Cup semi-final shocker for battered Bolsover

Bolsover, who top the league’s North Division, met Hucknall, who sit fourth in the South Division, in the semi-finals of the Central Midlands League Cup at the neutral venue of Blidworth Welfare.

And they were favourites to win the tie against a Yellows team whose own title challenge has lost its way since the turn of the year.

However, Bolsover were never at the races and crashed to a 4-0 defeat that earned Andy Graves’s Hucknall outfit a final spot against Selston, who beat Sherwood Colliery in the other semi-final.

It was only the third defeat of the season for Bolsover, who must now concentrate their efforts on winning the North Division title as they do battle with Clay Cross and AFC Bentley at the top of the table.

Matt Brian opened the scoring for Hucknall on 25 minutes, with Adam Nelson doubling the margin two minutes from the interval.

The other two goals came in the closing stages. Ricki Saxby bagged the first to make it 3-0 after 88 minutes and then Ashley Whitt wrapped things up deep into stoppage time. The final is at Alfreton Town’s ground on Sunday, April 30.

Bolsover, who head the league table by one point, are next in action when they take on title rivals Bentley this Saturday with a 3 pm kick-off.