Carlton Town

Bill Stokeld Stadium, home of Carlton Town based in Gedling, Nottinghamshire and play their trade in Step 4 of the Non League Pyramid in the Northern Premier League Division One East. Nicknamed the “Millers” after Green’s Mill which is a local landmark for the area.

Formerly of the Northern Premier League Midland Division just missing out on the play-offs last season but this season they have been moved into the East Division. Today they face local neighbours Long Eaton United who were promoted into Step 4 last season. Could it be argued that both teams could have been better placed in the Midland Division perhaps?

Another Nottingham drive from Shirebrook… I’m getting used to these journeys now! Straight through Mansfield and Ravenshead and into Gedling and here I am approaching the ground… WOAH! Bus lane… U turn! And now I am parked up just outside the ground with around 45 minutes to kick off. £9 for this Nottinghamshire derby! Get in!

A sewage mill near the ground I’m told… I didn’t need telling… A Doncaster Rovers shirt just outside the bar? It can only be one man! Mitchell is here! Great to see him once again! No Paul here today and no gnome as he has gone to Darlington today. Time goes by and out come the players at last.

Kick Off! “We love you we love you we love you! And when we do we follow we follow we follow! Cause we support the Carlton the Carlton the Carlton! And that’s the way we like it we like we like it!” A few young boys cheering their team home! The Mini Millers as they like to be called.

7 minutes in and Carlton come forward from the right, the ball is flicked on to Brad Wells for Carlton and he’s in here, he goes for the lob…

And he finds the goal!! Great start for Carlton! The Mini Millers go wild! 1-0!

“Come on Carlton! Come on Carlton!” Carlton fans in fine voice so far! The game is a fast paced one so far with both teams looking dangerous in the final third but are both also doing well in defence. Good to bump into Luke PL2NL here today as well!

21 minutes gone and the ball is loose just outside the Carlton box… Alex Marshall dives in and the Carlton man goes down… Tempers are boiling over here… Handbags! The Referee manages to calm things down and pulls Marshall over… Yellow Card!

29th minute and Long Eaton have a free kick in midfield, it’s lumped forward, Jamie Walker chests it down on the edge of the box and pokes it towards goal… Wide! Not a bad attempt!

32 minutes on the clock and Carlton have a free kick on the halfway line, they play it forward, Carlton win it and play it out left to Nat Watson who drives into the box, he fizzes it across and Aaron Opoku is there… It’s 2-0 to Carlton! Right place at the right time! Clinical from Carlton! 2-0!

4 minutes later and Carlton play down the left flank, it’s crossed in, it’s Niall Davie with the header… Ooooooh! Just over the bar! The keeper had to stretch for that one!

1 minute later and Long Eaton have a free kick on the halfway line now, it’s lumped into the box, it’s loose… The Carlton defence get there and play it back to the keeper… Who’s picked it up… That’s a back pass! Referee blows and it will be an indirect free kick in the box for Long Eaton, you don’t see those everyday! It’s set up for Alex Marshall… Blocked! The Referee has blown and it will be retaken, Alex Marshall again… Blocked and Carlton clear! Long Eaton continue to press but at half time it remains 1-0.

Second half, Long Eaton starting the better of the 2 teams and are pressing the Carlton defence here but Carlton are putting bodies on the line!

60 minutes on the clock and Long Eaton play down the right, Jack Rogers has it and he plays it to Ben Hutchinson to shoot… He’s scuffed it! The shot comes in… Deflected… Keeper claims and prevents a corner.

2 minutes later and the Long Eaton keeper launches it forward, it comes all the way to the Carlton box and the keeper comes for it… He gets there first and Jack Rogers bumps into him and the keeper goes down… The Referee blows for a free kick… Not for me! The keeper has made a meal of that in my opinion… A yellow card for Rogers as well! Double poor decision from the Referee who has had a tough game in all fairness, I would hate to be reffing this game but that is one decision he has certainly got wrong. “Are you Conrad in disguise?” The Long Eaton fans singing at the keeper in reference to a game last season between Anstey Nomads and their keeper Conrad Logan.

69th minute and Carlton win it on the right and break forward, Aaron Opoku has it and he drives at goal, he gets into the box and out comes the keeper… Opoku pokes it past him… But the Long Eaton defence get there to clear.

71 minutes now and Long Eaton have a free kick from around 25 yards out in a shooting position, Jack Rogers steps up… Oooooh! So close! Just wide there!

81 minutes and Long Eaton keep on coming, Carlton keep them at bay again but the ball comes to Rod Orlando Young just outside the box who goes for the volley… OH! Just wide again! So close! It’s just not going to be Long Eaton’s day is it?

2 minutes later and Jamie Mcguire and Aaron Opoku are having words here off the ball… OH NO! Opoku has pushed Mcguire in the face and the linesman has seen it! He’s on the pitch and tempers are flaring once again… The Referee goes over to his assistant and now over to Opoku, surely he has to go…? He does! Red Card! Carlton are down to 10…

Long Eaton continue to press… The Carlton keeper continues to deal with the long throws from Long Eaton… And that is that! Carlton claim the win on the day they were simply more clinical in front of goal in a game I certainly am glad I wasn’t the Referee!

FT: Carlton Town 2-0 Long Eaton United

Ratings

• Atmosphere: 5/10 – The Mini Millers did their team proud today! Plenty of noise on their part! Long Eaton did themselves proud today too with a good following in a well battled game.
• The Ground: 4/10 – I’m sorry Carlton but I found it a bit underwhelming… The stand behind the goal is good and I like the bar but I just wish there was more here. It’s a good Step 5 ground but an adequate Step 4 ground for me.
• Expense: 10/10 – £9 in total for an absolute cracker of a game! Delighted with that!
• Overall Experience: 9/10 – A great game and it was great to see Luke and Mitchell once again! I do wish that Long Eaton had at least pulled one back though…

28/40