Selston FC 2, Hucknall Town 0 (30/04/17 15:00) - Road to the Final - Cup Final

Askern, Holbrook St. Michaels, Swanwich Pentrich Road and FC Bolsover have all fallen by the way side on my road to the Central Midland Football League Buckingham Insurance Cup Final; and so my 'Road to the Final' challenge has left me watching two Nottinghamshire clubs battling it out for the league cup trophy at Alfreton Town's ground.

Hucknall and Selston are representatives of the Central Midland Football League South Division, with Selston recently claiming the championship title.

Selston FC's recent rise has been impressive. The senior team reformed in 2006 and joined the Midlands Regional Alliance (at Division 2 level)  before moving across to the Nottinghamshire Senior League in 2011. 2015 saw them move to the Central Midlands League, the level they were at before they disbanded in 2003. Season 2017/18, with the necessary works that have been undertaken on their Parish Hall ground, will see them grace Step 6, a fantastic achievement.

I got to the ground in reasonable time but, for the first time of my many visits to the Impact Arena, I was unable to park close. I then realised that this game was going to see a bumper crowd. 553 supporters attended this game, and like this morning's game, it was good to see a good number of younger fans in attendance. 

The game itself was slightly less duller than the renditions of the National Anthem and Abide With Me that were piped out of the P.A. before kick-off but in the end the game went with the form team.

The teams were very evenly matched but in the first-half but Selston looked more dangerous with balls over the top and through the channels. Both sides struck the woodwork but the scoreline remained goalless after the first 45 minutes.

In the second-half both teams tried pot shots from outside the box and both teams saw headers, resulting from corners, go over. Hucknall, cheered on by the bigger number of supporters who were proudly wearing yellow, looked slight favourites to nick the winning goal.

As minute number 90 approached Selston, however, won a freekick 25 yards out down their right wing. The ball was whipped in, through the crowded box, to find number 10, Carl Moore, 12 yards out on the left. Moore unleashed a bullet of a shot to beat the 'keeper.

Hucknall pushed on to get a stoppage time equaliser but this left them exposed to a break out. As a Hucknall move broke down some quick play down the left from Selston, and a quality ball through to the centre, found Wayne Cooke through on goal. From a central position, some 18 yards out,  Cooke placed a shot passed the 'keepers left hand into the top right hand corner of the net.

Woodlands Old Boys 0, Golden Pheasant 0 - GP Win 4:2 on Pens. (30/04/17 10:30) - Derby Taverners Bob Ellerington Memorial Trophy Final

Golden Pheasant (currently 5th in the Premier Division of Derby's Taverners League) returned to defend their cup title, at Borrowash Victoria's ground, against Woodlands Old Boys (the current league leaders and champions elect) in this Shelton Lock vs. Allestree match up.

WOB were hoping to put some smiles on the faces of the Allestree faithful this morning as it has been a pretty lean couple of years in that corner of the city with Allestree FC winning only 4 games in their last two Midlands Regional Alliance Premier Division seasons. In the end WOB were unable to push for the win, but at least they will, in all likelihood, win the league.

60 or so supporters, mainly friends and family, watched this evenly matched game that was played in a good spirit.

Pheasant looked more likely to open the scoring with their numbers 10 and 11 working well down the left channel. Through this route Pheasant managed to get the ball in the net but it was disallowed for offside. WOB got back into the game and looked the better side in the last 60 minutes. They may have got a penalty before half-time when their big forward, number 24, went down in the box after his heals were clipped. No foul was flagged for by the linesman and the number 24 received a yellow card for swearing at the linesman for the decision.

I recognised the referee as he used to be a steward at Derby County when I was a turnstile man there, but he didn't show any bias towards WOB, even though they were playing in an old yellow Derby County training strip.

WOB created more pressure and half chances than Pheasant in the second-half but couldn't take any of them.

The game went straight to penalties after the 90 minutes. Pheasant scored their first two whereas WOB missed. WOB scored penalties 3 and 4 leaving the Pheasant 'keeper with a chance to win the cup with penalty number 5. It was a golden strike by the Golden Pheasant 'keeper, low to the opponent 'keepers' right.

