Sunday 30th September 2012 -- Notts Sunday Premier Premier : ko 10:32am
Why did I go to this game? Lord knows - it was blowing a gale, with intermittent rain - and it was seriously cold.
Why did I go to this game? Lord knows - it was blowing a gale, with intermittent rain - and it was seriously cold.
This was a Notts Sunday League Premier Premier fixture, but looking at the table before the game, you could see it wasn't going to be a classic, Dragon were third bottom, with Top Spot rock bottom.
Titchfield Park pitch 2 is looking as good as it has done for years - I recall playing on there 40 odd years ago - was it really all mud and pebbles in my day, or is my memory failing me?
The park was well populated with the usual dog-walkers and junior footballers in training, but there were only 6 people actually watching the game. This did increase to 13 as the game went on, but that was where it peaked!
Carlton took the lead on 22 when their 7 jacket's 25 yard shot took a bit of a deflection and looped over the Dragon keeper. The home team pulled level in the 37th minute, a cracking run down the right followed by a fierce cross that the Carlton no. 5 diverted into his own net. H-T 1-1
Had to wait until the 71st minute for the next goal, the Carlton no. 6 nodding home from close range after the home defence failed to stop a cross in from the right.
The best goal of the game was the second Dragon equaliser - their veteran 4 shirt pinged a great ball out to the left then ran 50 yards to get on the end of the cross, nodding powerfully past the Top Spot keeper. This goal greeted with a cry of " well done coffin-dodger" from the Dragon bench!
In the final minute of regulation time, the home team were awarded a free-kick wide left, and when their 14 fired the ball into area, it was slid home at the far stick by their skipper wearing the 5 shirt. The ref played 51 minutes in the first half, and 53 in the second - there were one or two stoppages, but nothing major - I reckon the ref needs a new watch !!! F-T 3-2
