Kettering Nomads FC
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......with the sun blazing down and the pitch having more tufts than Craig Thurlow's barnet on a night out!!!!!
Sat May 2nd CORBY KINGFISHER (1) 3 NOMADS (1) 2 Nomads produced a strong performance as the curtain fell on a topsy-turvy campaign away to already promoted Corby Kingfisher, but it still wasn't enough to stop them slipping to their tenth defeat of the season. With a severe bout of Corbyitis sweeping through the Nomads ranks, Nathan Eady was not for the first time left scratching his head as to what the starting eleven would be. The number of 'no shows' reached epic proportions for various reasons - Colin Judd was playing cricket, Gary Massie was laid up in bed with the worst case of the aforementioned disease, Dean Joy was still injured, 'pikey' Symington was re-arranging the various items of household white goods that litter his front garden, Russ Course was waxing his surfboard and Gavin Lee and Ross Martin were also unavailable. However Adam Loake returned and Scott Robinson made the bench in his first appearance for a month. Starting Line Up: S Panter, F Ingham, B Evans, P Smith, G Massie, A Alderman, C Bright, A Loake, D Robinson, C Thurlow, D Charsley. Subs: S Robinson. With the sun blazing down and the pitch having more tufts than Craig Thurlow's barnet on a night out, it did not bode well for a great game of football. However both sides started brightly, as the large playing surface allowed the teams more space that they would normally have found. Early chances were created at both ends - Panter getting down smartly to turn away a low shot to his right, and then Charsley hacking a chance over the bar (as only he can) from no more than three yards. Nomads were working hard to close down the Kingfisher players and it was from an instance of this that they took the lead. 'Spender' lookalike Charsley first hassled the last defender into a panicky back pass and then charged down the keeper's attempted clearance to leave him bearing down on an empty net. A hush fell as he manoeuvred the ball onto his 'trusty' right foot before tapping it home. Despite Kingfisher playing some neat and tidy passing football, the Nomads defence were looking solid. However as has been the case in many games this season, the away side were punished for making a mistake. A free kick from the left found the striker in too much space. His shot was well saved by Panter but the rebound was chipped perfectly to the far post for an easy finish for the other Kingfisher frontman. With large amounts of liquids replaced at half time, Nomads pushed to try and get their noses back in front. But as the half wore on, their shape started to become more and more ragged as the heat began to take it's toll. A mistake in the centre circle left the Kingfisher forward through on goal and he calmly slotted the ball past the helpless Panter to make it 2-1. Nomads continued to create chances of their own but were then again caught on the break as the same Kingfisher player helped himself to his hat-trick. It looked as though it was going to become a rout as Panter then made further saves to keep the scoreline respectable. But the away side showed some character and scored the goal of the game when a flowing move down the right saw Charsley put over a perfect cross for Thurlow to volley into the net. A final push saw a couple of goal mouth scrambles at the Kingfisher end, but the Corby side managed to hang on until the final whistle. Despite the defeat, other last day results mean that Nomads finished the season in a respectable sixth place, although with more consistency they could have been a lot higher up the table. Manager Eady will no doubt be busy in the summer transfer market as he looks to add to the promising squad that has been assembled this year. Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (7) - Pulled off a string of saves in his busiest game of the season.
Evans (7) - Captain for the day and lead by example. Nice to see the hack into touch was back this week.
Bright (7) - Another workmanlike performance from the Count. Never should be allowed to turn up wearing a muscle vest again!
Loake (7) - Linked up play well but needs to seriously sort out a new bag for next season as his existing one bloody stinks!!.
Robinson (7) - Good display despite being played out of position on the right.
Charsley (8) - Constantly hounded the opposition defence and seemed to be all over the pitch.
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....'Lord Lucan' Russell Course finally surfaced after several months absence - albeit looking like a down on his luck, slightly overweight surfer dude, complete with dodgy tan and streaked blonde highlights!!!!!Thurs Apr 23rd
EARLSBARTON (1) 1 NOMADS (0) 1
Thurs Apr 23rd
EARLSBARTON (1) 1 NOMADS (0) 1 Symington
Nomads produced another Jeckyll and Hyde performance as they battled back from conceding an early goal to force a well deserved draw away to an in form Earls Barton side.
Following it's roaring success last time out, manager Eady stuck with an attacking 4-3-3 formation as Nomads looked to avenge the defeat inflicted on them by the same opponents two weeks earlier. However the usual end of season midweek game problems were there in abundance before the kick off, with a combination of players being unavailable and players unable to find the ground due to a switch of location. Eady himself had obviously decided to visit the local swimming baths before arriving, as he yet again seemed to be sporting a rather well inflated rubber ring beneath his 'bulging at the seams' polo shirt! Pint sized poacher Craig Thurlow returned to the squad, as did Fraser Ingham and Ashley Alderman. Dean Joy was out injured, plus Adam Loake and Scott Robinson were unavailable, so Gavin Lee kept his place for a rare start and 'Lord Lucan' Russell Course finally surfaced after several months absence - albeit looking like a down on his luck, slightly overweight surfer dude, complete with dodgy tan and streaked blonde highlights!
Starting Line Up: S Panter, G Lee, B Evans, P Smith, G Massie, A Alderman, C Bright, C Judd, D Charsley, I Symington, C Thurlow. Subs: F Ingham, R Course.
With the pre match preparations/warm up non-existent due to the late arrival of several players, Nomads started extremely sluggishly against an Earls Barton side who were full of confidence on the back of their recent League Cup final victory. With the midfield three of Alderman, Judd and Bright struggling to come to terms with the opposition's movement, most of the early possession was with the home side. With the pressure growing as the minutes went by, it was only a matter of time before Earls Bartons dominance brought them the first goal. A ball into the box fell perfectly into the path of the incoming midfield player who side footed his shot into the far corner. Nomads tried to respond to the early setback, but their poor form continued as they either gave away possession cheaply or resorted to long balls for the three forwards to try and make something out of. The Earls Barton midfield were being given far too much time and space and Nomads were fortunate that they were unable to create any further clear cut openings in the first half despite enjoying the large percentage of possession.
With the exhausted Gavin Lee replaced by Ingham at half time, Nomads came out with a more determined look about them. As the half wore on, they finally began to get the ball down and started to cause the Earls Barton defence a few problems through the work rate of Charsley, Thurlow and Symington. At the other end, Panter once again had little to do, but it started to look like Nomads would go home empty handed as chances came and went and the clock ticked by. However with ten minutes to go they finally got their deserved equaliser. A long throw from Massie was flicked on at the near post by Course and Symington smashed it into the roof of the net at the second attempt. Nomads pressed hard for the winner and Thurlow in particular was unlucky with a difficult far post volley that just missed the target.
At the final whistle, a draw was probably a fair result, although a point was not really what either side wanted. Nomads final game is against already promoted Corby Kingfisher in what is sure to be a tough end of season encounter. A win will see them secure sixth place, in a season that promised much but tailed off due to some inconsistent performances.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (7) - Kicked well and also managed not to knock off any of the large scabs on his right knee.
Lee (5) - Struggled with the pace of the game and looked extremely rusty.Evans (7) - Continually grappled with a tricky opponent and gave as good as he got throughout. Lucky not to give away two stone wall penalties.
Massie (7) - Another consistent display but needs to realise that he does not have the forty yard diagonal ball in his range of passing.
Smith (7) - Strong performance from the ginger stink bag as he slowly but surely engulfed his opponent in a urine soaked 'pea souper'.Bright (8) - Ran himself into the ground as he tried to cover the gaps that were appearing in the midfield area.
Judd (6) - Looked out of sorts in the first half but improved as the game went on.
Alderman (6) - Tried to play football whenever he could but struggled to make an impact.
Charsley (6) - Worked hard as usual but disappointing end product for most of the match.
Thurlow (8) - Guilty of yet another bout of 'small man temper' which got him booked, but commitment could not be questioned.Symington (8) - Another who worked his socks off in the second half and deservedly got on the scoresheet.
Ingham (6) - Came on for the second half at full back and dealt with any threats competently.
Course (6) - Only on for ten minutes but set up the equaliser.
"Whether it was because of the warm up, or whether it was because of the pre-match blast from the world renowned Eady hairdryer that left most of the players wishing they had the barnets like Panter, Joy and Bright"
NOMADS (2) 3 SPRATTON (0) 1
Robinson 2, Judd
Nomads inconsistent season continued with a much improved performance following the debacle against Stanwick last time out, ensuring that their unbeaten home record in the league remained intact.
As in recent weeks, manager Nathan Eady had Saturday morning selection headaches. With Massie and Course already unavailable, the squad size was reduced even further by the late withdrawals of Kyte and Symington. However Loake was back after a couple of weeks out with a twisted ankle and the big news was the re-signing of Paul Smith from Thrapston, in a major January transfer window swoop. Whilst Smith's inclusion did improve the numbers available for selection, it did mean that the smell of urine in the changing room that had been absent since former team ginger Kev Harmer became unavailable, was now back with eye-watering vengeance.
With only 13 players to pick from, Smith came straight into the back four to form a central defensive partnership with Ben Evans that had a combined age of almost 70. Eady prayed to the heavens that Spratton had no forwards with pace.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, F Ingham, C Thurlow, D Robinson. Subs: D Charsley, G Berbatov.
In an attempt to make sure that the team were actually focussed on the kick off this week, Robbo was appointed to take a much more professional warm up than the usual shambles that takes place. In an impressive display, he put the rest of the squad through their paces with a range of activities and stretching, including one bizarre move where players had to bend forward and touch the floor whilst kicking one foot up behind them. Most looked like fishes out of water with the exception of Joy, Loake and Panter who having spent a large part of their lives growing up in Rothwell, were all used to walking around with their knuckles dragging on the floor.
Whether it was because of the warm up, or whether it was because of the pre-match blast from the world renowned Eady hairdryer that left most of the players wishing they had barnets like Panter, Joy and Bright, Nomads got into their stride straight from the kick off and started to move the ball around with some good one and two touch passing. The early dominance was rewarded after quarter of an hour when after some good build up play from 'Inch High Private Eye' Thurlow down the right, the ball was cut back for Robinson to bury a shot into the far corner.
Crucially, unlike in previous games, a second goal quickly followed. After an initial shot had only been half cleared, the Juddernaut managed to be first to the ball and scuffed a shot into the bottom right hand corner which barely caused the net to ripple. With Spratton causing little problems for the Nomads defence, further chances continued to be carved out in the remainder of the half. Unfortunately these kept falling to those with less than an eye for goal - Briggy crashed a volley over the bar, Joy toe punted an effort wide and Robbo continued to hit a number of free kicks at a goal that obviously only he can see.
The second half began scrappily, and it was always going to be vital as to who scored the next goal. Spratton pushed hard to try and get back into the game and finally Panter had a couple of regulation saves to make. However the game was basically put to bed when Robinson rose to head in a cross from the left to make it 3-0. After this there were few real chances created by either side with highlights being Joy's ball juggling in the centre circle and Panter's dodgy throw outs which could not reach the player they were intended for.
With 15 minutes left, Spratton got a consolation goal when Briggy glanced a cross from the right off his biscuit tin head and into his own net. However the defence refused to be beaten again and with Smith seeming to get a second wind from somewhere, saw out the game comfortably.
The win lifts Nomads up into fourth and the runners up spot is still very much up for grabs if they can start to put a run of performances like this one together.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (6) - Little to do for Friedel, but kicking was better this week. Good save at the end kept it to just one goal conceded.
Robinson (7) - Nice link up play with Loake down the left. Shooting practice down the park booked in.
Joy (7) - Managed to keep his potty mouth in check after his Tourrets attack in the last game.
Evans (6) - Steady display from Taffy, and actually managed not to boot out any balls down the pitch into touch!
Smith (8) - Excellent debut and won everything in the air. Forwards never got near him but this could be due to his aftershave 'Urine for Men'.
Judd (7) - Better display from the Juddernaut, with larger percentage of passes reaching their intended target than in previous weeks.
Bright (8) - As usual tackled everything that moved. Blotted his copy book with a couple of dodgy headers, including an own goal.
Ingham (6) - Quiet game on the right this week.
Loake (6) - Struggled at first but gradually got into the game. As usual, dead ball delivery was excellent.
Thurlow (7) - Hard working display from 'Bilbo', and was a willing target man throughout.
Robinson (9) - Scored two and should have had a hat trick but for bad miss. Needs to work on pre match excuses, as a 'dodgy kebab' does not wash it when hungover.
Charsley (6) - Great cross from the right, awful one from the left - says it all for 'Spender'.
