Match 18. Sittingbourne v Faversham Town

Saturday 26th December 2012 @3pm Ryman League Division One South SITTINGBOURNE 1-1 FAVERSHAM TOWN Bourne Park, Sittingbourne   Admission: £8 Programme: £1.50 (A5, b/w, 28pp) Attendance: 186 Food: Sausage Rolls & Mince pies (Homemade) Drink: Guinness, £3.30, Cup-a-soup, £1   Thanks to the efforts of the Sittingbourne Committee who spent the morning clearing the pitch of water allowing the referee to pass the game on. It has been a few seasons since I was last here but there are no changes and the ground has a tired look about it.  The rain returned for kick off and became heavier as the match wore on.  This was not helping either side as control and passing gave way to staying upright and thumping the ball around the pitch.  Sittingbourne had to bring off their robust forward after only 20 minutes making the task even more difficult.   Faversham gained the upper hand from this point but Sittingbourne took the lead against the run of play when Taylor scored from close range after his original shot was parried.  Faversham hit the bar from 30 yards moments later but as conditions worsened the teams went in at 1-0. The second half started with Faversham winning a free kick just outside the area. The shot rebounded of the wall and the shot was brilliantly saved by the home keeper. Ex-Carshalton striker Adrian Stone put the visitors’ level with 20 minutes left when Sittingbourne failed to clear their own lines and he gratefully stabbed the ball goal bound.  Both sides had chances in the last few minutes but the only winner was the rain, which by now was lashing down making puddles on the pitch.  The grateful supporters cheered when the final whistle blew.

Match 17. Three Bridges v Leatherhead

Saturday 15^th December 2012 @3pm

Ryman League Division One South

THREE BRIDGES 1-3 LEATHERHEAD

Jubilee Field, Jubilee Walk, Three Bridges

Attendance: 364

Admission: £8

Programme: £1 (A5, 68pp)

FOOD: Cheeseburger and Chips: £4

DRINK: Guinness £3.15

 

With the end of term PQA Showcase and the Mrs working meaning I was only available from 2pm, therefore I knew it was a Saturday for a revisit, meaning a trip to a ground I always enjoy visiting, Jubilee Field.  I think the clubhouse there is one of the best in the area although there was no TV on screen until the end of half time.  A change from my last visit was the additional small seated stand to the left of the club building.  I imagine this is for the necessary Ryman League ground grading.  I spent the first 30 minutes in the queue for hot food; with only about 10 customers in front of me beware of the slow service, with the 2 East European women only able to handle one customer order at a time.  At least it was freshly cooked although not really worth the wait.

The first 15 minutes was scrappy as both sides tried to adjust to the wet surface then the game got a shot in the arms when Leatherhead midfielder Terry had space 30 yards out and unleashed one of the hardest shots I’ve seen which bounced back of the shuddering crossbar.  This sparked the game into life as my wait for a burger and chips continued.  Three Bridges had started moving the ball around quicker and had 2 or 3 good chances saved by the goalkeeper and centre back.  Having finally purchased my food, and now settled by the half way line, Three Bridges took the lead when a cross cum shot was left by the keeper, it hit the bar and found Williams to easily convert with his head.  Leatherhead produced the perfect response.  After winning a free kick on the edge of the box, their captain no6 Symonds line up a curler past the wall and the ball nestled in the far corner beyond the reach of Bridges keeper.

The second half had the same start as the first, with nothing really to choose between the sides.  The match was decided within a space of 2 minutes midway through the 2^nd half.  Firstly a foul conceded by Bridges on the left hand side was crossed in for Bradbrook to head home without being marked.  Then just after the restart Bridges failed to clear their lines and the substitute picked up a loose pass and hammered past the keeper from the edge of the area.

I always enjoy visiting Jubilee Field and this match was no exception.

Match 16. Southwick v Newhaven

Saturday 8th December 2012 @3pm
Sussex League Division Two
SOUTHWICK 1-4 NEWHAVEN
Old Barn Way, Southwick
Admission: £4
Programme: £1 (A5, 44pp)
Attendance: 30
FOOD: Hot Dog, £2
DRINK: Soup: £1

A fairly straightforward drive via M25, M(A)23 and I found Old Barn Way without too much trouble.  There is only a small car park but I parked in the free Leisure Centre car park next door.  The facilities are crammed on the touchline as soon as you enter the turnstile.  Clubhouse, changing rooms, tea bar then a 3 deep seated stand although the seats are cushioned and comfortable.  The opposite touchline is where the dugouts are situated and there is a 3 step terrace behind one goal although in quite a state of disrepair.

