Leek Town 4 v 1 Coalville Town

Saturday 27th February 2016
Harrison Park, Leek
Northern Premier League Division One South
Admission: £8.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 225
Match Rating: 4

For the second time in less than a month, my attempt to tick off another of the Football League 92 today was thwarted when Port Vale's game was brought forward to the Friday. So, with cheap but inflexible train tickets to Stoke bought a couple of months ago, the search was on for a non league game in the Staffordshire area. A combination of a reputed attractive ground, and with both teams going well in the league, prompted my final decision to head for the edge of the Peak District this afternoon.

Harrison Park is about a twenty minute walk from Leek town centre and indeed, there is a lot to like about the ground. It combines a traditional non league football ground feel with perfectly adequate facilities and a very pleasantly rural, friendly and intimate feel to the place. Spectators enter in one corner, and along the length, an all-seater main stand is positioned above several steep steps of terracing, and both offer excellent views of the action - apart from floodlight pylons across the front of the stand. Beyond the terrace is the clubhouse and tea bar, with a flat standing area. Behind both goals a few covered steps stretches between corner flags, while along the remaining length there is mostly terracing, with a stand covering part of it. The ground has quite a hemmed-in feel to it, with a steep hill immediately behind one end and a factory behind the other, with a hill close behind the main stand and housing behind the other. The hills of the Peak District are visible in the distance. The 24 programme was adequate if a little uninspiring, but certainly provided a good enough preview and background to today’s game.

Leek Town came into this game in sixth place, only outside of the play off positions on goal difference but with two games in hand, having won 14 and drawn 5 of their 29 league games. Today would be a tough game though, as the visitors were in second place, with 18 wins and seven draws from their 29 games, but were 13 points adrift of leaders Stafford Rangers, although they did have three games in hand. When the two teams met in October, the game finished 1-1.

On a mainly overcast and chilly afternoon, the home team started on the front foot and were rewarded with the opening goal on five minutes. Anthony Danylyk threaded a ball low through the defence which Time Grice ran on to before slotting the ball low across the keeper and into the net. They doubled their lead on 13 minutes with another very good goal. Kyle Diskin dribble the ball from close to the byline trying to find a pass but kept going until he reached the edge of the area before unleashing a powerful shot inside the keeper’s near post. The rest of the half was fairly uneventful as Leek controlled the game, looking very comfortable with their lead without looking likely to add to it.

After the second half started in much the same vein, the visitors were handed a lifeline with a very dubious looking penalty for a shoulder barge. Alexander Troke converted, placing the ball low to the right with the keeper diving the other way. Very much game on, and Coalville had a spell where they threatened to get back on level terms. That was pretty much extinguished on 75 minutes when Diskin whipped in a free kick just in from the corner flag and the keeper could only palm the ball into his own net. The result really was put beyond all doubt on 83 minutes when the ball was curled down the right wing by Diskin, sub Omar Haughton ran onto the ball and outpaced the defender before firing past the keeper from a slight angle. Leek saw the remainder of the game out comfortably to seal a convincing scoreline which reflected a commanding performance. Presumably this was just a bad day at the office for Coalville, but there is every chance that these two teams will meet again in the play-offs.

Hoddesdon Town 3 v 0 Leverstock Green

Saturday 20th February 2016
Lowfield Sports Ground, Hoddesdon
Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 138
Match Rating: 4

After my planned games at Waltham Abbey and then Takeley were postponed during the morning due to waterlogged pitches, I was left with a search on my phone on the train for a game in that part of the world to take in. Hoddesdon Town fitted the bill perfectly. An unexpected visit, but this turned out to be to my good fortune, as I was left with a thoroughly positive experience today, despite enduring poor weather.

The Lowfield Sports Ground is about a twenty minute walk from Broxbourne train station, and as spectators enter the ground, there is a cricket field to the right with the football ground to the left. In between the two, behind the far corner from the entrance, is the clubhouse, with a small but very smart and welcoming bar contained within. Straddling the half way line on the clubhouse side is an all-seater stand, which is comfortable and smart looking and contains seats from Bolton Wanderers' old ground Burnden Park. On the opposite side there is a wooden structure covering two steps, whilst between this structure and the entrance, foundations have been laid for another stand. Around the rest of the ground is just hard standing. Tall trees tightly line both lengths and behind one goal, and with the cricket field behind the other, the setting is green, relaxed and easy on the eye. The programme produced is astonishingly good for this level of football, a real labour of love, with 52 pages of reading material with all the stats, facts and background information that one could possibly want on the two teams and the league in general. It even had a comprehensive index to help readers navigate their way through the bulky programme to find relevant material.

Hoddesdon Town came into this game top of the division, with 19 wins and three draws from their 27 games, although the two teams immediately below them would move ahead of Hoddesdon if they win their games in hand. Leverstock Green have work to do to avoid relegation, in 17th place in the 22 team division. So it was quite a shock that in the reverse fixture of today’s game, which was played just four days ago, Leverstock Green won 3-0, which was Hoddesdon’s first league defeat since mid December.

