Abacus Lighting Central Midlands Alliance Roundup for May 3rd

MIDWEEK MATCHES

The games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights finally resolved the elaborate game of musical chairs to avoid the last of the three bottom positions in the Black Dragon Badges Premier South. After an anxious few weeks in which five clubs were looking over their shoulders, Mickleover RBL were the team who found themselves without a chair when the music stopped. The Legion’s final position was confirmed by a 2-1 defeat at Holbrook Sports. All three goals came in the first half, Brooklyn Bruce giving Sports a 17th minute lead, Jake Dickinsonlevelling from the penalty spot a couple of minutes later. The third and crucial goal went to the home side went to the hosts, Ethan Watson sealing the Legion’s fate in the 38th minute. Teversal’s late revival which had seen them take 17 points from aseven game unbeaten run came just too late as Wirksworth Ivanhoe went home with the points after a 2-0 win, Lucas Brough scoring in the 4th and 52ndminutes. AFC Normanton’s final two games of the season were played within 48 hours of each other. On Tuesday they took a point from a1-1 draw with Derby Singh Brothers, Henry Brooks giving them a 33rd minute lead before Sahil Bhagawan levelled for Singhs three minutes short of half time. Two days later both Normanton and Wirksworth returned to action, Ivanhoe the happier as they ended AFC Normanton’s disappointing campaign with a 5-0 winthanks to doubles from Tom Mellor and Ryan Marchington and another for Lucas Brough.Melbourne Dynam0’s superb run of twelve wins anda draw finally came to an end at Cromford & Wirksworth Town who got the better of them 2-1.Steve Mallinder and Sam Appleby won it for Cromford, Isaac Nkrumah with Melbourne’s reply, the result elevating the home side to the lofty heights of third. Whether they remain there depends on theresult of Melbourne’s final game against Linby Colliery. Mansfield Hosiery Mills won their thirdgame in a row, a clear-cut 3-0 defeat of Holbrook St Michaels, Warwick Wood, Aston Thompson and Bily Brooks sharing the goals ahead of the final matchday, Kinsley Boys finally pulled in their last fixture in hand to return to their position a point behind Bessacarr at the top of the Macron Store Nottingham Division One North. They travelled to Scunthorpe to play Appleby Frodingham, bringing home the points after a 4-0 win, Cory Woodward, Lucas Stubbs, Oliver Tate and Jack White with a goal apiece. Southwell City and Mansfield Hosiery Mills Blue drew 1-1 in the East Division Taylor Shaw with a screamer for Southwell, Jack Charlton for Mills. In the West Division Belper United finished the season with a 4-1 defeat of champions Mickleover Athletic who took the lead through Jamie Laird after ten minutes. Two goals in as many minutes midway through the first half from Jack Birks and Charlie Price gave Belper the advantage, further strikes from Birks and Lewis Walker either side of half time confirming the result. The battle between the two sides at the foot of the table went to Cromford & Wirksworth Town who beat Little Eaton 2-1, Dale Hill and Charlie Marks with the goals, Ross Webster scoring for the home side. Heanor Town cemented the runners up spot with a 5-2 win over Mayfield, their 18th match in 2025. Niall Slack, Adam Clark, Tommy Cave, Oli Hallam and Alex Merson with one each, Harry Spowage- Delaney and Harry Breeze with Mayfield’s reply.

 There were two games in the Drayton PACS Division Two. Wirksworth Ivanhoe are effectively a point ahead of Rising Stars, the destination of the title to be decided by who gets the better result at Rowsley 86who face both teams in the coming week. Wirksworth warmed up by winning 4-1 at Little Eaton with goals from Owen King (2), Kane Saxby and Reece Marshall. A good game for Nathans saw Ashland Rovers beat Ashover 3-2, Jacob Davis, Nathan Harrison and Nathan Atkins the scorers. Nathan Hutchison with both Ashover goals.

