Saltdean United 3 v 0 AFC Varndeanians

Tuesday 27th December 2016
Southern Combination League Premier Division
Hill Park, Saltdean
Admission: Free
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 103
Match Rating: 3

For Bank Holiday Tuesday, although it would be possible to take in up to three matches today, I decided to settle for just the one. Although it would mean a revisit, I was sufficiently tempted to revisit a lovely ground that would look at its best on a beautifully sunny and surprisingly mild morning.

I last visited Hill Park for a double-header of pre-season friendlies in 2013, and there have been no major alterations pitchside saved for some different advertising boards, but there are some club badges stuck to the side of the clubhouse, which is attractively designed inside. On that July day in 2013, the large grass bank made a lovely place to watch on a hot sunny day - today, it still provided a great vantage point to watch the match below on a much colder (but mild) sunny winter's day. Admission was free of charge today, usually £5.00, and the programme was very decent considering the level of football, Consisting of 20 pages, it was very well presented, had some colour in it, and covered all of the basics to provide a good preview to the match.

Almost a year to the day, I watched Saltdean play at Seaford in a dire game between two very poor teams at the foot of this division, both occupying the bottom two places by some distance, Saltdean finished bottom and were only reprieved from falling into intermediate football thanks to ground grading. Following the arrival of a new chairman, things are looking completely different for the club this season, and went into this game in third place, following 12 wins and five draws from 20 league games, and were only three points adrift of Little Common. After back to back promotions from the Mid Sussex League culminating in finishing last season as champions in the Southern Combination League Division Two, this is AFC Varndeanians first season in senior football. They had something of a false dawn back in August, picking up a win and draw from their opening 3 league games, but have failed to win since, and came into this game in 16th place in the 18 team division, with just the one win and eleven draws from their 19 league games.

On a beautifully sunny morning, as one would have expected, this match was rather one-sided. Although the youthful visiting team battled hard throughout, they carried very little threat, whilst the home team looked bright, confident and a regular goalscoring threat. Saltdean opened the scoring on 6 minutes, when Andy McDowell got on the end of a low ball forward and just beat the keeper to knock the ball towards goal from a slight angle and the ball crossed the line just before the defender's desperate attempt to hack it clear. On 24 minutes, they nearly doubled their lead when a free kick went over the keeper and came back off the far post, and six minutes later, a dreadful miscued clearance by the keeper fell at a Saltdean player at the edge of the box but after taking a touch, his shot was deflected wide by the keeper's legs. But on 32 minutes Saltdean did double their lead. A free kick from close to the right corner flag was floated to the back post and Joe McTiffen bundled the ball in from close range. 2-0 was how it remained at the interval, and was a good reflection on the first half.

Saltdean made the three points safe with a third goal on 51 minutes. Following a few ricochets, the ball landed at the feet of McDowell, who took a couple of touches before tapping the ball home past the keeper from a slight angle. That rather killed the game as Saltdean coasted to a comfortable victory, and whilst the visitors displayed commendable spirit, they just couldn't mount any kind of threat.

So a most enjoyable morning of football enjoyed in glorious sunshine and mild temperatures, and indeed it did feel pleasantly strange to have watched three games immediately after Christmas in perfect conditions, instead of the more usual frosty or wet conditions. A visit to Saltdean comes highly recommended - facilities may be rather thin on the ground, but the setting is beautiful and is a breath of fresh air in the sea of soulless grounds usually found these days at step 6 thanks to ground grading regulations.

Witham Town 4 v 1 Brentwood Town

Monday 26th December 2016

Isthmian League Division One North

Spa Road, Witham

Admission: £8.00

Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 70

Match Rating: 3

At the conclusion of my morning game at Felixstowe, I headed back down the A12 and into the geographical heart of Essex to visit a ground that I have viewed many times from the passing train line.

Spa Road is located to the west of Witham town centre and is part of an open recreational area. Attractive signage guides visitors from the road into the car park, and the ground itself is also well decorated. The clubhouse can only be accessed from outside the ground, and spectators enter via a turnstile block along one length. Once inside, one finds a smart, well maintained stadium with everything looking in balance. To the right of the entrance there is a covered standing, whilst to the left there is covered seating, followed by a few steps of uncovered terracing. A board room is located behind the half way line, with the back of the clubhouse building back onto this length, although only a tea bar window is available to those inside the ground, via a short walk away from pitchside alongside a grassy area. Behind both goals there are a few steps of covered terracing, whilst along the remaining length there is a stand covering mainly a few rows of seating but with small standing areas either side inside. There are a few uncovered terrace steps either side of the stand. It is a shame that such a decent stadium for this level is the home to such modest support, with attendances averaging just 79 this season. It is home to the "Witham Ultra", a one-man band shouting chants throughout the game, and who trod a fine line between admiration of his support and becoming extremely tiresome. The 40 page programme, mainly printed in black and white inside a coloured cover, was adequate enough but with half of it devoted to advertising.

