The Greens Lincolnshire neighbours Deeping Rangers await the winner in the final and the Greens will be desperate not to play the bridesmaid to Nomads celebrations for the second week running, after the Leicestershire side secured the Premier Division North title last week with a 2-1 victory over the Greens. If the hosts are to progress to a first ever Knockout Cup Final, they’ll need to drag themselves out of an end-of-season malaise that saw hopes of promotion slip away with just one point from nine in the final week of the campaign. That run culminated in a frustrating 1-1 draw with Newark & Sherwood United on Saturday afternoon in which a late, 95th minute equaliser for the visitors saw the Greens end the campaign in 5th in Premier Division North. The first half was pretty much a non-event in front of a seasons best (and 3rd best of all-time) crowd of 363 at The Longwater Stadium but those in attendance saw a significant improvement in the second half, particularly once Jacob Fenton had given the Greens the lead from the spot following Ryley Thompson’s handball in the box. The Greens had plenty of chances to double that advantage, none more notable than when Ryan Rushen inadvertently got in the way of Joe Smith’s goal-bound effort after fine work from Rodrigo Goncalves had set him up. Alas, the Greens were made to pay for a lack of cutting edge and were pegged back with nearly the final action of the contest when Nyle Blake was on hand to smash home at the far post to bring the Highwaymen level in the 95th minute of proceedings.

Player/Manager Tom Ward will have been relieved to see Jacob Fenton come through a 30-minute cameo unscathed on Saturday following his withdrawal from the game at Anstey Nomads last week due to injury. He is expected to be pushing for a start on Wednesday evening once again. Otherwise, Ward enters this crucial semi-final with precious little else to concern him and he is expected to have a full squad to choose from as the Greens aim book their place in the showpiece final.

Opponents Anstey Nomads meanwhile are preparing for life at step four following their promotion as Champions of the Premier Division North last week. The Nomads welcomed the Greens to the Callingtons Community Complex knowing they needed just a point to put them out of the grasp of Loughborough Students - but went one better on home turf, scoring a 91st minute winner to claim all three points amid jubilant celebrations. It is exactly what the Nomads deserved over a campaign that has seen them lose just three league contests and finish comfortably top on 93 points, 11 clear of second placed Quorn FC.

That gap could have been more had the Nomads not played a crucial role in who claimed 2nd spot in Premier Division North, losing 1-0 to the Fox Hunters on Monday night. Thabang Dube’s corner saw Quorn leapfrog Loughborough Students into that coveted play-off spot right at the death. That was only the Nomads third defeat of the campaign following an opening day loss to Heanor Town and then a 2-0 reversal to Newark & Sherwood United in early March.

The visitors this evening looked to have created themselves a bit of a fixture nightmare in March and ended up facing 10 games in 23 days in April, but despite seemingly giving themselves too much to do to catch Loughborough Students, the Nomads bulldozed their way through their run-in, remaining unbeaten until Monday’s inconsequential loss to Quorn. That mammoth run of games was accumulated as a result of a series of weather related postponements at the Callingtons Community Complex. The pitch issues were that severe at times that the Nomads were forced to play home games at Ilkeston Town and Aylestone Park. They were already facing a tough task to catch up fixtures as a result of their monumental, record-breaking FA Cup run that saw them win all the way through to the 4th Qualifying Round. The Leicestershire outfit defeated Radford FC, Skegness Town, Whitchurch Alport, Ilkeston Town and Shefford Town & Campton on their way to a proud exit to National League side Chesterfield FC live on the BBC. They were considered one of the favourites for a strong run in the FA Vase too but heartbreakingly fell to 1-0 defeat in the 4th Round to Midland League side AFC Wulfrunians.

They have obviously replicated their FA Cup heroics in the Knockout Cup and will arrive at The Longwater Stadium this evening with eyes firmly on a league and cup double to cap off a memorable campaign in Leicestershire. They have plenty of tools to do the job too, and that quality starts in goal with former Leicester City and Mansfield Town goalkeeper Conrad Logan - moving right down the spine of the Nomads side. Lewis Gibbens who has experience in National League North with Boston United has provided 10 goals from midfield this campaign, while exciting wide man Corey Armeni is at his most dangerous when cutting in and he has a club-best 23 goals to show for his efforts this season. Elsewhere a padded attacking line was added to in the New Year with the arrival of former Sherwood Colliery man Luis Rose and he has taken to life at the Nomads well, already registering 12 goals in 23 appearances for his new side, including two in an 8-0 thrashing of Leicester Nirvana. There was also a hat-trick that day for Spencer Weir-Daley on what was his debut following a move from Pinchbeck United, while the Greens will be wary of the attacking threats of Michael Reeve, Sam Hollis and Shay Brennan who have all notched for the Nomads against the Greens this campaign.
The Greens will take heart from a strong showing against Wednesday’s opponents over both league meetings this campaign. The Greens were valiant in defeat at The Longwater Stadium in January despite threatening to be overran as the Nomads took a quickfire 2-0 lead, before Joe Braithwaite halved the deficit right on half-time and the Greens were deeply unlucky during an impressive second half showing to not at least take a point. Last weeks meeting saw the Greens cause the Nomads problems too, taking a first half lead when Jacob Fenton powered home Ryan Rushen’s sumptuous cross. The hosts came roaring back in the second half though and levelled through Shay Brennan after he’d been set up by Luis Rose. The winner gut-wrenchingly arrived in the 91st minute when Sam Hollis’ effort took a freak deflection off Joe Braithwaite and looped over Liam Flitton and into the net to give the hosts the victory. The two meetings last season saw the sides take a home win each with the Nomads triumphing 5-0 early on in the season at the Callingtons Community Complex, while a George Asplin’s penalty separated the two sides at Eslaforde Park at the end of last season.

As always, we’ll be providing live Twitter commentary of the contest and these are sponsored by our wonderful friends at Sleafordian Coaches. Entrance to The Longwater Stadium is priced at £6 for adults and £3 for concessions. We’ll have copies of our final matchday programme of the season on sale on the turnstiles for £1.50 per copy - featuring a fine interview with Player/Manager Tom Ward who has sat down to talk us through his thoughts on the campaign.

Words: Oliver Atkin