A great win for Pheasant and I hope that there will be a free bar waiting for them.

During the game it was great to see the children of the players running about with footballs. I hope the action on the pitch inspires them to continue with their love of the beautiful game.

FC Britannia 2, FC United of Bolsover 0 (23/04/17 10:45) - Derbyshire FA Sunday Senior Cup Final

I took in an early game today, involving a trip to one of my favourite grounds, Christchurch Meadow, Belper. At stake was the title of being the best Sunday league team in Derbyshire. FC Brittania had already pipped FC United of Bolsover to the Chesterfield and District Sunday League crown, but could they claim the bigger prize?

FCUB was set up in 2015 and entered the Chesterfield League as a tier 2 club. In their first season they won promotion as champions and won the league cup whereas FC Britannia has been an ever present at the tier 1 level for a number of years now.

As someone who has followed the Central Midlands Football League side FC Bolsover this season some of the playing and coaching staff of United looked familiar, including the big number 9. I am not sure if there is any official connect between the Bolsover teams, but there is some sort of connection nonetheless.

As FC Bolsover entertained me this season I was willing United on in this North Derbyshire derby.  The crowd, of 166 supporters, seemed evenly split in their favouritism.

The game sprang to life in the fifth minute when the ball was played through the left channel. The United 'keeper dashed from his line and took the onrushing Britannia striker out. A penalty was awarded. The Britannia left back, Danny Ragan, sent the 'keeper the wrong way with a right foot spot kick, low to his right.

United seemed to be back in the game on twenty minutes. Britannia's Josh Aitken was given his marching orders after Brittany Smith, running the line, saw him swing his elbow in an off the ball incident.

From this point onward Britannia were happy to sit back, soak up the pressure and play on the break. And this they did well with the big shot stopper producing a commanding performance between the sticks.

Both teams created further chances for themselves but the game was effectively over on the 52 minute mark. Britannia broke well down the right and the winger whipped in a ball across the 6 yard box. The defender, under pressure, and in line with the far post, sliced his clearance into the top corner of the net beyond the reach of the 'keepers right hand.

For me 10 man FC Britannia were deserving winners.

I hope that both Bolsover teams can do slightly better next season.

Graham Street Prims 0, Borrowash Victoria 0 (17/04/2017 12:00) - The real Spondon derby

In January I watched Belper United play Prims on Vics' pitch at the Asterdale complex in Spondon. As Belper are temporary users of Vics' Anderson Electrical Arena such a match can't really be considered as a proper derby clash. The real Spondon derby is Vic's versus Prims; both teams have grounds at the Asterdale and both compete against each other in the East Midlands Counties League (Step 6 / Tier 10), and have done for a number of seasons now.

Today I was at the Baytree Cars Arena, with my father, to see Prims (third from bottom) host Vics (mid-table) in a league derby.

Both teams had plenty of chances to claim the Spondon bagging rights but both teams lacked a bit of composure or quality in the opponents' box. Vics, as the league table would suggest, had a touch more about them but not enough to challenge the record keeper.

The 50 or so spectators were reasonably entertained on this cold spring lunchtime, but I hope they get to see some goals if they go on to see a teatime or evening game today.

Gresley Reserves 1, Castle Donington Cobras 2 (12/04/17 19:30) - Derbyshire FA Divisional Cup South Final

The Derbyshire County Football Association divisional cups are for teams that broadly feature at tiers 12 and 13 of the footballing pyramid. Gresley Reserves play in the Midland Football League Reserve Division where as Castle Donington Cobras have just been crowned champions of Midlands Regional Alliance Division One.

Those who know their geography will be aware that Castle Donington is a town in North West Leicestershire. I imagine that the Cobras have chosen to be affiliated to the Derbyshire FA because of how they started out as a club, as a Sunday league team in the Long Eaton (Derbyshire) league. Choosing to be associated with the Derbyshire FA keeps them separated from Castle Donington FC who are firmly associated with the Leicestershire FA and Leicestershire league system.

The Cobras are familiar to Derbyshire FA cup finals. They won the cup for Sunday league teams in the two previous seasons, but this evening's game, at the Don Amott Arena, in Mickleover was Cobras highest profile game to date, against higher quality opposition.