Witham Town came into this game in 13th place in the division, with nine wins and seven draws from their 27 league games so far. Brentwood Town have a battle on their hands to avoid the three relegation spots, one of which they occupied coming into this match, in 22nd place in the 24 team division with seven wins and three draws from their 26 league games and have lost eight of their nine league games.

Happily the beautifully sunny weather of this morning in Suffolk continued here into the afternoon, and this was very much a game of two halves. Brentwood had the better of much of the first half, and they were awarded a penalty on 21 minutes when Connor Martin was bundled over in the box. Andrew Freeman struck the ball home despite the keeper going the right way. The remainder of the first half meandered to its conclusion and Brentwood deservedly held the lead at the break.

Into the second half and there was little sign that the visitors were in danger of losing their lead, until they did on 54 minutes, following an initial shot that was blocked and Ryan Charles smashed the ball home. But shortly after the visiting keeper pulled off a good save to keep the scores level, Nathan Koranteng powerfully drove the ball through a crowd of players and into the far top right hand corner of the net. Brentwood had a great chance to equalise on 75 minutes when Freeman ran onto a through ball but with the keeper to beat, his eventual shot went just wide of the far post. And the game was virtually up for the visitors on 81 minutes, when a clearance was blocked and then played forward to Usman Adeniji, who turned on the edge of the area and thumped the ball home. As the game entered added on time, Luke Mallett scored his team's fourth when he tapped in just before a defender managed to cut out the ball landing at his feet.

So, a slightly harsh final scoreline for the visitors, who were the better team in the first half, although Witham certainly deserved their victory for a very strong second half performance which was full of penetration and good football.

Felixstowe and Walton United 3 v 0 Ipswich Wanderers

Monday 26th December 2016
Eastern Counties League Premier Division
Dellwood Avenue, Felixstowe
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 227
Match Rating: 2

I had originally planned to stay local this Boxing Day, but having woken up earlier than expected, I decided it would be better to travel up into East Anglia today for a double of new grounds rather than revisits, starting with this 11am kick-off.

Dellwood Avenue is situated just to the north of Felixstowe town centre and train stations, and from the road, spectators walk past a wooden cricket pavilion type building, which currently serves as the clubhouse and changing rooms and is full of character, but has seen better days, and is the process of being replaced by a much larger building which is under construction and located adjacent to the football ground. The entrance to the football ground is in one corner, with spectators paying at a wooden hut. All of the spectator facilities are located along this length, with a small wooden hut offering refreshments and club shop merchandise next to the entrance, then two modern metallic stands straddling the half way line, one being all-seater and the other covering a couple of steps of standing. In the far corner there is a wooden shed which serves as a hospitality area. Around the rest of the ground there is just hard standing, with wooden perimeter fencing generally set some way back from the pitch, as well as trees, enclosing the ground. In truth, this is not a particularly attractive ground and offers very little in the way of character, but is good enough for the level of football and may look better closer to the summer months. The programme is more expensive than most at this level but was of good enough quality to justify it, printed on good quality paper and in colour, and with plenty of information to provide a preview of the match.

Felixstowe and Walton United are one of four clubs to have applied for promotion to Step 4 at the end of the season, although there is very little chance of qualifying on the pitch, coming into this game in fifth place, with 12 wins and three draws from their 18 league games. Although they are five points behind second placed Stanway, with games in hand, Mildenhall are running away with this division, 16 points clear at the top. Ipswich Wanderers were in tenth place, with ten wins and a draw from their 21 league games.

On a beautifully sunny but chilly morning, this was quite a disappointing game for a local derby, with the visitors looking sluggish throughout and the home team taking control early on and then cruising to victory. They took the lead with just two minutes on the clock, a free kick from close to the right corner flag was lofted high over the goal, the keeper couldn't claim the ball and Rhys Barber bundled the ball in at the the far post. Ipswich had perhaps the best chance of the match on 12 minutes when Danny Thrower hit a shot from the edge of the area which fizzed just wide of the post. After a decent spell by the visitors, Felixstowe started to dominate again and on 32 minutes, they doubled their lead after a surge into the box from wide was blocked but the loose ball fell to Craig Jennings, who smashed the ball home via the palm of the keeper. On 43 minutes, the home side took complete control of the match with a third, Jordan Matthews taking advantage of some sloppy play by the visitors to take possession of the ball and run towards goal before firing the ball into the net, again via a touch from the keeper.

Barring something of a miracle, the game was as good as over at half time, although the visitors started the second half quite strongly without ever looking like they would get back into the game and indeed it was Felixstowe who had the better goalscoring chances and as the second half progressed, the more the home side cantered to a comfortable victory, and the visitors were also reduced to ten men when Ross Beech was shown a second yellow card.