Doncaster Rovers (U18s) 1-2 Burton Albion (U18s)

Doncaster Rovers (U18s) 1-2 Burton Albion (U18s)

Football League Youth Alliance
Tuesday 10th November 2020

The match report from today's game - penned by yours truly, will appear on the Doncaster Free Press website at some point over the next few days.

A depleted Doncaster Rovers youth team saw their four-game unbeaten streak come to an abrupt end as they were beaten 2-1 by Burton Albion earlier today.  

Things were initially going well for the youngsters who opened the scoring through Owan Derrett’s strike just past the half-hour mark before the Brewers levelled from a free-kick close to the interval. Albion dominated thereafter and having already rattled the upright, their endeavour was rewarded as Said Idouarab bagged his second goal of the game with a close-range header on 72 minutes.  

Rovers’ woes on an already bad afternoon were compounded as they were forced to complete the final quarter-hour with just 10 men after skipper Ethan Bojang sustained a head injury in an accidental collision with Luca Nelson.  

Boss Paul Stancliffe was already facing a shortage of players with only 13 faces being available for selection going into the game. Midfielder Charlie Bell and centre-back Max Jemson missed out due to respective ankle and hamstring injuries sustained in last week’s FA Youth Cup win at Coventry Sphinx whilst ‘keeper Ben Bottomley was also unavailable as he’s now in the first team ‘bubble’ ahead of the clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ U21s in the EFL Trophy.  

Despite the shortage in numbers, Rovers began the game positively - knocking the ball around with great fluidity and purpose. Having blocked one shot to screams of 'hand ball' at the defensive end of the pitch, Bojang was the first player in red and white hoops to go close with a low drive which was narrowly off-target on 12 minutes.  

Lewis Cunningham's then posed Burton further problems when he found space deep on the inside-left channel and drilled a low ball across the six-yard box which caught a deflection to carry it goalwards until it was turned wide by the 'keeper.

Despite being under pressure, the Brewers caught a tiny glimpse of goal on the counter-attack but some good covering defender by first-year Michael Nesbitt where he demonstrated concentration aplenty, ensured nobody was able to get a shot away, and the danger quickly fizzled out.

Rovers were forced into more defensive work around the half-hour mark as a series of set-pieces (two corners and two free-kicks - both from wide areas) had to be dealt with efficiently.

That was something which ultimately preceded what was the lads' best spell during the game and also their first significant attempt on target. In a great example of 'pass and move' play which cut the visitors open, Cunningham began the attack with a simple pass inside to Dan Wilds who, in turn, found Bojang in a better position. The midfielder then linked-up with Nelson whose pull-back from the edge of the box was perfect for Will Hollings and his powerful 20-yard drive towards the top corner drew a decent save.

On top and playing good football, Donny then made a breakthrough as Josh Clemitson and Nelson combined outside the area with the latter slipping a tidy pass into Derrett’s path. His powerful shot was too much for the ‘keeper who managed to get a hand to the ball in order to turn it onto the post, but the spin/ricochet off the inside of the post carried it across the goal-line.

What the lads needed to do now was build on their advantage, yet they missed a golden chance to do so less than two minutes later. Again, Derrett was put through - this time thanks to Corie Cole’s clever through ball, but the talisman couldn’t hit the target with his effort. 

It proved to be a costly miss as Burton, whose threat up to this point had been sporadic - despite the fact they clearly had some talented player in their ranks, soon levelled. The goal was a direct result of Hollings conceding a cheap free-kick following a poorly-timed challenge on the edge of the box and the punishment was executed to perfection as Idouarab’s right-footed effort over the defensive wall was too accurate for Donny ‘keeper Luke Chadwick who was rooted to the spot.  

Almost straight away, the equaliser signalled a noticeable change in momentum and the Staffordshire youngsters began to dictate the tempo whilst also having much more possession.

There were no further goals up to half-time despite Chadwick being forced into a routine save to keep Rovers on level terms, whilst Hollings attempted to redeem himself with a long-distance strike which lacked accuracy and cleared the woodwork. In the seconds immediately prior to the half-time whistle, the diminutive Cole crept in-behind and unleashed a drive which drew a comfortable near-post stop by the visiting custodian.

