Holbrook Sports 1, Radford 0 (30/09/2017 15:00) - EMC League

Another trip to a new venue took me to Holbrook's APC Sealants Shaw Lane Ground to see Sports host Radford in a Step 6, East Midlands Counties League fixture.

Holbrook had started the league season better than Radford (6 wins out of 10 and 3 wins out of 10 respectively) and had a good cup win under their belt, the dispatching of Step 5 side Heanor Town from the FA Vase competition. I was therefore confident that the Derbyshire team would overcome their Nottingham challengers today.

On arrival at the ground the slope of the pitch was most notable, and then that the ground met the bare minimum Step 6 standard. We were, however, very glad of the covered areas that the requirements demand as it was a showery autumnal afternoon.

Sports chose to take advantage of the slope at the toss; a decision that paid off as they went into the interval a goal to the good. The goal for scored by the fast and skillful number 10, who, after a defensive headed clearance arrived in front of him on the edge of the box, struck an unstoppable left foot volley past the 'keeper.

Radford had the better of the second-half, with the advantage of the slope with them, but they were unable to convert the chances that they made and when the target was hit the excellent Sports 'keeper managed to keep the ball out.

Myself and my father were impressed with the skill and energy of both teams and despite the rain we were very much entertained.

Ashbourne 4, Hanley Town 2 (20/09/2017 19:30) - Staffordshire Senior County League

Ashbourne FC are another one of those Derbyshire clubs that I have seen play as an away side. I had not been to the ground that they call 'home'. Tonight was a great opportunity to rectify that.

Their former home, the 'Ashbourne Recreation Ground', was not of 'Step 7' standard and as such their progression has necessitated a 'home' venue suitable for the eleventh tier of English football; and so, for the time being, Ashbourne play at Rocester's Hillsfield Ground, seven miles southwest of 'The Gateway to Dove Dale', in Staffordshire.

Like Belper Town's Christchurch Meadow, Hillsfield sits in the shadow of a Mill, an Arkwright Mill of 1782. The ground itself is tidy and sufficient for the needs of the both Ashbourne FC and their landlords, 'The Romans', a Midland League (Step 5) team.

I was not expecting a classic by any means. Both Ashbourne and Hanley had made very average starts to the season, with the teams 5th from bottom and 3rd from bottom respectively.

A small crowd of 20 or so were treated to six goals shared, albeit unevenly, between two very youthful teams. Both teams had energy but were lacking in the strength, experience and composure that one sees in a typical Central Midlands League game.

Ashbourne had the territorial advantage for the majority of the 90 minutes but it was Hanley, playing on the break with fast moves, that had the better chances early-doors. A flicked header lead to chance from the edge of the box and a decent effort struck the crossbar. Minutes later Hanley were ahead from a free-kick.

Ashbourne deservedly levelled before the interval and then pretty much bossed the second-half.

The goals are described thus:

0:1 A free-kick in a central position, some 30 yards out, was fiercely struck and a deflection took the ball past the 'keeper's left hand.
1:1 Following some good build up play down the right, a lovely flicked pass inside the box opened up the defence for the striker to find the far corner of the goal, across the 'keeper, from 9 yards out.
2:1 A shot from 25 yards thundered against the cross bar, came down and out with the 'keeper floundering. Number 9 followed up the shot and calmly nodded the ball, unchallenged, past the 'keeper.
3:1 In a left of centre position, 20 yards out, a spinning right foot shot beat the 'keeper low down at the near post.
4:1 A good run down the right was followed by a driving cross. Number 10, running onto the cross, fired home low to the 'keeper's right from 6 yards.
4:2 A shot from a central position in a crowded box found its way through the (otherwise exemplary) 'keeper.

Pinxton 2, Linby Colliery Welfare 1 (16/09/2017 15:00) - CMFL South

With the addition of Kilburn, made the other week, I have seen all Derbyshire (first) teams (that feature in the top 11 tiers of the English footballing pyramid) play competitive fixtures. Some of teams I have seen play have been as 'away teams' and as such I have not seen their home grounds.

The grounds missing from my 'hop' list are Dronfield's, Ashbourne's and Holbrook Sports'. I have been to South Normanton's ground (albeit for an amateur game) and Aston United (who have dropped out of competitive football this season) used to ground-share with Ilkeston, and so these have been ticked off my list.

The game today allows me to tick off Pinxton's Van Elle Arena.

Here, I should mention Renishaw Rangers. Renishaw is a Derbyshire village; their Chesterfield and District Sunday League side has been allowed into the CMFL North Division because they have managed to get the keys to a ground beyond the Derbyshire border. The fact that they do not play home games in Derbyshire and also as they are affiliated to the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA, I am discounting them as a pukka 'Derbyshire' team.

In addition to seeing Pinxton's ground I was looking forward to seeing a decent game. Both teams had made good starts to the season (Pinxton 2nd and Linby 3rd in the table prior to kick-off).

I was very impressed with Pinxton's ground; a very flat surface cut into the hill behind the social club. The match attracted a decent sized crowd on this intermittently sunny and overcast day.

In the first half Pinxton had the territorial advantage but Linby took the lead shortly before half-time. Pinxton looked dead and buried on 50 minutes when the substitute was shown a straight red for kicking out at an opponent who had put in a good tackle against him.

Pinxton were now the team playing on the break, soaking up pressure and thanking their lucky stars for some poor Linby finishing. But, with their Heanor Town recruits of Cooper and Keano, Pinxton pulled the game out of the bag with two good goals.

The goals are described thus:

0:1 The tricky number 10, on the angle of the box, played a lovely ball through to the big number 9, out left at an angle 8 yards out from goal. The low shot went under a defender and beat the 'keeper at the near post.
1:1 A similar goal to the first. A ball from the right to the unmarked number 15 was nicely controlled and passed into the net across the 'keeper.
2:1 A poor clearance from the 'keeper left him stranded on the edge of the box as his cleared ball landed at the feet of a Pinxton player, some 40 yards out. The 'keeper could just watch as a looping shot sailed back over his head and into the net.

AFC Kilburn 2, Aslockton & Orston 1 (02/09/2017 15:00) - CMFL South

As Kilburn had applied to play in the Central Midlands League, from the Midlands Regional Alliance, and had been accepted, it meant that this was a team that I needed to see, having seen all Step 7 + Derbyshire teams to date.

I drove up to the Leedale Park ground in Kilburn, on a lovely late summer afternoon, to watch their clash with their Notts. visitors. Both clubs are new to the league (from lower standards) and as such I wasn't expecting a classic to be played out at this lovely little ground.

The game started out quite evenly but as the visitors tired Kilburn began to dominated (and they could have won more comfortably if they took their two good late chances) and eventually deserved their first win out of the four they had played to date.

At the ground I bumped into Groundhopper Chris and it was, as always, nice to catch up with the league gossip.

The goals are described thus:

1:0 Ball cleared from the Aslockton box, only as far as the Kilburn defensive midfielder, number 6, who, with a lovely right footed volley from 25 yards, found the top corner beyond the right hand of the 'keeper.
1:1 A foul in the box, on the Aslockton right, gave the visitors a penalty. A right footed strike found the back of the net to the right of the 'keeper.
2:1 Poor defending, following a cross from the Kilburn left, resulted in the Kilburn number 7 being handed a good shooting chance. From 10 yards out , to the right of goal, number 7 struck the ball sweetly over the 'keeper.