Match 10. Cirencester Town v North Leigh

Saturday 31^st October 2015 @3pm

FA Trophy 1^st Round Qualifying

CIRENCESTER TOWN 2-1 NORTH LEIGH

Corinium Stadium, Kingshill, Cirencester GL7 1HS

Admission: £10

Programme: £2 (A5, 24pp)

Attendance: 85

Refreshments: Oily chips, £2. Lucozade Sport, £1.50. Klix tomato soup, 90p.

I had the use of my daughters hop mobile so as she has a black box fitted I had a leisurely drive to Cirencester as I chose this thinking there could be a cup upset. The Corinium Stadium does have all the facilities needed for a Community club but is lacking in character, and the small attendence didn't help the lack of atmosphere.  Once parked in the large car park in front of the ground and through the open turnstile (of 6) the refreshment snack bar is on the left, with the main building on the right, including the changing rooms and a small covered searing area in front. The clubhouse is large and is beyond the changing room and players’ tunnel. There is standing cover behind one goal and a main seated stand of around 250 seats opposite the main building with several support posts restricting the view.  The home side are celebrating their 125^th year, the last 13 have been at this location. I do wonder what their former ground was like.

The match was played in beautiful warm sunshine throughout with the sun setting towards the end of the match.  The home side in red and black started well against the visitors in yellow and black and dominated possession for the first half and hour.  The deserved lead arrived on 26 minutes when a corner from no11 found Griffin unmarked in the 6 yard box to head in. North Leigh got back into the match and were unlucky not the go in at the break on level terms. North Leigh started the second half well but fell further behind five minutes into the half with a copycat move, this time Henry using his head to go 2-0 up.  North Leigh then dominate the second half, with Cirencester querying everything and using gamesmanship to rattle the visitors, but the strong referee was having none of it.  The bookings were for dissent and playacting.  North Leigh pulled a goal back with a quarter of an hour to go but despite a late onslaught of the home goal, couldn’t force the equaliser.

Match 9. Glebe v FC Elmstead

Friday 30^th October 2015 @7.45pm

Kent Invicta League

GLEBE 4-0 FC ELMSTEAD

Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst

Admission: £5 including Programme: (A5, 16pp)

Attendance: 272 (official)

Coffee: £1.

After 4 weeks without a live match due to work commitments and illness, I decided to revisit Glebe for their first match under the new floodlights.  Owner Rocky has certainly made progress at the venue in the last 6 months.  From an open field of 2 pitches to a ground soon to be Step 5 standard with just covered standing and changing room to pitchside player “tunnel” to complete before end of March. There had been a fair effort to publicise this match and the result was the 2^nd highest attendance in KIL history. There was a disco and singer booked for post-match celebrations, with the home side already having one hand on the League championship following another demolition and ever expanding cushion between them and 2^nd place.

Glebe went in front early on as the right back Clark made progress down the flank then a great cross allowed Lockyer to place his header into the corner of the net.  Glebe went further in front on 25 minutes as Alderman turned his marker and let loose a screamer from outside the box that the keeper could only parry into the path of Golding to slot home.

FC Elmstead were up against it but put in a better shift in the second half, having subbed the centre forward who was carrying enough extra timber to start a bonfire! They played more positive but still no match for the league leaders, who added 2 more goals in the last 15 minutes to tee up the end of game fireworks and party mood.

Good to finally meet up with Sussexhopper and his driving companions from Lyme Regis.

Match 8. Abbey Rangers v Tytherington Rocks

Saturday 3^rd October 2015 @3pm

FA Vase 2^nd Qualifying Round

ABBEY RANGERS 1aet1 TYTHERINGTON ROCKS

Addlestone Moor, Addlestone KT15 2QH

Admission: £5 including Programme: (A5, 28pp)

Attendance: 60 h/c

Refreshments: Guinness, £3.30. Oasis soup, £1.20.

A trouble free 1 hour drive around the M25 to a new ground for me.  I arrived just after 2pm as the away team coach pulled up.  Plenty of parking at the ground to the side of the club building which has food and drink on offer and I had a lovely veg soup homemade by one of the catering staff.  The pitch this season which has been developed is the ex-training pitch, closest to the clubhouse, has an overhang and wooden tables and bench seating in front.  The pitch is fully railed with hard standing around, with dugouts and floodlights.  Some work still to do to reach sufficient grading to remain at step 6 or rise any higher but they appear to have a plentiful amount of committee and volunteers at the club.