After the re-start, the team wearing yellow shirts were almost constantly in the ascendancy although Doncaster did muster up a half-chance on the hour mark when Cole’s bursting run-and-cross from down the right flank fell kindly for Nelson, stationed inside the 'D', but his scuffed downward attempt bobbled off the surface and easily into the 'keepers arms.  

Albion remained on top, nevertheless, and went within a whisker of taking the lead on 67 minutes when a pacey left-sided cross was met with a glancing point-blank header. A goal seemed inevitable yet somehow the ball cannoned back off the underside of the crossbar - thus allowing the Rovers defence to scramble it away to safety. Around this time and amidst mounting pressure, Chadwick also showed superb reflexes to tip away a separate 'top corner' attempt from the edge of the box.

However, good fortune for Stancliffe's young side was short-lived. 

Whilst Bojang was off the pitch receiving treatment following a clash of heads with Nelson inside the Brewers' penalty area, the visitors launched an attack which saw play switched from right to left and, eventually, a dangerous floated ball across the six-yard box was guided home by Idouarab at close-range. It was a disappointing goal to concede but, in truth, it had been coming for quite a while!

A comeback now appeared unlikely; more so given that the lads were forced to play out the closing stages with only 10 players as Bojang couldn't continue despite having had his head bandaged up and the two available substitutions had already been made.

However, they did create a trio of late chances - all of which fell to Alex Wolny!

The substitute frontman, on for Derrett, was gifted the first of the three opportunities as Burton's otherwise confident and solid 'keeper pretty much passed the ball straight to him when he was situated on the edge of the box but Wolny's low effort under pressure was tame by his own high standards and a comfortable save was made.

Burton, for some reason or another, suddenly appeared to be struggling and they survived more nervous moments when Cunningham knock-down from a long ball into the box fell for Wolny whose goalbound attempt brought about another save, whilst the striker flashed a shot narrowly wide on 88 minutes after some good-link up play involving Tavonga Kuleya and Corie Cole.

Ultimately, the late storm of pressure wasn't anywhere near enough to extinguish Burton's fire and the defeat means that Rovers have missed the chance to put themselves right amongst the team's challenging at the very top of the table. They'll be hoping for a more favourable outcome in their next outing when they travel to Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Youth Alliance Cup.  

Having had a few hours to think about the game then, in my opinion, the best team got the three points and there's every likelihood that Burton will be competing for the Youth Alliance title come the end of the season - this win, incidentally, actually puts them top of the table.

The lads could (and perhaps should?) have been further ahead than they were at the point which Burton equalised but thereafter, the Brewers dominated, dictated play, set the tempo, created the more dangerous openings and everything about their performance was a level above what Rovers produced. Although it's easy to point fingers and attribute fault to Will Hollings for needlessly conceding the free-kick on the edge of the box which led directly to the equaliser, the collective response in the 50 minutes thereafter wasn't good enough - nor was positional play at times and too many passes went astray. The word which sums it up best is 'disappointing'.

It's also frustrating because the lads can produce so much better than what they showed, overall, during the course of this game and in isolation there were actually some bright points. For instance, some of the neat, one touch, passing football at times was amongst the best they've played as a team so far this season whilst the overall start to the game was stronger than the 'slow starts' which have littered many previous outings this season. Nevertheless, there's no hiding away from the fact that no player will have left the pitch feeling 'happy' with how the game went or what they produced. It wasn't good enough over the 90 minutes - it's one of them things; it happens! Burton are a good team and that should be underlined, however, they were allowed to impose far too much of their 'game-plan' and dictate matters as opposed to it being the other way around.

Given the injuries to a few players and others such as Ben Bottomley and Liam Ravenhill (more loosely) being unavailable for selection, plus the fact that it's not currently possible to include any of the Under 16s squad, it's likely to be a challenging few weeks ahead so nobody should get too down or too disheartened by one result, but the lads need to remember their qualities, as well, and showcase them better than how they did in this game. Every player is in this squad because they're good enough, they deserve to be there and they've earned the right to get a scholarship, play football every week and have something to offer on a football pitch. Defeats aren't necessarily a bad thing as they can be a learning curve and if every player is able to take one piece of feedback from this disappointment, whether it be from the coaches, team-mates or elsewhere, and implement it within their own games, it's only going to make them better players. 

