Monday 24 August 2015

Montpelier Villa 5 v 3 Rustington

Saturday 22nd August 2015
Falmer Sports Complex, Falmer
Southern Combination League Division Two
Admission: None
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 26 (official) or 12 (head count)
Match Rating: 4


After a month of traveling long distances on Saturdays, today I decided it was time for a more relaxed and easier day out at a relatively local venue.





For their debut season in the Southern Combination League Division Two, previously the Sussex County League Division Three, Montpelier Villa have continued their recent nomadic existence by taking up residence on the University of Sussex campus, with just the campus and A27 dual carriageway separating it from Brighton and Hove Albion’s home stadium, the Amex. Indeed, one could clearly hear the music and roars of the crowd as Brighton were playing simultaneously at home today. I was partly swayed to visit this ground having seen the large sports pavilion adjacent to the main pitch with a long balcony offering elevated views of the action. Unfortunately, it turned out that Montpelier Villa were not to play on this pitch today but rather one of the back pitches on the complex. The pitch was roped off down the length where spectators approach the pitch, with a 3g cage behind the length. Around the other three lengths there is mesh fencing throughout, bordered by trees making the appearance not so bad. A 20 page programme was produced and was quite an interesting read to find out more about the set up of a club that most visitors would know little about.





It has been slightly controversial that either of today’s teams find themselves in this division this season. Montpelier Villa only finished in eighth place in the Mid Sussex League Premier Division, but profited from the desire of the Southern Counties League to add six clubs to their bottom division, based on off the pitch considerations. Rustington were relegated from senior football last season despite finishing well clear of the relegation zone in 11th place in the 15 team division, but they were relegated along with Westfield due to failing ground grading for senior football. Whilst it is true that both clubs have known for years that ground grading relegation was inevitable sooner or later, it still doesn’t sit well that Seaford Town, who managed just one point throughout the whole of last season, were reprieved, as were Midhurst and Easebourne, whose ground would also fail ground grading but finished a few places higher in the division.





On a hot and gloriously sunny afternoon, kick off was put back by half an hour as the Rustington players and officials were delayed getting to the ground following an airplane crash during the Shoreham Airshow at around 1.30pm, causing the A27 to be closed. But at least they made it to the game, which is very sadly and tragically more than can be said of two Worthing United first team players who were killed in the crash on their way to their match.





When the match finally kicked off, Rustington had the better of the early exchanges, but it was Montpelier Villa who took the lead on 4 minutes when Fukuyi Nakatani took the ball to the left of the area before poking the ball low across the keeper and into the far corner. Rustington were back on level terms on 6 minutes though, when the ball was headed down for Tom Foxon to slot the ball home, despite shouts for offside. The visitors took the lead on 25 minutes, when Steve Kirkham headed the ball into the keepers hands but the keeper allowed the ball to squirm out of his hands and over the line. Within a minutes, Rustington opened up a two goal cushion, when Kirkham controlled a low pass and a good touch left him all alone and approaching the goal, and he passed the ball into the net. When the visitors really should have made in four on 32 minutes, when their player danced around defenders, creating space for a shot but firing wide of the far post, it looked like Montpelier Villa’s first game in the Southern Combination League was not going to be a fruitful one. They got a goal back on 39 minutes though when Nakatani dribbled his way to the byline, pulled the ball back to his teammate all alone on the penalty spot, but his shot his a covering defender. Eventually though the ball was curled into the top left corner from the edge of the area by Sam Terry. And within a minute, the scores were remarkably level. A Rustington defender played a suicidal back pass far too softly, and Nakatani took the ball forward, dinked the ball around the keeper and passed the ball into the empty net.





Into the second half and Montpelier Villa looked fairly comfortable with their lead, and their prospects looked even better on 56 minutes when Rustington were reduced to ten men, Mark Burgess being shown a red card for going in with his foot too strongly at waist height as the keeper was catching the ball. He reacted poorly to this, taking a long time to leave the pitch and surroundings, and indeed the Rustington players left on the pitch were guilty of some quite ugly challenges during the remainder of the game. On 69 minutes, the home side took the lead when a dribble down the right wing ended with a low cross into the box, which Nakatani tucked into the net from close range to complete his hat-trick, and they surely made the points safe on 74 minutes when the ball was beautifully curled into the box  from the left wing, finding Nakatani who stroked the ball home for his fourth and his team's fifth of the match. Rustington never really threatened to get back in the game despite some huff and puff, although they were denied a penalty in stoppage time when a goal bound shot hit a hand. But Montpelier Villa deserved to come out of a rollercoaster match on top, and Rustington clearly will not have an easy time of it back in intermediate football.





