Match 32. Stalybridge Celtic v Brackley Town

Saturday 19^th March 2016 @3pm

Vanarama National League North

STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 3-1 BRACKLEY TOWN

Bower Fold, Mottram Road, Stalybridge SK15 2RT

Admission: £12

Programme: £2 (40pp)

Attendance: 401

Refreshments: Steak Pie with gravy, £2.30. Peroni, £3

With a cheap day rail travel courtesy of Virgin trains it was off to a ground I have been wanting to visit for many seasons. A 12 minute journey from Manchester Piccadilly and a further 5 minutes bus ride to outside the ground. The car park is situated off Mottram Road and the nearest turnstiles are in the corner of the ground where the social club is located.  There is also turnstiles for the main stand with is for executive club members only. Inside the turnstiles is a toilet block one side and the snack bar on the other, which has a good selection of hot food.  The ground has a main seated stand and a raised seated stand with a standing paddock in front located opposite the aforementioned Main stand.  There is terracing behind both goals also partially covered. With another toilet block and a disused building with disabled area in front, this completes one of the best non-league grounds I have been to.

Both sides have been struggling this season and 3 points would help in the pursuit of staying in this league.  This was a game that the Celts just edged but both sides struggled in periods of the game and was not pleasing on this neutrals eyes.  Brackley started the better of the teams and came close on 3 occasions before Stalybridge took the lead after 15 minutes.  Chris Sim cut on from the run to the goal line and shot across the goal and hit the inside of the far post and judged to be over the line before the keeper clawed the ball to safety. Stalybridge had the better of the rest of the first half and had a shot clipping the crossbar before a goalmouth scramble just before half time allowed Brackley to level through a deflected shot resulting in an own goal.

The home side brought on 2 substitutes at half time and ten minutes into the 2^nd half, Stalybridge restored their lead when a cross was struck first time by one of the subs but well parried by the visiting keeper but Joyce reacted quickest to turn in the rebound.  The home side had their best spell of the game and went further in front with 15 minutes left when a throw was flicked on and sub Mudimu tapped in with the keeper stranded.  Brackleys heads dropped and the Celts played out the win in comfort.  The return to Manchester was quick and so I had 80 minutes to kill before my train back to London so I had a walk around Piccadilly Gardens and popped into the tired looking but cheaply priced Bar Rouge, part of the Britannia Hotel.

Match 31. Sutton Athletic v Glebe

Saturday 12^th March 2016 @3pm

Kent Invicta League

SUTTON ATHLETIC 2-4 GLEBE

London Hire Stadium, Lower Road, Hextable, Kent BR8 7RZ

Admission: £5 inc programme

Attendance: c60(h/c)

Refreshments: Bovril, £1. Mars, 60p

I had to stay local today so I chose a revisit to a game of 3^rd v 1st and crucial title race match.  Since my last visit Sutton have added hard standing on 2 sides and started on the third.  Pylons are in place awaiting lights and a new generator to power these and the club building.  They have recently been hit by vandals in the clubhouse but they are getting back to normal with bottles available in fridges only.  The other change is the refreshments are from a kitchen in the clubhouse rather than the van that was outside previously.   Still, it’s a ground with no cover so it was good to visit on a sunny, dry day.

The teams had a flat and surprisingly firm pitch to play on and the home side took the lead after just 8 minutes.  A free kick on the right was an in swinging cross and bundled in at the near post.  The lead only lasted until 15 minutes when a clumsy back pass was intercepted and although the keeper stopped the initial shot, the ball pinged around before Alderman got the decisive touch.  Glebe then took the lead on 25 minutes when a corner was headed in by Hooper.  The half ended level as Sutton equalised 7 minutes before the break when a cross was headed in by Desagnes for his second.

Glebe restored their advantage 5 minutes into the second half when another mistake at the back allowed Lockyer to nip in and score.  The game continued with more possession by the visitors but not without chances for Sutton to get an equaliser, but the game was put beyond doubt on 89 minutes when no4 was sent off for a flailing hand hitting his opponent when tussling for the ball.  The resulting free kick from 25 yards was deflected wickedly off the defensive wall and ended up in the opposite corner to where the keeper dived.

Another vital 3 points for Glebe as Sutton slip to fourth suffering a big blow to their championship prospects.

Match 30. AFC Emley v Yorkshire Amateur

Saturday 5^th March 2016 @3pm

Northern Counties East League Division One

AFC EMLEY 4-0 Yorkshire Amateurs

The Welfare Ground, Upper Lane, Emley, Huddersfield HD8 9RE

Admission: £4.50

Programme: £1.50 (24pp)

Attendance: 151

Refreshments: Sausage Roll, 50p. Peroni, £3

Having purchased cheap Virgin East Coast tickets some time back, had arranged to meet Sussexhopper at Ossett Town, but he abandoned his trip to Yorkshire as the weather played havoc during the week.  With Ossett being called off when on the train from London, my Plan B came into plan.  I had Emley or Nostell to choose from and my mind was made up when Onion Bag agreed to join me at newly sponsored Fantastic Media Ground.

Having arrived early after catching the 232 bus from Wakefield and securing my programme I went to The White Horse further down the road and then The Woodman before entering the ground and spotting OB behind the goal near the turnstile.   The ground has a raised main stand which offers an excellent view and also houses the snack bar down one side and toilets and committee room behind it.  There is covered standing behind the near goal with the clubhouse and changing rooms between the turnstile and main stand.

This was a fairly even contest with many chances for both sides but Emley had their goal machine Ashley Flynn who scored all 4 goals and had chances to almost be into double figures.  His first arrived after 17 minutes when he beat a one on one with the keeper.  His second and third were created by Townend, a 25^th minute cross from the right headed in from 8 yards and then a tap in on 75 minutes from a low cross.  His 4^th and best goal came 2 minutes later when a route one kick allowed him to set himself up and slam the ball from inside the box into the top of the net.

I had spoken to someone taking pictures before the game and met up with him, known as Catterick for a good chat on the way back to Westgate.