Wrens end losing run

EVO-STIK NPL Division One South Rainworth MW finally had something to celebrate on Saturday after ending their 13-match winless sequence.

But co-manager Lee Wilkinson is ruing the 10-day gap before the Wrens’ next action at Quorn next Tuesday.

To fill the gap the Wrens have arranged a home friendly with Worksop Town this Tuesday ( 18th, 7.30pm). All are welcome and there will be no set admission fee for this game.

Instead, spectators will be asked for a minimum contribution of £1 towards the club’s adopted charity, the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.

Looking back at the Wrens’ excellent result on Sutton Coldfield’s 3G pitch, where the Royals previously had a 100 per cent record in the league, Wilkinson said: “As far as our performance went, we’ve been playing that way for three or four matches now and the win has been coming.

“We still aren’t putting enough chances away, but the one we did take from the half-dozen or so that we had was enough.

“In comparison our defence restricted Sutton Coldfield to only a couple when they hit the post and the bar, but we played really well.

“Yes, we still need to be more clinical, that’s we re-signed Ant Lynam this week from Scarborough.

“But even before this win everyone was buzzing. We’re getting up to 24 players turning up for training every session, the effort has always been there, and at Sutton we finally got what we deserved.”

Sutton Coldfield’s 100 per cent record may have something to do with their 3G pitch, but Wilkinson pointed out: “Our training on Thursday’s is on a similar surface, so we know what a 3G pitch is all about. And we also knew what Sutton were all about, we’d seen them play at our place, and had them watched, and countered them.”

Wilkinson had a special word for goalscorer Sean Cann, who played through the pain barrier. The striker was struggling after only the fourth minute when he fell awkwardly and aggravated his hip and thigh injury, but Sean is a winner and was determined to play on, especially after missing a penalty he was determined to make amends, and did so with a brilliant goal just after half time.”

Fellow striker Adam Somes also suffered a dead leg soon after coming on, but Wilkinson said that was nothing serious and would be unlikely to rule him out.

He also had more words of praise for his defence, saying: “Rob Paling and Joe Carter had not played for about a month, but they did tremendously well, and Cameron Fearon at centre half alongside Tommy Hannigan completed a resilient back four despite the absence of suspended skipper Steve Kennedy. We looked extremely solid at the back.”

Wrens on the buses

Rainworth commercial manager Steve Peat has secured an away travel sponsorship deal from Mansfield company McEwens Coaches.

Hitherto the Wrens have tended to travel away in cars, but the new deal means that most away games now are likely to be by coach.

Even the coach driver was able to joke after Saturday’s match that he and McEwens Coaches had brought the club a bit of good luck at long last with their own debut for the club.

Lynam back at Kirklington Road

PROLIFIC striker Ant Lynam has returned to Rainworth after departing for Sheffield in February of last season.
Lynam (32) rejoins the Wrens last Thursday after starting the current campaign with his former Rainworth boss Rudy Funk at Scarborough Athletic.

He moved to Sheffield a month after scoring a hat-trick against them for the Wrens in a thumping 4-1 win at the Coach and Horses, where he added eight more goals to the 13 he had scored for the Wrens prior to his departure.

Lynam'e early career was spent in Midland Regional Alliance football with Ashover where he holds the club career scoring record of over 400 goals, which included 59 in one season and 10 in one game.

After short spells with Buxton, Matlock Town and Glapwell he helped Dinnington Town to the NCEL Division One championship in 2007 with 41 goals, and had added 10 more before joining Rainworth for his first spell.

He scored five on his Wrens home debut against Tadcaster Albion, and finished the campaign with 15 goals for the club despite an injury lay-off, helping a side to promotion from NCEL Division One for the second year in a row.

He then notched 31 for the Wrens in the only season at NCEL Premier level prior to promotion to the Evo-Stik League.