Match 25. Chertsey Town v Hanworth Villa

Saturday 21^st February 2015 @3pm

Combined Counties League Premier Division

CHERTSEY TOWN 4-2 HANWORTH VILLA

Alwyns Lane, Chertsey

Admission: £7

Programme: £1.50

Attendance: 103

Refreshments: Can of Somersby cider, £2.50. Chicken Soup £1. Walkers Crisps, 60p.

I was going to a match in the EOFL but after the previous wet evening the games were falling fast so I decided to head west on the quiet M25 for a revisit to Alwyns Lane.  This ground I last visited on 7 December 1996 when the hosts played in the Icis League Premier against a pink kitted Yeovil Town where they lost 2-0 and that goalscoring machine Warren Patmore were playing for the Glovers.  Today I had another goalscoring machine, John Pomroy, who was on 299 goals before this game.

I arrived with an hour to spare so walked around the small but pretty little town and had a chicken bap from the local bakery, and small refreshments at the award winning Thyme at the Tavern and the quirky The Olde Swan with its bygone age memorabilia and furniture. The former had 5 hand pumps in use.

I don’t think the ground has changed in the near 20 years since my last visit. There is small standing cover behind both goals and also cover alongside most of the terracing on the far touchline. The main focus of course is on the main stand with wooden steps and faded blue plastic seats but certainly a one off design with a press box table area in the middle of the stand.  The tea bar is behind the near goal and the clubhouse and changing rooms are next to the main stand.  The clubhouse only serves refreshments from bottles or cans from a fridge (no draught).

Chertsey are struggling a little this season in the lower mid table but Hanworth Villa are having a bad season, sitting next to bottom of the division.  The first quarter of the game was evenly matched on the heavy but playable pitch.  Chertsey then started to dominate and got a deserved penalty on 33 minutes when the attacker was tripped after playing a neat 1-2.  After several minutes of protests by the away side, Pomroy got his 300^th career goal as he drove the ball just of centre to the despair of the diving goalkeeper.  The referee, who was inadvertently slowing the game down played a good advantage a few minutes later when continuing play after a bookable foul and the ball went forward into the path of Salako who shot into the net under the keepers’ body.

The second half began with Chertsey on the ascendancy and scored three minutes in when Pomroy got his 2^nd goal with a delightful lob over the keeper into the corner from 20 yards. The visitors then decided to stop the verbal and play which gave them 2 chances which were saved well by Adam Faith, the new Chertsey keeper.  Into the last quarter of the game and Hanworth began a comeback when a freekick on the edge of the box was rocketed beyond the keeper. Hanworth sensed a jittering home side and took the match to them. They added a 2^nd goal on 89 minutes when a counter attack found the defence short on numbers and a tap in made the 5 minutes stoppage time nervous for the home fans but Chertsey made the game safe in the 94^th minute when a Wadmore shot went in off the post.  At the end there was applause and a player guard of honour for John Pomroy, 301 goals and counting.

Match 24. Harlow Town v Wroxham

Saturday 14^th February 2015 @3pm

Ryman League Division 1 North

HARLOW TOWN 1-1 WROXHAM

Harlow Arena, Elizabeth Way, Harlow

Admission: £10

Programme: £1

Attendance: 220

Refreshments: Cheeseburger, £2.50. Guinness, £3.20.

I was going to go to the FA Vase match at Holbeach but was not feeling well on Friday and felt rough early on Saturday so didn’t decide until lunchtime that I was ok to venture out and could only fit in a revisit so chose the safe option of the Harlow Arena 3G.

The ground is found driving through a myriad of roundabouts and had plenty of parking available today as I remembered the problems I had last time I was here on proper grass versus Chelmsford which drew a much bigger crowd and I had to park on a grass verge.  On entering through the turnstiles in one corner of the ground the main stand is on the right hand side, with the standing cover on the opposite touchline, as well as the dugouts.  Hard standing throughout and a small caged 3G immediately inside the turnstiles was in use by some youngsters.  Several goals are stacked up beyond the main stand next to the toilet block I presume for pitch rental on non matchdays.  The directors lounge is at the back of the main stand and the food kiosk and supporters bar is on the side of the main stand.  

The last match I saw on artificial surface was at Maidstone in the rain 18 months ago and I came away with a positive opinion.  This surface however, didn’t enhance the argument for 3G. Although the pitch is nice and flat with a consistent bounce, I thought it bounced too low, like a flat ball and the game is noticeably devoid of sliding tackles and the ability to get right under the ball on taking corners and free kicks.  Apart from these setbacks, the game was still enjoyable, with Wroxham the better side in the first half, and Harlow in charge of the second period. 

