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Eastwood make Notts semis
Notts Senior Cup Quarter-Final Rainworth MW 0-1 Eastwood Town
SUBSTITUTE Matt Rhead struck in the dying seconds to send Eastwood into the semi-finals of the Nottinghamshire Senior Cup at the expense of Rainworth Miners Welfare on Tuesday night.
The sight of Eastwood's complete first team squad plus several reserve team regulars mustered within the Northern Counties East team's trim ground an hour before kick-off, was an indication that the Badgers were using this cup-tie to boost their title pursuit.
Exactly half of the 14 actually used by Paul Cox and John Ramshaw on the night had not featured in the last game against Kendal and attempts to build constructively from the back were effectively countered and usually thwarted by a fast running, hard-tackling home side.
What few chances Eastwood created were normally fashioned down the right but even the close control and interpassing of formidable strike pair Ian Holmes and Danny Holland came to nothing against a very disciplined and well-marshalled Welfare outfit.
On Eastwood's left, the adventurous Ben Chapman tried hard to link up with youngster Reiss Morley but an element of over-elaboration produced a series of frustrating offside flags.
For Rainworth's part, they fashioned a variety of assaults on Ian Deakin's goal and Paul Robinson, with no real height around him, was seriously tested by high balls.
A rush of corners kept Deakin occupied and, on the only occasion he came and missed, the referee came to his rescue.
To his credit, the keeper required no assistance with two fierce shots athletically parried beyond his left-hand post.
The advent at the interval of Rhead and Peter Knox for Holland and Craig Thomasen presented new problems for the home defence.
Rhead literally won everything in the air and one precisely cushioned ball gave Knox the chance to crash a viciously-struck volley against the crossbar.
The home side's best chances came from a rush of dangerously-sited free-kicks conceded by a toiling Eastwood defence. Luckily for the Badgers, all of these exploitative opportunities were frittered away.
An injury to Holmes gave us a rare glimpse of Tris Whitman but the latest sub played wide on the right where apart from one good run and wild cross, he was rarely too involved.
Just as the chore of extra-time threatened, a run by Whitman saw the ball fed back to Alistair Asher. The full-back's nicely angled cross gave Rhead the chance he craved at the near post and the tall striker won the tie with a firm accurate header nearly on the 90 minute mark.
This was precisely what we expected - a hard, no-frills, no quarter given, serious examination of our ability and composure by a team really up for the event.
I thought Eastwood just about deserved to go through but home fans will, I'm sure, feel badly served.
For Eastwood man-of-the-match I've got to go for Matt Rhead whose introduction sparked a narrow victory.
Eastwood Town
1 - Ian Deakin
2 - Alistair Asher
3 - Ben Chapman
4 - Richard Cooper
5 - Paul Robinson
6 - Chris Flynn
7 - Craig Thomasen (Matt Rhead 46)
8 - Anton Foster (C)
9 - Ian Holmes (Tris Whitman)
10 - Danny Holland (Peter Knox 46)
11 - Reiss Morley
Best Badger - Matt Rhead
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Weather for Eastwood
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -4 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