There's no need to get too downhearted as there's a cluster of games coming up, barring any postponements, which means the opportunity is there to put things right and produce more positive performances over a more sustained spell.

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

Former scholars round up (08/11/20)

There's various ways to begin this month's article on the former Doncaster Rovers scholars.

One (quite recent) ex-scholar bagged a 'worldie' in the FA Trophy, a 'blast from the past' has took the managerial reigns on a temporary basis at a local club, one former forward is already amongst the top scorers in his team's division, whilst at least two others have made goalscoring starts at their new clubs.

Myron Gibbons (L) and Cody Prior (R) in action during their DRFC days.

Probably the best place to start is 10,000 miles away at Adelaide Comets in Australia who've captured the signing of last season's youth team title-winner Nathan Dimou. The 'Comets' compete in the National Premier League South Australia which is the joint-second tier in Australian football, and the centre-back has helped his new team reach the play-offs in their respective league.

Amongst Dimou's team-mates at Cantley Park was Kian Johnson - a goalkeeper who is contracted to Worksop, but was between the sticks for Rossington Main's record-breaking 7-2 win at Harrogate Railway and then in the Tigers' FA Trophy game at St Neots. 

It was the first time that Rozzo have ever scored seven goals in an away fixture in the Northern Counties East League since joining the set-up almost 30 years ago. Amongst the scorers was Jack Watson who bagged a hat-trick to take his tally for the campaign to six goals. Rossington, currently in fifth position, have been in good form and have a few ex-scholars on their books including right-back Elliott Walker and Cameron Barnett, although the midfielder was red carded in a 4-1 win over Glasshoughton. Josh Meade, who's played higher up the pyramid at Buxton and Matlock amongst others, also made his long-awaited comeback from an ACL injury (which has kept him out for the past year) in Rozzo's 3-3 draw at Emley.

Scott Brown - the face of Worksop Town (or something like that)...

Worksop, incidentally, also recently signed Scott Brown - a scholar during Paul Dickov's tenure. He shouldn't be confused with the Celtic player who shares the same name, even though some Rovers fans managed to do just that back in the day!

In Ireland, Will Longbottom has been primarily used as a substitute since joining Waterford. The Blues are in fourth position in the Irish Premier League ahead of their final game of the season at Finn Harps on Monday which is a 'must win' as anything other than three points will put paid to their chances of qualifying for European football next season.

Armthorpe Welfare can only dream of competing on the European stage but they've arrested their fortunes in recent weeks with a good run of form since Adam Lee took temporary charge at the club. He was on Rovers' books at the same time as Craig Nelthorpe (now at Belper) and Rob Pacey, who runs a very successful podcast nowadays. Armthorpe parted with their long-term boss in mid-October and have since picked up six points in the NCEL (Division One) with back-to-back wins at Brigg and top of the table Campion. Their squad includes three other ex-scholars; Conner Williamson, Tyler Walker (elder brother of the aforementioned Elliott Walker) and Jordan Linley who joined early last month.

Slightly further up the pyramid, AJ Greaves, still on the books at DRFC, was on the score-sheet as Gainsborough lost 4-2 at Peterborough Sports in the FA Trophy Qualifying last weekend. The tenacious midfielder has been a regular in Trinity's team since joining them on loan in September, though 'WLWLW' form means they currently occupy a mid-table position. Goalkeeper James Leverton has also been on the bench for them in their last couple of games following a spell in isolation.

Another player who scored a goal in the FA Trophy Qualifying was Cody Prior who bagged this stunning strike for Sheffield in a defeat to Runcorn Linnets. The midfielder has been a regular in Gavin Smith's team who compete at 'Step 4' on the non-league pyramid, so far this season.

A few miles down the road from Dronfield (where Sheffield's Coach & Horses Ground is located) is Chesterfield. The Spireites haven't had the best of starts to the new Vanarama National League campaign having taken only six points from as many matches. Liam Mandeville has appeared in every game but is yet to get his name on the score-sheet whilst Jack McKay has featured for just 23 minutes in a defeat at Torquay.