Berbatov (7) - Nice cameo performance, including a nutmeg with first touch and even managed to track back and put in a couple of tackles!
Robbo was also absent as he had not quite finalised his new deal with Hawaiin Tropic
Thurs Apr 9th
NOMADS (0) 1 EARLS BARTON (0) 3
Thurlow
Nomads miserable recent form continued as they slipped to a third consecutive defeat against an in form Earls Barton at Orlingbury Road. As in the previous two losses, Nomads scored first, but were unable to hold on to the lead as a mixture of sloppy defending and some bad luck cost them the three points.
As is usually the case for mid-week matches, gaffer Nathan Eady was forced to call upon a couple of reserve players to help bolster the first team squad. Whilst Briggy returned from the injury picked up a couple of weeks ago, skipper Colin Judd was kissing the blarney stone in Ireland and Robbo was also absent as he had not quite finalised his new deal with Hawaiin Tropic. As he shuffled the pack, Eady switched Ben Evans to left back, Gary Massie moved to centre half and Jimmy Nail lookalike Charsley made a rare start on the left.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, G Massie, A Loake, C Bright, D Charsley, F Ingham, I Symington, C Thurlow. Subs: A Hobson, R Castka.
Following the classic 'Sunday morning' warm up where balls were peppered at Panter from all angles, the game got underway. Nomads started the better of the two teams and had most of the early pressure, forcing several corners. A couple of half chances were created from the long throws of Dean Joy, however as has been the case in recent games, the home side could not carve out any real threats on the Earls Barton goal with the ball constantly up in the air. Both teams were finding the bobbly pitch difficult to play on and possession was squandered on numerous occasions as player's first touches were given a severe test. The half ended as it had began with Nomads doing most of the pressing but the quality of the final ball not being up to the standard that was required.
With the half time oranges sloshing around in their bellies, Nomads tried to lift their game in the second period. After a couple of further near misses their efforts were rewarded when they grabbed the vital first goal. A long throw from Joy was flicked on at the near post by Charsley which then dropped invitingly to Tiny Tim Thurlow at the far post, allowing him to score with a cool side foot finish. Strangely, instead of being the platform for Nomads to go on and win the game, the goal suddenly sparked Earls Barton onto life and with their first notable effort on goal they hauled themselves level. An attempted headed clearance by Smith bounced off fellow defender Evans and although the Earls Barton striker completely mis-hit his shot, this meant that the ball swerved away from Panter and into the corner of the net.
Things then got even worse for the home side as Earls Barton then got their noses in front. Another cross from the left was not cleared and although Panter parried the initial snap shot, the Earls Barton players reacted quickest to knock in the rebound. Nomads pushed desparately for an equaliser but were unable to pierce the resolute back line of the away side. The final nail in the coffin came when despite numerous shouts of 'stand up, don't foul' from his panic stricken team-mates, Charsley clumsily tripped up an opponent in the box with one of his crocodile shoes, to give away a stone wall penalty which was converted with ease.
Nomads must now try and lift themselves for their final home game of the season on Saturday against Bective Wanderers, in an attempt to put an end to the recent poor run of results.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (6) - Steady game from the follically challenged shot stopper. Far too much use of the word 'sorry' when not coming to claim the ball.
Joy (5) - Never settled on the bobbly pitch and had the worst first touch on show for the majority of the match.
Evans (7) - Resolute defending from Ivor the Engine, and even managed to put in a couple of balls that actually went where he was aiming!
Massie (6) - Fairly uneventful game this week. Threw his hat into the ring on several occasions for worst header seen in the 90 minutes.
Smith (6) - Booked for the second week running for a horrendous two footed challenge which left the unfortunate opponent smelling like a persistent bed wetter.Bright (6) - Stand in skipper put in his usual hard working stint, fluffed a header from six yards again, but slightly better rallying cries than the usual captain.
Charsley (5) - Played out of position on the left which should have been easy due to his two left feet!! Guilty of giving away the penalty for the third goal.
Loake (7) - Battled away in the centre of the park throughout. Now on the look out for new 'Winky Watch' shower victims following Dan Robinson's departure.
Ingham (6) - Wasn't able to get the better of a younger and quicker opponent, but a better display than in his previous outing (not saying a lot though!).
Thurlow (6) - Another poacher's goal for the pint sized Birthday Boy, who then quickly departed for jelly and ice cream/pass the parcel at his after match party.
Symington (6) - Chased down every long punt forward (of which there were many) but struggled to make a real impact this week.
....this meant that his kicking in the first quarter of an hour appeared to be straight out of the manual of Nathan Heads!!!
Sat March 28th
NOMADS (0) 1 JK BLISWORTH (1) 2
Own goal
Nomads suffered a severe case of deja vu as they lost out at home by a single goal for the second week running. Despite dominating a large proportion of the game, their inability to convert any of the number of chances created, saw them beaten by a late sucker punch as they pushed for the winner themselves.
As seems to be the case every week, enforced changes were required to the starting line up. Chris Bright had failed to recover from the knock picked up last time out against Kingfisher, Dan Robinson was still absent without leave and Ashley Alderman once again had work commitments. However Fraser Ingham had managed to shake off the nasty bout of Corbyitis that had caused him to miss last week's match and manager Nathan Eady also handed a place on the bench to young Gareth Pope. The changes meant that Ingham lined up on his usual right flank with one trick pony Gary Massie moved inside to partner Judd in the engine room of central midfield.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, C Judd, G Massie, A Loake, F Ingham, I Symington, C Thurlow. Subs: D Charsley, G Pope.
Following the unfortunate defeat of last week, Nomads were looking to bounce straight back with a good performance. However with the traditional Isham gale force ten wing blowing directly down the pitch, the conditions were always going to be a contributory factor to the outcome of the game. Nomads kicked off against the wind and seemed to be unable to string any passes of note together. Panter was still feeling the effects of his Friday night out and this meant that his kicking in the first quarter of an hour appeared to be straight out of the manual of Nathan Heads.
After wasting a couple of good positions where the final ball let them down, Nomads fell behind. A corner from the left was whipped in and Ingham completely lost his opponent, leaving the Blisworth striker the easiest of unchallenged headers from six yards out. As Nomads attempted to rally, things suddenly got worse, when yet again they were on the wrong end of a ludicrous decision by the referee who awarded a penalty for a so called hand ball by Ben Evans. The urine soaked protests from Smith were waved away and the Blisworth player stepped up to the spot. For once the luck was with the home side as the shot crashed against the bar and was subsequently hoofed away to safety.
Half time came and Eady cranked up the hair dryer as he tried to raise Nomads from their first half slumber. Dean Joy nervously adjusted his head guard as he ensured that he did not spend the second week running picking bits of plastic out of his skull after being on the wrong end of a cup when caught sniggering during the mid-game team talk.
With the wind now in their favour, Nomads began the second half in much brighter fashion and started to cause the Blisworth defence some problems as they found it difficult to get out of their half. Further chances went begging as Ingham in particular seemed to have left his crossing and shooting boots firmly at home. With Panter a shivering bystander, the pressure continued to build and eventually the breakthrough came. Loake swung in a wicked free kick from the right which was turned into his own net by the chest of one of the Blisworth defenders.
Nomads pushed for the decisive second goal and it looked as though it was only a matter of time before it came. Symington and Thurlow were in a running battle with the two Blisworth centre halves which culminated in some severe verbals, flicking of testicles and then Thurlow diving outrageously when slightly caught in the face by a flailing hand.
With time ticking away, Eady threw on both substitutes and changed to a 3-4-3 formation. However the pattern continued as despite having most of the ball, Nomads just couldn't find the vital final ball when it mattered.
Just as looked that the game would end in a draw, Blisworth snatched the three points with a late winner. Pope failed to clear the ball into touch and instead gave it straight to his opponent. This left the remaining defenders outnumbered and the Blisworth striker calmly brought the ball under control, side stepped Evans who slipped over and skidded harmlessly by, and then placed his shot past the advancing Panter in off the far post. Despite there being little time left, Nomads thought they had salvaged a point when Thurlow got on the end of a long punt from Panter, but again the referee had clearly never played the game and disallowed the goal for an alleged push by the pint sized front man.
Nomads must now wait until next Thursday for their next game which sees an evening kick off against Earls Barton.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (6) - Dodgy opening to the game but once again was only called upon to pick the ball out of the net.
Robinson (7) - Steady performance this week. Tan did appear to be in danger of washing off in the pre-match downpour.
Joy (7) - Tried to get forward as much as possible and won his fair share of first ball. Quiet as a gagged mouse during the half time team talk.
Evans (7) - Gave away the 'penalty' and was hilarious as he was left on his backside as the winning goal was developing.
Smith (7) - Booked for his repeated protests to the referee that he had not weed in his shorts and that he always smells like that!
Judd (6) - Wasn't able to influence the game as much as in previous weeks.
Massie (6) - Never really able to get into the game, whether in central midfield or on the left.
Loake (8) - Looked a different player once switched to the middle and seemed to be everywhere in the second half. Shocked everyone by wearing Dan Robinson's pants before the game.
Ingham (5) - Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear - enough said!!
Thurlow (6) - Worked hard as usual but Troyer was lucky not to be adding to his numerous bookings for dissent.
Symington (6) - The gypsies whippet buzzed about, but couldn't really create any clear cut chances.
Charsley (6) - Put himself about in typically robust fashion when introduced towards the end of the game.
Pope (5) - Unfortunately was at fault for the winning goal.
The first half came to a close with Nomads deservedly in front and with Panter feeling confident of a fourth clean sheet in five games.
Sat March 21st
NOMADS (1) 1 CORBY KINGFISHER (0) 2
Nomads did not have any luck with them as they slipped to their seventh defeat of the season at home to Corby Kingfisher. Despite putting in a performance that deserved at least a point from the game, a combination of poor decisions by the referee and a couple of individual errors meant that Nomads slipped down a place to fourth in the table.
Boss Nathan Eady was yet again unable to field an unchanged side from that which won so impressively last time out. Dan Robinson dropped out on the morning of the match after realising that all of his Jeff Banks underwear was in the washing and Fraser Ingham was unable to pass a fitness test on his injured calf. However with Gary Massie and Briggy both returning after being absent last week, the squad still had thirteen to choose from. Massie therefore replaced Ingham on the right of midfield and Briggy came back into his usual central midfield role, releasing gypsie's whippet Symington to partner Thurlow in attack.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, G Massie, I Symington, C Thurlow. Subs: D Charsley, A Alderman.
With Kingfisher in a rich vein of form at the moment, Nomads knew that they would have to start well if they were to give themselves a chance of picking up another three points. Impressively this is what they did and after causing a couple of corners straight from the kick off, they put themselves one up when a third Loake corner from the left was turned into his own net by one of the Kingfisher defenders. There were pathetic attempts from both Bright and Smith to try and blag the goal for themselves, however on the basis that the ball was knocked in from a yard it was clearly too far out for Briggy, and as the ball did not smell like a yellow urinal block, it had obviously not been touched by Smith.
The early setback stung Kingfisher into action and they began to try and exert some pressure of their own on the Nomads goal. However they were having problems with the high tempo that the home side were playing with and Nomads were constantly winning the lion's share of first and second ball.
Whilst the back four were comfortably dealing with the long ball game that Kingfisher were employing, at the other end, Thurlow and Symington were constant thorns in the sides of the away side's defence. Had Thurlow actually been 5 foot six as he so ridiculously claims, he may well have been able to reach a shot from Judd that went agonisingly wide. The first half came to a close with Nomads deservedly in front and with Panter feeling confident of a fourth clean sheet in five games.
Kingfisher started the second half with more urgency in their play and began to grab a strangle hold on the possession. Slowly but surely they forced Nomads deeper and deeper and errors began to creep into the home side's play. Having survived a couple of scares, the equaliser finally came after an hour when Joy missed the ball when attempting to head a long through ball back to Panter, leaving the Kingfisher striker to prod the ball into the bottom corner.
With Nomads now on the back foot, Kingfisher smelt blood, however to their credit Nomads fought back and almost immediately thought that they had gone back in front when a free kick from Robbo went under the Kingfisher keeper. Unfortunately the referee chose to agree with the dubious offside decision from the Kingfisher linesman despite heated protests from the Nomads players. This was to be a real turning point as Kingfisher then went straight down the other end to go in front themselves when Joy was outpaced and then megged by the opposition striker before he smashed an unstoppable shot into the far corner.
With time ticking away, Nomads were suddenly handed a lifeline when the referee awarded a penalty following a blatant push on Bright. Top scorer Thurlow stepped up but hit his shot against the foot of the post to signify that it was definitely not going to be Nomads day.
