Match 38. Buntingford Town v Hatfield Social

Saturday 7^th May 2016 @3pm

Herts Senior League Premier Division

BUNTINGFORD TOWN 8-3 HATFIELD SOCIAL

The Bury, London Road, Buntingford SG9 9HZ

Admission and Programme: free (12pp)

Attendance:  h/c 20

Refreshments: McCoys 70p.

So as silly season gets underway, I turn to one of my usual step 7 leagues for May and drive to The Bury.  The ground is situated just off the A10 at the roundabout outside the village.  The pitch is completely railed off and has hardstanding down one touchline.  There are dugouts that look like converted sheds.  The clubhouse and changing rooms are elevated on banking and the veranda at the front offers a terrific view of the pitch.  There are 3 junior pitches on the complex and the club shares with the Cougar Youth sides. A few programmes were put on a table in the bar just before kick-off.

The game’s first goal didn’t arrive until 23 minutes through the half so I was not expecting the goal fest that followed.  A chip to the far post allowed Antcliffe to head into the corner. 5 minutes later an attack down the left and after making inroads from the by-line and cutting back, 2 efforts on goal were foiled before no10 shot low into the corner.  On 33 minute Hatfield got a goal back but Buntingford regained a two goal lead 3 minutes later when no11 curled a shot into the top left corner to make it 3-1 at half time.

Hatfield got back into the match just 2 minutes after the restart when a counter attack allowed a simple tap in.  10 minutes later the home side regained their cushion again when the no15 went on a mazy run passing 2 defenders before slotting the ball under the keeper. Within 2 minutes another goal arrived when a free kick on the right was crossed into the box and headed in.  Then on the hour it was 6-2 as a flowing move from halfway gave space for no14 to run into the area and squared it to no15 for his second goal of the match.  A consolation Hatfield Social goal when a shot on the edge of the box evaded the keeper into the far corner. A run from 40 yards out from no14 ended with beating a defender and sliding the ball into the net.  There was even a last minute goal when an attack down the left was crossed for 14 to tap in.

Another enjoyable game in the Herts Senior League which rarely lets me down at this stage of the season.

Match 37. Bedford v Holmer Green

Saturday 23rd April 2016 @3pm
Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
BEDFORD 5-4 HOLMER GREEN
McMullen Park, Meadow Lane, Cardington, Bedford MK44 3SB

Admission Inc. Programme: £6 (16pp)
Attendance: 20
Refreshments: Mars bar 75p. 

I drove and dropped my wife and youngest at Cambridge and drove to McMullen Park, stopping to have a glance at Eaton Socon FC on the way, to find a perimeter fence in the middle of being erected to enclose the ground from surrounding park and fields. Maybe they are looking to step up into Step 6 in the near future. Bedford FC is literally next to Bedford Town FC, and has their own small car park which was full but plentiful parking at Bedford Town. Next to the entrance is a new clubhouse I believe is only a few months old. It is of a prefab nature and has a long ramp to get up the 4 foot to the Clubhouse entrance. There is a Lonsdale gym occupying another pre-fab on the left side and the remains of some kind of building to the left of that. As you enter by the pay hut the main stand is situated immediately to the left, with another covered area net to it with some wooden bench seating. The main stand is brick built with a mix of tip up seats and benches. The 2nd cover is more ramshackle and was probably a purely standing area previously. The only other furniture are the dugouts on the opposite touchline. 

I got stuck behind a horse box on the A428 so arrived 5 minutes after kick off. I had already missed the first goal as the gateman had informed me that Holmer Green had the lead. The game was soon level after about 10 minutes when a lob over the keeper by Campbell equalised for Bedford. Silford had a great run and cross down the left and Pinney finished the move off. I had only seen Bedford completely in charge since my arrival but Holmer drew level when a break and shot from the left was blocked by the keeper but Powles knocked in the rebound. Bedford went 3-2 up after half hour when Butcher scored with the help of a deflection. 

Holmer had threatened during the second half to draw level and after 2 near misses, made it 3-3 after 70 minutes when after the no11 had taken the ball off the right back, his cross allowed Deer to score on the back post with a diving header. Just as the Greens had got back into the game, they lost it in the next few minutes. Firstly a cross from the right was only half cleared and no9 ran across the area and touched the ball before drawing a foul. The penalty was taken successfully by no7, sending the keeper the wrong way. Then on the next attack when the defence were slow in clearing their lines, the ball was intercepted by no10 who rounded the keeper and slotted in from an acute angle. Holmer made a double substitution and got what was a small consolation on 90 minutes when Shed got behind the home defence and lobbed the keeper nicely. But it was too late as the ref soon blew up and the away bench weren’t happy, claiming here hadn’t been enough stoppage time, but it soon calmed down. 

I stopped off on the way back to Cambridge and got the results at The Polhill Arms in Renhold, which is a nice pub in a rural setting. 

Match 36. Warrington Town v Prescot Cables

Saturday 16^th April 2016 @3pm

Evo-Stik League Division 1 North

WARRINGTON TOWN 6-1 PRESCOT CABLES

Cantilever Park, Common Lane, Warrington WA4 2RS

Admission: £8

Programme: £2 (36pp)

Attendance:  1,411

Refreshments: None purchased.