Defender Paul McKay (Jack's twin brother) has scored for Airdrieonians, however, where he's been pretty much been a permanent figure. His goal, just after half-time, came in a 2-0 win at Stenhousemuir. The Diamonds, as they're nicknamed, are currently mid-table in Scottish League One and smashed local rivals Clyde, 5-0, only yesterday!

Stocksbridge Park Steels' Reece Fielding is another who has been on the score-sheet as he found the target in a narrow home defeat to Newcastle Town, whilst striker Joe Pugh also made a goalscoring start to life at Knaresborough; converting a penalty in a draw against Goole after his move from NCEL (Premier Division) rivals Staveley.

Pugh has essentially been replaced by Rieves Boocock at Staveley and arguably the most natural finisher in Rovers' academy ranks wasted no time in getting started with his new club. Boocock bagged on his debut against Knaresborough, incidentally, then scored again at Barton Town where Myron Gibbons was credited with an assist by the commentator - despite the fact he was an unused substitute! Chaz Fisher (a real 'blast from the past' who was a scholar in Sean O'Driscoll's reign) was in Barton's starting line-up in that game whilst Matty Davies also appeared for Staveley. It ended in a 2-2 draw.

Boocock and Gibbons also played alongside left-back Branden Horton whose loan from DRFC to Redditch has just come to an end. Horton appeared in every game for 'The Ditch' who compete at 'Step 3' in the Southern (Central) Premier Division which has only been running for a couple of years.

Plenty of other former scholars are still playing at various levels of the game. They include Harry Middleton (Cleethorpes), Morgan James (AFC Mansfield), Jack Muldoon (Harrogate Town), Cameron Foulkes (Bottesford), Waide Fairhurst (Hallam), Mitchell Lund (Bradford PA), Liam Nelthorpe (North Ferriby), Andrew Boyce (Eastleigh), James Husband (Blackpool) and Alex Peterson (Belper), Brad Grayson (Frickley), Matt Parkin (Staveley).

There are also a handful of ex-scholars in America such as Evan Finnegan, Lewis Scattergood and James Morris along with possibly more who I haven't yet found out about!

Coventry Sphinx (U18s) 1-2 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)

Coventry Sphinx (U18s) 1-2 Doncaster Rovers (U18s)
FA Youth Cup First Round
Wednesday 4th November 2020

This fixture was always going to present a very different kind of challenge for Doncaster Rovers and it's one which they overcame to progress to the Second Round of the FA Youth Cup.

Played on a bobbly, slightly sloping pitch in freezing temperatures in Warwickshire, attributes such as character, commitment and mental toughness were always going to be fundamental in any success. Coventry Sphinx, previously unbeaten this season, were an imposing side with numerous 'big lads' and they gave it a damn good go in their quest to pull off a cup shock.

The passage was sealed thanks to two goals by Luca Nelson and two assists by Owan Derrett.

His early opener, inside five minutes, had an element of good fortune about it as the 'keeper should have done better, although an upset looked possible when the hosts equalised just after half-time. Rovers' nerves were jangling even more when Sphinx then rattled the post with a swerving long-range shot soon afterwards, but Nelson's looping header on the hour mark ensured a 2-1 success.

Overall, it wasn't pretty at times. It was scrappy, niggly and, predictably, Coventry battled valiantly and applied pressure right up until the final whistle - delivering some great balls into the box throughout. Most importantly, however, Rovers' efforts were enough to get the job done and set up a Second Round visit to the KC Stadium where they'll face Hull City.

The win did come at a cost as tenacious midfielder Charlie Bell suffered ankle damage inside the opening few minutes which eventually forced him off, whilst Max Jemson was later substituted with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

Boss Paul Stancliffe made one change to the team which won thanks to a dramatic injury-time goal at Notts County last Saturday as Michael Nesbitt came into the starting xi in place of Will Hollings.

