Match 13. Newbury v Brimscombe & Thrupp

Saturday 26^th October 2013@3pm

Hellenic League Premier Division

NEWBURY 0-2 BRIMSCOMBE & THRUPP

Faraday Road, Newbury

 

Admission: £5 including programme

Attendance: 60

Food: Hot Dog, £1.50

Drink: Guinness, £3.50

I had hoped to take in either Cirencester or Swindon Supermarine, but due to the car park that is the M25, regular delays at Cobham Jct 10 and Clacketts Jct 5 meant it took 2 hours to reach the M4, so calculated I could get to Newbury in time for kick off, which I arrived at 2.50.

 

The ground is off London Road in the industrial and retail estate but there were parking spaces available outside the ground. The turnstiles are not in use and entrance is gained through the clubhouse entrance on the right. 3 sides of the railed pitch are hard standing areas and the Main stand located in front of the club building and changing rooms.  The tea hut is only open for the half time interval, serving hot dogs, chips and hot drinks.  The stand is large for Step 5 with over 250 seats and a standing area at the back of the stand, where I located myself.

 

This was a scrappy game, but humour by the travelling officials and supporters kept the mood light hearted.  Newbury are struggling this season and play simple football with hard graft as opposed to the more attacking tendencies of B&T, who were without several first team regulars.  Despite this, they took the lead on 10 minutes when Brimscombe were awarded a penalty when Wilkins took striker Deakins legs from him just as he was about to shoot.  The penalty was converted by Joe Tustain.  The game was made safe just before half time as a through ball found Karl Nash who drew the keeper into committing himself and drove the ball beyond him into the net.

   

As I expected, the second half was not much of a contest, as Newbury’s frustration appeared in barracking the officials and the referees’ continual stoppages. Brimscombe should have added to their tally if they were not so wasteful in the final third.

Match 12. Thrapston Town v Northampton ON Chenecks

Saturday 19th October 2013@3pm
United Counties League Division One
THRAPSTON TOWN 2-1 NORTHAMPTON ON CHENECKS
Chancery Lane, Thrapston

Admission: £5
Programme: £1
Attendance: 11
Food: Chicken Pie and Chips at the Chippy on corner of Chancery Lane, £6 (8/10)
Drink: Bulmers, £2.90

My better half had carer duties so abandoned the train in favour of the hopmobile setting off at 12.00, giving me time to arrive at Thrapston and hour before kick off and sample a lovely lunch before the game. The players warm up on the field in front of the turnstile and walking in at 2.59 there was no queue as I was customer number 11 of the paying attendees in the crowd of 14. By the time I checked the programme to see who was playing in which colour, No9 Luke Cummings received a through ball inside the D and he slotted past the keeper for a lead on 80 seconds.  The second Saturday running I've seen an opener within 2 minutes.  The game settled down with both sides not short of effort, but perhaps lacking in control and passing skills.  The referee was trying to keep the game flowing but was barracked by the benches for playing advantage too often.  It was nice to see a ref play the game with a smile and genuine enjoyment, although his only 2 bookings during the game were for dissent.

On the hour, Chenecks deserved their equaliser through a header by their no4 Hancock from the experienced no8 Lewington.  The winner came shortly after by Ben Sunderland as he curled a right footed freekick beyond the reach of Chenecks no1.

The ground is fairly basic and 3 sided as it shares with cricket. The temporary rail down the cricket pitch side with lined trees on 2 sides and a selection of 3 small seated areas and 1 standing area.  All of which are down the near touchline with the dugouts.  Behind the goal is the club house and separate changing rooms with a tea bar for snacks and hot drinks.

Match 11. Desborough Town v Deeping Rangers

Saturday 12th October 2013@3pm

United Counties League Premier Division

DESBOROUGH TOWN 1-8 DEEPING RANGERS

Waterworks Field, Braybrooke Road, Desborough, Kettering

 

Admission:£5

Programme: £1

Attendance: 64

Food: Corned Beef Roll, £1.20

Drink: Bulmers no17: £2.80

 

Back in the hopmobile for the first time since early August.  Waterworks Field is easy to find, not far from the A14. After parking in the small club car park and receiving a friendly welcome by the gateman, who invited me to use the clubhouse outside the turnstiles while waiting for the start (50 mins), I read the programme and had a pre-match pint, accompanied with another friendly welcome from the barmaid.. Prices are very reasonable at under £3 for most pints on offer. Inside the turnstiles there is a covered terrace behind the nearside goal and the cover is low down and must make for an atmosphere if a group of vocal support visits. The open touchline has the dugouts situated either side of the halfway line, and a Watertank is the focal view point from the ground.  The splendid ramshackle Main stand is on the opposite touchline, consisting of white uprights at the front, partially obscuring the view from within the stand. There is another section of covered terracing adjacent to the Main Stand with a dozen chairs along the back, presumably to make up the shortfall in the main stand. Each corner has a large floodlight pylon circa late 1960s with all manner of mobile signals attached presumably generated income foe the club at some point in time.

 
I was still walking around the perimeter towards the dugouts when Deeping took the lead in under a minute (48 seconds). Josh Moreman thumped the ball from 25 yards into the corner flying past the home keeper. With most of the attacking play being demonstrated by the visitors, inevitably a second goal arrived on 19 minutes when Griffiths found Alex Beck, who drove the ball low into the net from the edge of the area.  Desborough seemed to be a mess at the back and the midfield playing far too forward leaving the space for Deeping to exploit. Within 5 minutes it was 0-3 as Beck was again put in by Griffiths who scored this time with his left foot. The centre backs were having a nightmare 1st hlaf and Deeping made it four after 35 minutes when Griffiths supplied his 3rd assist for Oliver in the box to slide past the aptly named keeper Flood.  The same duo linked again within minutes to allow Oliver to score despite slipping over.