With just five games to go, it is looking increasingly unlikely that Nomads will be able to gain immediate promotion back into the Premier division, however with the league being so tight it still remains a possibility. Next Saturday sees yet another home tie, this time against Blisworth, and Nomads will be looking to bounce straight back from this week's frustrating result.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (7) - Didn't really have a lot to do. Relieved to have got away with tripping over the frame of the sightscreen without anyone seeing.
Robinson (7) - Defended well for the second week running and was denied a goal by the dodgy ref. Joy (6) - Unfortunately was at fault for both goals. Has assured all that he will not be out on it this Friday!! Nice touch to let Thurlow use his top as a towel after the game.
Evans (7) - Unbelievably managed to keep the ball on the pitch for 90 minutes yet again!
Smith (7) - Smelly performance as he baked under the hot sun but kept a fairly tight grip on his nippy opponent.Judd (7) - Got into some good positions but final ball let him down.
Bright (8) - The 'count' sucked the life out of the opposition in the first half and kept battling for the entire 90 minutes.Massie (7) - Despite a lot of practising in the week, was unable to actually carry off any new tricks in what is still a very tiny locker.
Loake (7) - Another who put in a decent shift down the left flank, but underwear situation is rapidly reaching crisis point!
Thurlow (7) - Not many chances this week for Nomads top scoring Ewok. Symington (7) - Got fouled more times than the show ring at Crufts, but his romany wireness saw him battle on regardless.
Charsley (6) - Decent last ten minutes from Silenzi.
Alderman (6) - Not really able to make much of an impression in the limited time available.
Nomads started the game at a high tempo as they looked to get the early advantage in what was bound to be a hotly contested local derby
NOMADS (2) 3 PUNJAB UTD (0) 0
Judd, Thurlow (2)
Nomads got back to winning ways after last week's disappointing display, with a polished performance against local rivals Punjab at a blustery Orlingbury Road.
As in recent weeks, boss Nathan Eady was forced to tinker with his starting eleven. Gary Massie was unavailable as he was away watching Amir Khan (and also because he wanted to watch the Man Utd v Liverpool game) and Briggy also missed the chance to line up against his former side when he decided to enter into the Regional heats of the Ray Reardon lookalike competition instead. With Alderman missing again due to work commitments and Martin selected for the reserves, youngster Gareth Pope was added to the squad. Ingham was re-instated into his usual right hand side position, Ben Evans came in at centre half and pikey Symington partnered Judd in central midfield.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, C Judd, I Symington, A Loake, F Ingham, D Robinson, C Thurlow. Subs: G Wilson, D Charsley, G Pope.
Nomads started the game at a high tempo as they looked to get the early advantage in what was bound to be a hotly contested local derby. Whilst the strong wind and hard ground made it difficult for flowing football, Nomads were always quicker to the ball and slowly but surely grew in confidence as Punjab seemed unable to respond.
After a couple of early half chances went begging, Nomads got the vital first goal. A Robbo free kick was latched onto by Judd, who cleverly fllicked the ball into space before unleashing a thundering left foot volley into the opposite corner.
This finally awoke Punjab from their slumber and the game started to become more stretched as they strived for an equaliser. Twice Nomad's slender lead was only kept intact by the frame of the goal as first Panter tipped a shot onto the post and then from a scramble in the box, a shot grazed the crossbar. However Nomads rode the storm with some resolute defending from the back four and continued to create chances of their own. With half time beckoning, Nomads then doubled their lead in similar circumstances to the first goal. Another Robbo free kick was arrowed into the heart of the Punjab defence, and smallest man on the park Thurlow was able to guide it unchallenged past the opposition keeper.
As expected, Punjab came out for the second half with a rollicking ringing in their ears and began to try and increase the pressure on the Nomads goal. However despite them having the lion's share of possession, Nomads were defending well and cleared most of the danger before it got near to Panter. Friedel was then forced into a good save low down to his left which the Punjab player following up should have done better with but the shot went horribly wide.
The game became more open as Punjab desperately tried to get back in it, and Nomads could have scored a third on a number of occasions as good opportunities were squandered by Symington, Judd and Ingham. However the result was put to bed when Thurlow was given far too much room in the box to be able to acrobatically shoot into the bottom corner.
The win sees Nomads leapfrog their opponents into third in the table and they will need to produce a similar display next week in what will be another tough game against an in form Corby Kingfisher side.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (7) - Confident all round display from Friedel. Only hacked a couple of kicks this week.
Robinson (7) - Great delivery for the first two goals. Seemed back to his confident self - possible as a result of extra tanning sessions in the week.
Joy (7) - Solid defensive display from Potty Mouth. Was left eating daisies at one point in the second half after being barged off the ball by his opponent.
Evans (9) - Rolled back the years and didn't put a foot wrong or kick the ball out of play once!!.
Smith (8) - Dealt with any threat competently and immersed Punjab forwards in a urine soaked smog for the entire 90 minutes.
Judd (8) - Another great volley from the Juddernaut. Won fair share of tackles in his new defensive midfield role.
Symington (8) - Constant thorn in Punjab's side and sold several bags of heather and pegs to the watching spectators to boot!.
Ingham (7) - Gave their left back a torrid time throughout.
Loake (7) - Continues to be a threat from dead ball situations - still looks like he picks his underwear in the dark.
Thurlow (8) - Two more goals sniffed out by the tufty haired pygmy.
Robinson (7) - Not as effective as in other games but worked hard for the team - showered alone yet again!.
Charsley (6) - Not on for long but Spender managed not to get any scuffs on his crocodile shoes
Wilson (6) - Took a rabbit punch to the nose and needed a tampon up each nostril to curb the flow of blood.
Pope (6) - Couple of nice touches in short spell on the pitch.
The first goal was always going to be vital and it was the visitors who got it on the half hour mark.
NOMADS (0) 1 GREAT HOUGHTON (1) 4
Symington
Nomads unbeaten home record in the league was ended in emphatic style, after a series of defensive errors saw them comprehensively beaten by top of the table Great Houghton.
With the gaffer Nathan Eady back at the helm following his trip to Spain, for once he had virtually a full strength squad to pick from as Nomads looked to keep their recent impressive run of victories going. With Charsley and Alderman both declaring themselves fit and Thurlow available again after a stint as an oompa loompa at Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, the only absentee was Ingham. This meant Thurlow was re-installed up front with everyone's favourite Romany, Ian Symington, switched to the right of midfield, in an otherwise unchanged starting eleven.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, G Massie, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, I Symington, D Robinson, C Thurlow. Subs: B Evans, G Wilson, D Charsley, A Alderman, R Martin.
Nomads kicked off the first half with the wind at their backs and the opening exchanges were fairly even as both sides tried to come to terms with the blustery conditions and rock hard playing surface.
Although having the lion's share of the possession, Great Houghton were unable to find a way through the Nomads defence, whilst at the other end, half chances fell to Thurlow, Robinson and Judd but these all failed to hit the target. Robbo then did the unthinkable and actually struck a decent free kick which looked to be heading fro the top corner but unfortunately just drifted wide.
The first goal was always going to be vital and it was the visitors who got it on the half hour mark. Smith mis-judged a long ball down the middle and as the Great Houghton forward bore down on goal he was clipped by Gary Massie's last ditch attempt to reach the ball. Despite still getting his shot away, which was well saved by Friedel, the referee blew for a penalty which was expertly dispatched into the bottom corner of Panter's net.
After some stern words at half time from Eady, Nomads started the second half on the front foot as they pressed for an equaliser. However their final ball continued to let them down and they were rarely able to test the opposition keeper. As they continued to try and get back on level terms, Nomads were then guilty of two more defensive lapses in the space of five minutes which effectively meant the game was over. First Massie lost out in a 50-50 challenge and although Briggy tried to cover, he missed his attempted clearance, which left the Great Houghton striker free to calmly slot the ball past Panter. Then a long diagonal ball from the right was missed by everyone and allowed Great Houghton's tricky left winger to ghost in unchallenged before coolly slipping the ball through Panter's legs as he tried to close the angle.
A fourth Great Houghton goal soon followed as the Nomads defending started to border on shambolic and Panter then had to spread himself at the feet of one of the opposition strikers to prevent the scoreline becoming worse. Nomads finally got on the scoresheet when Symington latched on to a chip from the left to slot the ball into the bottom corner but it was merely a consolation when the final whistle came.
Once again Nomads inability to deal with opponents who were up for the physical battle let them down and whilst they remain fourth in the table, several teams below have a number of games in hand. Next week sees a real six pointer as third placed Punjab Utd come to Orlingbury Road in what is sure to be a frantic local derby.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (6) - Little chance with the goals and handling was assured throughout.
Robinson (5) - Form continues to fade like his early season tan. Free kicks were much better this week though.
Joy (6) - Tough game against a tricky opponent. Swearing kept to a minimum which was a surprise considering the result.
Massie (5) - Bad day at the office. Gave away the penalty and partially at fault for the second goal. Needs to add more tricks to his locker.
Smith (6) - Tired looking display and continues to find every patch of treacle on the pitch.
Judd (5) - Unable to find any creativity this week and needlessly booked yet again for bleating to the referee.
Bright (6) - Huffed and puffed but wasn't allowed to stamp any authority on the game. Excellent reaction to the 'Reardon' references though.
Symington (7) - Scored the only goal and also scythed down an opponent to boot - possibly as a result of non payment for some recent drive tarmaccing.
Loake (6) - Quiet for long periods - underwear worse than ever.
Thurlow (6) - Worked hard, but little impact on the game from Frodo this week.
Robinson (5) - Another who had a real off day and got involved in too many petulant scuffles.
Evans (6) - Not on for long but nice skirmish at the end as the red mist descended
Alderman (5) - Difficult to get involved follwing his return from the dreaded glangle fever.
Charsley (5) - Not sure any proper touch of the ball was achieved by Silenzi during his ten minutes on the pitch.
The breakthrough finally came - but when it did, it was from an unexpected source.
BECTIVE WANDERERS (0) 0 NOMADS (1) 2
Nomads took maximum points for the third game in a row, following a polished all round display away to Bective Wanderers. The win keeps them in the hunt for one of the promotion places as they now start a run of five successive home games.With manager Nathan Eady away in Barcelona eating a marathon (sorry, watching a marathon) it was left to his more than capable assistant Panter to take up the match day reins, with touchline help from Barry Chuckle look-alike John Brown. Again there was only one change required from the previous starting eleven, with gypsies whippet Ian Symington available again to replace top scorer Craig Thurlow who was away at a reunion with Snow White and the other six dwarves. Course and Alderman were still unavailable and there were also late withdrawals from Charsley and Martin, which left a threadbare squad of 13.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, G Massie, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, F Ingham, I Symington, D Robinson. Subs: B Evans, G Wilson.
The first half began with Nomads kicking against the considerable slope of the Bective pitch. The home side started the brighter and created a good early opportunity which Panter saved well with his feet. The game was surprisingly open and both teams began to carve out a series of chances as possession was needlessly squandered on numerous occasions. The Nomads defence was looking a lot more vulnerable that in recent weeks. This was due to a combination of Smith struggling with the 'popped fibres' in his hamstring, which meant he constantly seemed to be running through treacle, and Robbo having an absolute shocker of a first half where everything he did just went horribly wrong.
Thankfully Bective were unable to take advantage of this and it was Nomads who slowly started to get the ball down and play the way that they know they can. The Bective keeper was having an inspired game and made wonder saves from both Symington and Judd to keep the game scoreless. However the deadlock was finally broken when Dan Robinson nodded in a corner from the left from close range. Nomads survived another scare just before the break when Bective caught them on the counter attack and a deft chip from the striker came back off the bar with Friedel well beaten. At the other end, Ingham missed a great chance to double the lead as he shot wide when it seemed easier to score and so Nomads went in with just the one goal advantage at half time.
With Nomads now kicking with the slope, they started the second half with all guns blazing and pushed the Bective defence back inside their own box on numerous occasions. However the opposition keeper continued to frustrate them with further saves from Robinson, Symington and Judd. With Briggy chipping in with his now customary shocking miss from six yards, Panter became a virtual spectator as the away side pushed for the crucial second goal, and slowly but surely the Bective defence began to have more gaps in it than Shane McGowan's teeth.
The breakthrough finally came - but when it did it was from an unexpected source. Having been the hero for most of the match, Bective's keeper became the villain of the piece when after making another brilliant save to deny a Juddernaut volley, he then flapped at the resulting corner to leave Smith with the easiest of chances to head in from a yard. Despite his protests to the referee that Smith had impaired his vision with the combined stench of a hundred urinals, the goal stood and the game was effectively safe.
