THERE was an awful lot at stake this weekend in the Gainsborough Sunday Football League competitions.
The league’s first divisional champions were crowned, when Walkeringham FC secured the points they needed in Division Three to take the title in their first season.
They won 14 of 16 games and Sunday’s 3-2 win at Kings Arms Reserves was a richly deserved reward for a club finding success on and off the field.
The Sporting Club Cup final will be very much a Clumber experience with FS Clumber and Clumber EFC winning very close semi-finals.
FS Clumber met Real Ropery who defeated them in a superb Trinity Trophy final last week and Sunday’s game was just as close.
Clumber raced into a three goal lead only to be pegged back to 3-2 by a Real Ropery team looking to complete a cup double, but FS Clumber were not to be denied and hung on for a very close victory.
Clumber EFC and MUSC had another very close game that could have gone either way but it was Clumber who emerged 2-1 winners to secure their first ever final and one they richly deserved.
With both finalists being based at the Clumber public house in Retford, local rivalry is sure to be a feature of the final on Tuesday April 24 on the Northolme at 7pm.
BFC Birches booked their place in the President’s Cup final after a very hard fought 1-0 victory over North Wheatley Phoenix.
The quarter-final tie between Tuxford Working Men’s Club and Marshalls Sports could not have been closer with the game decided on penalties.
The teams were locked at 3-3 after 120 minutes and it was Tuxford who held their nerve to win the shootout 4-3.
This was undoubtedly Tuxford’s best performance of the season and they will now hope for a repeat this weekend when they play Moorends SC for a place in the final against BFC Birches.
In the Premier League Rose & Crown cannot believe they finished their game against Vine Inn Athletic with nothing to show.
A single goal by Vine Inn Athletic proved a winner, despite Rose & Crown finishing the game strongly.
Everyone in the league wishes Vine Inn Athletic success in their Notts County Cup final on Thursday night this week.
Mattersey and Kings Arms battled their way to a point each after a 2-2 draw that was not a typical end of season game and both deserved at least a point each.
In Division One Grove Mill continued their improvement to record a 4-2 win over a Canutes FC team that appears to be running out of steam after a promising start.
Grove Mill have almost secured their place in the division for next season.
White Horse look like champions elect in Division Two and with a 10-point advantage over their only rivals Moorends SC, the games Moorends have in hand will all have to be won and the game between the clubs on April 29 will be vital.
White Horse scored after 20 seconds in their game against Misterton United to settle any nerves, and went on to a 3-1 win.
Epworth FC and Ingleby Arms are battling for third in the table and both secured wins although of very different nature.
In the local derby at Cross Keys Wroot, just a single goal gave Epworth FC all three points but it was a very nervy performance, while Ingleby Arms completely outplayed bottom side Gate Inn Sutton to win 8-1.
With Walkeringham FC securing the title in Division Three the focus will now switch to who finishes in the runner up spot.
King & Miller and BRSA have to play each other next week with the second place finish at stake.
Jack & Jill enhanced their place in the table after a 5-2 win over Peacock Veterans.
RESULTS
Sporting Club Cup: FS Clumber 1-0 Real Ropery, MUSC 1-2 Clumber EFC.
President’s Cup: BFC Birches 1-0 North Wheatley Phoenix, Tuxford WMC 3-3 Marshalls Sports (4-3 on pens).
Premier League: Mattersey 2-2 Kings Arms, Rose & Crown 0-1 Vine Inn Athletic.
Division One: Grove Mill 4-2 Canutes FC.
Division Two: Cross Keys Wroot 0-1 Epworth FC, Ingleby Arms 8-1 Gate Inn Sutton, White Horse FC 3-1 Misterton United.
Division Three: Jack & Jill 5-2 Peacock Veterans, Kings Arms Thirds 2-3 Walkeringham FC.
FIXTURES
19th April
Premier League: Clumber EFC v MUSC, Mattersey v Rose & Crown.
Division One: Maltings FC v Kings Arms Res, Marshalls Sports v North Wheatley Phoenix.
Division Two: Misterton United v Moorends SC.
20th April
Division One: Maltings FC v Kings Arms Reserves.
22nd April
Premier League: Kings Arms v Vine Inn Athletic, Ranby Rangers v Mattersey, Real Ropery v MUSC, Rose & Crown v Leverton United.
Division One: Canutes FC v Beckett Arms, East Markham v Maltings FC, Grove Mill v Kings Arms Res, Harworth Pavilion v North Wheatley Phoenix.
Division Two: Clarborough FC v Tuxford WMC, Epworth F C v Gate Inn Clarborough.
Division Three: Jack & Jill v Walkeringham FC, Owston Ferry SC v Kings Arms Thirds, Peacock Veterans v Brickmakers Arms, BRS A v King & Miller.
President’s Cup: Tuxford WMC v Moorends SC.
24th April
Premier League: F S Clumber v Rose & Crown, Mattersey v MUSC, Real Ropery v Clumber EFC.
Division One: Beckett Arms v North Wheatley Phoenix, Harworth Pavilion v Grove Mill, Maltings FC v BFC Birches.
Division Two: Moorends SC v Cross Keys Wroot, Horse & Jockey v Tuxford WMC.
Division Three: Jack & Jill v Brickmakers Arms, Walkeringham FC v Peacock Veterans.
Premier League
P W D L F A Pts
FS Clumber 16 13 3 0 65 23 42
Real Ropery 14 9 3 2 56 22 30
Vine Inn Ath 16 8 0 8 35 31 24
Clumber EFC 14 7 2 5 52 20 23
Kings Arms 14 6 4 4 34 26 22
MUSC 14 6 2 6 40 41 20
Mattersey 11 6 1 4 21 17 19
Ranby Rangers 16 4 2 10 36 66 14
Leverton Utd 14 2 1 11 23 50 7
Rose & Crown 13 1 0 12 17 83 3
Division One
P W D L F A Pts
NW Phoenix 12 11 0 1 44 14 33
BFC Birches 15 10 2 3 57 20 32
Marshalls Sp 13 10 1 2 47 26 31
Maltings FC 13 9 1 3 33 23 28
Harworth Pav 14 8 1 5 50 35 25
Canutes 13 7 1 5 36 29 22
Grove Mill 16 4 1 11 28 47 13
East Markham 17 3 1 13 22 49 10
Beckett Arms 15 2 1 12 17 51 7
Kings Arms R 14 2 1 11 17 57 7
Division Two
P W D L F A Pts
White Horse FC 17 15 1 1 76 33 46
Moorends SC 14 12 0 2 63 26 36
Epworth FC 16 9 2 5 56 29 29
Ingleby Arms 15 8 4 3 62 28 28
Tuxford W M C 14 6 1 7 20 35 19
Misterton 17 5 2 10 38 41 17
Clarborough FC 16 5 0 11 26 57 15
Cross KW 16 5 2 9 19 49 14
Horse & Jockey 17 4 1 12 29 59 13
Gate Inn Sutton 16 3 3 10 21 53 12
Division Three
P W D L F A Pts
Walkeringham 16 14 0 2 82 22 42
King & Miller 15 10 3 2 72 38 33
B R S A 17 11 0 6 42 27 33
Kings Arms III 16 9 1 6 51 33 28
Jack & Jill FC 16 6 4 6 37 38 22
Owston FSC 17 5 2 10 44 60 17
Peacock Vet’ 15 4 4 7 39 43 16
Vine Inn FC 18 5 1 12 34 70 16
Brickmakers 14 4 2 8 26 60 14
Stanwood Eng 16 3 1 12 27 63 10