Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup - Round 1 (10/10/2015 13:45)

On Saturday there were no Premiership and Championship games due to international fixtures. Such days are called 'non-league days', an initiative to promote grassroots football and to encourage followers of the big teams to support their small local teams. For me, of course, there are now more 'non-league days' than 'league days'.
Saturday saw me head southwest to Hilton to see my third and final Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup first round game. Hilton Harriers Seniors of the Staffordshire County Senior League (Tier 11) were hosting Dronfield Town of the Northern Counties East League Division 1 (Tier 10).
Arriving at The Mease Pavilion at 14:45 I was surprised to see the game kick-off.  After asking a spectator whether I was at the right game, I was informed that indeed I was but I had missed the first-half. The game had been moved forward from the regular kick-off time to take into account the lack of floodlights and the risk of extra time and penalties having to be played in fading autumnal light.
Having spoken to some of the injured Harriers players I found out that the half-time score was 2:1 to Hilton and that Hilton were fully deserving of their lead. One has to bear in mind that this may not have been a totally unbiased assessment of the first half however.
Dronfield pressed hard to get a early second-half equaliser but solid goalkeeping and defending by Hilton kept the score line 2:1. As Dronfield got more desperate, as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes, their pressing left themselves at risk to being stung on a break, and stung on one such break they were. The ball broke loose on the left and the quick winger burst forward and put in a cross that was met by a colleague, whom, with a looping header, made the score line 3:1.
The Hilton players were delighted with their 'shock' win and they can now look forward to the second round draw with a chance of drawing a big team such as Heanor Town or Long Eaton United.
I am hoping to do 'The Road to the Cup Final' tour, and as such I am eagerly awaiting to see who Hilton Harriers, Belper United and Borrowash Victoria are drawn against.