This Black Dragon League South vs. North (and Derbyshire derby) clash was due to be played at The Swans' Highfield Road ground but inclement weather in February caused postponements. In order to complete the fixture the game was rearranged and switched to Shirebrook Town's Langwith Road ground, only for the original date to be scuppered by a faulty boiler. Thankfully, tonight, the match was eventually played, at its fifth time of asking; although there was a delay of 15 minutes because Swanwick forgot to bring their kit with them.
The rearranging of the fixture here also meant that I returned to the scene where I had completed my challenge of seeing all 37 Derbyshire football teams that feature in the top 11 tiers of English football.
Myself and my father were joined by forty or so other hardy souls (and later on a mouse scurrying around our feet in the stand) and we were all thoroughly entertained by this 120 minute spectacle. The forty or so fans included a photographer who snapped away at the Bolsover players throughout the game, his flash blinking like a strobe in a disco.
Swanwick's display could be considered as being gritty and determined whereas Bolsover had a little more class about them, especially the tricky numbers 7 and 8 who liked to take players on using nice dips of the shoulders and their skilful footwork. Bolsover's big number 9 again led the line well, and, in the end, it was his goals that decided the game.
Bolsover took the lead midway in the first half. The number 9 chased down a ball played up the right-hand channel and from the corner of the box thundered a shot which crashed of the crossbar, down, and into the net. I hope the photographer managed to capture the goal for posterity.
Swanwick got a deserved equaliser shortly afterwards as the persistent number 9 made use of a lucky bounce and some nice control, which took him past a defender in the Bolsover box, allowing him to tuck the ball past the 'keeper from 14 yards.
1:1 at half-time was a fair score line. During the interval four Bolsover substitutes practiced their shooting. Two balls were lost over the fence behind the goal, one of which got stuck in the top branches of a tree.
Swanwick made the brighter start to the second half and deservedly took the lead following a brilliantly whipped in cross from the right which was met in the 6 yard box by the number 11.
An injury to Swanwick's pugnacious and nippy number 11 caused the bench to reshuffle the front line. The influential number 9 was played out of his best position to make way for a target man substitute. The changes didn't work and the attacking prowess showed by Swanwick before, was lost. The incentive was handed back to Bolsover.
Bolsover chased their equaliser in the dying seconds of the 90 minutes (as myself and my father made our way slowly to the exit) and after creating a number of chances they finally took one of them. A ball through the middle was slotted away calmly by the striker from a central position, 13 yards out.
Bolsover dominated extra time and the winning goal came from a ball over the top for the big number 9 to chase. From the edge of the box he place the ball underneath the 'keeper.
As we left we were asked by a man at the adjacent social club "did Bowzer win?" Yes. Bolsover did win. Roll on the semi-final! I am still following a Derbyshire team.
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