Kent County League Premier Division
Tiepigs Lane, Hayes
Admission: £2.00 (including programme)
Attendance: 50(ish)
Tiepigs Lane, located close to Bromley in south London, is a decent ground by Kent County League standards - which are very low, it has to be said - many of the venues being nothing more than a playing field with not even railing around the pitch. There's a small covered stand (standing room only), hardstanding on three sides of the pitch, and a welcoming clubhouse and teabar. Considering the location being firmly in suburbia, this is quite an attractive ground, very roomy and mostly surrounded by trees. Coney Hall do produce a programme which is included with the £2 admission and is a 16 page effort full of stats from the league, a couple of match reports and a welcome message from the manager. In short, it's an excellent guide for those who are not very up to date with the Kent County League, and you can't ask for much more than that. It must also be said that any programme at this level is always very welcome and appreciated. Tiepigs Lane is a five minute walk from Hayes train station, although for me it was more convenient to travel via Orpington station and catch a bus for the 15 minute journey to the ground.
This game pitched two relative newcomers to the Kent County League. Coney Hall have only been playing in the Kent County League since 2007, when they transferred from the Combined Counties League. Canterbury City have only been in existence for the same period of time, reforming in 2007 after six long years in the wilderness after the previous club folded and after progressing easily through the lower Kent County Leagues as champions in their first two seasons, are finding life altogether tougher this season in the Premier Division, before this game finding themselves down in tenth place out of 16 after eight games, but with Coney Hall only one place better off.
On an overcast, very chilly day, this was a very even game, low on quality and seemingly effort in truth, but with fairly frequent chances for both sides keeping the game reasonably interesting. Canterbury took the lead midway through the first half when a long ball was poked past the keeper only for the ball to hit the post, but luckily for Canterbury a forward was on hand to tuck the rebound into the net from a couple of yards. Coney Hall equalised when a fierce shot was parried by the keeper but was tucked away by a lurking forward. Canterbury scored the winner on about 75 minutes when a forward controlled a long ball well and kept his composure excellently when one-on-one with the goalkeeper and passed the ball into the net underneath the keeper's body. Coney Hall rarely threatened for the rest of the game and Canterbury claimed a win they just about deserved.
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