The final ten minutes saw further chances go begging, as most of the Nomads team saw the opportunity to get on the scoresheet. This 'gung-ho' attitude did create a few ripples of concern in the Nomads defence, particularly from 'soapbox' Dean Joy, however Bective were never able to cause any real threat to Panter in the Nomads goal.
At the final whistle, Nomads were worthy winners and had they been able to finish off some of the second half chances, the scoreline could have been a lot worse for Bective. The win keeps Nomads in fourth spot and next week will see a big test for their unbeaten home record in the league as they entertain the current leaders Queen Eleanor.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (7) - Made a couple of saves early on but not much else to do
S Robinson (5) - First half performance was shocking/abysmal/woeful - just take your pick. Improved in the second period though
Joy (8) - Best game in a Nomads shirt to date. Managed to keep his potty mouth in check for most of the match
Massie (7) - Steady performance at the back and covered for Smith when required to
Smith (7) - Another strong aerial display. Caused emotional scarring to Panter and Evans with his 'hand down pants whilst leering at the Daily Sport' antics on the way to the game
Judd (7) - Unfortunate not to score this week, but guilty of not passing when team mates were better placed
Bright (7) - Won the midfield battle for most of the match but yet another poor headed miss from close range by Ray Reardon
Ingham (7) - Caused a lot of problems down the flank and should have added to his goal tally
Loake (7) - Dangerous from all dead ball situations as usual - underwear still shocking
Symington (7) - Linked up well with his strike partner and almost opened his account since return to club.
Good to see some things never change as chest still resembles a xylophone
D Robinson (9) - Caused the opposition defence problems all game and could easily have had a hat trick. Continues to come off early so can shower alone.
Evans (7) - Hoofed everything away in the last 10 minutes again
He lost possession and then decided to bring down the Welford player with a move that resembled a lion bringing down a gazelle.
NOMADS (1) 1 WELFORD (0) 0
Nomads picked up another valuable three points with a hard fought victory against a determined Welford side at Orlingbury Road, which keeps up their challenge for one of the promotion places following the enforced two week break because of bad weather.
For once, manager Nathan Eady only had to make one change from the previous starting eleven, with Gary Massie replacing Ben Evans who was unable to make the start of the game due to work commitments. Course, Alderman, Symington and Charsley were also unavailable, so Ross Martin returned to the squad from the reserves and the one and only Dan 'Foghorn' Clarke was also added to the substitute bench, albeit with the proviso that he only had ten minutes of playing time in him.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, G Massie, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, F Ingham, C Thurlow, D Robinson. Subs: R Martin, B Evans, D Clarke, G Wilson.
After another impressive warm up from Robbo, the first half got underway. Nomads started well and dominated both the possession and territorial advantage. It was crucial that this early pressure brought a goal and following one of Dean Joy's huge throw ins from the left, that is exactly what happened. Judd managed to get to the ball before the Welford keeper and in the scramble that followed, the ball was turned into the net by the Nomads version of Jimmy Krankie, Craig Thurlow.
Further chances to double the lead fell to both Thurlow and Robinson ,who were causing the square Welford defence problems with their pace, however they were unable to find the target when in good positions. This inability to get the second goal meant that Welford continued to stay in the game and gradually began to grow in confidence, using the extra man in midfield to good effect. However their final ball continually let them down and Panter was only troubled when Massie decided to try out a new trick which went completely wrong and put the opposition forward through on goal - thankfully the shot that followed was straight out of Robbo's best selling book 'How to put a ball in a hedge'.
As the half came to a close, Robbo was then fortunate not to be booked when after refusing to put the ball out for a throw when trapped in the corner, he lost possession and then decided to bring down the Welford player with a move that resembled a lion bringing down a gazelle.
A change was required at half time as Dan Robinson limped off for an early shower with a tight hamstring. Ingham was moved up front to support Thurlow, with Martin replacing him on the right of midfield.
As the second half wore on, Welford were having more and more of the ball, mainly due to the fact that Nomads were unable to keep possession for more than a couple of passes. Whilst they were still not able to force any meaningful saves from Panter, Nomads slender lead started to look more and more at risk as clearances were either rushed or sliced straight to an opponent. On the break, Ingham had a couple of good chances to put the game to bed, with one effort hitting the bar, but otherwise attempts on goal were few on the ground as the game became increasingly scrappy.
However the whole Nomads team dug in for the final ten minutes and eventually the referee's whistle signalled that they had won the three points. Whilst the performance was not as good as it has been in other games this season, it was good to see the result ground out when not playing as well as we can.
The win keeps Nomads in fourth place and we should be full of confidence as we look to make it three wins in a row at Bective Wanderers on Saturday.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (7) - Hardly had anything to do. Now chasing Van Der Sar's clean sheet record
Robinson (6) - One to forget. Should have been booked and distribution not up to his usual standards
Joy (7) - Found every bobble on the pitch in the first half. Booked in the second and involved in some handbags towards the end
Massie (7) - Swept up any potential danger to good effect - still only one trick in his locker though
Smith (7) - Never really broke sweat (which was lucky as it smells of wee)
Judd (8) - Worked hard and kept trying to create something throughout. Unlucky with a couple of volleys which just missed the target
Bright (7) - Headers went the right way this week
Ingham (7) - Did well both on the right and when switched up front and should have added to his goal tally
Loake (7) - Ran tirelessly up and down the left for the whole 90 minutes - underwear still shocking
Thurlow (9) - Another good all round display from Frodo, including the winning goal
Robinson (6) - Caused problems in the first half before getting injured
Martin (6) - Steady performance in the second half and even managed to win a header!
Evans (6) - Hoofed everything away in the last 10 minutes as instructed
"Whether it was because of the warm up, or whether it was because of the pre-match blast from the world renowned Eady hairdryer that left most of the players wishing they had the barnets like Panter, Joy and Bright"
NOMADS (2) 3 SPRATTON (0) 1
Robinson 2, Judd
Nomads inconsistent season continued with a much improved performance following the debacle against Stanwick last time out, ensuring that their unbeaten home record in the league remained intact.
As in recent weeks, manager Nathan Eady had Saturday morning selection headaches. With Massie and Course already unavailable, the squad size was reduced even further by the late withdrawals of Kyte and Symington. However Loake was back after a couple of weeks out with a twisted ankle and the big news was the re-signing of Paul Smith from Thrapston, in a major January transfer window swoop. Whilst Smith's inclusion did improve the numbers available for selection, it did mean that the smell of urine in the changing room that had been absent since former team ginger Kev Harmer became unavailable, was now back with eye-watering vengeance.
With only 13 players to pick from, Smith came straight into the back four to form a central defensive partnership with Ben Evans that had a combined age of almost 70. Eady prayed to the heavens that Spratton had no forwards with pace.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, F Ingham, C Thurlow, D Robinson. Subs: D Charsley, G Berbatov.
In an attempt to make sure that the team were actually focussed on the kick off this week, Robbo was appointed to take a much more professional warm up than the usual shambles that takes place. In an impressive display, he put the rest of the squad through their paces with a range of activities and stretching, including one bizarre move where players had to bend forward and touch the floor whilst kicking one foot up behind them. Most looked like fishes out of water with the exception of Joy, Loake and Panter who having spent a large part of their lives growing up in Rothwell, were all used to walking around with their knuckles dragging on the floor.
Whether it was because of the warm up, or whether it was because of the pre-match blast from the world renowned Eady hairdryer that left most of the players wishing they had barnets like Panter, Joy and Bright, Nomads got into their stride straight from the kick off and started to move the ball around with some good one and two touch passing. The early dominance was rewarded after quarter of an hour when after some good build up play from 'Inch High Private Eye' Thurlow down the right, the ball was cut back for Robinson to bury a shot into the far corner.
Crucially, unlike in previous games, a second goal quickly followed. After an initial shot had only been half cleared, the Juddernaut managed to be first to the ball and scuffed a shot into the bottom right hand corner which barely caused the net to ripple. With Spratton causing little problems for the Nomads defence, further chances continued to be carved out in the remainder of the half. Unfortunately these kept falling to those with less than an eye for goal - Briggy crashed a volley over the bar, Joy toe punted an effort wide and Robbo continued to hit a number of free kicks at a goal that obviously only he can see.
The second half began scrappily, and it was always going to be vital as to who scored the next goal. Spratton pushed hard to try and get back into the game and finally Panter had a couple of regulation saves to make. However the game was basically put to bed when Robinson rose to head in a cross from the left to make it 3-0. After this there were few real chances created by either side with highlights being Joy's ball juggling in the centre circle and Panter's dodgy throw outs which could not reach the player they were intended for.
With 15 minutes left, Spratton got a consolation goal when Briggy glanced a cross from the right off his biscuit tin head and into his own net. However the defence refused to be beaten again and with Smith seeming to get a second wind from somewhere, saw out the game comfortably.
The win lifts Nomads up into fourth and the runners up spot is still very much up for grabs if they can start to put a run of performances like this one together.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (6) - Little to do for Friedel, but kicking was better this week. Good save at the end kept it to just one goal conceded.
Robinson (7) - Nice link up play with Loake down the left. Shooting practice down the park booked in.
Joy (7) - Managed to keep his potty mouth in check after his Tourrets attack in the last game.
Evans (6) - Steady display from Taffy, and actually managed not to boot out any balls down the pitch into touch!
Smith (8) - Excellent debut and won everything in the air. Forwards never got near him but this could be due to his aftershave 'Urine for Men'.
Judd (7) - Better display from the Juddernaut, with larger percentage of passes reaching their intended target than in previous weeks.
Bright (8) - As usual tackled everything that moved. Blotted his copy book with a couple of dodgy headers, including an own goal.
Ingham (6) - Quiet game on the right this week.
Loake (6) - Struggled at first but gradually got into the game. As usual, dead ball delivery was excellent.
Thurlow (7) - Hard working display from 'Bilbo', and was a willing target man throughout.
Robinson (9) - Scored two and should have had a hat trick but for bad miss. Needs to work on pre match excuses, as a 'dodgy kebab' does not wash it when hungover.
Charsley (6) - Great cross from the right, awful one from the left - says it all for 'Spender'.
Berbatov (7) - Nice cameo performance, including a nutmeg with first touch and even managed to track back and put in a couple of tackles!
Thurs Apr 23rd
EARLSBARTON (1) 1 NOMADS (0) 1
Thurs Apr 23rd EARLSBARTON (1) 1 NOMADS (0) 1 Symington Nomads produced another Jeckyll and Hyde performance as they battled back from conceding an early goal to force a well deserved draw away to an in form Earls Barton side. Following it's roaring success last time out, manager Eady stuck with an attacking 4-3-3 formation as Nomads looked to avenge the defeat inflicted on them by the same opponents two weeks earlier. However the usual end of season midweek game problems were there in abundance before the kick off, with a combination of players being unavailable and players unable to find the ground due to a switch of location. Eady himself had obviously decided to visit the local swimming baths before arriving, as he yet again seemed to be sporting a rather well inflated rubber ring beneath his 'bulging at the seams' polo shirt! Pint sized poacher Craig Thurlow returned to the squad, as did Fraser Ingham and Ashley Alderman. Dean Joy was out injured, plus Adam Loake and Scott Robinson were unavailable, so Gavin Lee kept his place for a rare start and 'Lord Lucan' Russell Course finally surfaced after several months absence - albeit looking like a down on his luck, slightly overweight surfer dude, complete with dodgy tan and streaked blonde highlights! Starting Line Up: S Panter, G Lee, B Evans, P Smith, G Massie, A Alderman, C Bright, C Judd, D Charsley, I Symington, C Thurlow. Subs: F Ingham, R Course. With the pre match preparations/warm up non-existent due to the late arrival of several players, Nomads started extremely sluggishly against an Earls Barton side who were full of confidence on the back of their recent League Cup final victory. With the midfield three of Alderman, Judd and Bright struggling to come to terms with the opposition's movement, most of the early possession was with the home side. With the pressure growing as the minutes went by, it was only a matter of time before Earls Bartons dominance brought them the first goal. A ball into the box fell perfectly into the path of the incoming midfield player who side footed his shot into the far corner. Nomads tried to respond to the early setback, but their poor form continued as they either gave away possession cheaply or resorted to long balls for the three forwards to try and make something out of. The Earls Barton midfield were being given far too much time and space and Nomads were fortunate that they were unable to create any further clear cut openings in the first half despite enjoying the large percentage of possession. With the exhausted Gavin Lee replaced by Ingham at half time, Nomads came out with a more determined look about them. As the half wore on, they finally began to get the ball down and started to cause the Earls Barton defence a few problems through the work rate of Charsley, Thurlow and Symington. At the other end, Panter once again had little to do, but it started to look like Nomads would go home empty handed as chances came and went and the clock ticked by. However with ten minutes to go they finally got their deserved equaliser. A long throw from Massie was flicked on at the near post by Course and Symington smashed it into the roof of the net at the second attempt. Nomads pressed hard for the winner and Thurlow in particular was unlucky with a difficult far post volley that just missed the target. At the final whistle, a draw was probably a fair result, although a point was not really what either side wanted. Nomads final game is against already promoted Corby Kingfisher in what is sure to be a tough end of season encounter. A win will see them secure sixth place, in a season that promised much but tailed off due to some inconsistent performances. Individual Ratings out of 10 Panter (7) - Kicked well and also managed not to knock off any of the large scabs on his right knee. Evans (7) - Continually grappled with a tricky opponent and gave as good as he got throughout. Lucky not to give away two stone wall penalties. Bright (8) - Ran himself into the ground as he tried to cover the gaps that were appearing in the midfield area. Judd (6) - Looked out of sorts in the first half but improved as the game went on. Charsley (6) - Worked hard as usual but disappointing end product for most of the match. Symington (8) - Another who worked his socks off in the second half and deservedly got on the scoresheet. Ingham (6) - Came on for the second half at full back and dealt with any threats competently. Course (6) - Only on for ten minutes but set up the equaliser.
