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.