It meant Rovers lined up with Ben Bottomley in goal; Tom Henson and Lewis Cunningham at right-back and left-back respectively, whilst the centre-back partnership was Max Jemson and Michael Nesbitt. Ethan Bojang, who was skipper, was alongside Charlie Bell and Josh Clemitson in midfield with Luca Nelson, Corie Cole and Owan Derrett favoured in attack.

As expected, Coventry began the game fired up and determined to make a positive start.

They won a free-kick just inside the Rovers' half inside the first minute and the subsequent ball found an unmarked player in the box who saw his effort blocked by Henson. Bottomley wasn't happy and just minutes later he was called into action for the first time when he had to tip away a corner which was fizzed right under his crossbar.

It was surprising, therefore, that just a minute later, Doncaster went ahead.

There were screams for handball when Nesbitt slid in with a challenge around 30 yards from his own goal but play continued and Derrett soon found himself chasing the ball down the inside-right channel. The 'keeper, off his line but inside his own box, seemed favourite to get to there first but instead, the Doncaster player nipped in and twisted and turned at a tight angle with the 'keeper scampering back towards his covering defender on the goal-line.

Derrett's eventual pass across the six-yard box reached Nelson whose initial bundled attempt didn't quite cross the line, but with the ball still loose (and certainly not quite in the 'keepers grasp) his persistence resulted in it ending up in the back of the net. It was a scrappy goal; the Sphinx 'keeper may have even got the final touch though it didn't matter. Rovers were 1-0 up.

There wasn't exactly a plethora of chances, thereafter, throughout the rest of the first half.

Donny looked decent on the ball and had one or two good, quick, clever passing interchanges, though their counterparts had more possession, more of the territorial play and always looked a threat from either balls into the box from open play or set-pieces.

A devastated Bell (who suffered his ankle knock in the first minute) was replaced by Dan Wilds just after the quarter-hour mark and Rovers had two chances around this point with Henson seeing a 20-yard shot routinely kept out by the 'keeper following a good team move, whilst Nelson went closer when he forced a near-post save on 22 minutes.

It was a decent period in the game for the lads though Coventry were competing well and they spurned a gloriously good opportunity to get back on level terms in a counter-attack on the half-hour mark.

A Doncaster free-kick was smashed long and away from danger with the ball dropping at Henson who was stationed as the covering defender. He was immediately under pressure and a combination of the bounce and the bobbly pitch caused him problems and suddenly resulted in a Sphinx attacker galloping past him to burst through into a one-on-one. 

The noise levels amongst the sell-out home crowd immediately increased as they sensed a goal. Composure was crucial but the player lashed at his shot - blazing wide from 20 yards and probably not realising he had a better option of playing in a team-mate who'd taken up an even better position alongside him. It was the hosts' best opening up to this point and there were no doubt a few lads in hooped shirts breathing a huge sigh of relief in the aftermath!

Rovers' injury issues then mounted as Jemson went down and needed treatment from the physio. It quickly became apparent that the big defender wouldn't be able to continue and as a result Will Hollings was readied for action. His introduction also brought about an impromptu tactical reshuffle as Clemitson dropped back to partner Nesbitt in defence.

Hollings was involved in the action straight away and helped link-up a few moves. He also provided a glorious ball into the box from the right flank, just moments before Nesbitt had a shot blocked as Rovers searched for a second goal.

Sphinx responded with pressure of their own in the minutes immediately prior to the half-time whistle with Henson bravely getting in the way of a powerful drive. Another corner-kick played right under the crossbar needed to be watched ever so carefully by Bottomley as well.

It remained 1-0 by the interval and at this point, despite probably not being the better passing or 'footballing' team, the hosts had certainly imposed themselves well and had their moments. What they needed to do now was force the 'keeper into some meaningful action. What Rovers required, on the other hand, was a second goal to put themselves in a properly commanding position.

Within five minutes of the re-start, there was a goal - for Coventry Sphinx!

After breaking away down the right flank, Nesbitt slid in with an untidy challenge and caught more of his opponent than the ball so was correctly yellow carded. The danger was now obvious and from the subsequent left-footed (and in-swinging) free-kick, a Sphinx player rose highest to make a firm connection and saw his powerful, well-placed header fly into the net.