It was a lovely spring evening under the, less than powerful, Mickleover floodlights, and the game was enjoyed by the 156 spectators, albeit the Castle Donington folk enjoyed it a little more. Both sets of supporters were vocal in support of their favourites.

Cobras, resplendent in their slightly gothic purple and black strip, were on the backfoot early on in the game against the young Gresley side, with the reds going close from distance and hitting the woodwork.

Cobras, slightly against the run of play, took the lead mid-way through the first-half however. A good diagonal ball to the right-hand angle of the 18 yard box found the number 15 who drilled a low shot passed the 'keeper's right-hand to the far corner of the goal, the ball going in off the post. From then on in the game was very even with both teams creating more chances.

Cobras second goal came mid-way through the second-half. Some poor defending allowed the ball to get to the number 15 in the box and from 16 yards he, in a position right of centre, unleashed a cracking shot which thundered into the net off the underside of the crossbar.

With two minutes to go Gresley got a goal back. A ball through the middle set a young Gresley player through on goal. The striker reached the ball ahead of the onrushing goalkeeper, got the ball past him, and a colleague tapped in from close range. Unfortunately the onrushing 'keeper took out former and the player was left dazed on the ground. An ambulance was called, the game halted, and the players retired to their dressing rooms. Later I found out that the player was fine after spending an hour or so at the local hospital.

Back in the changing room the goalkeeper received a red card and the game restarted with Cobras clinging on to their lead with 10 men. With some comedy timewasting from the replacement 'keeper, Cobras saw out the game to lift the biggest trophy in their short history.

It was a fair result and an entertaining game that was sadly marred by the unfortunate late incident.

FC Chadd 2013 1, Arboretum 2 (09/04/17 16:30) - Derby Sunday League Cup Final

Having seen all the Derbyshire first teams that appear in the top 11 tiers of English football, and having seen a Derby team at tier 12 level this season, I though that I would lend my support to the Derby City Football League and have a look at the Sunday League Challenge Trophy Final at the Moorways Bowl. After all, it would be rude not to on a lovely warm spring afternoon.

Chadd and Arboretum are head and shoulders above the opposition this year and sit 1st and 2nd respectively in the league. Chadd have a 100% league record and Arboretum have only dropped points in two games. Arboretum have already bagged some silverware this season however by winning another Derby cup last weekend at the same venue. They also had a good run in the county Sunday cup having got as far as the semifinal before losing to north Derbyshire opposition.

Today's game attracted a good crowd (approx. 150), a good proportion of which were Chadd chavs that were fueled up on lunchtime booze. Throughout the game they chanted classics such as "In Your Normanton Slum" and "We're Chadd, We're Chadd, and that's the way I like it, I like it, I like it..."

The match was officiated by former Derby runner, Nicky Lees, the winner of the Derby Marathon several times in the 80s. I'm sure he could have easily made it through extras time if it were needed. Thankfully extra time was not required.

Arboretum, in blue, deserved their win. In addition to their goals they missed a clear cut sitter and struck the crossbar.  After their winning goal, mid-way through the second-half, Mr Lees had to send some of their bench to the stand for running onto the pitch, celebrating. There were also some shocking challenges in the second-half especially and we were lucky to see a full complement of players on the pitch after the 90 minutes.

The goals are described thus:

0:1 A run down the right flank, on 15 minutes, by the blues broke the Chadd back line resulting in a 3 on 1 scenario. The winger found number 9 in a central position and he fired home despite the 'keeper getting a hand on the ball.

1:1 Chadd, after coming out after half-time fired up, levelled following the second phase of a set piece. A ball clipped in the box was met by a striker in a central position who fired passed the 'keepers left hand.

1:2 With Chadd pressing up field, Arboretum broke and number 15, following a good through ball, bore down on goal with the ball at his feet. A defender managed to catch up with him but the attacker calmly went inside and struck home from 8 yards.

Towards the end of the game the April breeze picked up and blew blossom off the overlooking trees, like confetti, as if to join in Arboretum's celebrations.