The small crowd were treated to a decent game of football although apart from the early exchanges, was weighted towards the league leaders.  Southwick held out until halfway through the first half, when a cross from the left found no9 who headed straight at the keeper but converted the rebound himself from close range.  Less than 10 minutes later a corner from the right again found a free header for no8  who scored unchallenged. Southwick rallied and scored before the break when a freekick 30 yards out wasn't cleared and the home no8 scored from 10 yards via a post and defenders shin. An off the ball incident just before the break involving the Newhaven 10 and the Southwick 4 earned both a yellow but no4 Tidey, who had  connected with a right hook, should have been sent off and the manager immediately took him off to be subbed.  The centre back said that it wasn't the first time this had happened.
                     
Newhaven went further ahead before the hour when no7 Lee Robinson dribbled past both centre halves then slipped the ball beyond the keeper into the corner.  A delightful goal.  A final gloss from Newhaven arrived with 5 minutes left when Altendorf had a left foot volley on the turn into the opposite corner.

Newhaven look a good bet for a second promotion in succession.

Match 15. Peterborough Northern Star v Harborough Town

Saturday 24^th November 2012 @3pm

FA Vase 2^nd Round

PETERBOROUGH NORTHERN STAR 1-3 HARBOROUGH TOWN

Chestnut Avenue, Dogsthorpe.

Admission: £6

Programme: £1 (A5, 40pp) inc free raffle ticket

Attendance: 68

FOOD: Cheeseburger £2.20

DRINK: Soup, £1. Carling, £2.50

 

With the wet weather dictating my choice of game, PNS was not on my radar before Saturday morning.  Leaving the hopmobile at home, taking a train to London and ringing round the games still on according to the forum & league website, the helpful PNS Secretary kept me informed and even left a message on my phone at 2.15 that the match official had passed the pitch fit to start.  The train to Peterborough only takes ¾ hour and the bus station is 5 minutes away.  After 2 invisible Citi 5 buses, I managed to arrive at the ground right on kick off.

 

The ground has standing cover in front of the clubhouse, behind the nearside goal where the tea bar is conveniently adjacent.  Another DIY area of cover is in the corner of the ground.  2 Atcost small seated stands either side of the large brick dugouts are along the left touchline.  The pitch was very slippery but no standing water so the match was played to a conclusion.  The clubhouse is pretty bare and only had Carling on tap and no one could get the scores on the TV.

 

There was little to distinguish between the 2 sides in the first half.  Not helped by the drizzle turning into heavy rain during the first half.  Harborough did however; take the lead after 30 minutes when a corner fell to the centre half who put Harborough ahead unchallenged.  Both sides played better in the second half, with Harborough doubling their lead on the hour when a goalmouth scramble eventually went into the near corner off a PNS defender.  However, they carried the game to Harborough and got a penalty with 20 minutes left which left winger Billy Smith scored.  Smith should have added to his tally when he hit the post and clipped the bar from 2 efforts.  There were other chances but Smith always chose to keep the ball that little too long, rather than find the player in good position.  Inevitably Harborough, in a rare sortie had a goalmouth scramble which ricochets into the net.

 

Overall, a good second half, raining constantly throughout, but at least it was a game on a Saturday afternoon.  Worth mentioning The Brewery Tap, near the station looked a nice pub with a large choice of beer, unfortunately I only had time for a swift one.

Match 14. Ampthill Town v Diss Town

Saturday 17^th November 2012 @3pm

FA Vase 2^nd Round

AMPTHILL TOWN 1-0 DISS TOWN

Woburn Street, Ampthill

Admission: £6

Programme: with admission (A5, 24pp)

Attendance: 130

FOOD: Cheese & Tomato Roll £1.30

DRINK: Soup, £1; Guinness Can: £3.25

      

A rare Saturday out without the hopmobile so pre match liquid refreshment at The White Hart Hotel, where the North London Derby meant the bar was filled with lads so I quickly retreated to the homely Queens Head.  This pub had a sausage festival with 20 different flavoured sausages, and was a real local, with Ale on pump and a small but friendly lounge bar.  The 42 bus from Flitwick takes around 5 minutes, stops outside the Prince of Wales but it is more of a gastropub so I gave the expensive drinks a miss.  The village is delightful and worth a meander before the game.

       

The ground is 5 minutes walk from the village centre along Woburn Street and to the left of the local nature park.  Entrance to the club building is via the entrance and has a small bar and snack bar selling the usual hot food and drinks.  BBC is on offer for final score.  There is hard standing on 3 sides and I took my place in the quaint main stand, which has a mixture of seating and standing areas.  It is also elevated, making the view quite good despite the wooden supports.

   

The game had 0-0 all over it after half an hour, neither team showing enough skill to produce a goal.  The second half had Ampthill making more of an effort, especially when a scuffle on the floor by the touchline earned the Diss centre back a 2^nd yellow card.  The extra man made a difference but Ampthill had to wait until stoppage time when yet another cross was scrambled in by the right back.

