Wednesday 22nd February 2017 ko 19.30

Notts Senior League Cup- Quarter Final

RAVENSHEAD 0

NEWARK FLOWSERVE 2 (Potts 46 51)

Att 119

Entry FREE

Programme £1

It goes without saying that Rob Hornby was the reason I was there. The Notts Senior League registrar spotted that a highly unusual game under lights would draw the groundhoppers, and even more so if there was a programme was produced. He took charge of magazine production, and without doubt added 100 on the gate. The only doubt in my mind was what exactly was I watching?

I’d seen the fixture advertised as Notts Senior Cup, and as the Notts Senior League Cup, two rather different animals. I took the view that a side new to the NSL was highly unlikely to be in the last 8 of Nottinghamshire’s senior football clubs! But a whilst a trip to a floodlit pitch (called “The Cornwater Ground”) at the back of a leisure centre might not appeal to everyone the area proved to be fascinating.

You are four-square in Robin Hood country here, Will Scarlet is, by tale, buried in Blidworth and Friar Tuck was reckoned to have been inspired by the priory here. In the here and now through, the ground was far more interesting than expected. On one hand I’m sure the stadium snobs will look at the lack of a stand and blanch but I loved the grass bank behind one goal, and I am a sucker for a tree-lined ground! Moreover I did enjoy standing back from the floodlit areas and let the camera enjoy the shadows.

The mizzle made it the kind of game noone wanted to go to extra-time, and with Ravenshead in the 3rd tier Division 2 playing top tier Premier Division Flowserve a stalemate looked unlikely. That said, Ravenshead made a good fist of trying, it took Tom Potts until the start of the second half to break the deadlock!

It was in so many ways a typical Notts Senior League encounter, blood and thunder to make even seasoned hoppers wince, interspersed with flashes of genuine skill. But more than anything else it was lovely to see Rob happy and on good form, enjoying like the rest of us what was a darned good night out.