Having watched the last half an hour of Palaces dominating win against WBA and chatting with a North London based traveller from Oldham, the game kicked off and The Rocks had much the better of the first half hour, with the home side struggling to settle and guilty of some aggressive tackling.  The away side wished they had converted opportunities in the first period as on a counter attack, Abbey went a goal up and this seemed to settle them and they ended the half in a controlling mood.

The second half was fairly even but the combative nature of both sides threatened to boil over several times before Rocks managed a late equaliser. Amazingly about a 1/3 of the attendance left not bothering to watch extra time, including Barry the T### and his similarly tailored acquaintance.  Despite a last period of pressing by The Rocks on the near goal the teams have to battle it out near Bristol on Wednesday.  I just hope someone tells the catering manager that Tytherington is not near Birmingham!!

Match 7. Ashford United v Corinthian

Saturday 26th September 2015 @3pm
Southern Counties East Football League
ASHFORD UNITED 1-1 CORINTHIAN
Homelands stadium, Ashford Road, Kingsnorth, Ashford TN26 1NJ

Admission: £7
Programme: £2 (A5, 32pp double issue)
Attendance: 190
Refreshments: Guinness India Porter, £3.60. Sausage Roll 60p, Chips, £1.50. Chicken Cup a soup, £1.30

Another revisit for me as the family went to the nearby Outlet Centre.  I had watching both Maidstone United and the former Ashford club hear but this was the first game here with the 3G pitch laid.  The perimeter also has 4 x¾ size goals for the weekday evenings 5/6 a side bookings that bring in the extra income for the club.

This is a nice place to watch football, with a large main stand with the incorporated facilities behind the stand.  There are 3 steps on covered terracing behind each goal and the ground is suitable for a higher level of football if success follows the obvious bigger income.  The tea hut is good as well. There is even Pie, mash & liquor on offer at £4.50.  Something I will go back for again next time.

The match was dominated by the home side and the ball went in the net from a corner via the head of Kingwell but was disallowed for a soft infringement in the box.  Within 5 minutes Ashford went 1-0 up on 32 mins when Welford turned the centre back and drove the ball into the bottom corner.  Ashford had a handful of good chances plus dominated the rest of the game with Corinthian defending in numbers with the odd counter attack.  Against all the odds they levelled with a minute to go when a scuffed shot by Axell somehow managed to slide under the keepers’ body and trickled into the net.  Ashford had another chance on stoppage time but yet again the shooting was inaccurate

Match 6. Hurstpierpoint v AFC Vardeanians

Saturday 19^th September 2015 @3pm

Southern Combination Football League Division 2

HURSTPIERPOINT 0-3 AFC VARDEANIANS

Fairfield Recreation Ground, Uckfied Road, Hurstpierpoint BN6 9SD

Admission: free

Programme: donation (A5, 12pp)

Attendance: 12 h/c

Refreshments: Red Stripe £2.50. Mug of coffee: £1.  Crisps: 50p

Hurstpierpoint were resurrected from the ill-fated merger last season with Burgess Hill Albion, with the latter reforming in the Mid Sussex League as the merged club were more or less bankrupt.  Hurst are run by a 4 man committee with Dave, Jake, Jamie and manager Dudley Christensen, with Dudley slowly assembling a side which only contained 2 players from last season.  The ground has a small car park in front of the club building but there are spaces in the main road near the track to the ground.  The Fairfield ground is shared with the cricket club and the football pitch is on the far side of the ground. A metal rail is down the tree lined side with dugouts also in situ.  The other 3 sides are fully roped off with no hard standing so I was grateful that it was a warm sunny afternoon.

One of the problem positions is that of goalkeeper and the second keeper so far filled in between the sticks.  Unfortunately he collided with the Vardeanians striker after 20 minutes, injuring his shoulder.  He continued and handled well but when the first goal went in soon before half time, the despairing dive to his right was the final straw.  The slightly built sub took over in goal despite having little experience. The original keeper was on the way to hospital at half time with a suspected broken collar bone.

The away side have adjusted well to the step up and dominated the second half although Hursts heads never dropped. They conceded a further 2 goals in the half.  The first was a cross goal shot following a corner and the final goal a well taken hit from 20 yards into the corner.  Both goals would have beaten most keepers at this level.