Lee (5) - Struggled with the pace of the game and looked extremely rusty.
Massie (7) - Another consistent display but needs to realise that he does not have the forty yard diagonal ball in his range of passing.
Smith (7) - Strong performance from the ginger stink bag as he slowly but surely engulfed his opponent in a urine soaked 'pea souper'.
Alderman (6) - Tried to play football whenever he could but struggled to make an impact.
Thurlow (8) - Guilty of yet another bout of 'small man temper' which got him booked, but commitment could not be questioned.
"Whether it was because of the warm up, or whether it was because of the pre-match blast from the world renowned Eady hairdryer that left most of the players wishing they had the barnets like Panter, Joy and Bright"
NOMADS (2) 3 SPRATTON (0) 1
Robinson 2, Judd
Nomads inconsistent season continued with a much improved performance following the debacle against Stanwick last time out, ensuring that their unbeaten home record in the league remained intact.
As in recent weeks, manager Nathan Eady had Saturday morning selection headaches. With Massie and Course already unavailable, the squad size was reduced even further by the late withdrawals of Kyte and Symington. However Loake was back after a couple of weeks out with a twisted ankle and the big news was the re-signing of Paul Smith from Thrapston, in a major January transfer window swoop. Whilst Smith's inclusion did improve the numbers available for selection, it did mean that the smell of urine in the changing room that had been absent since former team ginger Kev Harmer became unavailable, was now back with eye-watering vengeance.
With only 13 players to pick from, Smith came straight into the back four to form a central defensive partnership with Ben Evans that had a combined age of almost 70. Eady prayed to the heavens that Spratton had no forwards with pace.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, F Ingham, C Thurlow, D Robinson. Subs: D Charsley, G Berbatov.
In an attempt to make sure that the team were actually focussed on the kick off this week, Robbo was appointed to take a much more professional warm up than the usual shambles that takes place. In an impressive display, he put the rest of the squad through their paces with a range of activities and stretching, including one bizarre move where players had to bend forward and touch the floor whilst kicking one foot up behind them. Most looked like fishes out of water with the exception of Joy, Loake and Panter who having spent a large part of their lives growing up in Rothwell, were all used to walking around with their knuckles dragging on the floor.
Whether it was because of the warm up, or whether it was because of the pre-match blast from the world renowned Eady hairdryer that left most of the players wishing they had barnets like Panter, Joy and Bright, Nomads got into their stride straight from the kick off and started to move the ball around with some good one and two touch passing. The early dominance was rewarded after quarter of an hour when after some good build up play from 'Inch High Private Eye' Thurlow down the right, the ball was cut back for Robinson to bury a shot into the far corner.
Crucially, unlike in previous games, a second goal quickly followed. After an initial shot had only been half cleared, the Juddernaut managed to be first to the ball and scuffed a shot into the bottom right hand corner which barely caused the net to ripple. With Spratton causing little problems for the Nomads defence, further chances continued to be carved out in the remainder of the half. Unfortunately these kept falling to those with less than an eye for goal - Briggy crashed a volley over the bar, Joy toe punted an effort wide and Robbo continued to hit a number of free kicks at a goal that obviously only he can see.
The second half began scrappily, and it was always going to be vital as to who scored the next goal. Spratton pushed hard to try and get back into the game and finally Panter had a couple of regulation saves to make. However the game was basically put to bed when Robinson rose to head in a cross from the left to make it 3-0. After this there were few real chances created by either side with highlights being Joy's ball juggling in the centre circle and Panter's dodgy throw outs which could not reach the player they were intended for.
With 15 minutes left, Spratton got a consolation goal when Briggy glanced a cross from the right off his biscuit tin head and into his own net. However the defence refused to be beaten again and with Smith seeming to get a second wind from somewhere, saw out the game comfortably.
The win lifts Nomads up into fourth and the runners up spot is still very much up for grabs if they can start to put a run of performances like this one together.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (6) - Little to do for Friedel, but kicking was better this week. Good save at the end kept it to just one goal conceded.
Robinson (7) - Nice link up play with Loake down the left. Shooting practice down the park booked in.
Joy (7) - Managed to keep his potty mouth in check after his Tourrets attack in the last game.
Evans (6) - Steady display from Taffy, and actually managed not to boot out any balls down the pitch into touch!
Smith (8) - Excellent debut and won everything in the air. Forwards never got near him but this could be due to his aftershave 'Urine for Men'.
Judd (7) - Better display from the Juddernaut, with larger percentage of passes reaching their intended target than in previous weeks.
Bright (8) - As usual tackled everything that moved. Blotted his copy book with a couple of dodgy headers, including an own goal.
Ingham (6) - Quiet game on the right this week.
Loake (6) - Struggled at first but gradually got into the game. As usual, dead ball delivery was excellent.
Thurlow (7) - Hard working display from 'Bilbo', and was a willing target man throughout.
Robinson (9) - Scored two and should have had a hat trick but for bad miss. Needs to work on pre match excuses, as a 'dodgy kebab' does not wash it when hungover.
Charsley (6) - Great cross from the right, awful one from the left - says it all for 'Spender'.
Berbatov (7) - Nice cameo performance, including a nutmeg with first touch and even managed to track back and put in a couple of tackles!
Robbo was also absent as he had not quite finalised his new deal with Hawaiin Tropic
Thurs Apr 9th
NOMADS (0) 1 EARLS BARTON (0) 3
Thurlow
Nomads miserable recent form continued as they slipped to a third consecutive defeat against an in form Earls Barton at Orlingbury Road. As in the previous two losses, Nomads scored first, but were unable to hold on to the lead as a mixture of sloppy defending and some bad luck cost them the three points.
As is usually the case for mid-week matches, gaffer Nathan Eady was forced to call upon a couple of reserve players to help bolster the first team squad. Whilst Briggy returned from the injury picked up a couple of weeks ago, skipper Colin Judd was kissing the blarney stone in Ireland and Robbo was also absent as he had not quite finalised his new deal with Hawaiin Tropic. As he shuffled the pack, Eady switched Ben Evans to left back, Gary Massie moved to centre half and Jimmy Nail lookalike Charsley made a rare start on the left.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, G Massie, A Loake, C Bright, D Charsley, F Ingham, I Symington, C Thurlow. Subs: A Hobson, R Castka.
Following the classic 'Sunday morning' warm up where balls were peppered at Panter from all angles, the game got underway. Nomads started the better of the two teams and had most of the early pressure, forcing several corners. A couple of half chances were created from the long throws of Dean Joy, however as has been the case in recent games, the home side could not carve out any real threats on the Earls Barton goal with the ball constantly up in the air. Both teams were finding the bobbly pitch difficult to play on and possession was squandered on numerous occasions as player's first touches were given a severe test. The half ended as it had began with Nomads doing most of the pressing but the quality of the final ball not being up to the standard that was required.
With the half time oranges sloshing around in their bellies, Nomads tried to lift their game in the second period. After a couple of further near misses their efforts were rewarded when they grabbed the vital first goal. A long throw from Joy was flicked on at the near post by Charsley which then dropped invitingly to Tiny Tim Thurlow at the far post, allowing him to score with a cool side foot finish. Strangely, instead of being the platform for Nomads to go on and win the game, the goal suddenly sparked Earls Barton onto life and with their first notable effort on goal they hauled themselves level. An attempted headed clearance by Smith bounced off fellow defender Evans and although the Earls Barton striker completely mis-hit his shot, this meant that the ball swerved away from Panter and into the corner of the net.
Things then got even worse for the home side as Earls Barton then got their noses in front. Another cross from the left was not cleared and although Panter parried the initial snap shot, the Earls Barton players reacted quickest to knock in the rebound. Nomads pushed desparately for an equaliser but were unable to pierce the resolute back line of the away side. The final nail in the coffin came when despite numerous shouts of 'stand up, don't foul' from his panic stricken team-mates, Charsley clumsily tripped up an opponent in the box with one of his crocodile shoes, to give away a stone wall penalty which was converted with ease.
Nomads must now try and lift themselves for their final home game of the season on Saturday against Bective Wanderers, in an attempt to put an end to the recent poor run of results.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (6) - Steady game from the follically challenged shot stopper. Far too much use of the word 'sorry' when not coming to claim the ball.
Joy (5) - Never settled on the bobbly pitch and had the worst first touch on show for the majority of the match.
Evans (7) - Resolute defending from Ivor the Engine, and even managed to put in a couple of balls that actually went where he was aiming! Bright (6) - Stand in skipper put in his usual hard working stint, fluffed a header from six yards again, but slightly better rallying cries than the usual captain.
Massie (6) - Fairly uneventful game this week. Threw his hat into the ring on several occasions for worst header seen in the 90 minutes.
Smith (6) - Booked for the second week running for a horrendous two footed challenge which left the unfortunate opponent smelling like a persistent bed wetter.
Charsley (5) - Played out of position on the left which should have been easy due to his two left feet!! Guilty of giving away the penalty for the third goal.
Loake (7) - Battled away in the centre of the park throughout. Now on the look out for new 'Winky Watch' shower victims following Dan Robinson's departure.
Ingham (6) - Wasn't able to get the better of a younger and quicker opponent, but a better display than in his previous outing (not saying a lot though!).
Thurlow (6) - Another poacher's goal for the pint sized Birthday Boy, who then quickly departed for jelly and ice cream/pass the parcel at his after match party.
Symington (6) - Chased down every long punt forward (of which there were many) but struggled to make a real impact this week.
....this meant that his kicking in the first quarter of an hour appeared to be straight out of the manual of Nathan Heads!!!
Sat March 28th
NOMADS (0) 1 JK BLISWORTH (1) 2
Own goal
Nomads suffered a severe case of deja vu as they lost out at home by a single goal for the second week running. Despite dominating a large proportion of the game, their inability to convert any of the number of chances created, saw them beaten by a late sucker punch as they pushed for the winner themselves.
As seems to be the case every week, enforced changes were required to the starting line up. Chris Bright had failed to recover from the knock picked up last time out against Kingfisher, Dan Robinson was still absent without leave and Ashley Alderman once again had work commitments. However Fraser Ingham had managed to shake off the nasty bout of Corbyitis that had caused him to miss last week's match and manager Nathan Eady also handed a place on the bench to young Gareth Pope. The changes meant that Ingham lined up on his usual right flank with one trick pony Gary Massie moved inside to partner Judd in the engine room of central midfield.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, C Judd, G Massie, A Loake, F Ingham, I Symington, C Thurlow. Subs: D Charsley, G Pope.
Following the unfortunate defeat of last week, Nomads were looking to bounce straight back with a good performance. However with the traditional Isham gale force ten wing blowing directly down the pitch, the conditions were always going to be a contributory factor to the outcome of the game. Nomads kicked off against the wind and seemed to be unable to string any passes of note together. Panter was still feeling the effects of his Friday night out and this meant that his kicking in the first quarter of an hour appeared to be straight out of the manual of Nathan Heads.
After wasting a couple of good positions where the final ball let them down, Nomads fell behind. A corner from the left was whipped in and Ingham completely lost his opponent, leaving the Blisworth striker the easiest of unchallenged headers from six yards out. As Nomads attempted to rally, things suddenly got worse, when yet again they were on the wrong end of a ludicrous decision by the referee who awarded a penalty for a so called hand ball by Ben Evans. The urine soaked protests from Smith were waved away and the Blisworth player stepped up to the spot. For once the luck was with the home side as the shot crashed against the bar and was subsequently hoofed away to safety.
