Empshill kept their winning start intact with a 33-28 victory over Nottingham on Saturday in the Greene King IPA Championship. The hosts came out on top in a match that stayed within touching distance throughout. Both sides had already tasted success before this fixture, so the result shifted little in the standings but confirmed Empshill's home advantage.
What struck me watching from the terraces was how Empshill managed the second half. They'd been level at the break, and here's the thing — they didn't try to change their approach so much as tighten their defensive structure. Nottingham had looked lively enough in the first period, but by then Empshill had found their rhythm. The visitors came for a cross he never reached, as I'd put it, and that pattern continued through the middle phase of the game.
I'd tipped this one for the hosts at 70 per cent confidence, and it came good. Not that I'm boasting — the reasoning was straightforward. Empshill had won their previous encounter 24-27 back in May, only to lose narrowly, and there's something about this fixture that suits the home side. They know the conditions, they know each other's tendencies, and the history between them adds an edge. Tonight they simply ground out the win when it mattered.
Nottingham have hit a wall in the final quarter, it seemed. They'd taken the lead at one stage, but Empshill kept knocking on the door until the visitors ran out of legs. The away end never stopped, but their energy couldn't translate into points. A straight knockout if you will — the decisive moment came when the home side turned to the kids, brought on fresh legs, and changed the shape at half-time.
Both teams now sit on four points from one game each. Empshill remain sixth while Nottingham hold fourth place, though the gap between them is negligible. The goal difference tells its own story — Empshill's +5 against Nottingham's +7 — but in a division where every point counts, form will matter more than arithmetic. The hosts will take confidence from seeing through a tough test at home.
