If Carlsberg did Harworth Saturday's then this would be it. Playing a side one place above them in the league, away from home, and a side that drew with league leaders Bolsover in their previous game, and the home side were outplayed from start to finish. It took just six minutes for the visitors to open the scoring, good work by Jordan Hardman saw him bring the ball out from the back, he found Lee Edmondson who in turn played the ball to the left hand side, where Josh Davies from twenty yards out curled the ball into the corner past a static keeper. Good work between Tom Pick and Gaz Mundy saw Sam Westerman with a chance, but his shot went over the cross bar. Matty Lees was then called into action with a comfortable save as the home side tried to get back into the game, but it was the Colliery who nearly doubled their lead, when from a Davies corner, Greg Archer saw his header cleared off the line. Callum Hudson then replaced the injured Edmondson, before more good work by Hardman saw him find Davies, but the shot went wide of the target.
The second half started with the Colliery still in control and a through ball by Davies saw the keeper try a headed clearance, the ball fell to Pick but from distance his effort went just wide. Next was a Mundy cross that was deflected to Chris Pickles whose effort went wide, and then another Davies' corner saw Archers header just go wide of the target. Davies then found Pick but his shot was deflected wide, and then the visitors got what they deserved and doubled their lead. Davies split the home defence with an excellent through ball, Mundy brought the ball under control, homed in on goal and unleashed a powerful rising shot past the home keeper. To put it into Satch's words, "it would not have mattered if the keeper had got a hand to it, he would have ended up in the net with it". Within two minutes it was game over (you can never say that after Clay Cross) when another Davies corner saw Archers header blocked on the line, but from the rebound Paul Burgess was on hand to head the ball home. The home side had no answer to the away sides performance, and can be grateful the score line was not worse as Davies, Pickles and Pick all had chances to increase the lead.
An excellent away day then for the Colliery with a great start to 2017 and a difficult month of fixtures. Both debutants put in solid displays, although keeper Matty will not have as many quiet games as what he had save wise. Nice for Gaz to score on his debut as well, and his partnership with Tom up front can only get better as they get to know each other's play. Midfield was solid and Archer and Davies had complete control, backed up with the hardworking Pickles and Eddie/ Hudson. Again defence wise we hardly gave the home side a chance, with Burgess and Fox/ Woodward commanding in the middle. Both full backs Hardman and Westerman got forward well and helped out in the attacking part of the field. It was an excellent display witnessed by another great following by the Colliery faithful, which outnumbered the home support once again. A performance like that makes it all worthwhile, but we have to make sure we take it into our next game against Bolsover or else it will count for nothing.
The news had also come in from the Jones and Co. recreational ground that our reserves had recorded a six two result over Belper reserves. The goal scorers were Kyle Pashley (2) Lewis Francis (2) Michael Wibberley and Marley Alder(2) so it was also the perfect Saturday, and on Sunday Nick's ladies made it a winning weekend with a two one home win over a Sheffield Wednesday development side, to keep their one hundred per cent record intact. It was a less than impressive performance though and they certainly had to work hard for the win. Going a goal behind early in the second half, Sam Kitchen got the all important equaliser and it was the same player's cross that was turned home by Sophie Thompson to give the Colliery girls the win.
A wins a win but if they are to progress in the cup this weekend the performance certainly needs to improve one hundred per cent.