A trip north for my wife to see one of her best friends who is battling cancer and a lovely evening was spent at her friend’s house.  With the ladies having a girly afternoon in Stockton Heath I found the nearest new visit for me, Cantilever Park and the side who needed a win to take the league title.  With their fairly recent FA Cup exploits it was good to get a first look at the ground.  It is quite unusual, with a 2 room large clubhouse and 2 storey changing rooms near the turnstile entrance with one bar entrance outside with little car parking space outside the turnstile.  There is an overhang from the clubhouse inside the ground and then 2 covered standing terraces built at an odd angle to the pitch. The floodlights have concrete stumps with a few of the large crowd taking advantage of a raised level.  Also along this side is a clubhouse and a snack bar, although with the 3 times usual attendance, the hot food ran out before half time.  Inside the clubhouse was a queue for the bar out to the door entrance, probably about 30 people long and only 1 or 2 bar staff.  Back to the ground and there is a several step terrace covered behind the far goal and the main seated stand is on the opposite side to the clubhouse.  An open hard standing area is behind the near goal with a 5-a-side pitch behind it.

The first goal on 13 minutes came when a throw in their own half was hooked up field into the path of Ciaran Kilheeney who controlled in and slotted past the keeper.  The 2^nd goal just 2 minutes later started again from a throw down the right, then a pass to Scott Metcalfe on the edge of the box and drove low beyond the keeper into the corner.  It was 3-0 on 32 minutes as another long throw this time on the left was headed on and scrambled in by Gerard Kinsella. Warrington made it 4-0 before half time when a through ball to the left winger made inroads into the area then swept across the goal for Gahgan to tap in from close range.

Prescot scored their consolation goal on the hour mark when Robert Doran taking the free kick left of goal about 25 yards out, curled it over the wall and beyond the keeper into the top corner. Warrington restored their 4 goal cushion when from a short corner the ball was worked onto the edge of the box then crossed to the far post for Daniel O’Donnell (not that one!) to slot in.  The final nail in Cables coffin came on 75 minutes when a dozen or so passes in the Cables half allowed a shot the be partially blocked but fell to no9 Kilheeney 12 yards out and he left footed beyond the dive of the keeper.

Much celebration at the end of the match and a happy vast majority of the crowd. I hope ex-manager Shaun Reid was proud as well as the current management team.

Match 35. Highgate United v Boldmere St Michaels

Saturday 9^th April 2016 @3pm

Midland League Premier Division

HIGHGATE UNITED 0-1 BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS

The Coppice, Tythe Barn Lane, Shirley, Solihull B90 1PN

Admission: £6

Programme: £1.50 (24pp)

Attendance:  60

Refreshments: Bovril, £1.

With cheap Virgin Train tickets booked to Birmingham New Street a while ago, it was lunch in the City Centre then walked to Snow Hill for the local train to Whitlocks End.  The 400 yards or so from the station via Tythe Barn Lane to The Coppice is interspersed with the other non-league grounds of Wychall Wanderers, Leafield Athletic and Shirley Town.  After going through the entrance to The Coppice, the car park is immediately in front with 3 full size pitches on the left, the club building on the right and the ground entrance 50 yds further ahead.  The clubhouse has a snack bar inside and the only toilets available are also inside the club building.  After going through the ground entrance in one corner, the railed off pitch has cover down one complete side and on the other side of the pitch, a strange, small elevated hut between the 2 dugouts.  The covered side has 2 rows of yellow seats along half of the pitch and a hard standing area beyond, with about 30 metres at the end being out of bounds due to uneven standing.

The match was one that the home side had about 70% of the possession, dominating the game but their passing accuracy and shooting had a lot to be desired even allowing for the difficult pitch conditions, made worse at half time when a 15 minute hail shower caught out the attendees coming out of the clubhouse after half time.  Highgate had the ball in the net after just 10 minutes but was disallowed for an offside decision by the linesman, who was behind play and had a hint of guesswork before raising his flag.  Boldmere capitalised on this decision by taking the lead after 22 minutes.  The number 11 who I think was Joe Smith made a good run down the left beating the no10 home player who looked like a makeshift right back, before crossing to the far post for Harry Howard to shoot into the far bottom corner.

The second half was strewn with errors but both sides had chances to add to the score.  The local support spoke of Aston Villa woes and got frustrated at the lack of skill on the park, but were a friendly enough bunch.  On my return to Birmingham after the match, I got off at Moor Street, which was a shorter walk back to New Street going through the Bullring.

Match 34. Gillingham v Coventry City

Saturday 2^nd April 2016 @3pm

Sky Bet League One

GILLINGHAM 0-0 COVENTRY CITY

Priestfield Stadium, Redfern Avenue, Gillingham ME7 4DD

Admission: £24

Programme: £3 (84pp)

Attendance:  7,200

Refreshments: Didn’t purchase any.

