Beverley is a lovely town set in East Yorkshire, with its Minster, busy historic shopping area, large open parkland and an up and coming Non-League football team.
It was a flat walk from the town to a small narrow lane that leads down to the cricket, tennis, squash, racket ball and football club.
It was a beautiful clear blue sky day but a bit cool at 8 degrees. You pass a small fans car park before the entrance and the clubhouse that is used for all sports.
You come to the football pitch last, which was flat with thick quite long grass. There are trees and shrubs on three sides with houses behind and the sports facilities on the other. You can only walk round half of the pitch, the rest being blocked off. Down most of one side was a small covered seated stand flanked by two covered standing areas.
Beverley Town have been going since 1902 playing in local East Riding football and merged with Beverley Rangers in 1948 and Beverley United in 1954. They moved to the new Humber Premier League in 2000 and were ever present winners or runners up in the Premier Division enabling them to be invited to join the Northern Counties East League in 2021.
Retford United were formed in 1987 and have played their football in as high as the Northern Premier League but disappointing seasons and restructuring saw them fall to the Central Midlands league. Now under new management they won the Central Midlands League North at a canter last season and are now in the Northern Counties East League Division One.
Beverley Town V Retford United
Saturday 11th November 2023 15.00 pm kick off: Norwood, Beverley HU17
Northern Counties East League, Division One: 3rd v 7th; The Beavers v The Badgers
Beverley, Red shirts with some white angled stripes on the bottom with red shorts: Retford, sky blue shirts with black shorts.
There was a period of reflection before kick off with the game being played on rememberance day.
Retford won the toss and changed ends meaning that the low sun would be in the home team defenders’ eyes. Retford immediately pumped high balls at Beverley causing the desired problems but it was the home side who took the lead after 11 minutes when a mistake by Retford’s central defender let in Benjamin Hinchcliffe to run through and place the ball under the exposed keeper.
Retford kept creating chances at one end and making silly defensive errors at the other. They drew level on 28 minutes when a strong cross from the right was hit back from the left for Liam Owen to head in unopposed. Within a few minutes the badgers were ahead when Owen nodded down a ball in the path of James Eyles to sweep home. Retford made it 1.3 on 39 minutes when a long throw was headed on by Spencer Clarke who looped it over the advancing keeper Tom Nicholson. They kept their advantage until halftime but must have wondered what it could have been if they had taken all of their chances.
HT 1.3
The floodlights were on for the second half as the sun disappeared behind local housing.
Beverley came out in full flow and they hit the post within 5 minutes and then missed a free header at the far post. After a lot of pressing a quick long ball out of defence, on 23 minutes. rolled along the ground for Scott Phillips to run on to and clip it across the goal into the corner of the net to reduce the deficit.
Just 3 minutes later, Beverley were equal when a cleared ball fell to Grant Tait who curled it in for all square.
Beverley now had the momentum, but they seemed to back off and both sides had chances. A long throw with 1 minute of normal time left from Retford was headed on to the far post where it was bundled out only to fall to Lewis Macaskill who squeezed it in. With time up it looked like Retford who had stolen all the points but with one minute left of 9 minutes of added time a Beavers forward bore down on goal to be met by a diving goalkeeper and two defenders. The referee stepped forward to the pile of players on the ground and pointed to the penalty spot. Two Retford players were then booked for I think decent. Scott Phillips steadied himself and hit the ball hard into the goal for 4.4. The referee soon blew for full time. What a game, I needed to lay down in a dark room to take it all in but for a walk back to the car. I’m sure the large crowd of 310 felt the same but with everyone knowing they had seen a great game that epitomises football at this level.
The defensive mistakes by both sides were wiped out by all out attacking. The cricket score board could have been used to keep track.
Beverley Town 4 Retford United 4.
I had to feel sorry for Retford’s young goalkeeper drafted in for the day for their Under 21’s, his performance didn’t warrant letting in four goals.
Great to have chips again, provided by ‘raise the roof’ of Hull who support the homeless. The food van was very busy and the chips were hot, crispy, a good texture that was let down by a burnt after taste. So a score of 61.
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