AFC Stoneham 0 v 2 Ringwood Town

Saturday 28st November 2015
Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh
Wessex League Cup Second Round
Admission including Programme: £5.00
Attendance: 50 (estimate)
Match Rating: 3

Following my lunchtime game at Eastleigh, I embarked on the 20 minute walk north westwards to visit the other senior football club in the town.

Attractive club signage is placed on Chestnut Avenue, inviting spectators down an unlit track to reach the ground. They enter to the side of a brick building housing the changing rooms, and then there is a short walk along a paved path to the pitch. All of the facilities are along one length, with a hut housing the tea bar and a utility room, and then there is a wooden stand covering bench seating. It has the air of being unfinished, in plain wood, but it is infinitely more preferable to the modern identikit stands at this level these days. Behind both goals there are practice pitches, with hard standing only available along the touchline closest to the changing rooms. Along the remaining length there is no hard standing and is closely lined by tall netting offering protection from the golf driving range next door. It’s a pleasant, rural ground where it is pleasing to see much effort being made to make the ground fit for Wessex football. But special mention must be made of the excellent 16 page programme, which is superbly designed, very easy on the eye, contains some interesting articles and plenty of useful stats and facts.

Both of today’s teams play in the second tier of the Wessex League. In their first season back in the Wessex League, AFC Stoneham were in 14th place in the 18 team division, having won three and drawn two of their 12 league games. Ringwood are in the hunt for promotion, in fourth place, with six win and two draws from their 12 league games. Today’s teams had already met here in the league this season, with Ringwood winning 1-2 away in late August.

With the weather gloomy and a strong wind having developed, the visitors started the stronger, although it was Stoneham who came closest first, with a shot from the edge of the area tipped over by the keeper. The home side then went on to dominate much of the first half - on 11 minutes, a perfectly judged aerial ball from deep into the box was headed goalwards, forcing a good save by the keeper and the rebound was hacked away. On 36 minutes, Stoneham thought they had scored when the ball was headed in from a curling free kick, but the goal was ruled out for a push. Ringwood had their moments too, but the scores remained level at the break.

Ringwood were to assume the ascendancy in the second half and took the lead on 50 minutes when a good run to the byline ended with a low shot to the near post, and the ball was tucked home low from 8 yards. Six minutes later and they added a second. A long punt forward by the Ringwood keeper resulted in the Stoneham keeper racing to the edge of his box to claim the ball but the Ringwood forward got to the ball first to head the ball goalwards and it went in despite a defender desperately trying to race back to clear. Ringwood saw out the rest of the game fairly comfortably, as the home players seemed to grow increasingly frustrated and disillusioned, and so it was Ringwood who progressed to the next round where they will face Premier Division opposition away at either Whitchurch United or Newport Isle of Wight.

Eastleigh 1 v 0 Southport

Saturday 28th November 2015
Silverlake Stadium, Eastleigh
National League Premier Division
Admission: £12.00
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 1755
Match Rating: 2

The opportunity to tick off two new grounds in a day relatively far from home saw me head to Eastleigh today for a 12.30 kick off, one of the rare times when fixture rescheduling due to TV coverage was actually quite welcome for me. That view would probably not be shared by the visiting fans from Lancashire...

The Silverlake Stadium is about a 20 minute walk from Southampton Airport Parkway train station – a thoroughly unpleasant and difficult walk for the most part, as one has to walk down a muddy path and along a narrow road with no footpath. After collecting my ticket bought online from a ticket collection point – ensuring a £3 discount and a remarkably cheap ticket for this level – I entered to find an interesting looking ground that has been extensively upgraded in recent years following the club’s ascent through the non-league pyramid. Straddling the half way line is the fairly narrow main stand offering good elevated and unobstructed views of the action. Hard standing is available either side. The clubhouse is located behind one of the goals, as is covered standing under a grey metallic structure, and a similar structure covering terrace steps stretches along most of the opposite length. Behind the remaining goal is a large all-seater stand stretching between corner flags. The 56 page programme was of very good quality with plenty of interesting reading material as well as the necessary stats and facts.

Eastleigh certainly came into this game as favourites, once again they are in contention for a play-offs berth in seventh place with 37 points from 24 games, whereas Southport occupied a relegation berth, in 21st place in the 24 team division, with 18 points from 20 games. It was interesting to note that Eastleigh’s away record was better than their home, while Southport have gained more points on their travels than at home. When the two teams met on the opening day of the season, Eastleigh won 0-4.

