Yesterday's semi-final was held at the neutral venue of the Blidworth Welfare Social Club, the home of Blidworth Welfare FC. Blidworth were fitting hosts. The set-up of the club was very impressive and the playing surface more so on this lovely spring day.
Blidworth lies equidistance from Bolsover and Hucknall and, like the two teams playing at their ground yesterday, the club is also a member of the Central Midlands Football League. Blidworth has the unenviable record of losing all of its league games in the 1997/98 season. Apparently they were so bad they were invited to train with the England squad. Based on England's records in major tournaments since then, it looks as though the Three Lions learned quite a bit from Blidworth.
Hucknall Town are arguably the most illustrious team in the Central Midlands Football League. As recently as 2009 they where playing tier 6 football in the Conference North. Financial issues have caused their fall from grace and at the time are writing they sit in 4th position in the CMFL southern division. Hucknall Town has fallen back to the level it was at in the very early 90s, whereas FC Bolsover are a club on the up.
FC Bolsover were admitted to the league, as a brand new club, for the start of the 2016/17 season. One of the key determining factors for this allowance was the absence of a club in the immediate Bolsover area. The reason for the absence of clubs in the Bolsover area is primarily due to two clubs recently folding, these being Bolsover Town (in 2008) and Glapwell FC (in 2016). Glapwell FC finished top of the CMFL North the season they folded. I guess it is not surprising to see FC Bolsover currently top of the CMFL North as the current Bolsover management team and playing squad are, in essence, Glapwell FC's.
The game attracted a decent crowd (100 or so) which was predominantly made up of Hucknall fans, many wearing club scarves. The action was preceded by a minute's silence for the victims of the recent London terror incident.
Hucknall, in their second kit of blue and white, kicked off up the slope in the first half and were quickly on the front foot. To be fair they were on the front foot for whole game. At two nil down Bolsover changed their formation to be more attacking but this only created more space in midfield and defence for Hucknall to exploit.
Bolsover struck the post and had a good shout for a penalty turned down in the second half and had a handful of half chances, but the day belonged to Hucknall. The goals are described thus:
0:1 Ball from the left, across goal, was met by a striker, 8 yards out on an angle, who was strong to hold off a defender and fired home.
0:2 Shortly after a good penalty shout for Hucknall was turned down, some sloppy defending by Bolsover allowed a Hucknall striker to fire a great shot home from the right-hand angle of the 18 yard box.
0:3 Ball from the left, across goal, was met 9 yards out on an angle. The striker struck the ball back across the 'keeper off the far post and cross bar. The Hucknall 'Yellow Army' behind the goal then let off a celebratory yellow smoke bomb.
0:4 Ball from the right was met 7 yards out in a central position by the Hucknall striker who, with turning back heal, got the ball past the 'keeper.
