#nonleague

[leicamoments]

Railway Escape The Brig With Their Heads Held High

Saturday saw Railway entertain Brigg Town at Station View in Spring-like conditions that made playing and watching football a real pleasure.

The two teams found themselves within touching distance in the NCEL Division One table at the start of the day, with Brigg having the slight advantage, sitting four points above The Rail but also having played four games more.

So it was important for the home team to earn a result to keep pace.

Railway have over the course of the past few seasons, regained their reputation for being a tough place to visit and leave with points. If anyone thought that with Mick O'Connell leaving for Tadcaster Albion at the end of the last league campaign meant that would change - they are being proved wrong.

In fact, the team that Rob Youhill, Frazer Lancaster and Lee Parker have put together, are proving as difficult to beat as their predecessors were.

Certainly over the course of the early part of the 2023/24 season, they have been working hard and grinding out some notable results to put them comfortably placed in the table, still with a shot of climbing into the play-off spots by the end of the campaign.

It was surprising that from kick-off, the men from Station View struggled to get to grips with the way in which the visitors were playing; and it only took eight minutes for Town to take the lead.

A cross in by Scott Hutchinson was met perfectly by Dean McCarthy who rifled the ball home to make it 0-1.

Railway tried to respond, but the visitors continued to press forward and it took only another nine minutes for Brigg to get their second through Jack Boswell after a fine team move cutting through Harrogate's half, 0-2.

It wasn't looking good for The Rail, if they continued to be cut through like this, it would have been a question of how many Brigg would get before the end of the game.

You could hear and feel the unease of the home supporters, desperate for something to cheer about.

Railway dug deep and slowly but surely got a toe-hold in the game, creating a few half-chances and some hope that they could get something. It was just a glimmer of hope, but hope nevertheless.

Halftime and the teams went in, with Rob, Frazer and Lee having quite a bit of work to do.

The second half kicked off and as with any game poised at 2-0...the next goal was critical. A goal for Brigg would spell certain doom for Railway, but a goal for the home side would raise the atmosphere inside the ground...and well who knows what could happen after that!

What happened next was remarkable.

Four minutes in and Railway got the foothold that they needed...Finn Darvill getting his head to a ball in a crowded penalty area, glancing it down and across the goal, seeing it sneak inside the far post despite the despairing lunge with an outstreatched leg by the Brigg defender, 1-2.

The Railway players raced back to the halfway line, wanting to keep the momentum up.

Less than a minute later, in the very next attack, a foul by Jordan Spencer saw the referee blow his whistle to give a free kick; however, before the players involved could get to their feet, there was a scuffle on the floor and the two sets of players came together, the situation threatening to boil over.

The referee consulted his assistant and produced a straight red for Dan Hickey. Whether it was a red is questionable, but if you get involved like this, then the referee has to make a decision. Railway found themselves down to ten.

This could have meant the end of Railway's comeback...but they weren't about to fold easily. The free kick was played into the penalty box, but was safely collected by Brigg's keeper, Lewis Hill.

Railway weren't allowing the man advantage to work against them, pressing forward time after time to try and find the equaliser.

The bright winter sun had now disappeared and as the minutes ticked by, the long shadow of defeat seemed to be looming over Station View.

Railway had been pushing hard, but each attack seemed to end in a shot off target, a clearance by one of the Town defenders, or the ball finding its way through to the Brigg stopper.

A reckless challenge in the 85th minute by Brigg Town's Prince Haywood on Railway's captain, Prince Attakorah, saw the latter go down in a heap and the referee again went to his assistant to consult about his next action.

Once again, if you make such challenges, then you risk the referee making a decision that you don't like. To be fair, this decision was an easy one.

Brigg found themselves down to ten and the momentum was definitely in Railway's favour. It was now a question of how many minutes the referee would add on, giving the home side a chance to snatch the equaliser. To be honest, there had been some long stoppages and it wasn't a surprise when he added around ten minutes.

Railway pressed, creating chance after chance...but as full-time approached, it appeared that Brigg would hold out.

The referee had checked the watch and he was preparing to blow his whistle, with Railway on the attack the ball was sent into the box one last time with Mike Morris timing his run to perfection to get between the two Town defenders, making contact with his right boot and sending it goal-wards.