Half time came and Eady cranked up the hair dryer as he tried to raise Nomads from their first half slumber. Dean Joy nervously adjusted his head guard as he ensured that he did not spend the second week running picking bits of plastic out of his skull after being on the wrong end of a cup when caught sniggering during the mid-game team talk.
With the wind now in their favour, Nomads began the second half in much brighter fashion and started to cause the Blisworth defence some problems as they found it difficult to get out of their half. Further chances went begging as Ingham in particular seemed to have left his crossing and shooting boots firmly at home. With Panter a shivering bystander, the pressure continued to build and eventually the breakthrough came. Loake swung in a wicked free kick from the right which was turned into his own net by the chest of one of the Blisworth defenders.
Nomads pushed for the decisive second goal and it looked as though it was only a matter of time before it came. Symington and Thurlow were in a running battle with the two Blisworth centre halves which culminated in some severe verbals, flicking of testicles and then Thurlow diving outrageously when slightly caught in the face by a flailing hand.
With time ticking away, Eady threw on both substitutes and changed to a 3-4-3 formation. However the pattern continued as despite having most of the ball, Nomads just couldn't find the vital final ball when it mattered.
Just as looked that the game would end in a draw, Blisworth snatched the three points with a late winner. Pope failed to clear the ball into touch and instead gave it straight to his opponent. This left the remaining defenders outnumbered and the Blisworth striker calmly brought the ball under control, side stepped Evans who slipped over and skidded harmlessly by, and then placed his shot past the advancing Panter in off the far post. Despite there being little time left, Nomads thought they had salvaged a point when Thurlow got on the end of a long punt from Panter, but again the referee had clearly never played the game and disallowed the goal for an alleged push by the pint sized front man.
Nomads must now wait until next Thursday for their next game which sees an evening kick off against Earls Barton.
Individual Ratings out of 10 Panter (6) - Dodgy opening to the game but once again was only called upon to pick the ball out of the net. Joy (7) - Tried to get forward as much as possible and won his fair share of first ball. Quiet as a gagged mouse during the half time team talk. Judd (6) - Wasn't able to influence the game as much as in previous weeks. Massie (6) - Never really able to get into the game, whether in central midfield or on the left. Ingham (5) - Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear - enough said!! Symington (6) - The gypsies whippet buzzed about, but couldn't really create any clear cut chances. Charsley (6) - Put himself about in typically robust fashion when introduced towards the end of the game. Pope (5) - Unfortunately was at fault for the winning goal.
Robinson (7) - Steady performance this week. Tan did appear to be in danger of washing off in the pre-match downpour.
Evans (7) - Gave away the 'penalty' and was hilarious as he was left on his backside as the winning goal was developing.
Smith (7) - Booked for his repeated protests to the referee that he had not weed in his shorts and that he always smells like that!
Loake (8) - Looked a different player once switched to the middle and seemed to be everywhere in the second half. Shocked everyone by wearing Dan Robinson's pants before the game.
Thurlow (6) - Worked hard as usual but Troyer was lucky not to be adding to his numerous bookings for dissent.
The first half came to a close with Nomads deservedly in front and with Panter feeling confident of a fourth clean sheet in five games. Sat March 21st NOMADS (1) 1 CORBY KINGFISHER (0) 2 Nomads did not have any luck with them as they slipped to their seventh defeat of the season at home to Corby Kingfisher. Despite putting in a performance that deserved at least a point from the game, a combination of poor decisions by the referee and a couple of individual errors meant that Nomads slipped down a place to fourth in the table. Boss Nathan Eady was yet again unable to field an unchanged side from that which won so impressively last time out. Dan Robinson dropped out on the morning of the match after realising that all of his Jeff Banks underwear was in the washing and Fraser Ingham was unable to pass a fitness test on his injured calf. However with Gary Massie and Briggy both returning after being absent last week, the squad still had thirteen to choose from. Massie therefore replaced Ingham on the right of midfield and Briggy came back into his usual central midfield role, releasing gypsie's whippet Symington to partner Thurlow in attack. Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, G Massie, I Symington, C Thurlow. Subs: D Charsley, A Alderman. With Kingfisher in a rich vein of form at the moment, Nomads knew that they would have to start well if they were to give themselves a chance of picking up another three points. Impressively this is what they did and after causing a couple of corners straight from the kick off, they put themselves one up when a third Loake corner from the left was turned into his own net by one of the Kingfisher defenders. There were pathetic attempts from both Bright and Smith to try and blag the goal for themselves, however on the basis that the ball was knocked in from a yard it was clearly too far out for Briggy, and as the ball did not smell like a yellow urinal block, it had obviously not been touched by Smith. The early setback stung Kingfisher into action and they began to try and exert some pressure of their own on the Nomads goal. However they were having problems with the high tempo that the home side were playing with and Nomads were constantly winning the lion's share of first and second ball. Whilst the back four were comfortably dealing with the long ball game that Kingfisher were employing, at the other end, Thurlow and Symington were constant thorns in the sides of the away side's defence. Had Thurlow actually been 5 foot six as he so ridiculously claims, he may well have been able to reach a shot from Judd that went agonisingly wide. The first half came to a close with Nomads deservedly in front and with Panter feeling confident of a fourth clean sheet in five games. Kingfisher started the second half with more urgency in their play and began to grab a strangle hold on the possession. Slowly but surely they forced Nomads deeper and deeper and errors began to creep into the home side's play. Having survived a couple of scares, the equaliser finally came after an hour when Joy missed the ball when attempting to head a long through ball back to Panter, leaving the Kingfisher striker to prod the ball into the bottom corner. With Nomads now on the back foot, Kingfisher smelt blood, however to their credit Nomads fought back and almost immediately thought that they had gone back in front when a free kick from Robbo went under the Kingfisher keeper. Unfortunately the referee chose to agree with the dubious offside decision from the Kingfisher linesman despite heated protests from the Nomads players. This was to be a real turning point as Kingfisher then went straight down the other end to go in front themselves when Joy was outpaced and then megged by the opposition striker before he smashed an unstoppable shot into the far corner. With time ticking away, Nomads were suddenly handed a lifeline when the referee awarded a penalty following a blatant push on Bright. Top scorer Thurlow stepped up but hit his shot against the foot of the post to signify that it was definitely not going to be Nomads day. With just five games to go, it is looking increasingly unlikely that Nomads will be able to gain immediate promotion back into the Premier division, however with the league being so tight it still remains a possibility. Next Saturday sees yet another home tie, this time against Blisworth, and Nomads will be looking to bounce straight back from this week's frustrating result. Individual Ratings out of 10 Panter (7) - Didn't really have a lot to do. Relieved to have got away with tripping over the frame of the sightscreen without anyone seeing. Joy (6) - Unfortunately was at fault for both goals. Has assured all that he will not be out on it this Friday!! Nice touch to let Thurlow use his top as a towel after the game. Judd (7) - Got into some good positions but final ball let him down. Massie (7) - Despite a lot of practising in the week, was unable to actually carry off any new tricks in what is still a very tiny locker. Symington (7) - Got fouled more times than the show ring at Crufts, but his romany wireness saw him battle on regardless. Charsley (6) - Decent last ten minutes from Silenzi. Alderman (6) - Not really able to make much of an impression in the limited time available.
Robinson (7) - Defended well for the second week running and was denied a goal by the dodgy ref.
Evans (7) - Unbelievably managed to keep the ball on the pitch for 90 minutes yet again!
Smith (7) - Smelly performance as he baked under the hot sun but kept a fairly tight grip on his nippy opponent.
Bright (8) - The 'count' sucked the life out of the opposition in the first half and kept battling for the entire 90 minutes.
Loake (7) - Another who put in a decent shift down the left flank, but underwear situation is rapidly reaching crisis point!
Thurlow (7) - Not many chances this week for Nomads top scoring Ewok.
Nomads started the game at a high tempo as they looked to get the early advantage in what was bound to be a hotly contested local derby
NOMADS (2) 3 PUNJAB UTD (0) 0
Judd, Thurlow (2)
Nomads got back to winning ways after last week's disappointing display, with a polished performance against local rivals Punjab at a blustery Orlingbury Road.
As in recent weeks, boss Nathan Eady was forced to tinker with his starting eleven. Gary Massie was unavailable as he was away watching Amir Khan (and also because he wanted to watch the Man Utd v Liverpool game) and Briggy also missed the chance to line up against his former side when he decided to enter into the Regional heats of the Ray Reardon lookalike competition instead. With Alderman missing again due to work commitments and Martin selected for the reserves, youngster Gareth Pope was added to the squad. Ingham was re-instated into his usual right hand side position, Ben Evans came in at centre half and pikey Symington partnered Judd in central midfield.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, C Judd, I Symington, A Loake, F Ingham, D Robinson, C Thurlow. Subs: G Wilson, D Charsley, G Pope.
Nomads started the game at a high tempo as they looked to get the early advantage in what was bound to be a hotly contested local derby. Whilst the strong wind and hard ground made it difficult for flowing football, Nomads were always quicker to the ball and slowly but surely grew in confidence as Punjab seemed unable to respond.
After a couple of early half chances went begging, Nomads got the vital first goal. A Robbo free kick was latched onto by Judd, who cleverly fllicked the ball into space before unleashing a thundering left foot volley into the opposite corner.
This finally awoke Punjab from their slumber and the game started to become more stretched as they strived for an equaliser. Twice Nomad's slender lead was only kept intact by the frame of the goal as first Panter tipped a shot onto the post and then from a scramble in the box, a shot grazed the crossbar. However Nomads rode the storm with some resolute defending from the back four and continued to create chances of their own. With half time beckoning, Nomads then doubled their lead in similar circumstances to the first goal. Another Robbo free kick was arrowed into the heart of the Punjab defence, and smallest man on the park Thurlow was able to guide it unchallenged past the opposition keeper.
As expected, Punjab came out for the second half with a rollicking ringing in their ears and began to try and increase the pressure on the Nomads goal. However despite them having the lion's share of possession, Nomads were defending well and cleared most of the danger before it got near to Panter. Friedel was then forced into a good save low down to his left which the Punjab player following up should have done better with but the shot went horribly wide.
The game became more open as Punjab desperately tried to get back in it, and Nomads could have scored a third on a number of occasions as good opportunities were squandered by Symington, Judd and Ingham. However the result was put to bed when Thurlow was given far too much room in the box to be able to acrobatically shoot into the bottom corner.
The win sees Nomads leapfrog their opponents into third in the table and they will need to produce a similar display next week in what will be another tough game against an in form Corby Kingfisher side.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (7) - Confident all round display from Friedel. Only hacked a couple of kicks this week.
Robinson (7) - Great delivery for the first two goals. Seemed back to his confident self - possible as a result of extra tanning sessions in the week.
Joy (7) - Solid defensive display from Potty Mouth. Was left eating daisies at one point in the second half after being barged off the ball by his opponent.
Evans (9) - Rolled back the years and didn't put a foot wrong or kick the ball out of play once!!.
Smith (8) - Dealt with any threat competently and immersed Punjab forwards in a urine soaked smog for the entire 90 minutes.
Judd (8) - Another great volley from the Juddernaut. Won fair share of tackles in his new defensive midfield role.
Symington (8) - Constant thorn in Punjab's side and sold several bags of heather and pegs to the watching spectators to boot!.
Ingham (7) - Gave their left back a torrid time throughout.
Loake (7) - Continues to be a threat from dead ball situations - still looks like he picks his underwear in the dark.
Thurlow (8) - Two more goals sniffed out by the tufty haired pygmy.
Robinson (7) - Not as effective as in other games but worked hard for the team - showered alone yet again!.
Charsley (6) - Not on for long but Spender managed not to get any scuffs on his crocodile shoes
Wilson (6) - Took a rabbit punch to the nose and needed a tampon up each nostril to curb the flow of blood.
Pope (6) - Couple of nice touches in short spell on the pitch.
The first goal was always going to be vital and it was the visitors who got it on the half hour mark.
NOMADS (0) 1 GREAT HOUGHTON (1) 4
Symington
Nomads unbeaten home record in the league was ended in emphatic style, after a series of defensive errors saw them comprehensively beaten by top of the table Great Houghton.