No doubt who was man of the match today, with Fayuki Nakatani scoring four, assisting the other and looked likely to score whenever in range of goal. It is probably fair to say he was the difference between the two sides.



Wednesday 19 August 2015

Crowborough Athletic 1 v 2 Chessington and Hook United

(after extra time)
Tuesday 18th August 2015
Alderbrook, Crowborough
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay
Admission: £8.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 100 (estimate)
Match Rating: 3



This evening I decided to head for a ground I visited regularly before moving away from the area 18 months ago, to watch my second FA Cup match in three days, this time a replay.




The Alderbrook has not seen any alterations since my last visit last December, but remains a very smart and comfortable place to watch. What has changed is the admission price though, up from £6 including a programme last season, to £8 plus £1 for the programme this season, a 50% increase this season. Apparently such admission fees are fairly standard in the Southern Counties East League, which will mean this evening will probably be the first and last time I watch a game here or elsewhere in the league this season.



When the two teams met at Chalky Lane on Saturday, the game finished 1-1, although apparently Crowborough really should have sealed their progress at the first time of asking. In their only league game of the season so far, Crowborough drew 1-1 at home to local rivals Tunbridge Wells, and last season, finished in tenth place in the Southern Counties East League. Chessington and Hook have picked up one point in their opening two Combined Counties League Premier Division, into which they were promoted for this season following a third place in Division One last season.



On a cool, overcast evening, the game had an explosive start when Jimmy Hearn gave the visitors the lead when he fired a free kick into the top left corner. The game settled down after that to become an entertaining half with both teams creating some chances, but with Crowborough coming closest to scoring, once on 37 minutes when a goal bound shot skimmed off the head of a Chessington defender and the ball went narrowly over the bar, and on 42 minutes, Callum Ridley saw his shot from edge of the box hit the inside of the post before rolling along the line without going in.


The second half continued in a similar vein, but the hosts levelled the scores on 65 minutes when Scott Treleaven volleyed the ball in on the turn from outside of the area – a really good goal technically. In added on time, both sides could have avoided the need for injury time, first Chessington, when a couple of their players couldn’t tap home a whipped in low cross six yards out, and then a vicious shot on goal by Crowborough drew a fantastic flying save from the keeper.


So, extra time was required, but as half chances came and went and as penalties were looking more and more likely, Chessington went back into the lead. The ball was lumped deep into the box from a free kick, and eventually the ball squirmed over the line from a header. Crowborough threw everything at the Chessington goal in the closing minutes and will wonder how they couldn’t quite force a penalty shoot out, most noticeably when the ball delivered from a corner was headed onto the bar and none of their players could quite get a decisive touch from the rebound. But it was Chessington and Hook United who progressed to the next round, when they will visit Isthmian League Division One South side Hythe Town.


Epsom and Ewell 0 v 4 Erith and Belvedere

Sunday 16th August 2015
High Road, Chipstead
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Admission: £6.00
Programme: Sold out
Attendance: 151
Match Rating: 3

Always wishing to take in the earliest rounds of the FA Cup but having committed myself to Football League action yesterday, today I decided to take in an Extra Preliminary Round game, taking advantage of a club ground sharing having to play their fixture on a Sunday. 





Epsom and Ewell are currently playing their home games at Isthmian League outfit Chipstead's home ground, and it is a very pleasant place to watch football, located down a country lane and surrounded by colourful trees amid peace and quiet. One enters in one corner, and before the turnstile there are several picnic tables located outside of the entrance to the clubhouse. Once inside, there is some shelter covering terrace steps stretching to the goal, whilst along the length from the entrance there is the clubhouse building, an all-seater Atcost stand straddling the half way line, with a tea bar hut adjacent. Around the rest of the ground is just hard standing. Arriving at the ground seconds before kick-off, programmes had sold out, which was a shame as by all accounts it was a very good one, although the club offered to send a reprint to anyone wanting a copy.





Epsom and Ewell finished last season in seventh place in the Combined Counties League Premier Division, and have secured four points from their two games played. Erith and Belvedere finished in third place in the Southern Counties East League last season and with designs on reclaiming the Isthmian League place they relinquished in 2014. They lost both of their opening games of the season, though.