A moment of uncertainty...all eyes on the trajectory of the ball...and then shouts of joy and relief as the fans saw the net ruffle; Railway had, what seemed at one point during the afternoon, an improbable equaliser, 2-2.

The goal was the final act and the last kick of the game. If Carlsberg did football games...they couldn't have come up with anything better...

What a rollercoaster of a game, one that in reality Railway snatched a result from deep out of the jaws of defeat.

By 5pm both teams were as finely matched on the pitch as they are in the table, with both sets of managers able to look back on what was an eventful game of football and a great advert for non league.

[trendingvintageretro]

Lewes FC and the Hypocrisy of Selective Ethics

For years, Lewes FC has positioned itself as a beacon of progressive values—championing gender equality, inclusivity, and social justice. The club has vocally opposed prejudice and discrimination, presenting itself as a leader in ethical football. Yet, a closer look reveals a contradiction that undermines these claims: its continued presence on Twitter (now X). A Club of Conviction—or…

[westessexfootball17]

14/1/25 Results.

Nottingham Forest:1 Liverpool:1 (Reds 6 points clear at the top after draw.)

Chelsea:2 Bournemouth:2 (Injury time goal rescues Blues.)

Brentford:2 Man City:2 (Two late Bees goals see points shared.)

West Ham:3 Fulham:2 (Hammers edge home to give new manager 1st win.)

There are 4 more games on Wednesday night with Newcastle and Arsenal among the teams in action.

[notsoterriblymisanthropic]

tagged by @thewomanwithmissingfingers to answer 15 questions:

1. Are you named after anyone?

Yep, it's Jewish tradition that you shouldn't name people after living relatives so my first name and middle name both come from relatives who died before I was born.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Had to think about this one, I think it might've been my granddad's funeral last year?

3. Do you have kids?

Pretty sure I don't.

4. What sports do you play/have played?

Nothing really. (Bonus not-that-fun fact: last year when I was catching up with an old friend I'd not seen for years, I mentioned "by the way, I'm a nonleague football dickhead now" and she went "oh, that's really nice that you've got into playing football" and I had to explain I hadn't got into football in a playing football way, just a socially acceptable excuse to drink cans at 3 in the afternoon way.)

6. What's the first thing you notice about someone?

Probably dress sense I suppose? Or haircut?

7. Eye colour?

I dunno, I can't see them! I think like greeny-blue or bluey-green?

8. Any talents?

I think I'm an ok writer and reasonably funny? I have a very good memory except for when it's terrible, and some decent admin/spreadsheet skills. I'm good at being consistent, I think.

9. Scary movies or happy endings?

Tricky. Scary movies can have happy endings I suppose? Can go for either?

10. Where were you born?

Unfortunately have to confess to L*nd*n here.

11. Hobbies?

Dunno, depends how you define hobbies - reading, music etc mostly?

12. Any pets?

No. I have some only-slightly-miserable looking plants though?

13. Height?

5'10, I think? Does that sound right?

14. Favourite school subject?

History

15. Dream job?

Dunno, writer maybe?

It says to tag 15 people but that feels like far too many to tag so like consider yourself tagged if you feel called to it.

[home-inspiration-blog]

Cypress baseball gets timely hits in win over JSerra

CYPRESS – Getting a bunch of hits is great for a baseball team. It’s better when those hits are bunched together. Cypress on Wednesday got the timely hits the Centurions have been frequently missing this season in a 7-4 win over JSerra in a nonleague baseball game at Cypress High where two teams in the Orange County Top 10 met for the first game of a two-game home-and-home series this…

[priisek]

EAST N WEST - FC Bullard #fm24 #football

https://youtu.be/CFzXt3mxZwc

#FCBullard #ThePirates #Pirate

#FM24 #FootballManager #Content #Community

youtube.com/priisek 🔥👌 #YouTube #YouTuber

#GamingCommunity #Gaming #nonleague #llm @FCBullard @leemfcasey @Wroot1FM

[dugaodna]

ollie watkins was playing for a nonleague side in somerset 10 years ago????? now hes national goat??