With the gaffer Nathan Eady back at the helm following his trip to Spain, for once he had virtually a full strength squad to pick from as Nomads looked to keep their recent impressive run of victories going. With Charsley and Alderman both declaring themselves fit and Thurlow available again after a stint as an oompa loompa at Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, the only absentee was Ingham. This meant Thurlow was re-installed up front with everyone's favourite Romany, Ian Symington, switched to the right of midfield, in an otherwise unchanged starting eleven.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, G Massie, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, I Symington, D Robinson, C Thurlow. Subs: B Evans, G Wilson, D Charsley, A Alderman, R Martin.
Nomads kicked off the first half with the wind at their backs and the opening exchanges were fairly even as both sides tried to come to terms with the blustery conditions and rock hard playing surface.
Although having the lion's share of the possession, Great Houghton were unable to find a way through the Nomads defence, whilst at the other end, half chances fell to Thurlow, Robinson and Judd but these all failed to hit the target. Robbo then did the unthinkable and actually struck a decent free kick which looked to be heading fro the top corner but unfortunately just drifted wide.
The first goal was always going to be vital and it was the visitors who got it on the half hour mark. Smith mis-judged a long ball down the middle and as the Great Houghton forward bore down on goal he was clipped by Gary Massie's last ditch attempt to reach the ball. Despite still getting his shot away, which was well saved by Friedel, the referee blew for a penalty which was expertly dispatched into the bottom corner of Panter's net.
After some stern words at half time from Eady, Nomads started the second half on the front foot as they pressed for an equaliser. However their final ball continued to let them down and they were rarely able to test the opposition keeper. As they continued to try and get back on level terms, Nomads were then guilty of two more defensive lapses in the space of five minutes which effectively meant the game was over. First Massie lost out in a 50-50 challenge and although Briggy tried to cover, he missed his attempted clearance, which left the Great Houghton striker free to calmly slot the ball past Panter. Then a long diagonal ball from the right was missed by everyone and allowed Great Houghton's tricky left winger to ghost in unchallenged before coolly slipping the ball through Panter's legs as he tried to close the angle.
A fourth Great Houghton goal soon followed as the Nomads defending started to border on shambolic and Panter then had to spread himself at the feet of one of the opposition strikers to prevent the scoreline becoming worse. Nomads finally got on the scoresheet when Symington latched on to a chip from the left to slot the ball into the bottom corner but it was merely a consolation when the final whistle came.
Once again Nomads inability to deal with opponents who were up for the physical battle let them down and whilst they remain fourth in the table, several teams below have a number of games in hand. Next week sees a real six pointer as third placed Punjab Utd come to Orlingbury Road in what is sure to be a frantic local derby.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (6) - Little chance with the goals and handling was assured throughout.
Robinson (5) - Form continues to fade like his early season tan. Free kicks were much better this week though.
Joy (6) - Tough game against a tricky opponent. Swearing kept to a minimum which was a surprise considering the result.
Massie (5) - Bad day at the office. Gave away the penalty and partially at fault for the second goal. Needs to add more tricks to his locker.
Smith (6) - Tired looking display and continues to find every patch of treacle on the pitch.
Judd (5) - Unable to find any creativity this week and needlessly booked yet again for bleating to the referee.
Bright (6) - Huffed and puffed but wasn't allowed to stamp any authority on the game. Excellent reaction to the 'Reardon' references though.
Symington (7) - Scored the only goal and also scythed down an opponent to boot - possibly as a result of non payment for some recent drive tarmaccing.
Loake (6) - Quiet for long periods - underwear worse than ever.
Thurlow (6) - Worked hard, but little impact on the game from Frodo this week.
Robinson (5) - Another who had a real off day and got involved in too many petulant scuffles.
Evans (6) - Not on for long but nice skirmish at the end as the red mist descended
Alderman (5) - Difficult to get involved follwing his return from the dreaded glangle fever.
Charsley (5) - Not sure any proper touch of the ball was achieved by Silenzi during his ten minutes on the pitch.
The breakthrough finally came - but when it did, it was from an unexpected source.
BECTIVE WANDERERS (0) 0 NOMADS (1) 2
Nomads took maximum points for the third game in a row, following a polished all round display away to Bective Wanderers. The win keeps them in the hunt for one of the promotion places as they now start a run of five successive home games. With manager Nathan Eady away in Barcelona eating a marathon (sorry, watching a marathon) it was left to his more than capable assistant Panter to take up the match day reins, with touchline help from Barry Chuckle look-alike John Brown. Again there was only one change required from the previous starting eleven, with gypsies whippet Ian Symington available again to replace top scorer Craig Thurlow who was away at a reunion with Snow White and the other six dwarves. Course and Alderman were still unavailable and there were also late withdrawals from Charsley and Martin, which left a threadbare squad of 13. Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, G Massie, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, F Ingham, I Symington, D Robinson. Subs: B Evans, G Wilson. The first half began with Nomads kicking against the considerable slope of the Bective pitch. The home side started the brighter and created a good early opportunity which Panter saved well with his feet. The game was surprisingly open and both teams began to carve out a series of chances as possession was needlessly squandered on numerous occasions. The Nomads defence was looking a lot more vulnerable that in recent weeks. This was due to a combination of Smith struggling with the 'popped fibres' in his hamstring, which meant he constantly seemed to be running through treacle, and Robbo having an absolute shocker of a first half where everything he did just went horribly wrong. Thankfully Bective were unable to take advantage of this and it was Nomads who slowly started to get the ball down and play the way that they know they can. The Bective keeper was having an inspired game and made wonder saves from both Symington and Judd to keep the game scoreless. However the deadlock was finally broken when Dan Robinson nodded in a corner from the left from close range. Nomads survived another scare just before the break when Bective caught them on the counter attack and a deft chip from the striker came back off the bar with Friedel well beaten. At the other end, Ingham missed a great chance to double the lead as he shot wide when it seemed easier to score and so Nomads went in with just the one goal advantage at half time. With Nomads now kicking with the slope, they started the second half with all guns blazing and pushed the Bective defence back inside their own box on numerous occasions. However the opposition keeper continued to frustrate them with further saves from Robinson, Symington and Judd. With Briggy chipping in with his now customary shocking miss from six yards, Panter became a virtual spectator as the away side pushed for the crucial second goal, and slowly but surely the Bective defence began to have more gaps in it than Shane McGowan's teeth. The breakthrough finally came - but when it did it was from an unexpected source. Having been the hero for most of the match, Bective's keeper became the villain of the piece when after making another brilliant save to deny a Juddernaut volley, he then flapped at the resulting corner to leave Smith with the easiest of chances to head in from a yard. Despite his protests to the referee that Smith had impaired his vision with the combined stench of a hundred urinals, the goal stood and the game was effectively safe. The final ten minutes saw further chances go begging, as most of the Nomads team saw the opportunity to get on the scoresheet. This 'gung-ho' attitude did create a few ripples of concern in the Nomads defence, particularly from 'soapbox' Dean Joy, however Bective were never able to cause any real threat to Panter in the Nomads goal. At the final whistle, Nomads were worthy winners and had they been able to finish off some of the second half chances, the scoreline could have been a lot worse for Bective. The win keeps Nomads in fourth spot and next week will see a big test for their unbeaten home record in the league as they entertain the current leaders Queen Eleanor. Individual Ratings out of 10 Panter (7) - Made a couple of saves early on but not much else to do S Robinson (5) - First half performance was shocking/abysmal/woeful - just take your pick. Improved in the second period though Joy (8) - Best game in a Nomads shirt to date. Managed to keep his potty mouth in check for most of the match Massie (7) - Steady performance at the back and covered for Smith when required to Judd (7) - Unfortunate not to score this week, but guilty of not passing when team mates were better placed Ingham (7) - Caused a lot of problems down the flank and should have added to his goal tally Good to see some things never change as chest still resembles a xylophone D Robinson (9) - Caused the opposition defence problems all game and could easily have had a hat trick. Continues to come off early so can shower alone. Evans (7) - Hoofed everything away in the last 10 minutes again
Smith (7) - Another strong aerial display. Caused emotional scarring to Panter and Evans with his 'hand down pants whilst leering at the Daily Sport' antics on the way to the game
Bright (7) - Won the midfield battle for most of the match but yet another poor headed miss from close range by Ray Reardon
Loake (7) - Dangerous from all dead ball situations as usual - underwear still shocking
Symington (7) - Linked up well with his strike partner and almost opened his account since return to club.
He lost possession and then decided to bring down the Welford player with a move that resembled a lion bringing down a gazelle.
NOMADS (1) 1 WELFORD (0) 0
Nomads picked up another valuable three points with a hard fought victory against a determined Welford side at Orlingbury Road, which keeps up their challenge for one of the promotion places following the enforced two week break because of bad weather.
For once, manager Nathan Eady only had to make one change from the previous starting eleven, with Gary Massie replacing Ben Evans who was unable to make the start of the game due to work commitments. Course, Alderman, Symington and Charsley were also unavailable, so Ross Martin returned to the squad from the reserves and the one and only Dan 'Foghorn' Clarke was also added to the substitute bench, albeit with the proviso that he only had ten minutes of playing time in him.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, G Massie, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, F Ingham, C Thurlow, D Robinson. Subs: R Martin, B Evans, D Clarke, G Wilson.
After another impressive warm up from Robbo, the first half got underway. Nomads started well and dominated both the possession and territorial advantage. It was crucial that this early pressure brought a goal and following one of Dean Joy's huge throw ins from the left, that is exactly what happened. Judd managed to get to the ball before the Welford keeper and in the scramble that followed, the ball was turned into the net by the Nomads version of Jimmy Krankie, Craig Thurlow.
Further chances to double the lead fell to both Thurlow and Robinson ,who were causing the square Welford defence problems with their pace, however they were unable to find the target when in good positions. This inability to get the second goal meant that Welford continued to stay in the game and gradually began to grow in confidence, using the extra man in midfield to good effect. However their final ball continually let them down and Panter was only troubled when Massie decided to try out a new trick which went completely wrong and put the opposition forward through on goal - thankfully the shot that followed was straight out of Robbo's best selling book 'How to put a ball in a hedge'.
As the half came to a close, Robbo was then fortunate not to be booked when after refusing to put the ball out for a throw when trapped in the corner, he lost possession and then decided to bring down the Welford player with a move that resembled a lion bringing down a gazelle.
A change was required at half time as Dan Robinson limped off for an early shower with a tight hamstring. Ingham was moved up front to support Thurlow, with Martin replacing him on the right of midfield.
As the second half wore on, Welford were having more and more of the ball, mainly due to the fact that Nomads were unable to keep possession for more than a couple of passes. Whilst they were still not able to force any meaningful saves from Panter, Nomads slender lead started to look more and more at risk as clearances were either rushed or sliced straight to an opponent. On the break, Ingham had a couple of good chances to put the game to bed, with one effort hitting the bar, but otherwise attempts on goal were few on the ground as the game became increasingly scrappy.
However the whole Nomads team dug in for the final ten minutes and eventually the referee's whistle signalled that they had won the three points. Whilst the performance was not as good as it has been in other games this season, it was good to see the result ground out when not playing as well as we can.
The win keeps Nomads in fourth place and we should be full of confidence as we look to make it three wins in a row at Bective Wanderers on Saturday.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (7) - Hardly had anything to do. Now chasing Van Der Sar's clean sheet record
Robinson (6) - One to forget. Should have been booked and distribution not up to his usual standards
Joy (7) - Found every bobble on the pitch in the first half. Booked in the second and involved in some handbags towards the end
Massie (7) - Swept up any potential danger to good effect - still only one trick in his locker though
Smith (7) - Never really broke sweat (which was lucky as it smells of wee)
Judd (8) - Worked hard and kept trying to create something throughout. Unlucky with a couple of volleys which just missed the target
Bright (7) - Headers went the right way this week
Ingham (7) - Did well both on the right and when switched up front and should have added to his goal tally
Loake (7) - Ran tirelessly up and down the left for the whole 90 minutes - underwear still shocking
Thurlow (9) - Another good all round display from Frodo, including the winning goal
Robinson (6) - Caused problems in the first half before getting injured
Martin (6) - Steady performance in the second half and even managed to win a header!
Evans (6) - Hoofed everything away in the last 10 minutes as instructed
"Whether it was because of the warm up, or whether it was because of the pre-match blast from the world renowned Eady hairdryer that left most of the players wishing they had the barnets like Panter, Joy and Bright"
NOMADS (2) 3 SPRATTON (0) 1
Robinson 2, Judd
Nomads inconsistent season continued with a much improved performance following the debacle against Stanwick last time out, ensuring that their unbeaten home record in the league remained intact.
