FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round
NORTHAMPTON SPENCER 1-5 BARKING
Kingsthorpe Mill, Studland Road, Northampton
Admission: £5
Programme: 50p
Attendance: 65
Food: Cheeseburger, £2.50
Drink: Guinness, £3.20
I travelled by public transport again to Northampton Rail Station where there is extensive road and construction works outside the station, so it took a while to find The Old Black Lion, my landmark towards the town bus station where bus 17 on Bay 17 took me to the Shell Garage off Thornton Road and 5 minutes walk to Kingsthorpe Mill. I popped in the pub on the way back to the station after the match and it has changed from the 3 roomed pub 15+ years ago on my last visit to see Sixfields, the pool table room is replaced by a childrens play room!
The track leading to the ground is found on the corner of Studland Road, where I walked past the allotments, training pitch and changing rooms to the club bar and entrance. The bar is large and is hired out regularly. Once through he entrance, a small Atcost style seated stand is immediately to the right, with the covered standing area to the left, attached to the club bar. The tea hut is further down the touchline. The dugouts are opposite and the 3 other touchlines have trees to give the ground a rural enclosed feel despite being in an industrial area of town.
Northampton Spencer came out of the blocks at full speed, hitting the cross bar and then taking the lead after 12 minutes with a fierce long shot. At that point no-one would have imagined how the rest of the match would turn out. Five minutes later, Barking equalised when a cross from no11 found no9 unmarked to tap in the cross. Then the game defining moment. Spencers goalkeeper came charging out racing with the no9 to get to the ball, was 2nd best and resulted in the forward flicking the ball past him and colliding into the keeper. The resultant red card and left back picking up the vacated green jersey, only for the resulting free kick to be parried to the no6 who slotted home the rebound. The tricky no11 collected the ball 25 yards out, then dribbled past 2 players and shot through the keepers legs to make it 3-1 on 32 minutes. The referee then played a good advantage from a foul in midfield as the no9 took the ball forward and blasted into the bottom corner 5 minutes before the break.
A deflated home side came out in the second half and got frustrated with wave after wave of attacking from Barking. Surprisingly the only goal in the second half was on the hour when a low drive from no8 flew past the sub keeper. The rest of the game was a case of wasteful chances by Barking and collecting 3 bookings by Northampton Spencer.
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