With momentum in their favour, the hosts then dominated much of the next five minutes or so and soon came within a whisker of completing the turnaround altogether when No.7 (who had a fine game) received possession just into the final third, took the ball forward a few yards and let fly with an adulterated 25-yard thunderous hammer-shot which swerved viciously in mid-air and came flying back off the post before Rovers' defence frantically scrambled away the danger amidst a back-drop of gasps from the excited home crowd who sensed a cup shock might well happen.

Moments later, there were more 'heart in mouth' moments when Bottomley was required to rush from the goal-line and smother the ball into his grasp at the feet of an attacker who, otherwise, would have been able to latch onto a through ball and pull the trigger.

It was clear at this stage, Rovers needed to compose themselves and settle down.

They managed to do so and actually put the ball in the net just before the hour mark, only for the referee to have already blown his whistle following an earlier foul on the edge of the box.

Although that set-piece didn't come to anything; a free-kick routine culminated in a low shot being easily blocked, Nelson's persistence less than 30 seconds later meant the visitors won a corner. Again, the initial set-piece was cleared by Coventry's imposing back-line but Rovers soon won back possession and recycled the move.

From the second phase of play, Derrett delivered cross from the inside-left towards the head of Nelson whose crisp contact with a looping header was too much the 'keeper and the ball ended up in the back of the net. In contrast to only a few minutes earlier, when Sphinx's followers were optimistic, it was now eerily quiet as the lads celebrated in the low mist in one corner of the pitch.

The game remained far from over, however, and if one thing was for certain in the hour up to this point, it was that the hosts were capable of causing problems with their quality from wide areas.

That said, on 62 minutes, the result could have been put to bed. Cunningham's left-sided cross was cleared but once more, Donny quickly got back possession and the ball ended up at Nelson's feet on the edge of the 'D' from where he tried his luck with a dipping effort that just went wide.

Just into the final quarter of the game, Nelson's persistence posed more problems as his near-post dummy following some good work on the inside-right by Derrett, nearly fooled the home 'keeper who dived on the ball in his goalmouth just mili-seconds before Bojang could latch onto it.

It was inevitable at some stage that Coventry would throw the proverbial 'kitchen sink' at Rovers and the majority of the final 20 minutes was pretty much one-way traffic as they carried out an aerial bombardment from wide areas and a string of corners.

A second equaliser almost came when the ball dropped fortuitously for a striker around eight yards out whose goalbound effort drew an instinctive reaction save by Bottomley, with the subsequent follow-up from a tight angle being drilled into the side-netting. Five minutes later, they went close again as a downward header following a right-sided corner went narrowly wide.

Derrett forced a near-post stop from a tight angle as Doncaster now enjoyed what was a rare foray upfield and it was to be his last major contribution as the fresh legs of Alex Wolny were introduced in the third and final substitution by Stancliffe.

Coventry continued to dominate but they weren't quite able to muster up the gilt-edged opportunity which they craved. Instead, they were restricted to half-chances. A somewhat tame 30-yard drive was straight at Bottomley whilst, in the final few minutes, the Rovers 'keeper also had to palm away yet another vicious in-swinging corner that was put right under his bar with the subsequent follow-up effort being harmlessly put into the side-netting.

Despite their best efforts thereafter, including during four tense minutes of injury-time, it wasn't to be for the hosts and there was a feeling of relief probably more than anything else, come the final whistle amongst the visiting players.

Ultimately, this was always going to be a tough test in uncomfortable surroundings which would highlight the resolve amongst the lads. It was never going to be easy, it was always going to be an important fixture in their development and a good learning curve for so many players in so many ways.

The preparations - including a pre-match meal in a hotel and travelling to Coventry on a coach, should offer a very small glimpse of what goes into a first team away game. The gritty, hard and tough matchday surroundings (the ground being a stereotypical set-up for the lower reaches of non-league football) plus a team who were physically stronger and more imposing, plus a crowd who were willing to see Coventry Sphinx progress, should harden their character.

