Bolsover Town 1

Central Midlands Black Dragon Premier League

A workmanlike first half display saw United all but wrap things up by half time in their inaugural Central Midlands League home game. But a dogged Bolsover Town side pegged them back in the second half and scored a late goal, scant consolation however for suffering a second defeat at the hands of United in a week.

Player manager Andy Dixon made changes, leaving himself on the bench with returning Paul Burkinshaw and new signing Shaun Thompson, recalling Matthew Cox (after Phil Stephenson failed a late fitness test), playing Ryan Cairns defensively, and starting Jimmy Syme up front as the home side set off defending the railway end at a cloudy but dry Rotsea Lane

There was little of note to begin with, striker Mike Tate making a couple of sorties into the Town box but on seven minutes he smartly set up United’s opener, finding skipper Mark Davies on the right side and the little wingman slipped into the area and fired a right foot shot wide of keeper Ben Newman.

Winger Tom Cooper had an extended jinking run on the left but his low centre was just ahead of Syme’s outstretched lunge.

The pace and battling style of Syme was upsetting the Town defence and on 30 minutes a cute pass from defender Calum Bunn saw him hold off a Paul Barnet challenge, and as the Town keeper loomed, shoot past him to hit the target.

There was bit of a delay as key defender Paul Taylor was helped off after an accidental clash of heads, to be replaced by Burkinshaw.

Davies, lurking at the far post, went close as his diving header cannoned off the legs of the keeper. And just before the break Tate, showing good control, collected a Burkinshaw pass and turned it past Newman to make Dixon a happy man with what he had seen in the opening half.

Into the second period and the game was hampered a bit by stoppages and there was little to generate any real excitement at either end. The visitors were pressing but United seemed content to play a longer ball from the back and their midfield was being left out of the game that had lost a lot of its previous shape.

On 64 minutes after a quick break on the left side a clash between Bunn and striker Ashley Barber saw referee Roger Evans sensibly book both after a bit of a skirmish.

Town were quite busy going forward, with Liam Collins and John Parsons pushing and prodding in the midfield, but calm and measured defending by Ryan Cairns and Paul Burkinshaw saw to it that Matthew Cox had little to do in the United goal except pick the ball out of his net three minutes from time. This was after all his defenders failed to mark danger at a harshly awarded free kick and striker Carl Longmore, all alone, knocked the ball home from eight yards.

Still it was a second successive victory for United that, although lacking the authority and purpose of last week’s display, ensured that the three points stayed at home.