  

Match 13. Maidstone United v Whitehawk

 

Saturday 10^th November 2012 @3pm

FA Trophy 3^rd Qualifying Round

MAIDSTONE UNITED 3-2 WHITEHAWK

Gallagher Stadium, James Whatman Way, Maidstone

Admission: £10

Programme: £2 (A5, 36pp)

Attendance: 1,571

FOOD: Cheeseburger, £3.50

DRINK: Guinness £3.60

 

This was my first visit to see the Stones back in town.  Having lived in Maidstone for 5 years in the 1980s, I had looked in every so often and this was my 6^th different “Home” Maidstone United ground, following London Road, Watling Street, Central Park, Bourne Park, Homelands and now James Whatman Way.

The ground is one of those built to a tight budget, tight deadline and has more than a nod to Mr Arena Atcost.  With the current capacity at just over 2,000 some further investment will be needed if Maidstone get promotion to their summit this season.  It is a shame the elevated main stand wasn’t extended a further 30 yards to double the seating capacity and there is potential to add stepped terracing extended behind each goal and uncovered alongside the dugout touchline.  The clubhouse is in the near corner of the ground, and is similar to drinking in a plush air-raid shelter!  There is however a good choice of beverage on tap.

The pitch holds up well in the slippery weather but didn’t detract from the instantly forgettable 1^st half, salvaged in the last seconds when from a corner, Olorunda got the last touch in a goalmouth scramble.  I headed for a half time scoop in the bar and it appeared that a group of Whitehawk fans, and more than a few Stones fans had decided to drink their way through the match and by this time, had consumed more than their Shandy allocations.  To me, there was an unsavoury atmosphere, assisted by the apparent ability to purchase and consume alcohol pitch side throughout the game.  Have I missed a change of FA rules?

 

The second half thankfully picked up as a viewing spectacle.  Whitehawk woke up and after an hour, equalised when from a free kick, the keeper was caught in no-mans land and the ball was bundled in.  Within 2 minutes Whitehawk went in front as Super sub Walker finished at the 2^nd attempt after a good save by the keeper.  Maidstone changed their formation, with 3 roving strikers and with 15 minutes remaining, drew level with a fantastic 30 yarder from Mills, just creeping into the top of the net.  The match now was really open with both sides throwing caution to the wind.   Throw into the box wasn’t cleared and allowed Draycott to lash in.

Match 12. Dunston UTS v Norton & Stockton Ancients

 

Saturday 3^rd November 2012 @3pm

Northern League Division One

DUNSTON UTS 3-0 NORTON & STOCKTON ANCIENTS

UTS Stadium, Wellington Road, Dunston

Admission: £5

Programme: 50p (A5, 52pp)

Attendance: 74

FOOD: Cheeseburger £1.20, Hot Dog 70p

DRINK: John Smiths £2.20, Bovril 80p

 

I was on work duty in the North East so Le Hopmobile was at home, replaced by Das Hopmobilt BMW.  As the previous day long drive put me off Morpeth on Friday night, I was looking forward to todays encounter even more.  With my family safely dropped off at the Metrocentre, with their amazement of a Krispy Kreme Drive through, I made the short journey to Wellington Road, parking in the car park behind one goal.  Dunston has 2 turnstile entrances; mine was the opposite entrance to the Clubhouse and dressing rooms.  The area behind the bottom goal is a mixture of brick building and metal mobile extensions, housing the bar, members’ room and facilities. A main seated stand straddles the half way line and a covered standing terrace and dugouts was opposite, where I decided to view the game.

 

I haven’t seen such a one sided game in a long time.  Dunston played some excellent football and I was surprised the Vase holders were languishing in mid-table.  Their attacking play down the flanks with 2 experienced strikers in the middle was bound to produce a positive result, and I, like most of the crowd was surprised they hadn’t reached double figures by halftime, due partly by the one man goalkeeping defence by Provett and the gamble by the visiting manager to make a double substitution after 20 minutes.  One of the exiting players asked “Why me?” and the manager said “It could have been any 1 from 11!” The 2 first half goals came in the first 10 minutes.  After an early onslaught, no9 Teasdale blasted the ball in despite a valiant effort by the keeper.  A minute later, a superb cross found no11 McAndrew who whipped the ball in the net giving the keeper no chance.  The continuing onslaught, with many crosses from either wing, met mainly by no10 Dixon, who amazingly didn’t join the scoring, denied by keeper, goal line clearances and the upright.

The continued almost one way traffic in the second half only produced one further goal. Ten minutes into the half and a perfect cross met by Jack Burns head bulleted into the goal with the keeper not having a sniff of it.  The only player for Norton who can hold his head up was the keeper as he saved at least 4 other goal bound chances and the woodwork was hit again.  If Dunston don’t start climbing the table after this performance my ghast would be flabbered.  This was a great introduction to The Northern League for me.  I just want more...