We were invited to my Mums for a birthday lunch and my stepdad treating (?) me to a match in the afternoon as he has been an avid Coventry fan since going to university there 30 years ago. We queued up for our seats in the Medway Stand from 2.30 and actually got to our 2^nd row seats near the away dugout as the teams walked out onto the pitch.  The ground was my first of the 92 back in 1975 and is much changed in the 30 odd years since although I have been back many times.  The Gills are in the hunt for promotion but were without Dack, McDonald and Egan were only fit enough to be on the bench and neither played a part in the match.

It was a game of 2 halves where Gills had the upper hand in the first, with Coventry reorganising themselves for the second half and playing the better football in the 2^nd 45.  For me it wasn’t the best of games, with some enjoyment coming from Tony Mowbray on the touchline, shouting throughout at his team, earning a colourful reply at one point from his centre back and continual berating of his own playmaker no7.  Justin Edinburgh had his hands tied on subs by injuries forcing 2 substitutions by the start of the second half.  The 2 best chances actually tip onto the bar by the keeper and he again did the same from a closer 10 yard shot which hit the underside of the bar and bounced on the goal line and cleared.

A draw didn’t really help either side but other results mean Gills didn’t lose ground.

Match 33. Worthing v Walton Casuals

Saturday 26^th March 2016 @3pm

Ryman League Division One South

WORTHING 1-2 WALTON CASUALS

Photronix Stadium, Woodside Road, Worthing BN14 7HQ

Admission: £8

Programme: £2 (32pp)

Attendance:  527

Refreshments: San Miguel 00, £2. Bovril, £1.

The first dry and sunny Saturday of the year and a family trip down to Worthing, where we had lunch at The Swiss Cottage in Shoreham before dropping me off at Woodside Road.  It has been over 10 years since my last visit and the ground has changed quite a bit in that time.  The bar is now under the Main stand and the old bar building looks unused.  Behind the near goal is covered standing and adjacent is the snack bar.  The main stand has standing in front of the raised seating, underneath is the clubhouse and changing rooms.  There are 2 other covered standing areas, one each behind the end goal and opposite the main stand.  They also have a 3G pitch with red surround inside the perimeter rail.

I spent the first half in the main stand before enjoying the sun in the second half on the terraces with a good size attendance.   The home side started the better side and soon went in front when a good cross from the right wing was headed in by Pope. This woke the visitors and they began to dominate the attacking play and created several chances with Worthing clinging on to their lead.  Inevitably Walton Casuals equalised after 20 minutes when a run down the left by Bamba was then curled into the area where Day was on hand to head past the keeper. The visitors then took the lead just before halftime when a free kick was lifted into the box where a header hit the crossbar before Rowe tapped in the rebound from close range.

The second half was evenly matched and the odds helped Worthing when Casuals were reduced to 10 men when Rhys Paul picked up a 2^nd yellow for a rash tackle in midfield. This allowed sustained pressure towards the Casuals goal until the final whistle but despite 2 late chances the visitors went home with a win.

Match 32. Stalybridge Celtic v Brackley Town

Saturday 19^th March 2016 @3pm

Vanarama National League North

STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 3-1 BRACKLEY TOWN

Bower Fold, Mottram Road, Stalybridge SK15 2RT

Admission: £12

Programme: £2 (40pp)

Attendance: 401

Refreshments: Steak Pie with gravy, £2.30. Peroni, £3

With a cheap day rail travel courtesy of Virgin trains it was off to a ground I have been wanting to visit for many seasons. A 12 minute journey from Manchester Piccadilly and a further 5 minutes bus ride to outside the ground. The car park is situated off Mottram Road and the nearest turnstiles are in the corner of the ground where the social club is located.  There is also turnstiles for the main stand with is for executive club members only. Inside the turnstiles is a toilet block one side and the snack bar on the other, which has a good selection of hot food.  The ground has a main seated stand and a raised seated stand with a standing paddock in front located opposite the aforementioned Main stand.  There is terracing behind both goals also partially covered. With another toilet block and a disused building with disabled area in front, this completes one of the best non-league grounds I have been to.

Both sides have been struggling this season and 3 points would help in the pursuit of staying in this league.  This was a game that the Celts just edged but both sides struggled in periods of the game and was not pleasing on this neutrals eyes.  Brackley started the better of the teams and came close on 3 occasions before Stalybridge took the lead after 15 minutes.  Chris Sim cut on from the run to the goal line and shot across the goal and hit the inside of the far post and judged to be over the line before the keeper clawed the ball to safety. Stalybridge had the better of the rest of the first half and had a shot clipping the crossbar before a goalmouth scramble just before half time allowed Brackley to level through a deflected shot resulting in an own goal.

The home side brought on 2 substitutes at half time and ten minutes into the 2^nd half, Stalybridge restored their lead when a cross was struck first time by one of the subs but well parried by the visiting keeper but Joyce reacted quickest to turn in the rebound.  The home side had their best spell of the game and went further in front with 15 minutes left when a throw was flicked on and sub Mudimu tapped in with the keeper stranded.  Brackleys heads dropped and the Celts played out the win in comfort.  The return to Manchester was quick and so I had 80 minutes to kill before my train back to London so I had a walk around Piccadilly Gardens and popped into the tired looking but cheaply priced Bar Rouge, part of the Britannia Hotel.