The lads' reward for this victory is now a trip to the KC Stadium where they'll play Hull City in the Second Round. It's a trip which will be the complete polar opposite to this one as it'll take place in comfortable settings on a pristine pitch which was staging Premier League football not too long ago. The game itself will represent a different test as Hull are a 'Category 2' academy which means Rovers will go into it as underdogs looking to pull off a cup shock of their own.

I don't quite know when the next game will be that I'm able to attend (thanks Boris!) though I'm glad I could make it to this one. I'll put something else up over the coming days, reflecting on the season as a whole up to this point and looking at the progress which has been made - both individually with players and collectively as a team as I've seen enough games now this season to form opinions.

There's still a long way to go in terms of development but the early-season defeats to Scunthorpe United and Lincoln City seem a long time ago...

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

Gainsborough Trinity 0-1 South Shields

Gainsborough Trinity 0-1 South Shields

Northern (Unibond) Premier League

Tuesday 3rd November 2020

Although they showed signs of improvement in the second half, it ultimately wasn't enough for Gainsborough Trinity as they went down at home to South Shields.

In the final game before part two of the apocalypse (and with nobody knowing exactly when the hosts will play next) the only goal came on 71 minutes as Robert Briggs scored from the spot - thus ensuring Shields will be on the fringes of the play-offs when, or if, the season resumes.

It was no more than the visitors deserved considering they completely dictated the first 45 minutes - creating chance after chance but just failing to convert any of them, before things were much more even after the re-start. Gainsborough might have even snatched something on a different day as AJ Greaves spurned a golden chance early into the second period at 0-0; firing wide from inside the area when it seemed harder to miss, whilst they also hit the bar late on.

The DRFC loanee wanted the ball and got a few things going for Curtis Woodhouse's team. He isn't the finished article yet by any mean and any experience he gets now will be beneficial in the long-term, but he possesses all the qualities which makes me believe he'll go on to play senior football for a sustained period of time. Sadly, there was no appearance for Keaton Ward, on loan from Barnsley and, along with AJ Greaves, the primary reason why I turned up at this game instead of the many others played last night. Despite claiming an assist in last weekend's defeat at Peterborough Sports in the FA Trophy, he made way from the starting line-up and was an unused substitute.

With the loans of both players now up due to 'Lockdown 2' (thanks Boris!) I just hope they're quickly able to get themselves fixed up with an 'elite' team ahead of many other young players who no doubt find themselves in the same situation due to no fault of their own. Whether it be in the National League North/South - or even in Scotland which can sometimes be a springboard to forging a career, they're both good enough to compete at a decent level and given the right opportunity and right scenario, they'll do a decent job for a team somewhere.

If they're in need of inspiration, then the last time I saw a game at the Northolme Ground prior to last night was some seven years ago when Mansfield Town sauntered to a comfortable 5-0 win in pre-season. There was a memorable half-time thunderstorm (during which Travis' Why Does It Always Rain On Me?' played over the tannoy), but nothing altogether too remarkable about the actual game.

The Stags used two trialists that night. Calvin Andrew, who scored twice, was one and he got a six-month deal on the back of it - before, obviously, he went on to score one particularly important goal during those six months which every MTFC fan will remember!

The other trialist was called 'Eddy Gnahore' - a young, tenacious, combative midfielder who was at Birmingham City at the time. He was alright, wasn't bad - though his shooting left a lot to be desired as he managed to clear the stand with one of his efforts. Anyway, Eddy didn't get offered a contract but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise... 

...three years later he was contracted to Napoli and playing in Serie A! 

He's now playing in Wuhan (yes, that's 'Wuhan' in China - not a move I'd massively recommend but... fair play to him anyway) following a spell in France's Ligue 1 with Amiens in the past couple of years. So it just proves anything can happen. Get with a good agent, speak to people, believe in your ability and with a bit of 'luck' and good timing, then anything can happen. You never quite know who is watching you play or where football will take you!

Good luck to South Shields in the FA Cup at Cheltenham Town on Saturday. Ridiculously, they aren't allowed to train together as a team in the two days prior to the game (and if they win they might not even be permitted to train together again until their Second Round tie). They're a decent team who I'm sure will give it a right good go at Whaddon Road.

P.S: Good little finish in the warm-up, AJ. The 'keeper needed some sauce with that chip!