Clipstone FC……………………………5 (Curtis 6’, 30’, 87’, Ashton 42’, Gregory 62’)
Gedling Miners Welfare ………………4 (Brown 56’, Suban 61’, Knight 71’, Meakin 90’)
(HT 3-0)

Gedling Miners Welfare made the trip north to Mansfield to face Northern Counties East League side Clipstone in the second round of the Nottinghamshire Senior Cup on Tuesday night.

The hosts, relying on the cups for any form of success this season, currently sit bottom of the NCEL Premier Division and have lost all 21 of their league games thus far this campaign. Gedling, meanwhile, sit 7th in the EMCL and, fresh after their game on Saturday postponed due to adverse weather, come into the game on the back of a 1-0 league win away at Ashby Ivanhoe last time out.

The travellers came into the game knowing that, despite their league position further up in the footballing pyramid, Clipstone would pose a stronger test than they’re accustomed with. However, in the first opening exchanges the better football was played by the visitors and the possession stat easily favoured those in yellow. With fantastic interplay and intricacy down the right hand side, teamed with superb hold-up play by Cardell Lubban, debutant Francis Kale could have put Gedling in a deserved lead as early as the 3rd minute, but his header from a Dwayne Brown cross went sailing over.

They continued with their fast-paced footballing approach and the hosts were struggling to cope, ultimately resorting to thumping the ball up field to rid of the early pressure. However, their approach paid off as, after only 6 minutes, they undeservedly took the lead. After tirelessly chasing down a loose punt, Matt Hubbard picked up the ball and deftly reversed the ball inside the area for Gareth Curtis who calmly slotted the ball past the onrushing Chris Heltorp for the opening goal.

Despite the setback, Gedling continued with their commendable footballing approach and, with respect, deserved more but lady luck wasn’t on their side as nothing fell their way going forward, much to their frustration. Clipstone, however, looked impressive going forward and the pacey intent on attackers Curtis and Tim Gregory were starting to cause problems for the retreating defensive line for Gedling, and it was the latter who could have doubled his side’s lead, but his effort, feasible after a slip from Luke Smith, was dragged wide.

At the other end, Jay Knight could, and should have, equalised for his side but his superb downward header, from Smith’s accurate cross, was saved well by Gary Doncaster as they sought a deserved way back into the affair. However, on the half hour mark, and Clipstone did double their lead.

After another long ball forward from the unsteady Clipstone defence, Joe Evans, initially recovering well after being caught in two minds defensively, was tangled in a mix up between himself and Heltorp, and, after the ball was fired back across goal by Curtis, the defender could only watch as the ball ricocheted off his hip and across the line and the dubious goal panel subsequently awarded the goal to the striker, arguably deserved for his efforts.

Completely against the run of play and Gedling found themselves two down after only half an hour. They were the better of the two teams in a footballing sense, but their efforts were in vain and they failed to further test Doncaster in the home goal as the otherwise uneventful half wore on and, 3 minutes from the interval, it got even worse for the away side. After a low corner was fizzed in by Brendan Williams, in a very well-rehearsed training ground move, the ball was deceivingly dummied by Curtis and Olly Ashton coolly dispatched the ball past a contingent of players in the bottom corner as he congratulated his teammates for their roles played.

Three up at the break and the score line flattered the men from Mansfield but, ultimately, the ‘goals scored’ column is the most important stat in football and Clipstone, with very little success this year, knew that was all that mattered. At this point, one could assess that it was a matter of how many the home side could register. In such a mind-set, 3 minutes after the break and Curtis almost notched his hat trick, his team’s fourth, but curled his effort wide after good play by Hubbard.

The visitors, contrary to the score line, felt they were always in the tie and they continued with their impressive footballing display and on 56 minutes, they pulled one back that sparked their never-say-die mentality. After good build-up play by substitute Raheem Suban, and a delightful cross by Joe Meakin, Dwayne Brown, under pressure, fired the ball into the roof of the net as his team, now with some form of ascendency, collected the ball to get the game restarted as quickly as referee David Hunt allowed them too.

It got even better for them as, only 4 minutes later on the hour, Gedling were officially back in the cup-tie. After fine work down the left by Suban, he delivered a wicked cross that evaded all those in the box and his cross-cum-shot found the far corner past the despairing Doncaster as the home side look rattled knowing their 3-goal cushion had vanished in a matter of minutes. Rightly back into the game and Gedling had their tails up as they chased the equaliser. However, only 2 minutes later, and Clipstone restored their two-goal cushion and, many may dispute, diminished any ideas Gedling had of securing their name in the third round.

After a free kick was floated into the area and cleared by Steven Brett, the loose ball wasn’t dealt with and Tim Gregory, after utilising his chest to set himself, brilliantly bicycle kicked his side into a 4-2 lead as Clipstone assumed the tie was sealed. Their case was all but confirmed when, 3 minutes after widening their deficit back to 2, Gedling were dismissed to 10-men. After a dubious advantage was played by referee Hunt, he inexplicably bought the play back for a home free-kick after the chance to counter-attack was wasted. In the subsequent protests, Martin Holt was shown a straight red for, though inaudible, a few choice words too many, as his colleagues surrounded the referee querying for an explanation.

Despite their man and two-goal disadvantage, Gedling, typical of their mentality this season, felt something was still achievable from the game and they persisted on making Clipstone sweat as, 20 minutes before the end, they made it 4-3. Carey Knight, in an almost carbon copy to Dwayne Brown’s effort, looped the ball into the roof of Doncaster’s net after he picked up scraps from a characteristically dangerous Joe Meakin corner.

Time was running out for the East Midlands Counties league side and they may have felt that luck was finally on their side as, in a chance to seal his sides victory, Ashton delightfully volleyed past Heltorp, but his effort hit the inside of the far post and crept along the line before being collected by the goalkeeper as he looked to get his side up field in search of the deserved equaliser. However, Gedling, exposed defensively after the dismissal of Holt and the commitment of men going forward, did concede the fifth. After a penetrable through ball between the now-scarce Gedling defences, Curtis, one-on-one with Heltorp duly placed the ball past the Norwegian as he celebrated his hat-trick 3 minutes from time.

A tired and frustrated look descended on the faces of all those associated with Gedling. Their efforts in the circumstances were extremely commendable and their performance on the night merited, at the very least, the 30 minutes of extra-time, and, one may argue the passage into the next round. With the added time being played through Clipstone’s know-how time wasting tactics, the best goal, rather warranting of such an occasion, was saved until last. After the tireless Lubban was felled on the edge of the area, Meakin, superb on the night, curled his effort into the top right-hand corner for 5-4. Though, much to the relief of Clipstone and their fans, it was all too little too late for Gedling as the referee called time on one of the most frantic games of football the Worksop Van Hire ground has seen in many a year, as the home side were confirmed for the draw for the third round.

Gedling can be extremely pleased and proud with their football played against higher-levelled opposition and, should they adapt such an approach to their league campaign, will certainly find themselves at the top end of the table come the end of the season. They begin such an endeavour on Saturday (9th) as they entertain high-flyers Anstey Nomads, who beat Gedling 4-0 a few weeks previously, at Plains Road with a 3pm kick off.