallam's bench began to protest vigorously against the decision - claiming that a goalkeeper can't be put in a 'sin-bin'. The referee though was having none of it and following more heated words on the touchline, he soon upgraded the 'sin-bin' to a red card.

Ultimately, whilst I'm not sure what was or wasn't said, if a player swears at an official (as was claimed in this instance) then he leaves himself open to punishment. Nevertheless, there's so many better ways the referee could have dealt with this situation instead of allowing it to escalate to the point where it turns into a contentious flash-point. Given the referee was useless for both teams for the overwhelming majority of proceedings, it makes it difficult to sympathise with him. A talking down would have been enough. A yellow card would have harsh. A 'sin-bin' and red card was just over the top, not very good officiating, and ridiculous.

Even his linesman, albeit unprofessionally, said so and whilst I personally try and ensure this blog doesn't have a 'bash the officials every week' mentality, the fact is this referee caused his own problems and deserves all the criticism he gets. He's genuinely the worst I've seen this season and I'm sure 99% of people who were in attendance will say this referee had a very poor game.

What the sending off did to the game was confirm for certain that the visitors wouldn't be able to find a way back into it.

Apart from a Hallam header which went over, there wasn't a great deal of action thereafter up until injury-time when Sheppard got inside the box only to be brought down into by the stand-in 'keeper. Again, it looked to be a definite penalty on first-viewing and it was eventually given though not before another long 'consultation process' between the referee and his linesman.

Sheppard stepped up and scored (just!) to make it 4-1, but Hallam went straight down the other end and grabbed and made an instant response. Their goal came about after a nice, neat passing interchange by Rossington in their opponents' half broke down and culminated with Brandon Bradbury unleashing a 20-yard effort which was too accurate for Fielding.

In reflection, this comeback success should give Rozzo plenty of confidence going into their extended break as there's no longer a scheduled fixture next weekend. There's so much to be positive about right now including recent results, team performances, the fluidity of the football on show and, mostly, their position in the NCEL (Division One) table.

Hallam will feel aggrieved at the officials (and it's understandable) though ultimately their own second half performance was the reason why they didn't win - they shipped four goals, lost their composure too many times and didn't put enough of their own openings on target, but they were also being picked apart by a very good footballing team!

I'll end this blog post with a little song to the handful of annoying idiots from Hallam who were dishing out plenty of verbals - especially during the first 45 minutes only to be as quiet as church mice after half-time. 

It goes like this:

'You're not signing anymore...'
'You're not singing anymore...'