Match 17. AFC Stoneham v Fleet Spurs

Saturday 19^th December 2015 @3pm

Wessex League Division 1

AFC STONEHAM 2-2 FLEET SPURS

The Elliots Arena, Chestnut Avenue, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh SO50 9PF

Admission: £5

Programme: Included with admission. Extra copies £1.50 (16pp)

Attendance: 28 (Grumpy headcount)

Refreshments: Bacon Roll, Coffee, Bovril, all £1 each. Flapjack 50p.

My original destination was Horndean and the game was still on when I left home at 12.15. On arriving just after 2pm, I bumped into the groundsman who told me the game was called off just after 1pm by the local referee, who had deemed one corner of the pitch too soft.  So after checking, it was another 30 minutes driving to AFC Stoneham passing Eastleigh’s ground after exiting the M27.  The ground is located down a dark long driveway off of Chestnut Avenue. There is a decent sized car park which is shared with the golf driving range next door. The ground entrance is next to the changing rooms, then there is a short walk to the pitch. With a tea bar and committee room on one touchline and a quaint wooden stand with 100+ bench seating further along. The dugouts on the opposite touchline completes the set up and there is no clubhouse at the ground.  There is hard standing along 2 sides with out of bounds behind the far goal with the second pitch behind it.

Despite the uneven playing surface and long grass it was a decent match played in good spirit by both sides with a draw being the fair result. The first goal went to the visitors when a low shot was allowed to squirm under the goalkeepers body into the net.  The keeper made amends when he saved a penalty a little later on, diving to his right and palming the ball to safety. Stoneham equalised when following a half cleared corner, the attacker managed to steer the ball between the two defenders.  Stoneham took the lead when a penalty was awarded for handball and the strike went straight down the middle of the goal.  A deserved equaliser and the best of the game when a loose ball was hit from the penalty ‘D’ with a wrapped left foot by no9 into the top of the net with 20 minutes left.  Was nice to watch football at this time of year in unusually warm weather, the gloves, hat and scarf stayed in the car.