Clipstone keep their 100 per cent record

This was one battle royal with both teams closing down quickly from the very first whistle.

There was controversy, players going off injured plus a injured official, two very well taken goals, and a very happy home manager at the end.

Boss Chris Millington said: “We are doing really well at the minute – it’s a start that dreams are made of.

“We had some big changes here in the summer, but we seem to be getting into an early rhythm and picking up results which is great.

“It was a competitive game on Saturday. We have been starting a little slowly. Because of our league position some teams have been coming here and parking the bus and packing the midfield. We are having to play our way into games.”

The first real scoring opportunity came on six minutes from a Clipstone corner. Matty Ord took the set piece to the near post - to be fair not where it was intended - but the defender at the near post made a mess of his clearance and the ball screwed back towards goal, hit the post and went out for another corner, which was well cleared.

Knaresborough had their own chance on 12 minutes. Stu Hill was penalised for holding back Nick Radcliffe 22 yards out from goal to the left edge of the area. The ball was swung in and Clipstone forward Josh Gibson was on hand to clear with his head and out for a corner which Nick Siddons in Clipstone’s goal held onto well to avert any danger.

The midfield battle was still going strong, man of the match Ash Rawson and Steve Carty putting their bodies on the line several times for Clipstone.

Rich Mintoft with Hill in central defence alongside Brandon Shaw and Tom Carnall on the flanks were letting very few challenges get by them.

The first controversial moment came on 22 minutes. Shaw and Hill doubled up on the Knaresborough attacker and let the ball go out for what the assistant referee initially pointed for a goal kick. Moments later he put his flag back up to gain the referee’s attention and point for a corner, which the referee eventually gave. Fortunately for Clipstone the danger was snuffed out and cleared.

A few minutes later Clipstone were at the other end of the field as Callum Mawby chased down an under-hit Knaresborough defensive pass. He intercepted and laid off to Dan Wood, who controlled, then fired on goal, the ball bouncing twice before Paul Green in the visiting goal grabbed it at the second opportunity.

On 32 minutes Carty was adjudged to have gone into a sliding tackle with his lead boot studs showing and received the game’s first caution.

Ian Ward of Knaresborough then took down Carty in what seemed a reckless challenge and only received a talking to.

From the resulting free kick Clipstone won a corner, taken by Carty, into a crowded penalty area, which was only half-cleared and Ord’s curling effort flew just inches high and wide of the right post.

The breakthrough came on 42 minutes as great work again by Mawby saw him team up with Wood, who in turn laid a ball for Carty to chase.

With defenders in his wake he stretched out his right boot and prodded the ball beyond the onrushing keeper and into the back of the net to give Clipstone the all-important opening goal.

Carty was once again the victim of a rigorous challenge that left him reeling on the floor, the Knaresborough player escaping even a lecture.

There were three substitutions at the start of the second half. Carty could not carry on with an ankle injury and he was replaced by Matt Austin while Josh Gibson was also replaced by Blake Owen.

The third change was for the officials as first assistant referee K. Wilson pulled a muscle towards the end of the first half. Fortunately an official from the NCEL list was watching the game and volunteered his services for the second half.

It was not long before there was more controversy on 50 minutes when Wood broke through the offside trap and was clear on the left wing.

Knaresborough keeper Green ran out of his area and scythed him down with the crowd shouting for a straight red. But their protests fell on deaf ears as he was show only a yellow card.

Clipstone were well on top for the majority of the second half, Owen having two good chances within two minutes, the first being well saved by the keeper and the second screwed just wide of the left post.

However, on 65 minutes Clipstone did increase their lead. It came from a free kick on the halfway line by Brandon Shaw. He found Mawby at the far post, who nodded down for Austin and he calmly passed the ball into the far corner to make it 2-0.

Rawson ran his socks off for the whole 90 minutes, and linked up well with the rest of the midfield while Austin covered well at the back to give Rawson more room to move forward.

Knaresborough did make a few changes themselves halfway through the second half, to try to get something from this game.

On 72 minutes they did make a rare surge into the Clipstone half, but when the cross did come into Fraser Lancasher inside the Clipstone area he reached out with his hand to control the ball and received a caution for his troubles.

On 81 minutes Rawson cleared a Knaresborough corner and chased down the ball himself. He made 65 yards of ground just for keeper Green to half clear.

Rawson jogged back towards his own half when Austin played back the returned ball and, Knaresborough defenders all claiming offside, Rawson made no attempt for the ball so Dan Wood ran on in an onside position and found himself one on one with the keeper.

His effort did beat the keeper but not the post, and the ball ran out for a goal kick.

Right at the death of the game there were late ‘handbags’ which saw Knaresborough’s Nick Radcliffe raise his hands on Wood, who reacted angrily, and both were shown a yellow card which seemed harsh on Wood and lenient on Radcliffe.

This Saturday Clipstone face the potential banana skin of an away FA Vase second qualifying round tie at Central Midland League neighbours Blidworth Welfare (3pm).

“We are up there to be shot at and it is a local derby,” said Millington. “But we are all looking forward to it.

“I have a lot of respect for their new manager Rob (Camm), who is an ex-Clipstone lad who will want his side to put in a good performance. We just have to keep doing the things we have been doing that have got us here.”