Tuesday 22 January 2019

ground number 318 new manor ground, ilkeston, derbyshire

(Ground number 318)

Date of first visit: 16th December 2015
New Manor Ground, Ilkeston, Derbyshire

Ilkeston U18s 2
Newcastle United U18s 3 (McNall, Heaney 2)

FA Youth Cup 3rd round
Attendance: 927 (7 'NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' + 10 or so 'exiles'!)
The attendance waz 455 more than Ilkeston's 1st team average gate for this season ---which iz!---472---highest 534!


"VICTORY FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY!"

1st goal scored by Lewis McNall   (I hope yiv got good eyesight!?)

The jorney doon to deepest Derbyshire waz pretty uneventful apart from the usual traffic jams en-route az aa picked up the 'hoppers' at various locations!
A magnificent 7 of us travelled doon and we arrived @ 'The Manor Born' @ '6 bells'---3 and a half hours after departure from Pink Lane in The Toon!
I asked the lassie on the tornstile just wot age concessions started az it said on the sign that it waz £3 for adults and just £1 for concessions!
She didn't know, but let me in for ONE POOND when I telt hor I waz ower 60! <(quick!--pass mee zimmer frame!)
"The MAGnificent 7!"

'The Robins' clubhoose inside the groond waz wor forst port o call  after payin' the 'extortionate' admission price, where a pint of 'Worthy' in a thin plastic glass, waz the order of the day <(NE concessions for the beer mind!)

A *healthy crowd which I estimated to be around aboot the thoosand mark had come for Northern Premyaa Leegue Ilkeston's 'big day' (more than twice the number they get for a 1st team game!) and they were in good voice az the game kicked off!
(*'Healthy' in terms of crowd size and NOT beer gut SIZE!---of which there were many!)

However!--It waz The Toon's youngins who dominated the forst half and we took the lead in the 16th minute when Lewis McNall slotted home after the baall had rebounded off the Ilkeston post and fell nicely for him!

Wor lead waz doubled in the 33rd minute when 'Mac' Heaney's shot waz deflected into the back of the Ilkeston net!

It waz 'game ower' (or so we thought!) when again, Heaney had a shot which waz deflected to completleee wrang foot their keeper--and we 'were cruisin'!

Of course this IZ NUFC, albeit at the junior level, so when Ilkeston pulled a goal back through sub Roy Lee in the 2nd half on the hour mark with a toe poked effort, it waz aall of a sudden 'panic stations'! (this waz Lee's 1st touch of the baall!)
Just TWO minutes later and they pulled anothaa one back when Lee (again) heeded past Paul Woolston in the Toon goal az wor defence crumbled like a piece of Christmas cake!

There waz an anxious last 15 minutes az the clock tower in the corner of the groond ticked doon and we had visions of the game gannin to extra time and penalties!
Action in the 2nd half at 'The Clock Tower End'

One Ilkeston fan behind me who waz taalkin to hiz mate in a very loud voice, didn't realise this and waz hopin' for a replay so he could sample the delights of St James' Park, az he thought that hiz sides 2nd goal waz in fact an EQUALISER! <(The 'dickhead' had obviously missed one of wor goals and didn't naa that there were NE replays anyway!)

Anyway!--we somehow managed to keep the home side at bay az the crowd roared them on--but it waz to 'no avail' az we held oot to win the contest in normal time!---just!

It waz then the lang drive back to Tyneside via York to drop 'Dave from York' off, then to Middleton St George to drop 'Alex of St George' off, then to Whitley Bay to drop 'Biffa the Beer' off, then to Ashington to drop 'Glenn from ---(yes yiv guessed it!) Ashington' off, then to Throckley to drop 'The Mad Professor' off and finally to the banks o' the Tyne to drop ME and 'Blondie Alan the Morris Dancer' off!  ('Blondie' had parked hiz 'jam jar' at wor hoose and waz drivin' back to Langley Park in Coonty Durham where he lives!) A 387.4 miles roond trip in mee canny tranny 'bespoke' mini bus!

"SPOT THE TYNE BRIDGES!"

In othaa words EVERY ONE of 'The NUFC mad-sad groundhoppers' lives miles (and miles!) apart from each othaa!
"WE WAZ THERE!"


Team sheet---"Torn your heeds to the left to read!"

PS: THE TOON WILL PLAY AFC WIMBLEDON @ SJP IN THE NEXT ROOND
(Date and time to be conformed)


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