1.30pm 3 December 2022
Derbyshire FA, Divisional Cup North, Quarter-Final
AFC Normanton 3 Whaley Bridge Athletic 1 (att 30)
Cup ties between teams unlikely to meet each other normally are always attractive, even more so if a lower team is hosting a side from a higher league.
I'm not sure how much of a cup upset this really was. AFC Normanton are top of the Central Midlands League Division One East while Whaley Bridge are just one step higher in the Cheshire League's top flight.
A cool finish gave Whaley Bridge a first half lead, and at that point it looked as if they'd have enough to see off their hosts. But AFC Normanton levelled just before half time, and took control after the break.
The visitors couldn't get back into their stride in the second half, and on the balance if play it was no surprise when they went 2-1 behind.
A feisty game came close to boiling over late on, and a red card meant Whaley Bridge played the closing minutes with 10 men. That effectively ended their challenge, and in stoppage time a third home goal settled it conclusively.
Off the pitch AFC Normanton do well to turn an open recreation ground into a decent venue. There's club signs, a roped off pitch with a pair of permanent dugouts, and hot drinks are dispensed from the building that houses the changing rooms.
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