 
Whatever was said in the Desborough changing room at half time seemed to work as they started the 2nd half with more purpose, especially no7 who was non existent in the first half on the wing but was all over the midfield 2nd half. First they hit the crossbar by Redding and he finally scored just before the hour with an edge of area shot into the net.  This seemingly woke up the away side who took just 2 minutes to return five in front when Griffiths crossed to Oliver to head in. Desborough didn't give up but couldn't prevent Beck from getting his Hat trick 10 minutes before the end as the through pass was dispatched quickly and with pace. The final goal soon after was a solo effort from Moreman who started the scoring, by beating 2 defenders on the left before blasting in from the 6 yard box. I picked out Josh Moreman, Alex Beck and Mitch Griffiths as they all played superbly and will keep an eye out during the season.

 

Match 10. Kings Lynn v Whitby Town

Saturday 5th October 2013 @3pm
Evo-stick Northern Premier League Premier Division
KINGS LYNN 3-0 WHITBY TOWN
The Walks, Tennyson Road, Kings Lynn
 
Admission: £10
Programme: £2
Attendance: 532
Food: Nil
Drink: Guinness, £3.50
 
A 90 minute train journey from Kings Cross to Kings Lynn station then a 10 minute walk to the ground by turning left out of the station then left through the park, turning right by the bowls club.  It's much quicker than walking by road directions.  Admission is by ticket only, purchased right next to the turnstiles.  There is 3 sides of terracing.  Uncovered behind each goal and covered along the opposite side.  All the facilities are found alongside the near touchline, with the fantastic Main stand with it's seating raised above the club offices, changing room and clubhouse.
 
The first quarter of the game was fairly even, with chances at both ends.  The defining moment of the match came on 25 minutes.  A penalty was awarded to Kings Lynn after a shove by Hassan on Hall, which resulted in Hassan being sent off as last defender. The feeble penalty was easily saved by Bland.  The first goal came on 35 minutes when Jacob stabbed in a cross by Hall. Hall, wearing no7 was dictating the show and got on the scoresheet by a marvellous 30 yard blast into the top corner 3 minutes before half time.
 
The 2nd half started brightly by Kings Lynn as they dominated the 3rd quarter and scored the killer goal just before the hour when another cracking shot from outside the area by Quigley.  With the game settled Kings Lynn made 3 rapid substitutions taking off the best 3 players on the day, Hall, Mills and Duffy.  The replacements showed why Kings Lynn are inconsistent this season as the match evened out with the hardworking McTiernan and Armstrong almost making an unlikely comeback, before the match ended with no further score.

The hourly service back to London is xx56 which meant just missing the 4.56 so a 45 minutes wait was eased by a visit to The Fenmen Pub outside the station.

Match 9. Atherstone Town v Coalville Town

Saturday 28th September 2013 @3pm

FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round

ATHERSTONE TOWN 1-0 COALVILLE TOWN

Sheepy Road, Atherstone

Admission: £5

Programme: £1

Attendance: 484

Food: (boiled) hot dog, £1.50

Drink: Koppaberg, £3.50

  

London Midland trains provided the transport to Atherstone Station, a 10 minute walk away from the ground. As I walked up Castle Road, both sets of fans were making a day of it outside The Angel by the square.  The pub opposite also had outside overspill, so I went straight to the ground, arriving at 2.20. The clubhouse is just to the right of the turnstiles and was sedate and quiet on my arrival, with a dozen or so people in the bar. I heard the noise of the crowd outside the turnstile at 2.40 so quickly got another drink in as the hordes then congregated in the bar for their pre match drink. Many of the supporters were already glass eyed and Ken and his staff were working their socks off to serve everybody.  I left the bar just before kick off as the queue got fuller and fuller, the customers emptying the fridges of alcohol and they shut the bar at 3.20 as they ran out of beer to serve.  They stocked up for half time then closed again on the hour mark when they ran out again.  On one side they must have taken a lot of money, but some of the supporters shouldn't have been served as trouble flared up in the far corner at half time.  After grabbing a Coalville flag an inebriated supporter together with 20+ other fans goaded the Coalville fans, leaped over the barrier and ran straight into a right hook.  The stewards and the club official in his tie separated the two crowds and no further trouble during the match was spotted by me.  It did leave me feeling deflated that trouble at this level is still happening.  However, despite this, the club is still a great place to visit, probably for a league game.

The ground looks fairly worn but has a great covered stand on the far touchline, running most of the way along, half seated, half standing.  A further covered standing area is found on the near touchline, past the bar and toilets.  The food kiosk is by the turnstiles but ran out of pies long before kick off and only had hot dogs by kick off. A few steps of open terracing is found behind the goal.
 
The Adders were playing a team 2 divisions higher and for most of the game the difference was easily recognisable. The first half was Coalville attacking, Atherstone defending, mostly last ditch, especially the excellent performance of the home keeper Philip Smith.  He must have made half a dozen top class saves during the first half, including a magnificent dive to the right to stop a one on one from 10 yards.  I'd like to see his name mentioned on the FA Cup Player of the Round.  Having survived the onslaught against the slope in the first half, it was marginally easier in the second period for Atherstone.  They made frequent forays into the Coaville last third, making the keeper make a couple of good saves, but the flow was mainly towards the home goal.  Then when it looked like going to a replay, a long ball drifted over the centre back for the on running Lee Smith to take it to the keeper and slip it past him into the net.  Wild celebrations including a few on the pitch meant it was a few minutes until the restart.  The Adders held out for the 2 + 3 minutes stoppage time for an unexpected victory.
 
The train back to London arrived at Euston platform 9, 25 minutes late due to a signal failure on platforms 1-7!