Mansfield 1 Russia 0

Sherwood Colliery Reserves  6  Heanor Town Reserves  1

Central Midlands League – Floodlit Cup

Options were very much limited, it was either Handsworth U21’s, or Sherwood Colliery Reserves, or Zenit St Petersburg.

I worked on the principle that I would be cutting it a bit fine to get to St Petersburg, and get a Visa, assuming I managed to set off around tea time. That would have to wait. Handsworth was a plastic pitch so that could wait until we get frosticles, which left Mansfield Woodhouse based Sherwood Colliery.

I’ve only ever been to Sherwood twice, the first time was in their debut Central Midlands League season, 2012-13, and it was against Phoenix in the August. I can remember being stood on top of the grass bank that runs down one side of the pitch, and seeing a groundhopper fall from the top to the bottom in dramatic style. It was most funny!

The second time was right at the end of the 2014-15 season when they entertained neighbouring Bilsthorpe. I seem to think that game was quite significant, maybe for the visitors, but off the top of my head I can’t recall the specifics.

One of the main reasons I’ve only ever been twice is the fact that Sherwood Colliery are relatively new to senior Saturday football. As I said previously, they moved from Sunday football in 2012 in after three seasons of relative struggle, they got switched from the North Division to the South Division. An upturn in fortunes followed and they finished 5^th 4^th and 2^nd, which was a placing that saw them promoted to Step 6 and the East Midlands Counties League for the 2018-19 season.

They finished third last season, and this time around are one of the favourites for the title and promotion to Step 5, which would be a great achievement for the young club.

As a result of moving to Step 6, an opportunity arose at the end of last season for their reserve side, who won the Division One South of the CML, to take up the place that the first team once had at Step 7. I saw them virtually claim the crown and end the hopes of nearest challengers Rowsley 86 at the end of last season, after a late win at Wirksworth Ivanhoe.

The ground at Debdale Lane has been improved over recent years and is now an impressive arena. Once into the large car park, the club house awaits. Once the pintage has been consumed it’s up the concrete path, past the dressing rooms to the pay booth. It was £3 tonight, and with both Richard Lane and Pete ‘Ken Dodd’ Watmough in the general area as I paid my admission, it was sure to be an interesting evening.

The grass bank remains, but a small area of cover sits at the bottom. On the opposite side are the dugouts and two wooden stands containing seats. Hard standing surrounds the pitch, barring the end nearest the dressing rooms, while the floodlights are an addition since my last visit. It’s tidy, and it does the job.

I spent the evening in the company of Richard (a finer gentleman you will struggle to meet) and Pete (the king of the arse biscuit), and as the game progressed we chatted away about all things local football, and of course Grantham Town who I’d visited the night before. The Gingerbreads are a club that Richard for many years was a loyal follower of.

The game was an interesting one, Heanor took the lead through Callum Jones in the 34^th minute but after half time it was one way traffic as the hosts really put the visitors to the sword. Triston Burrell and Liam West both scored twice, while Jamie York and Jordan Ingram completed the scoring.

The attendance was given as 43, which is probably on a par with what the first team was getting when they first started out on their path. Interestingly this season the first team are averaging 118, while the record crowd came at the end of the 2017-18 when a title decider against Eastwood Community attracted over 700 through the gate.

Sherwood Colliery are a club on the up, they are worth keeping an eye on, and you know what, I’m glad I didn’t take a punt on Zenit St Petersburg, apparently it was a bit on the cold side, and I wouldn’t have got home in time to pick up a couple of sherbets from the off licence!