Third time lucky for Bassetlaw Boys as they reach final

Newark Boys will provide the opposition in the final, after their win over City of Nottingham Boys.

Although Bassetlaw started brightly, with Bradley Charlesworth in fine form and the whole team doing everything but score, they still reached half-time with a 1-0 deficit following a penalty kick awarded to Eastwood.

Bassetlaw quickly got on level terms after the interval however with Henry Millership equalising with a headed goal from a Billy Stafford corner and Stafford getting on the scoresheet himself to put his team in front, finishing off a slick four man move.

Eastwood are a determined team and were level within two minutes but only succeeded in bringing out the best in Kian Smith who restored the Bassetlaw advantage with 10 minutes remaining.

Eastwood were always capable of scoring again but Jack Garsden and Luke Morris led a resolute defensive rearguard action until Nathan Calvert stormed through from left-back to hit a rocket of a shot from 20 yards out to seal the victory.

After the match the team managers, Alan Pressley and Shaun Donnelly, were full of praise not only for the overall team performance, but for the attitude of the boys in responding to all that was asked of them.

In schools action, Norbridge’s belated start to their league programme showed what a tower of strength they are likely to be in the second half of the season when they cruised to a 7-2 victory over St Augustine’s.

Owen Myatt, Callum Chester and Theo Weaver all contributed two goals each and Ewen Birch added a seventh.