[jtuohey]

Boys’ hockey roundup: Brady Forde (2 goals, 1 assist) leads Masconomet to nonleague win over Malden Catholic

http://dlvr.it/T0KCkx

[news4usonline]

Bruins beat UC Riverside on three ticks shot

The UCLA Bruins got by UC Riverside by the skin of their teeth. The Bruins won their nonleague contest, 66-65. UCLA outscored the Highlanders by two points in the first half. UC Riverside outscored the Bruins in the second period by a point, which determined the game’s outcome. The Bruins (5-2) needed a jump shot by Dylan Andrews with three seconds in the final period to win their fifth game of…

[leicamoments]

Ilkley Not Derailed

Harrogate Railway Reserves 1-3 Ilkley Town WYAFL Division One

By Saturday morning, Harrogate Railway Reserves had played 24 of their 26 games of 2024/25 season, having won 31 points and now certain of Division One football next season. This has been a remarkable campaign given the injuries to players and changes to the management team; the work done by all involved throughout the season has been a real testament as to the club wanting to do things in the right way.

The visitors to Station View on Saturday afternoon were Ilkley Town, a team nicely placed in second spot in the league, with 44 points from their 20 games…13 behind Rothwell who have played 24 games.

Winning their games in hand means the visitors would be tucked in just one point behind the league leaders. A flawless run-in and any points dropped by Rothwell…and well…we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

It seems like spring has sprung in our part of the world, with the big round yellow thing being spotted more and more in the wide blue stuff…and I must admit, it is making sitting pitchside at various games very much more agreeable.

The pitch at Station View is looking really good for this time of the year…in the past few seasons, many grounds have had more in common with a battlefield than a football field! Hat’s off to the grounds people that are getting the playing surface ready two or three times a week at this busy time of the year.

The first surprise as I turned up on Saturday, was that manager John Wappett wasn’t walking around the pitch setting up for the warmup, instead first team manager Rob Youhill was! With John away, Rob was taking control for the day.

I was joined on the sidelines once more by Craig Dinsdale, so the reserves were going to get some great coverage this week…which is always welcome.

Looking at the game from an independent point of view, it’s clear that it would be a very difficult 90 minutes for the Railway Reserves, as Town had scored over ten more goals and conceded around ten less.

The opening stages of the game reenforced expectation, with the visitors seemingly dominating play; winning 50-50’s, passing the ball impressively around the pitch, and threatening Railway’s goal regularly.

Pressure built from the start, and it wasn’t a real surprise when James Hudson opened the scoring for Ilkley just after the quarter of an hour mark. What was a surprise is that it came from a penalty, awarded for a handball in the Railway box.

A ball from midway into the Harrogate half had been seemingly pushed away by the keeper and was about to be kicked upfield by the left back who wasn’t under any real pressure…when it bounced up awkwardly and struck his hand.

The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. The ball bounced unpredictably, he was gaining no real advantage, and his hand was in a natural position…but the referee saw if differently.

Hudson stepped up and struck the ball low and to the keeper’s right as he dived to the left, with the ball going in just inside the post. An excellently taken penalty, 0-1.

Ilkley’s dominance was to continue over the next 15 minutes and just after the half hour mark, they doubled their lead.

A long through-ball on Ilkley’s left side of attack, saw Ben Lumb run through the Railway defence and stroke the ball gloriously past the advancing Harrrogate stopper. If the first goal had been slightly fortuitous in coming from a penalty, the second was certainly all down to great play by the visitors, 0-2.

You could possibly forgive the Railway team if they had let their heads drop at that point, with what appeared to be an insurmountable hill to climb. To their credit, they refused to do that and over the remaining minutes of the first half, doggedly pushed Ilkley back into their own half.

The reserves were now asking a few questions of the Town defence and as half time approached it was the home team that were to have another slice of bad luck. Working a few corners and creating a few shooting opportunities, Railway were to hit the woodwork when a goal seemed inevitable…so very unlucky as that could have been a hard-fought reward for their impressive response.

Half time arrived with the visitors 2-0 up and I don’t think that anyone would argue that they were good for their lead…however, Harrogate Railway had seemingly started to stir and were so unlucky to not have registered in the final moments of the half.

The second 45 was a much more even affair, but still with the visitors having a slight edge. However, as the minutes ticked away, it seemed like it could be 45 minutes with a few half chances being created, but ultimately without any goals.

