Loughborough Students 3-2 Newark FC

The final whistle has blown at The City Ground. Nottingham Forest have lost their opening two League games in the Championship 2-1. A nervy, edgy second half performance puts doubt in the minds of an often forgiving and loyal 'A' Block. Folk exit the ground as Sticky Palms remains in his seat. The queues subside; it's proper COVID central. I'm not anxious about the virus but would rather not contract it.

I head towards the ticket office, to the rear of the Peter Taylor Stand. There are only a handful of supporters queuing for match tickets versus Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday evening. Only three staff are on duty. I hang around for 20 minutes. The Club are an omnishambles on and off the pitch. I leave empty-handed.

The clogged-up pavements have cleared as I walk over Trent Bridge and through the Meadows. I cross over the tramlines onto Arkwright Street. I've 45 minutes to kill before meeting Ms Moon, an old school pal, 'Keebo' and his partner Tracy, for an evening out up at Crafty Crow, on Friar Lane. It's a Magpie Brewery pub, adjacent to a £30 million refurbished Nottingham Castle.

I pull open the front door of the recently re-opened Barley Twist, a Castle Rock watering hole. Nearby is a half demolished Broadmarsh Centre ('The Nottingham Chernobyl'). I nurse a pint of session pale ale as I reflect on the game and where it all went wrong.

High jinks and laughter are had up at Crafty Crow. We alight the bus on Carlton Road; a few stops from home. Supper is served at Carlton Fryer, who rustle up kebab meat and chips to die for. I drink a litre of water during the night.

I do my upmost to walk at least 30 miles per week. It's made easier that I've been unable to drive my car for the last 12 months due to an ongoing eye issue. I always put a big walking shift in on a Monday evening. I love a mooch around Netherfield Lagoons at the back of Victoria Retail Park. It's so peaceful. There are around 6x lagoons which held water that was pumped out of Gedling Colliery, until it's closure in 1991; only a few years shy of its 100-year anniversary.

It's Tuesday evening and I'm looking forward to seeing some Non League action in the land of 'fur coats and no knickers.' West Bridgford (aka 'Bread 'n Lard Island') are entertaining neighbours Dunkirk FC at Regatta Way. I jump off the Ruddington 10 on Trent Bridge and head down Radcliffe Road, adjacent to the Cricket ground. I veer left onto Trent Boulevard and take a right-hand turn onto Rutland Road.

It's an emotional reunion with blog midweek legend 'The Taxman' at the Poppy and Pint pub on Pierrepont Road, in Lady Bay. We chew over the cud and catch up over the events of the last 12 months. He usually has a good old moan about the Tricky Trees; due to COVID he hasn't been this season. It saddens me that this is the case, as he has had a season ticket for over 45 years. We enjoy some tea and a pint of Lil Wingman from Shiny Brewery. We don't speak for half an hour when he reveals his daughter is going out with a D***y Clownty fan - had I been driving I'd have kicked him out of the car following this weak parenting.

The game is superb. Bridgford race into an early two goal lead. The Boatmen peg one back and are very unfortunate not to share the spoils. 'The Keyworth Georgie Best' is in attendance (my lad). It's for the best I don't mention NFFC's form of late or he might kick off Tasmanian Devil style. His mate, Jack Oldham is the best player on show. 

It's rinse and repeat for us bus folk the following evening. There's been a bad accident on Radcliffe Road, close to the ground. The traffic starts to back up. I tip 'Georgie Best' off, but he's already sinking a few scoops in The Boot Room. I grab another award-winning pork cob, accompanied by crackling, stuffing and apple sauce from Relish.

Forest start like a train and pepper the visitors' goal with a flurry of shots in the opening 25 minutes. The malaise begins to creep in and the crowd get onto the players' backs. Rovers take the lead just after half-time. Despite an equaliser, it's the same old story, as another late goal is conceded. 'A' and 'B' Block are frothing at the mouth. They sarcastically sing the name of previous incumbent Sabri Lamouchi and launch a verbal volley at a bewildered Chris Hughton, who is stood slouched on the touchline. It's sad and tragic to witness such desperate scenes.

