Stunned Clay Cross are victims of cup revenge

On the Saturday, Clay Cross had spanked Newark Town 6-0 to climb to the top of the Central Midlands League’s North Division table.

But on the Tuesday night, when they entertained Newark again in the quarter-finals of the Phoenix Trophies Floodlit Cup, they slumped to a 2-1 defeat.

The tie went to extra-time after it had finished 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes, with Ryan Bates hitting the target for the Millers. But Newark squeezed home thanks to a winning goal from substitute Callum Thorpe after Kieran Wall had scored for them in normal time.

The exit was a rare setback for Clay Cross, who are engaged in an exciting duel with arch local-derby rivals, FC Bolsover, at the top of the league table.

They currently lead Bolsover by two points, but have played a game more, with seven remaining in total. Both sides have already plundered more than 100 league goals this term, but both were frustrated last Saturday because their respective fixtures were called off, courtesy of waterlogged pitches.

Clay Cross’s difficult match at fourth-placed Tideswell United was washed out, while the same fate befell Bolsover for the third week running as the weather prevented their league cup game at Swanwick Pentrich Road, of the South Division, going ahead.

Bolsover hope to return to action this Saturday when they entertain Newark Town. They will also be hoping to return to the top of the table because the Millers don’t have a game now until Saturday, March 11 when they go to mid-table Appleby Frodingham.

The clash they’re all waiting for, though, is Bolsover v Clay Cross on Saturday, April 15, which could decide the title. The sides have met twice in both league and cup already this term and, on both occasions, Bolsover eased to a 5-1 victory.

Elsewhere in the North Division last weekend, third-placed AFC Bentley, who trail Bolsover by nine points, celebrated their team of the month award for January by beating Thorne Colliery 1-0. A solitary goal by Mark Vickerage in the 25th minute was enough to stretch their winning sequence to eight matches.

Meanwhile fifth-placed Newark have now drawn as many games this season as the previous two combined after a 1-1 score at home to Askern. Both goals came inside three second-half minutes as Kyle Downing put Askern ahead before Tyler Martin levelled.

Retford became the latest team to defeat bottom-of-the-table Welbeck Lions, easing home to the tune of 4-1 thanks to strikes from Jason Bradley, Joe Knowles, Gaz Davies and Aaron Hutchinson at Cannon Park. Phoenix came back from two goals down to beat Appleby Frodingham 3-2.