Match 28. Ely City v Walsham-Le-Willows

Saturday 2nd March 2013 @3pm
Eastern Counties League Premier Division
ELY CITY 1-1 WALSHAM-LE-WILLOWS
The Unwin Ground, Downham Road

 

Admission: £6
Programme: £1
Attendance: 90

 
The City is a nice way to spend strolling around in the afternoon and had previously seen the City Centre with the famous Petrou Brothers chippy, after a postponement at Kings Lynn in December. With this still on my mind, my trip to St Ives was aborted and a late change of mind made me divert to The Unwin Ground, a complex with various sports in a large acreage with the football club at the far end of the complex.  This is another ground where the Main Stand has raised seating with club facilities underneath and to one side. Something I am seeing increasingly with this seasons choice of games.   The regulars and staff engaged me with a smile and is a friendly club to visit.

 

The pitch was bumpy due to the recent weather so it was never going to be a game of passing along the ground. Ely like to take home advantage and they pressed Walsham throughout the game, keeping up such a pace it seemed like an essential Cup match.After 5 minutes a header flew just over the bar
and another effort after 20 minutes cleared the bar by and even smaller amount.  Walsham were not without their own chances and hit the side netting soon after.  On a counter attack, Walsham got a cross in from the goal line and the half clearance was turned in by Brame.

Renewed energy from Ely in the second half, but with a resolute visiting defence keeping City as bay.  The Robins deserved their equaliser on the hour when a scramble in the opposition area allowed Mussa a chance to score but he was bundled over and the ref gave the penalty.  The penalty strike by Chadwick hit the post off a fingertip save but easily scored the rebound. Ten minutes later a Walsham player on the right wing received a 2nd yellow for diving. He was the only one to protest his innocence and the visiting support were resigned to this player having a "habit" of doing similar before.

The away side then bolstered their defence to cling on to a draw. Apart from 2 shots over the bar, Ely could not penetrate the defence and the game petered out for a draw.