As both teams started to ring the changes, it was Railway that were to give themselves a glimmer of hope in the dying minutes.

Will Bates hadn’t been on the pitch for long when he met a ball crossed into the heart of the Ilkley penalty box, rising above the centre back to head the ball past the visiting keeper, 1-2.

Game on!

Could the reserves do the impossible and peg the high-flying Ilkley team back in the dying minutes of the game, and earn themselves an unlikely point?

It has to be said, Ilkley are a formidable team, and a ball played in the 87th minute from midway in their own half split the two Railway defenders. Asa Lowe ran on to it and slotted the ball unerringly past the advancing Harrogate keeper, 1-3. 

And that was that. The final whistle went shortly after, Ilkley had won 3-1 and collected all three points. Railway couldn’t complain too much about the result, as the visitors had deserved it.

The reserves could hold their heads up high given glimpses of what they are capable of; during a few periods of play throughout the 90, they had been a match for Ilkley and had created a number of decent scoring opportunities.

As this group of players develop, hopefully at Station View next season, they will be pushing for the top of the league and many of the players may even be pushing for a place in the first team. 

Good luck to Ilkley for their remaining fixtures this season.

Goals: James Hudson, Ben Lumb, William Bates, Asa Lowe. Match Officials: Neil Mills.

[trendingvintageretro]

Lewes FC: A Comedy of Errors. Fund the Team not the Bureaucracy or We'll Go Down. Guest blog by themountfieldtoad

A round of applause for our new guest blogger themountfieldtoad! Welcome to the tragicomic opera that is Lewes FC, a club that has somehow become the footballing embodiment of a Shakespearean tragedy. Except, in this case, it’s less “Romeo and Juliet” and more “The Comedy of Errors,” with fewer laughs and a lot more bureaucratic bloat. A Season of Two Halves (and Only One Was Decent) Let’s…

[westessexfootball17]

30/12/24 Results + 1/1/25 Prediction.

Results:

Ipswich:2 Chelsea:0 (Blues loose more ground as Ipswich end winless home run.)

Man Utd:0 Newcastle:2 (Toon up to 5th after beating poor United.)

Aston Villa:2 Brighton:2 (Late strike earns Brighton point.)

Round 19 ends on Wednesday with the 1st game of 2025.

5.30pm- Brentford v Arsenal- Arsenal win.

[wroot1fm]

New year, same old Matlock.

New year, same old Matlock. #FM24 GrassWroots to Glory

As 2025 kicked off, my Matlock side carried on where 2024 ended. With the two new players bedding in well, it was the deals for the current members of the side that needed work on. With that in mind, the board likes what they are seeing on and off the pitch. The nonleague newspaper conducted an interview with a board member speaking about how I have improved the team and put a new deal on the…

[abdulbasithtt1993]

🅝︎𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 ⓘ︎ⓢ︎ 🅘︎𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 ❤️🏆💐📸

#localfootball #football #grassrootsfootball #groundhopping #nonleague #nonleaguefootball #footballseason #supportyourlocalteam #footballphotography #nonleaguefooty #nonleaguefans #groundhoppers #sportsphotography #passionnotfashion #nonleaguecrowds #nonleaguefamily #easington #theclan #hellenicleague

[home-inspiration-blog]

Orange County boys athlete of the week: Ben Brown, Corona del Mar

The Orange County boys athlete of the week: Name: Ben Brown School: Corona del Mar Sport: Volleyball Year: Junior Noteworthy: He had 13 kills on 24 attempts as the Sea Kings swept rival Newport Harbor in a Sunset League match, 25-20, 25-15, 25-20. Brown had 15 kills on 36 attempts in a victory over Mater Dei, 25-19, 26-28, 25-18, 25-22, in a nonleague match. Brown, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter,…

[priisek]

💥 MASSIVE EPISODE 💥

GETTING ONE OVER UTD - FC Bullard #fm24 #football

https://youtu.be/QhP-_6m_lJw

#FCBullard #ThePirates #Pirate

#FM24 #FootballManager #Content #Community

youtube.com/priisek 🔥👌 #YouTube #YouTuber

#GamingCommunity #Gaming #nonleague #llm @FCBullard @leemfcasey @Wroot1FM