It's Friday evening and the beginning of the Nottingham Craft Beer Festival. Tony Mac and I are people-watching at Bunkers Hill which is situated in the bustling, hipster area of Hockley. We soon have tears streaming down our faces following a few slurps of a fiery, red hot 7.5% sour called Sunshine on Portobello Road from Vault City Brewing in Edinburgh.

We end up on a proper crawl: taking in Partizan Tavern, Liquid Light (close to the 'Gaza Strip') and finally the Fox and Grapes where we finish off with a 'Sneinton Nightcap' from Pentrich Brewery, an imperial double pale ale called 'Counting in Fives' that comes in at 9% abv - we have a can a piece. It's bus fare home for Jim Bowen.

I'm worse for wear in the spices aisle at Tesco Carlton on Saturday morning. I've already bagged a 2lb neck of lamb from Robin Tuxford, the butcher in Netherfield. I'd stupidly volunteered to knock up a Lamb Rogan Josh t'other night after a couple of stiff craft ales from the Whiplash stable, Ireland, purchased at Junkyard in town. I tap my toe to 'Everything She Wants' from Wham, that's on Radio Tesco, whilst desperately scanning the spices, with my one eye, looking for Garam Masala.

Ms Moon and I have both got the proper hump with those twerps at Tesco since they discontinued Nescafe Alta Rica coffee a few weeks back. It's been on offer at £2.25 for donkeys. We had 15x jars of the chuffer stockpiled in our cupboards. Rationing has hit us hard, so much so, that we had to buy a big jar of it from the Ilkley Co-op after an FA Cup qualifier up there the other week.

Ms Moon has come up trumps with a Greggs sausage roll as we head towards the A60. Gary Davies has been drafted in as a replacement for Paul Gambacinni on Radio 2's Pick of the Pops. 1994 is the year, and a pretty poor one at that. The only chink of light is Neneh Cherry and Youssou 'N Dour singing 7 Seconds. I check for any cracks in the windscreen when Ms Moon belts out the chorus whilst we are stuck in a traffic jam in Ruddington.

It's a nightmare journey to Loughborough, but we still arrive in good time. The two teams crossed swords the previous week in League action. The Students ran out 7-0 winners against a ten men visitors in what a local described as a 'brutal game of football.'

Ms Moon is impressed with the set up. I kid you not, you could play crown green bowls on the playing surface. Loughborough University has a long list of famous sporting alumni including: Lord Coe. Steve Backley, Paula Radcliffe, Sir Clive Woodward and David Moorcroft.

We sit up in the glorious main stand which gives you a panoramic view of the area. Newark F.C. have had to relocate to Basford United in inner-city Nottingham this season due to being hoofed off their own ground next to the Flowserve works'. Ms Moon and I loved going there as there was a real vibe and a proper community spirit. I shan't watch them at Basford - it's 3G innit.

They've been shrewd with their recruitment; a number of lads are from Nottingham including ex Notts County striker Romello Nangle, who I know Keith Curle rated highly. The Club also received a crushing blow on the eve of this FA Cup tie, when it was announced that joint-manager, Steve Kirkham, had moved to pastures new (Eastwood CFC).

It's pretty much the athletisism of the Students versus the physical presence of the visitors in the first half. 7 jacket Matty Bowman is too hot to handle for Newark down the right hand side. Loughborough take the lead when a ball is launched down the middle and latched onto by speedy striker Tope Fadahunsi, who lifts the ball over the on-rushing 'keeper Searson. It could have been 2-0 shortly before the break when the impressive and industrious Ethan O'Toole sees an effort hit the inside of the post. Newark race forward, Will Rawdon whips a first-time ball into the box which is headed home by Danny Meadows.

The highlight at the break is Ms Moon buying a bag of Minstrels from the tea bar. The downside is some awful R 'n B music being piped through the P.A. system.

Newark look a different outfit in the second half and deservedly take the lead following some pinball in the penalty area. The Students hit the wood work again before finally equalising. The game has a brilliant ebb and flow about that all Cup ties should have. In the dying embers of the game substitute Dylan Edwards turns a cross home to put the Students into the FA Cup First Qualifying Round.

Man of the Match: Matty Bowman

Attendance: 170