Match 17. North Leigh v Bashley

Saturday 22^nd November 2014 @3pm

Southern League Division South & West

NORTH LEIGH 11(Eleven)-0 BASHLEY

Eynsham Hall Park, Oxford Road (A4095), North Leigh

Admission: £8

Programme: £1

Attendance: 63

Refreshments: Thatcher’s Gold, £3. Chicken Cup-a-soup, 70p

A long standing promise to take the family to Bicester Village for Christmas shopping with a cousin also coming along. So they were dropped off at the Acorn pub by 1.30 so I had time to go to the furthest ground on my list for the day, a 20 mile trip along the (A4095) to Eynsham Hall Park and I was so glad that I did.

The hidden entrance is along a track to the cricket pitch where cars are allowed to park on the grass verges, and it was rather muddy under foot towards the turnstile adjacent to the cricket area. The whole area has line after line of trees and is in a remote location.  Once through the gate in the top corner of the ground, the main building is behind the top goal as well as shallow terracing with cover.  The changing rooms, club house and tea bar are also along this goal line as well as a few benches and a patio parasol.  The tea bar had a selection of hot pies, pasties as well as burgers.  The first ground this season that have had pies on offer. We southerners are certainly made to suffer on the pie front!  Along the right touchline is a standard covered seating area along the flat pack assembly design, which certainly shows the pitch slope from goal to goal.  Opposite the seated stand are the team dugouts.  In the distance to the bottom right corner flag I spotted Eynsham Hall, a rather elegant stately home.

Bashley are struggling towards the bottom of the league and I believe they reduced the team budget to expenses only this season. North Leigh are mid-table and odds on to win, but I didn’t expect what was to follow.  The only action in Bashleys favour is the one shot on target in each half, both easily saved by the home keeper.  North Leigh went ahead on 2 minutes when a low cross allowed Jamie Cook to chip the ball over the keeper from just inside the area.  On 11  minutes another low cross from Woodley found John Else who slid in to beat the centre back to the ball and divert the ball past Callum Maher. A hopeful through ball drew a defensive mistake for no10 Woodley to pounce and tap in from close range on 25 minutes after going round the keeper.  On the half hour a corner was headed in by Andy Gunn who claimed the goal, but I thought the Bash no5 headed into his own goal. A cross from the right back was hit 1^st time by no9 Cook which beat the keeper, hit the cross bar and was judged to bounce over the goal line, with no11 tapping in to make sure. A mazy run by Woodley beating 3 defenders before a pass to no9 Cook to get his hat trick from 6 yards on 42 minutes.

Being 6-0 down at the break, I’m sure Bashley would have heard a team talk along the lines of treat the 2^nd half as a 0-0 start, but within 5 minute of the restart, North Leigh had blown that notion away with 2 further goals.  A short corner was taken and crossed and the keeper dropped the catch for Else to pounce on the opportunity of getting on the score sheet. A minute later it was 8-0 when a great through ball allowed Ricketts to run on and slot the ball beyond the onrushing keeper. On the hour Woodley ran through from halfway line and his effort could only be parried for the substitute no15 Bowles to score after just coming on.  A period of 25 minute without a goal as both sides made all their changes and opportunities for a while were not finished off.  Normal service was resumed for the last 5+2 minutes stoppage time when a free kick was given for a handball. The left back Hopkins curled it nicely into the net from the left edge of the box. With almost the last kick of the game no14 scored under pressure from 10 yards.

With a batch of high scoring matches across the pyramid, I was glad to have chosen a Bashley bashing.