A local trip to Kiveton was rewarded by a well contested game with lots of skill at this bottom of the table encounter. I also went to give a previous winner of my chip league a chance to regain their title.
The Kiveton Miners Welfare Club are very new only having taken over the reigns of Renishaw F.C. in the last few years. They are developing a community club that has already added youth teams to their set up.
Phoenix AFC on the other hand started life 100 years ago in the Sheffield and District Works League as Steel, Peech and Tozer. They adopted the Phoenix name in 1971 then playing in the Hallamshire County Senior League. They merged with fellow league members Ash House in 1995 to become Ash House Phoenix which ,lasted only two years before they disbanded and resumed as Phoenix. This lasted until 2007 when difficulties meant another reorganisation and a move to the Central Midlands League where they sit today.
Kiveton Miners Welfare FC 3 AFC Phoenix 1
It was a grey day with a gentle breeze that brought just over 30 people to the park on an afternoon dominated by rugby on the television. The end to end sloping pitch looked really well with the grass just lightly cut and rollered to give a pleasing striped effect.
Central Midlands League Premier Division North. Saturday 4th February, 14.00 pm kick off
13th v 15th (Last Place in the division)
Kiveton, red shirts and black shorts: Phoenix, yellow shirts and green shorts.
Kiveton kicked downhill in the first half and unlike the train that sauntered past on its way from Sheffield to Worksop they were soon in their stride.
On 9 minutes they were ahead when a through ball was met by 7 who steadied himself and as defenders caught him up he moved the ball to his left foot and curled it into top left of net.
Some continuous attacks down the right were rewarded on 33 mins when the right back burst forward passed the ball on and the team mate took it to the byline and dragged it right across goal line to be tapped in at far post for 2 nil.
The home side were unlucky not to go farther ahead after 37 minutes when they hit the right hand post with a header from a corner. For all of Kiveton’s superiority four minutes later a Phoenix corner from the right was cleared to another Phoenix player who shot and after some pinball in the goal mouth was finally hit home by Chris Hopkins into roof of the net for 2.1
A good half of football that was really enjoyable for this level.
After 10 minutes of the second half a Phoenix player was sin binned for I believe inappropriate language which led to them coming under severe pressure and it was a surprise to all that the officials did not react to penalty appeals for Kiveton when on 17 minutes their centre forward was bundled down in the penalty area. Phoenix though settled themselves and started to have the best of play but they could not find an equaliser and Kiveton put the game to bed on 37 minutes when a ball was clipped over the Phoenix goalkeeper for a home player to nod it in for their third.
Phoenix finished the game on top and with minutes to go the Kiveton manager was red carded.
A really enjoyable game and there must be some good teams above this bottom of the table struggle as there was plenty of talent on show.
Finally the chips, these were cooked to order, McCains, were red hot, tasty, no greasy after taste and soft in the middle and presented superbly in a paper container. Unfortunately they were not as good as last weeks Bradford chips but scored a brilliant 81.
Payonthegate 