Lees Lane, home of South Normanton Athletic based in Derbyshire and play their trade in the Central Midlands League Premier Division South. Nicknamed the “Shiners” due to the town’s old work in the Stocking industry where workers would leave work with shinier attire. How’s that for a story!
This is a club that has been in the NCEL previously and even in Step 5 in the Midland Football League! But what went wrong…? The pandemic for one but they did fold and restart years ago… A lack of volunteers back then perhaps? Well they’re not dead and they are back in the Central Midlands. Will we see a revival from this club?
Also a ground that has been on my radar for a long time after recommendations from the Merry Miller and Match Days Joe so it’s great to finally tick it off this evening!
It’s a short journey from Shirebrook through Mansfield and Sutton in Ashfield and past Huthwaite and into the ground with 10 minutes to go before kick off. £4 to get in here! Nice! A familiar face? There always is! Hertfordshire Dave! Another long journey for him!
We have our teams! South Normanton Athletic vs Dinnington Town in the Abacus Floodlit Cup! Let’s sprinkle some magic for the cup tonight lads!
Kick Off! 4 minutes in and South Normanton come forward, it’s played to number 17 and he drives forward, he gets to the edge of the box and he shoots… Saved…… And it’s out for a corner, in comes the corner… It’s back to the corner taker and he fires it at goal… Keeper gets a little nick on that and it’s out for another corner, in it comes again… Dinnington clear.
3 minutes later and South Normanton win the ball in midfield… Ooooh! That was a miss timed challenge there from Dinnington’s number 5… It’s a Yellow Card! It could have been more there…
Great to meet a club official here on the way around the ground. This ground was once a cycling track?! But after one race it was deemed not safe and went back to being a football ground. And then of course, the rise and fall and hopefully future rise of the club!
16th minute now and South Normanton come forward again, it’s played through to number 10 in the box on the right, he cuts inside and gets his shot away… Side netting at the near post!
3 minutes later and Dinnington have a corner, it’s played in… It’s headed up in the air… It’s headed on to Dinnington’s number 2 in the box and he’s in… And scores… But no he is Offside! No goal!
2 minutes after that and here come Dinnington again, this time down the left and number 10 is played through and he’s in… And he finishes… The flag is up again! No goal again!
28 minutes now and Dinnington play it long, it’s flicked on to number 9 running in, he gets into the box and lets fly… OFF THE BAR! It comes back to number 11 just inside the box who shoots… Tipped over brilliantly by the keeper! Corner, in it comes… Cleared.
43 minutes gone and Dinnington play a ball into the box and number 8 is free… He heads over the keeper… It’s bundled in by number 7 to make absolutely sure! Is he Offside there? South Normanton certainly think so… They’re not going to get it! Dinnington have the lead! 0-1!
“Come on Deano!” The travelling Dinnington fans are in good spirits now! Into added time in the first half now and Dinnington have a free kick from about 25 yards out, number 9 will take… He’s played it to number 10 who’s free in the box on the right and he’s in… And that is a brilliantly worked routine! Number 10 pokes it home and Dinnington double their lead! 0-2!
Play goes on… South Normanton have the ball at the back and it’s played back to the keeper… Oh no he’s taken one touch too many and number 10 has got it and is beyond him… He’s rolled it in… Oh dear South Normanton! They’re really throwing this away here and fast… And it’s 3 for Dinnington now! 0-3! That is the last action of the half… I certainly did not expect that at half time!
Second half, 48 minutes on the watch and South Normanton come forward, it’s a through ball to number 17 who breaks into the Dinnington box and he’s onside… He pokes it past the keeper and it’s there! They’ve got one back! Could this be the start of a fight back here?! 1-3!
58th minute and South Normanton are piling on the pressure in this second half! They get it down the right, it’s played across low… OH IT’S GONE IN!! It’s an own goal! Dinnington’s number 4 slides in at the near post to prevent the cross but has turned it into his own net and South Normanton really are back in it now!! 2-3!
2 minutes later and here come the Shiners again, it’s played through to number 17 in the box on the left and he drives at goal… Surely not! OH! He’s gone for goal and it’s saved… Why didn’t he play it across?!! It would’ve been a certain goal there!
66 minutes gone and South Normanton come forward, they get it out right, it’s played across to number 17 in the box to the left who controls and he shoots… OHHHHHH!!!!! HE’S GOT IT!!!!! I DON’T BELIEVE THIS!!!! SOUTH NORMANTON ARE LEVEL FROM THREE NIL DOWN!!! 3-3!! What is going on here?! The South Normanton bench are loving that one!!
We still have just under 25 minutes left to play here and it’s a bit of an end to end affair now. Can South Normanton do the impossible here?!
80 minutes on the watch now and South Normanton play the ball forward looking for number 4 running in and he’ll get there… He was pulled there and he’s gone down… The Referee blows… HE’S GIVEN A PENALTY!!! WHAT?! That was outside the box! It’s a definite foul but he was outside the box there but South Normanton don’t care! And neither do I quite frankly! Dinnington on the other hand… Well yeah they have the right to be furious there!
Number 17 will have the chance to complete his hat-trick and complete a remarkable turnaround here for the shiners, here he comes… HE HAS DONE IT!!!! SCENES HERE AT LEES LANE!!! What character from South Normanton to turn this game around! Dinnington can’t believe it… IT’S 4-3!!
Dinnington are piling on the pressure now… Into stoppage time and they have a free kick just outside the box, the shot comes in… It’s over! It took a little deflection and it’s a corner, the keeper is up! In comes the corner… Headed away but Dinnington retrieve it and play it back in… Dinnington get to it… But it’s a poor touch and it rolls away… THAT’S IT! South Normanton have come from 3-0 to win 4-3 and take their place in the semi-final! What about that?!
FT: South Normanton Athletic 4-3 Dinnington Town
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 4.5/10 – The few Dinnington fans got behind their team as best they could and it certainly heated up towards the end of the game!
- The Ground: 7.5/10 – Fantastic ground! This is a hidden gem! I’ve definitely seen worse at Step 4 personally! I think it would look better in the day time with the views and I especially like the club bar! The stands behind the goal are very unique but this ground should easily be in at least Step 5! Come on you Shiners get yourselves back to where you’re meant to be!
- Expense: 10/10 – I don’t care how much it was! For a game like that it, I would have been happy paying £100 to get in!!
- Overall Experience: 10/10 – Without question! Genuinely one of the best games I’ve ever seen! That was absolutely incredible that was! Great to witness it with Hertfordshire Dave! I’m keeping an eye on that semi-final draw now!!
32/40