As in recent weeks, manager Nathan Eady had Saturday morning selection headaches. With Massie and Course already unavailable, the squad size was reduced even further by the late withdrawals of Kyte and Symington. However Loake was back after a couple of weeks out with a twisted ankle and the big news was the re-signing of Paul Smith from Thrapston, in a major January transfer window swoop. Whilst Smith's inclusion did improve the numbers available for selection, it did mean that the smell of urine in the changing room that had been absent since former team ginger Kev Harmer became unavailable, was now back with eye-watering vengeance.
With only 13 players to pick from, Smith came straight into the back four to form a central defensive partnership with Ben Evans that had a combined age of almost 70. Eady prayed to the heavens that Spratton had no forwards with pace.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, F Ingham, C Thurlow, D Robinson. Subs: D Charsley, G Berbatov.
In an attempt to make sure that the team were actually focussed on the kick off this week, Robbo was appointed to take a much more professional warm up than the usual shambles that takes place. In an impressive display, he put the rest of the squad through their paces with a range of activities and stretching, including one bizarre move where players had to bend forward and touch the floor whilst kicking one foot up behind them. Most looked like fishes out of water with the exception of Joy, Loake and Panter who having spent a large part of their lives growing up in Rothwell, were all used to walking around with their knuckles dragging on the floor.
Whether it was because of the warm up, or whether it was because of the pre-match blast from the world renowned Eady hairdryer that left most of the players wishing they had barnets like Panter, Joy and Bright, Nomads got into their stride straight from the kick off and started to move the ball around with some good one and two touch passing. The early dominance was rewarded after quarter of an hour when after some good build up play from 'Inch High Private Eye' Thurlow down the right, the ball was cut back for Robinson to bury a shot into the far corner.
Crucially, unlike in previous games, a second goal quickly followed. After an initial shot had only been half cleared, the Juddernaut managed to be first to the ball and scuffed a shot into the bottom right hand corner which barely caused the net to ripple. With Spratton causing little problems for the Nomads defence, further chances continued to be carved out in the remainder of the half. Unfortunately these kept falling to those with less than an eye for goal - Briggy crashed a volley over the bar, Joy toe punted an effort wide and Robbo continued to hit a number of free kicks at a goal that obviously only he can see.
The second half began scrappily, and it was always going to be vital as to who scored the next goal. Spratton pushed hard to try and get back into the game and finally Panter had a couple of regulation saves to make. However the game was basically put to bed when Robinson rose to head in a cross from the left to make it 3-0. After this there were few real chances created by either side with highlights being Joy's ball juggling in the centre circle and Panter's dodgy throw outs which could not reach the player they were intended for.
With 15 minutes left, Spratton got a consolation goal when Briggy glanced a cross from the right off his biscuit tin head and into his own net. However the defence refused to be beaten again and with Smith seeming to get a second wind from somewhere, saw out the game comfortably.
The win lifts Nomads up into fourth and the runners up spot is still very much up for grabs if they can start to put a run of performances like this one together.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (6) - Little to do for Friedel, but kicking was better this week. Good save at the end kept it to just one goal conceded.
Robinson (7) - Nice link up play with Loake down the left. Shooting practice down the park booked in.
Joy (7) - Managed to keep his potty mouth in check after his Tourrets attack in the last game.
Evans (6) - Steady display from Taffy, and actually managed not to boot out any balls down the pitch into touch!
Smith (8) - Excellent debut and won everything in the air. Forwards never got near him but this could be due to his aftershave 'Urine for Men'.
Judd (7) - Better display from the Juddernaut, with larger percentage of passes reaching their intended target than in previous weeks.
Bright (8) - As usual tackled everything that moved. Blotted his copy book with a couple of dodgy headers, including an own goal.
Ingham (6) - Quiet game on the right this week.
Loake (6) - Struggled at first but gradually got into the game. As usual, dead ball delivery was excellent.
Thurlow (7) - Hard working display from 'Bilbo', and was a willing target man throughout.
Robinson (9) - Scored two and should have had a hat trick but for bad miss. Needs to work on pre match excuses, as a 'dodgy kebab' does not wash it when hungover.
Charsley (6) - Great cross from the right, awful one from the left - says it all for 'Spender'.
Berbatov (7) - Nice cameo performance, including a nutmeg with first touch and even managed to track back and put in a couple of tackles!
NOMADS (1) 1 WELFORD (0) 0
Nomads picked up another valuable three points with a hard fought victory against a determined Welford side at Orlingbury Road, which keeps up their challenge for one of the promotion places following the enforced two week break because of bad weather.
For once, manager Nathan Eady only had to make one change from the previous starting eleven, with Gary Massie replacing Ben Evans who was unable to make the start of the game due to work commitments. Course, Alderman, Symington and Charsley were also unavailable, so Ross Martin returned to the squad from the reserves and the one and only Dan 'Foghorn' Clarke was also added to the substitute bench, albeit with the proviso that he only had ten minutes of playing time in him.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, G Massie, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, F Ingham, C Thurlow, D Robinson. Subs: R Martin, B Evans, D Clarke, G Wilson.
After another impressive warm up from Robbo, the first half got underway. Nomads started well and dominated both the possession and territorial advantage. It was crucial that this early pressure brought a goal and following one of Dean Joy's huge throw ins from the left, that is exactly what happened. Judd managed to get to the ball before the Welford keeper and in the scramble that followed, the ball was turned into the net by the Nomads version of Jimmy Krankie, Craig Thurlow.
Further chances to double the lead fell to both Thurlow and Robinson ,who were causing the square Welford defence problems with their pace, however they were unable to find the target when in good positions. This inability to get the second goal meant that Welford continued to stay in the game and gradually began to grow in confidence, using the extra man in midfield to good effect. However their final ball continually let them down and Panter was only troubled when Massie decided to try out a new trick which went completely wrong and put the opposition forward through on goal - thankfully the shot that followed was straight out of Robbo's best selling book 'How to put a ball in a hedge'.
As the half came to a close, Robbo was then fortunate not to be booked when after refusing to put the ball out for a throw when trapped in the corner, he lost possession and then decided to bring down the Welford player with a move that resembled a lion bringing down a gazelle.
A change was required at half time as Dan Robinson limped off for an early shower with a tight hamstring. Ingham was moved up front to support Thurlow, with Martin replacing him on the right of midfield.
As the second half wore on, Welford were having more and more of the ball, mainly due to the fact that Nomads were unable to keep possession for more than a couple of passes. Whilst they were still not able to force any meaningful saves from Panter, Nomads slender lead started to look more and more at risk as clearances were either rushed or sliced straight to an opponent. On the break, Ingham had a couple of good chances to put the game to bed, with one effort hitting the bar, but otherwise attempts on goal were few on the ground as the game became increasingly scrappy.
However the whole Nomads team dug in for the final ten minutes and eventually the referee's whistle signalled that they had won the three points. Whilst the performance was not as good as it has been in other games this season, it was good to see the result ground out when not playing as well as we can.
The win keeps Nomads in fourth place and we should be full of confidence as we look to make it three wins in a row at Bective Wanderers on Saturday.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (7) - Hardly had anything to do. Now chasing Van Der Sar's clean sheet record
Robinson (6) - One to forget. Should have been booked and distribution not up to his usual standards
Joy (7) - Found every bobble on the pitch in the first half. Booked in the second and involved in some handbags towards the end
Massie (7) - Swept up any potential danger to good effect - still only one trick in his locker though
Smith (7) - Never really broke sweat (which was lucky as it smells of wee)
Judd (8) - Worked hard and kept trying to create something throughout. Unlucky with a couple of volleys which just missed the target
Bright (7) - Headers went the right way this week
Ingham (7) - Did well both on the right and when switched up front and should have added to his goal tally
Loake (7) - Ran tirelessly up and down the left for the whole 90 minutes - underwear still shocking
Thurlow (9) - Another good all round display from Frodo, including the winning goal
Robinson (6) - Caused problems in the first half before getting injured
Martin (6) - Steady performance in the second half and even managed to win a header!
Evans (6) - Hoofed everything away in the last 10 minutes as instructed
"Whether it was because of the warm up, or whether it was because of the pre-match blast from the world renowned Eady hairdryer that left most of the players wishing they had the barnets like Panter, Joy and Bright"
NOMADS (2) 3 SPRATTON (0) 1
Robinson 2, Judd
Nomads inconsistent season continued with a much improved performance following the debacle against Stanwick last time out, ensuring that their unbeaten home record in the league remained intact.
As in recent weeks, manager Nathan Eady had Saturday morning selection headaches. With Massie and Course already unavailable, the squad size was reduced even further by the late withdrawals of Kyte and Symington. However Loake was back after a couple of weeks out with a twisted ankle and the big news was the re-signing of Paul Smith from Thrapston, in a major January transfer window swoop. Whilst Smith's inclusion did improve the numbers available for selection, it did mean that the smell of urine in the changing room that had been absent since former team ginger Kev Harmer became unavailable, was now back with eye-watering vengeance.
With only 13 players to pick from, Smith came straight into the back four to form a central defensive partnership with Ben Evans that had a combined age of almost 70. Eady prayed to the heavens that Spratton had no forwards with pace.
Starting Line Up: S Panter, S Robinson, D Joy, B Evans, P Smith, C Judd, C Bright, A Loake, F Ingham, C Thurlow, D Robinson. Subs: D Charsley, G Berbatov.
In an attempt to make sure that the team were actually focussed on the kick off this week, Robbo was appointed to take a much more professional warm up than the usual shambles that takes place. In an impressive display, he put the rest of the squad through their paces with a range of activities and stretching, including one bizarre move where players had to bend forward and touch the floor whilst kicking one foot up behind them. Most looked like fishes out of water with the exception of Joy, Loake and Panter who having spent a large part of their lives growing up in Rothwell, were all used to walking around with their knuckles dragging on the floor.
Whether it was because of the warm up, or whether it was because of the pre-match blast from the world renowned Eady hairdryer that left most of the players wishing they had barnets like Panter, Joy and Bright, Nomads got into their stride straight from the kick off and started to move the ball around with some good one and two touch passing. The early dominance was rewarded after quarter of an hour when after some good build up play from 'Inch High Private Eye' Thurlow down the right, the ball was cut back for Robinson to bury a shot into the far corner.
Crucially, unlike in previous games, a second goal quickly followed. After an initial shot had only been half cleared, the Juddernaut managed to be first to the ball and scuffed a shot into the bottom right hand corner which barely caused the net to ripple. With Spratton causing little problems for the Nomads defence, further chances continued to be carved out in the remainder of the half. Unfortunately these kept falling to those with less than an eye for goal - Briggy crashed a volley over the bar, Joy toe punted an effort wide and Robbo continued to hit a number of free kicks at a goal that obviously only he can see.
The second half began scrappily, and it was always going to be vital as to who scored the next goal. Spratton pushed hard to try and get back into the game and finally Panter had a couple of regulation saves to make. However the game was basically put to bed when Robinson rose to head in a cross from the left to make it 3-0. After this there were few real chances created by either side with highlights being Joy's ball juggling in the centre circle and Panter's dodgy throw outs which could not reach the player they were intended for.
With 15 minutes left, Spratton got a consolation goal when Briggy glanced a cross from the right off his biscuit tin head and into his own net. However the defence refused to be beaten again and with Smith seeming to get a second wind from somewhere, saw out the game comfortably.
The win lifts Nomads up into fourth and the runners up spot is still very much up for grabs if they can start to put a run of performances like this one together.
Individual Ratings out of 10
Panter (6) - Little to do for Friedel, but kicking was better this week. Good save at the end kept it to just one goal conceded.
Robinson (7) - Nice link up play with Loake down the left. Shooting practice down the park booked in.
Joy (7) - Managed to keep his potty mouth in check after his Tourrets attack in the last game.
Evans (6) - Steady display from Taffy, and actually managed not to boot out any balls down the pitch into touch!
Smith (8) - Excellent debut and won everything in the air. Forwards never got near him but this could be due to his aftershave 'Urine for Men'.
Judd (7) - Better display from the Juddernaut, with larger percentage of passes reaching their intended target than in previous weeks.
Bright (8) - As usual tackled everything that moved. Blotted his copy book with a couple of dodgy headers, including an own goal.
Ingham (6) - Quiet game on the right this week.
Loake (6) - Struggled at first but gradually got into the game. As usual, dead ball delivery was excellent.
Thurlow (7) - Hard working display from 'Bilbo', and was a willing target man throughout.
Robinson (9) - Scored two and should have had a hat trick but for bad miss. Needs to work on pre match excuses, as a 'dodgy kebab' does not wash it when hungover.
Charsley (6) - Great cross from the right, awful one from the left - says it all for 'Spender'.
Berbatov (7) - Nice cameo performance, including a nutmeg with first touch and even managed to track back and put in a couple of tackles!
