Rotherham Sunday League sides get on the move to tackle fixture backlog

Football has been limited since the turn of the year and clubs want to avoid having to cram matches in at the end of the season.

As a result some have been thinking proactively.

League secretary Mark Pilley said: “Teams are using other pitches instead of their own so they can play and they might need to otherwise they are going to playing a lot in midweek.

"Sitwell Arms (who have played only six league games) have taken their fixture to Roundwood on Sunday and Thorpe Hesley Village are playing at Concorde instead of Bar Park. A few are reversing fixtures to get games on and that’s good to see.”

Last week’s weather was kind enough to allow a full fixture programme, headed up by ties in the Brian Beeley Knockout Cup.

Brinsworth DC knocked out Lord Reresby 4-3 on penalties after their all-Premier Division scrap had ended 1-1.

The DC keeper saved the crucial spot-kick to send his team through to the semis.

Underdogs Sitwell, from the third tier, bumped out top-flighters Team Sports, also on pens. The tie had finished 1-1 before Sitwell won the shootout 3-2. Amos Kabeya scored for Sports and Brad Gregory for Sitwell in normal time.

In the outstanding third round ties, last year’s runners-up, Trades Rawmarsh (Aaron Boardman 2, Jack Bancroft) progressed 3-1 against Gallows (Bailey Anderson) while Mailcoach won 5-1 at Kiveton Park through Josh Nodders (2), Tom Luty and Matt Bradley.

This week’s quarter-finals: AFP v Lord Nelson, Trades v Mailcoach.

In the Championship, the Thorpe Hesley derby between promotion hunters Village and Red Lion ended 2-2 after lowly Lion had taken the lead. Coen Cooper and Callum Clark scored for them. Carl Hetherington and Jason Markell replied. Leaders Clubhouse (George Blake, Nathan Harrison, Ethan Milligan) suffered a first defeat, 4-3 to Handsworth Inn.

Malcolm Gabbitas Trophy: Maltby Main 2 (Devon Stead 2) Station Swinton 3 (Josh Bennett, Bailey Wright, Steve Taylor); Monkwood 3 (Owen Evans, Tyler Pacey, Josh Mckay) The Drawbridge 1 (Jake Montgomery).