Wroxham had already had a shot tipped over the bar earlier on before opening the scoring after 25 minutes.  A long ball from the back was controlled well by Danny White who then turned around the last defender and shot under the keepers outstretched arm into the net.  J King had a close range effort block by the home keeper on the half hour.  Harlow managed to draw level just before the break, when a quick counter attack found Alex Read 25 yards out and he expertly shot over the keeper and just under the crossbar.  The second half drew a blank on goals but Harlow had the best chances to win the match with several good saves made and a diving header just wide of the post with the attacker ending up in the net.  Wroxham did manage a shot against the crossbar and on reflection, a draw was the fair result. 

Match 23. Basildon Town v Benfleet

Saturday 7^th February 2015 @2pm

Essex Olympian League Division 2

BASILDON TOWN 1-4 BENFLEET

Selex Sports Ground, Gardiners Way, Basildon

Admission: Nil

Programme: free

Attendance: 13 h/c

Refreshments: Guinness, £3.10. Coffee, £1

My original choice was the FA Vase match between Holbeach and Erith & Belvedere and I was on the Deres coach at 10.30 and we were on our way at 11.00 as the 1000 pitch inspection said that there was work to do in one goalmouth and down one side and so the ref would carry out another inspection by 12.00.  However we received a call at 11.40 as we approached the M11 that the match was off and we returned to the ground at 12.15. Luckily I was picked up and after receiving confirmation that the Selex Ground was playable I drove there in time for the 2pm kick off.

The ground entrance is 100 yards down the road from the KFC and McDonalds on the nearby retail park alongside the A127.  The club building and car park are found 100 yards up a track and there is ample parking spaces.  The building is quite large and houses several changing rooms, toilets and 2 bar areas.  Hot drinks and snacks are available but no hot food or rolls, but only a minute away from the 2 fast food outlets on the Mayflower Retail Park.  The club has its main pitch nearest the clubhouse with a further 2 pitches beyond. The pitch has permanent dugouts on the far touchline as well as being fully railed.  There is no hard standing but has a few bench tables to sit at along the nearest touchline to the clubhouse and this is where the 13 of us congregated.

Basildon had most of the early possession but went behind on 15 minutes when the visiting no6 ran into the left hand side of the area and squared the ball for no9 to tap in to score. The lead was doubled within a minute when a shot was parried by the keeper to the feet of no9 who hit the rebound first time into the net.  On 26 minutes the centre-forward wearing no25 was clipped just inside the area as he was about to shoot.  The resulting penalty was scored by no10 on the 2^nd spot kick as the first was saved but retaken due to player encroaching the area.  Each side had a good chance before half time. The home no10 hit the post from 5 yards in front of an open goal.  No9 was foiled by a point blank save from the goalkeeper.

The visitors lead was increase five minutes into the 2^nd half.  A corner was headed on by no10 and then returned to him to drive in from 8 yards. The match was safe when on 80 minutes a cross from the left was cushioned by no8 for no9 to score from 6 yards.

The crowd was made up of 6 or 7 older gents and half a dozen lads ages 18-21. The lads engaged in “Bullard banter“ with the visiting linesman/substitute regarding his rotund frame during the first half and he got an ironic cheer when he came on for the last 5 minutes in his skin tight kit and touched the ball once.

Match 22. Merstham v Hasting United

Saturday 31^st January 2015 @3pm

Ryman League Division 1 South

MERSTHAM 2-1 HASTINGS UNITED

Moatside, Weldon Way, Merstham

Admission: £8

Programme: £2

Attendance: 168

Refreshments: Guinness, £3.20. Bovril in a mug, £1, Walkers Crisps, 70p

I decided on a revisit to a ground I was last at in 1995.  The M25 had a lot of surface water making the drive there an unpleasant one.  On arrival just after 2pm I purchased a programme and paid my entrance with a warning from the gateman that the match is on “at the moment” and to keep hold of my ticket for a refund as rain had been lashing down for 30 minutes and continued to 2.45.  Thankfully, the ref had no problems with the pitch which had a fair share of soft squelchy patches but the ball could still roll ok on it.  A clash between 2 sides who I expected to be closer to each other in the table rather than the 15 places between them. Hastings are a bigger side than step 4 but the performances of late have lacked passion according to some away supporters.  The crowd included several supporters from Three Bridges and some Carshalton Athletic fans who had visitors from German club FC Viktoria Kӧln with them to see the postponed Corinthian Casuals match.

The visitors went ahead in the 27^th minute through Evan Archibald, up until then clear chances had been few and far between. Merstham then dominated the rest of the half but couldn’t level before half time.  In the second half Merstham hit the post then Pelling blocked a rebound effort before Hutchings shot through the crowd finding the net 10 minutes into the half. The winning goal ten minutes before the end came about when an attempted clearance hit the referees’ backside into the path of Folkes to slip the ball past the advancing keeper Pelling. This didn’t go down well with the travelling support.

Hastings had been truly beaten but they performed very well and in the diminutive no4 Kyle Holden, just 17 years of age, they may have a star of the future.