WEEKEND MATCHES

On Friday night Mansfield Hosiery Mills finished the season with their fourth successive win, beating Bakewell Town 2-1, a result which gave the Mills a top half finish in the Premier South table. Bakewell went in front on 9 minutes from a Matt Kelcey penalty, but the home side turned it round with goalsfrom Billy Brooks on 36 and 54 minutes, the match not one that will live long in the memory. Gresley Rovers Reserves completed their remarkable recovery with a 4-3 defeat of Derby Singh Brothers, their scorers Alex Pott with two, Stevie Savage andEwan Smith, Singhs replying with goals from Ricky Aletan, Devante Ramsey and Tyler Johal. Melbourne Dynamo won the second leg of their head to head with Linby Colliery, another tight game ending 2-1 to Dynamo, Tyler Withers giving them a half time lead, Isaac Nkrumah doubling the advantage before Linby got one back from a Mason Moore penalty. The result confirmed a third place finish for Cromford & Wirksworth Town, with Linby a point behind in fourth.

The tussle for top place in the Division One North table fell flat as both Bessacarr and Kinsley Boys saw their final opponents pull out to leave Bessacarra point clear of Kinsley. Kirton Brickworks and Long Bennington played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in a classic “game of two halves”. Long Bennington had the better of the first half, Owen Rowley and Jenson Longden building up a two goal lead. The second half saw Kirton on the front foot, Dean Rodgers and Jack March levelling the scores, the draw an appropriate result for a game played in an excellent spirit. In the West Division Rowsley 86 travelled to Holbrook St Michaels, returning with the points from a 3-0 win, the scorers Marcel Deichmann, Louis Jameson and Jacob Hodgson.

In Division Two Rising Stars won 6-0 at Rowsley 86, Bamoussa Cisse, Ralph Davies and Kyrell Wheatley among the scorers. Ben Tunnicliffe scored both goals for Winster Darley Lions in a 2-2 draw with Little Eaton. 

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That’s it for another year, hope to be back for my fifteenth season in .

Abacus Lighting Central Midlands Alliance Roundup for April 26th

As another season enters the final furlong, another championship was settled, but at the other end of the tables there’s still a lot to be decided with severalclubs battling to avoid the possible consequences of finishing in the final three.

MIDWEEK MATCHES

Congratulations to South Normanton, who claimedthe Premier South Division on Tuesday night. After waiting for Melbourne Dynamo to slip up they finally finished the job by beating Linby Colliery at Church Lane, the final score 3-1. The Shiners were two up at the break, Billy Whitehead opening the scoring and Josh Scully’s penalty leaving them well set. Another spot kick, put away by Ewan Gibson for Linby got the hosts back in the game but George Morris had the final say, putting South Normanton back at Step 6 after four seasons in the Central Midlands. Melbourne didn’t slip up and although they were pushed all the way by Gresley Reserves made it eleven games undefeated, a Jack Griffithsgoal enough to take the points. Despite their recent upturn, Gresley will have to win their final two games to stand a reasonable chance of escape, this is in their own hands as the matches are against the two teams immediately above them, Mickleover RBL and Derby Singh Brothers who faced each other on Tuesday evening, Singh Brothers winning handsomely 6-1. Jay Bruce and Abdul Akram both scored twice, Raza Mughal and Sahil Baghawan with one each. That leaves RBL three points clear of Gresley, they meet on Saturday. Holbrook Sports came from a goal down to beat Bakewell Town 2-1. Bakewell went in front five minutes into the second half, Aaron Maund the scorer, Holbrook taking the points as Joe House on 64 minutes and Brooklyn Bruce, eight minutes later turned the game around.Down the road Holbrook St Michaels also earned maximum points from visitors Arnold Town with goals from Richard Hanslow, his 26th of the season,Ryan Baker and Jack Tyson, Adam Stevensonscoring for Arnold. Wirksworth Ivanhoe drew withneighbours Cromford&