I hope they get volunteers and sponsors to alleviate the workload of the small committee but with a team only a few short of a decent side, a sponsor now on board and a club linesman volunteered from the local college, the club should be on the rise in the near future and worth a visit on a dry day.

Match 5. Billericay Town v Enfield Town

Saturday 12^th September 2015 @3pm

FA Cup 1^st Qualifying Round

BILLERICAY TOWN 1-1 ENFIELD TOWN

New Lodge, Blunts Wall Road, Billericay

Admission: £10

Programme: £2 (A5, 44pp)

Attendance: 333

Refreshments: Guinness £3.60. Chips £1.50. Twix 60p.

Wanted a cup tie and chose a revisit having last been to New Lodge some 20 years ago.  The ground has a small car park and cover of sorts on all four stands. Standing cover behind each goal and a mix of standing and seating cover on both sides, with the Main Stand straddling the halfway line with the clubhouse behind and adjacent.

The match didn’t live up to expectations and the game was fractious both on and off the pitch including a bald headed Enfield supporter who walked from behind the away goal to behind the home goal, to incite the opposition by removing an orange home bib. Who knows his reasoning, but he was spoken to by stewards after a kafuffle and was allowed to remain.  The home skipper meanwhile was determined to get sent off and managed to achieve this within the first half hour for 2 bookings, for verbal and a late challenge.

The best player on the pitch was the home no10 Sodje who opened the scoring after 13 minutes by receiving a through ball and lifting it over the advancing keeper into the empty net.  After being down to 10 men, Billericay sat back relying on quick counter attacking but found to be pushed into defending more than they would like.  The equaliser came when a free kick was half cleared only for Devyn to control the ball and shoot home without being challenged.  There was almost a late winner for Billericay but after catching the defence square, missed a chip over the keeper as it rose high over the crossbar.  

Match 4. Glebe v Crockenhill

Saturday 5^th September 2015 @3pm

Kent Invicta League

GLEBE 1-2 CROCKENHILL

Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst, Kent.

Admission: £5 including Programme (A5, 16pp)

Attendance: 85

Refreshments: Guinness £3.50. Kit Kat 60p.

Stayed local due to family commitments this weekend.  Despite Glebe being chucked out of the FA Vase on ground issues, they were still at home in a rearranged league fixture in what was their first Saturday home match at the spruced up ground at the bottom of Foxbury Avenue. Just a 10 minute bus ride on the 160 from Sidcup Rail Station or about a mile walk to Chislehurst Rail Station, although it’s a steep hill from that Station.

As you enter the Sports Ground there is a pitch in front of you where the vets were playing then you see beyond it, the club building and the newly erected fencing surrounding the main pitch.  The clubhouse has a main room and a function room. It also has the bar and a food kiosk behind on the way to the toilets.  The England rugby was on the several TV screens and as I arrived at 2.40pm the gateman was just inside taking admission, before opening the admission gate 15 minutes before kick-off.  The ground is fenced off on 3 sides and has trees behind the far goal completing the enclosure.  The pitch is in good condition and is railed with dugouts on one touchline and a 100 seater stand on the nearer touchline, of which 50 seats was delivered only 2 days beforehand.  Still floodlights and a covered standing area to complete this season and a protected walkway from dressing room to ground to be constructed to progress higher I imagine among other things. But perfectly acceptable for Step 6 apart from the aforementioned list.

Glebe started the match in dominant mood and should have been a goal up after 15 minutes but the referee and assistant didn’t spot the ball hitting the wheel on the bottom station half a yard inside the goal before bouncing back into play. Both teams thought it had been awarded only for the referee to point for a goal kick!  This decision galvanised the away side into action and they had the better chances before, on 36 mins a corner wasn’t cleared properly by the Glebe defence and the 2^nd cross to the far post was directed across the goal into the far corner by Dalrymple.

Early in the second half and Glebe didn’t learn from their first half mistakes by again failing to completely clear the lines in defence and the return was stabbed home from close range by Johnson,  So Glebe found themselves 2 goals down against the run of play.  They did bombard the visitors for the last half hour, with bookings escalating, language on the field deteriorating as Glebe reduced the arrears with a ¼ of the game left when a free kick was headed in.  Despite the pressure and about 5 minutes stoppage time, Crocks stole the 3 points against a good Glebe side who should be up there about at the end of the season.