On an overcast day with a chilly breeze, this was a poor game for the most part. It could have been different had Eastleigh scored early, which they almost did on 7 minutes when Jai Reason tapped the ball into the net after James Constable's cross shot had come back off the far post, but the goal was disallowed for offside. As one would have expected, Southport battled gamely but Eastleigh, whilst not playing particularly well, always carried the more threat, and on 26 minutes, Paul Reid headed the ball goalwards from a corner but was blocked on the line by a defender, and the home side had a few other half chances to score but Southport would have been by far the happier with a goalless scoreline at the break.

The second half continued in much the same vein, with Southport working hard but never looking like they score, whilst Eastleigh did by far the more attacking but with no real end product. They had their clearest chance to score on 63 minutes when Ben Strevens was played through on goal but the keeper Max Crocombe parried the shot on goal. But just as it looked like Southport would hold out to claim a point, Eastleigh took the lead on 84 minutes. Josh Payne evaded a couple of defenders before surging into the box before firing a cross shot that the keeper could only parry into the path of Drury to shoot the ball into the net. There was little prospect of Southport getting back into the game, and indeed it was Eastleigh who had a couple of chances to extend their lead, but they will be happy enough to have claimed the three points and after today's round of matches, climbed into a play-off berth in fifth place. Southport remain fourth bottom, but not four points adrift of safety but they do have games in hand on all teams around them. This was not the best of the games, but the consolation of having a second game to go to offered hope of watching a more entertaining game there.

Knaphill 3 v 0 Tunbridge Wells

Saturday 21st November 2015
Redding Way, Knaphill
FA Vase Second Round
Admission: £7.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 154
Match Rating: 2

Today was the first truly wintry day of the season for me. After incredibly mild if damp conditions lasting right up to yesterday, this morning I woke up to flurries of the white stuff and temperatures barely rose above freezing point during the morning. But my enthusiasm was retained by the prospect of what was, for me, a very attractive fixture which I had been anticipating since the draw had been made.

Redding Way is about a 20 minute brisk walk from Brookwood rail station and is located on the edge of Brookwood Country Park, so it is unsurprising that the ground has a nice green appearance to it, nestled between rows of trees. Spectators enter the ground in one corner, and behind this goal is the brick clubhouse. Beyond the clubhouse is an atcost all-seater stand, and another of these is located close to the half way line. On the opposite side there are a couple of small covered areas of standing positioned half way towards each corner flag, and these stands blend in well with the trees behind. The area behind the remaining goal is undeveloped and out of bounds. Not only does the ground have a nice setting, but the club has also added some very nice touches to the ground. As well as attractive signage, there was a poster welcoming Tunbridge Wells supporters, an area singposted "Moaners Corner", and other signs encouraging locals to be a part of the club and come to games. The programme was mightily impressive in its professional design and layout, although it was rather light on interesting content.

This fixture pitted two mid-table sides in their parallel divisions, with Knaphill in 13th place in the Combined Counties League Premier Division, having win six and drawn two of their 14 games so far, against Tunbridge Wells, who reached Wembley as beaten finalists in this competition in 2013, but that seems an age ago now, as they then tried and failed to spend their way to promotion and this season are in 11th place in the Southern Counties East League, having won five and drawn three of their 16 league games and are without a win on their league travels. Today was Tunbridge Wells’ first game in this season’s FA Vase competition. Knaphill have beaten Lydney Town 3-1 at home and Cray Valley 5-4 after extra time, also at home.

On a bitterly cold feeling afternoon, made worse by a strong wind, it very soon became clear that there would no return to Wembley this season for the visitors. Knaphill had the first real sight of goal on 3 minutes when the keeper saved a low shot but from the resulting corner, the home side took the lead.  An initial shot hit the far post but Charlie Postance tapped the ball into the net. They doubled their lead on 37 minutes and it was no more than they deserved. After the ball was played low across the box, an initial shot was blocked but Postance tucked the ball home.

Tunbridge Wells really needed to up their game in the second half if they were going to even force extra time today, and they did start the second half better, applying some attacking pressure in the opening minutes. But still Knaphill managed to carve out chances and they really put the game to bed on 55 minutes. After the ball was played across the area, Rob Kerley drilled the ball low across the keeper and into the far corner. Tunbridge Wells really were a beaten team now and Knaphill looked far the more likely to score again, although the visitors were presented with a golden chance get on the scoresheet twenty minutes from time when a defender slipped on the ball, allowing the striker to run through on goal but the eventual shot was saved and the rebound was struck over the bar from an angle. But they never really looked scoring and will disappointed to have bowed out of this year’s FA Vase at the first hurdle after a poor performance. Not that that stopped the Tunbridge Wells fans singing and chanting throughout the 90 minutes.