Should have been at Basford Utd v Winterton Rangers, but as Kev was watching his Grandson play his first ever game, I was on my todd again. So I opted for the easy choice, the quick 5 minute car ride to Church Lane.
Arrived in plenty of time for the advertised 6:30 ko, only to be told on entering the ground it was now to be a 6:45 ko. Gave me time to catch up with a few of our Pinxton friends. Rob Hornby had his camera ready primed, but when Ref Chris Hunter lined the players up for the obligatory hand-shakes, he had them facing away from Rob! They lined up facing me, but the sun was behind them and knackered most of my shots up!
Linby were short of players on Saturday, but the return of Player/Manager Dave Marlow gave them a boost for this game. Top striker Matt Murphy wasn't in the squad, so Simon Marlow was given the no. 9 shirt.
Pinxton had a lot of new faces, but Blake Vincent, Darren Bettison and Wayne Cooke are a powerful midfield three.
Teams ( starting elevens):
Linby: Guyatt, Marlow D, Murray, Henshaw T, Tyler, Niblett, Ajewole, Winfield, Marlow S, Burke, Davies.
Pinxton: Briggs, Marriott, Parsons, Vincent, Henshaw D, Maden, Carter, Bettison, Dawson, Smith, Cooke.
Linby were by far the better team in the first period, and could have been well clear of their visitors if they had taken their chances. Martyn Burke was guilty of blazing way over on 7 after he was played in by a Dave Marlow through ball.
Alistair Murray then picked out Rhys Davies in the 16th minute only for the no. 22 to side-foot wide of the post.
Linby deservedly took the lead just before the break, Olamide Ajewole firing a shot across the goal that Briggs could only palm away onto the waiting head of MARTYN BURKE. Burke should have double the lead straight from the restart after he was picked out at the far stick by Ajewode, but somehow managed to steer the ball wide of the empty net. H-T 1-0
Pinxton must have had a right rocket during the interval as they came out all guns blazing! Jason Dawson had a header well saved by Linby keeper Glenn Guyatt in the first minute of the second half, but the visitors were level on 50 when DARREN BETTISON drilled a low free-kick through the defensive wall and past Guyatt into the far corner of the net.
Pinxton took the lead with 57 played - the goal is credited to WAYNE COOKE, but his shot took a really massive deflection before nestling in the back of the Linby goal. Three minutes later they added their third, JOEL SMITH bundling home from close range after the ball was played in from the right.
Game over? Not a bit of it! Linby's heads never dropped and on 82, Ajewode showed some neat footwork before passing the ball straight into the path of SIMON MARLOW who ran directly at goal before slotting past Briggs.
Right on 90, Linby were level. DAVE MARLOW will be credited with the goal, but his cross from the right was bundled over his own goal line by Briggs, after the keeper had made a mess of catching it - that was the lino's version anyway - and he gave the goal!! F-T 3-3
Referee Chris Hunter had a fair game - had to caution Niblett and Maden, but overall not a bad performance.
Admission £3
Attendance 66 ( Rob Hornby h/c)
