Top of the table clash on a bitterly cold evening at Greenwich Avenue, but with "the66pow" Rob Waite and Heanor Town devotee Tony Squires as company, it was a pleasant enough way to spend a couple of hours...
Got to hand it to Rob, travelling from Retford to Basford to see Under 19's football. Ulterior motive though, as apparently his Harworth U19's play both Basford and Ollerton in the near future, so this was a bit of a scouting mission! He handed over a bottle of Smirnoff that I won at the recent Harworth CI race night - cheers Rob!!!
Basford attacked from the off, although they failed to dominate their visitors as they have done most of their opponents so far this season. It took 15 minutes for United to open their account, although it was from a very dubious penalty awarded for hand ball. At first we thought, as did all the players and spectators, that United centre-back Luke McKeag had handled as he went for the ball from a corner, but the officials saw different and adjudged that it was an Ollerton player who handled and the penalty was given. DAN JACKSON didn't care - he smashed the ball past Joe Fletcher with aplomb.
JACK SMITH added the second for Basford on 21, latching onto a superb through ball before composing himself and calmly slotting past Fletcher from 8 yards. Ollerton's heads didn't drop though, and they had a couple of quick-fire chances soon after, one effort crashing off the Basford bar, then another sent flying over the bar from just a few yards out. H-T 2-0
Luke McKeag's dad - as amazed as we all were at the penalty award!
The visitors did pull a goal back in the 63rd minute - a towering header from centre-half CHAS TAYLOR from a right wing corner. This seemed to upset the home team and although they had to work harder than have had to in other games this season, they duly restored their 2 goal lead on 77, DAN JACKSON racing in from the left and sending a bullet shot across Fletcher and into the far corner of the net.
With 7 to play, JACK HODSON gave the scoreline a somewhat flattering look, flicking home a ball in from the right. F-T 4-1
Ollerton were as good a team as I have seen Basford play this season - they just have that certain something that gives them the slight edge - his name is Dan Jackson. Maybe it's wrong to say that one man makes a team, but this one man certainly adds a hell of a lot to an already cracking team!
Admission £2 ( inc programme)
Attendance 31 ( h/c)