On an overcast afternoon, which was quite muggy at kick off but became chilly by the second half, it would prove extremely that I had arrived just in time for kick off – a minute later, and I would have missed the opening goal, which came after just 19 seconds on the clock. The home team gave the ball away soon after kick off, and eventually Alfie May saw his shot on goal parried by the keeper to the feet of Sam May, who struck the ball home from close range. The visitors went on to dominate the rest of the first half but were unable to convert their numerous chances, and Epsom and Ewell went into the half time break just the one goal behind and very much still in the game.




Unfortunately for the home team, they started the second half as they had started the first, conceding within a minute of the restart. The ball fell at the feet of George Mitchell and he curled a shot over the keeper and into the far top corner of the net. The game was really up for Epsom and Ewell on 53 minutes when they conceded a third. Alfie May danced through the defence before having plenty of time to place his shot inside the far post from just outside the area. In the 65th minute, the visitors made it four, when a counter attack resulted in Alfie May clipped the ball over the keeper and into the net. One really began to fear for Epsom and Ewell now, who were defending poorly and had little imagination in their game, whilst Erith and Belvedere looked a constant threat with quick, incisive forward play. So it was very surprising that the final scoreline was not bigger than 0-4, but that will matter little to Erith and Belvedere, who will now host Carshalton Athletic in the next round.




Morecambe 1 v 0 Accrington Stanley

Saturday 15th August 2015
Globe Arena, Morecambe
Football League Two
Admission: £16.00
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 1,865
Match Rating: 3




Today I embarked on my second very long distance trip in three weeks, enabled by taking advantage of Virgin Trains excellent sales offering single tickets between London and the north west for just £10.00. It would also enable me to tick off a ground in a part of England I have only rarely ventured into over the years, due to the usual excessive cost of getting there from the south east corner of England.





The Globe Arena is about a 20 minute walk from Morecambe station, although a lengthy detour along the promenade and taking in the Eric Morecambe statue is highly recommended. The stadium is only five years old, but is quite an interesting ground in that it doesn’t have the usual uniform, bland appearance. As one approaches the stadium, one is impressed as one walks towards the outside of the large main stand. Inside the stadium, this is a single tiered all sweater stand with no obstructing pillars and some corporate boxes to the top of the middle section. This stand really does tower over the rest of the ground, with two small stands stretching between the corner flags covering terrace steps, whilst along the remaining length are four or five uncovered terrace steps. Apparently the design of the ground is similar to that of their previous one at Christie Park. All in all, there is a nice, relaxed, rather non league feel about most of the place. The 68 page programme was a good read, although with an paper cover so would easily rip or become creased.




In many respects, this would appear to have been a very unremarkable match, with both teams probably destined for an uneventful season in mid table, as they had last season, with Morecambe finishing in 11th and Accrington Stanley in 17th. However, added interest came from the fact that this was the most local derby both clubs will have in the league this season, and Morecambe would be looking for their first ever win in the Football League against Accrington Stanley in their 17th attempt. Both clubs had heart breaking defeats in the League Cup in midweek, Morecambe losing to a last minute goal against Sheffield United while Accrington Stanley lost on penalties against Hull City. In their opening league games, Accrington drew 1-1 at home to Luton in their opening league game, and Morecambe lost 0-2 at Hartlepool.



On a warm, sunny afternoon, the visitors dominated the early stages, camping themselves in the Morecambe half, so it came as a surprise when the home side opened the scoring on 10 minutes. Paul Mullin played a lovely diagonal ball out to Jamie Devitt to the right of the goal, who passed into the area for Aaron Wildigto clip the ball first time across the keeper and into the net. Despite Accrington continuing to dominate possession, Morecambe closest to scoring a second on 25 minutes when Alan Goodall saw his first time strike from 30 yards.



Morecambe could certainly count themselves very fortunate to be one goal to the good at half time, but the second half was much more balanced and Morecambe forced a couple of good saves from the keeper, before Accrington had their standout chance to equalise. Sean McConville played a low cross into the six yard box which the keeper could only parry to the feet of Josh Windass six yards out, but his reaction shot ballooned over the bar. On 86 minutes, Morecambe thought they had sealed the three points when Andy Fleming volleyed the ball in at the far post from close range, but the goal was ruled out for a push. The three never looked certain until the final whistle blew, when Morecambe could finally celebrate a Football League win against Accrington Stanley.



Video highlights of this match can be found here