Clifton All Whites | FC

When any kind of artificial pitches where first mooted, there was a big outcry that they should not be allowed at our level but the continued improvements in standard over the years make them now acceptable in leagues even higher than the CMFL.

Whilst the programme was decimated mainly due to the severe overnight frost, two matches took place and both where possible because they were played on what are now called 3G pitches.

The Black Dragon North Division encounter, between two top four clubs Westella & Willerby and Yorkshire Main, was played at Bishop Burton College, which is situated at Beverley near Hull and was one of only a few games played in this area at any level.
Whilst the match failed to produce a goal, the game was highly entertaining and as expected extremely competitive.
The opening exchanges saw the visitors Yorkshire Main, making the early running and the home keeper Rick Watson made an important early save to keep the score level.
Midfield players Bobby Stevenson (Westella) and Mark Cooper (Yorkshire Main) stood out, as both teams battled to gain control.
As the first half wore on the home team had the better of the play and Jonathan Slater hit the bar with a header from a Mike Thompson cross.
Again the woodwork came to Yorkshire Main’s help, early in the second half, Westella’s Matt Fyvie hitting a post.
The visitors captain Danny Jarvis was outstanding, as the home team strived to end the deadlock.
Both Rob Petch and Allan Laud brought saves from the Yorkshire Main’s custodian James Ward.
Yorkshire Main despite mainly defending did cause the home team some problems with counter attacks, but that elusive first goal never materialised.
Despite Westella & Willerby dropping two vital points, they moved above Dronfield Town into second place, whilst Yorkshire Main remain fourth.

The other game that beat the weather, also played on a 3G pitch, was the Phoenix Trophies Reserves League Cup First Round tie, between Reserves Premier Division side Nottingham United Reserves and Dronfield Town Reserves, who play in the Reserves Supreme Division, at Gresham Sports Ground in Nottingham.
The visitors on the tie 2-1, with a goal two minutes from the end, in a game described as an absorbing cup tie.
The home team shocked their higher status opponents, by taking the lead in the seventh minute; the goal was converted by Jack O’Sullivan, who ran fully thirty yards before beating the visitor’s goalkeeper at the near post.

The visitors reorganised after this setback and took the game to the home team and levelled the score in the twenty- ninth minute through Charles Bradwell.
Bradwell picked up a loose ball, ran and hit a rasping drive into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
Both keepers made important saves after the interval and these appeared to ensure that the match was to end all square, but in the eighty-eight minute Charles Bradwell was again on target, converting from close range after Dronfield had replied a United attack and quickly transferred play to the other end of the pitch.
Whilst Dronfield in the end deserved to go through to the next round, the home team where a credit to the Reserves Premier Division and credit must go to the Referee and the players, who despite playing the match in very difficult conditions, with snow falling constantly throughout the second half, they served up a match which was highly entertaining.