With steady drizzle continuing to fall on a muddy pitch, conditions would prove to be increasingly tricky for players as they struggled to keep their footing at times. Hoddesdon took the lead with just two minutes on the clock with a slightly controversial goal. A Leverstock defender tried to marshall the ball out of play, and he seemed to have done just that but not according to the linesman, and the Hoddesdon player took the ball to the byline, dribbled along it before cutting the ball back to Ricky Light, who fired home from a central position. The game was even though, and the visitors looked well capable of drawing level, before Hoddesdon doubled their lead on 26 minutes. Brent O'Connor bent a lovely ball forward towards the right hand side of the penalty area and Light curled the ball past the keeper and into the far corner of the net. It took a wonderful save from the home keeper to stop Leverstock pulling a goal back on 28 minutes, when a powerful header from a cross looked certain to find the back of the net. After a controversial and a well worked goal came a pure fluke on 38 minutes to virtually win the game for Hoddesdon. A Leverstock defender took his time before going to hoof the ball downfield from the edge of his penalty area, but his clearance hit Light on the back as he went to block, and the ball rebounded over the keeper and into the net for a most unusual hat-trick. 3-0 was how it remained at half time, which was quite harsh on the visitors and did not really reflect a fairly even first half.

During the half time interval, there were real concerns (or hopes, in the case of the visitors) as to whether this game would make it through to the end, with rain continuing to fall, puddles developing and the ball not rolling in a few areas, as the pitch was forked by volunteers. Happily, the pitch never became dangerous and the rain relented for the final quarter of an hour. There were no further goals in what was an entertaining second half, but that was mainly down to some inspired goalkeeping at both ends, with some terrific saves being forced. Although the final scoreline looks convincing, one wonders if the result might have been quite different had the home keeper not pulled off some terrific saves. Whilst Hoddesdon probably did have a little bit more quality to deserve to collect the three points, a closer scoreline would have been fairer on the visitors. Credit also to both teams for dealing as well as they could in very poor conditions today, as well as to the home club for ensuring the game  went ahead and could be completed today.

Eastbourne Town 10 v 2 East Preston

Tuesday 16th February 2016
The Saffrons, Eastbourne
Southern Combination League Premier Division
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 112
Match Rating: 3

For a rare midweek ground hopping venture these days, I paid my first visit of the season to The Saffrons this evening, to watch the home team pushing hard for the one promotion place available, against a team surely destined to head in the opposite direction, and whom I saw lose 0-10 at Newhaven earlier in the season, remarkably just two seasons since they won this league.

The Saffrons has not changed significantly since last season, apart from the tea bar situated in one corner has been painted in pink on the inside, and a group of young fans labeling themselves as “Pier Pressure” now add some colour and noise to Eastbourne Town games with their singing and drum beating amongst various colourful flags. I have always found that Eastbourne Town was no different with a very well presented, informative and interesting publication.

Eastbourne Town came into this game in second place, two points behind leaders Horsham but with a game in hand, having won 19 and drawn two of their 23 games so far. East Preston were second bottom, with just a win and three draws from their 25 games. When the two teams met on the opening day of the season, Eastbourne Town won 0-1

On a very cold evening, the visitors actually started quite well, but it took Eastbourne just five minutes to take the lead, when Nathan Crabb headed home at the near post from a corner. They doubled their lead on 15 minutes when the keeper fumbled a shot into the air and Crabb nodded in virtually on the line. Within a minute, the home side scored their third, with Crabb completing his hat-trick, when he dribbled in from the right wing before lashing a powerful shot inside the keeper’s near post. On 26 minutes, a header from a corner hit the post, before Eastbourne score their fourth on the half hour. Their player outpaced a defender down the right wing before whipping in a cross into the box which Aaron Capon headed home unmarked. The visitors pulled a goal back on 32 minutes when Kris Harding lobbed the keeper from towards the outer corner of the penalty area, but Eastbourne restored their four goal lead on 36 minutes when Capon kept running from deep before finally firing low inside the near post. They had a mishit shot cleared off the line on 38 minutes, before the home side scored again on 43 minutes. The ball was curled down the wing and a defender just failed to cut the ball out, allowing Kenny Pogue to run through on goal before flicking the ball past the keeper and in off the far post. Immediately before the half time whistle, Eastbourne made it 7-1, again it was all too easy for a player to waltz through the East Preston defence, this time Matthew Derby, who eventually fired low past the keeper.

As usually happens after such a devastating first half, the second half was a relative damp squib, as Eastbourne lost their intensity and East Preston became more resilient. The home side did see a downward header go just wide of the far post, but on 59 minutes, it was Wes Tate's turn to all too easily dance through the defence before tapping home. Two minutes after East Preston saw a cross shot on the break go just wide of the far post, but on 72 minutes, they were awarded a penalty for a foul tackle in the box after a couple of attempts on goal were blocked. Harding converted high to the left of the goal despite the keeper diving the right way. Five minutes from time and Eastbourne scored their ninth when the Pogue ran clear of the defence before crossing to Bailo Camara who tapped home from close range. Right at the end of the game, Eastbourne were given the chance to make double figures when they were awarded a penalty by the linesman for a foul tackle in the area. Tate fired the spot kick high into the roof of the net, and almost immediately afterwards the referee blew the full time whistle.

So a very impressive, commanding display by Eastbourne, particularly in the first half, but credit to East Preston who put in a very respectable performance in the second half despite already being on the end of a thrashing. They actually did not look too bad going forward, but were woeful defensively, and this probably won’t be the last hiding they get this season.

Frimley Green 1 v 1 Ash United

Saturday 13th February 2016
Recreation Ground, Frimley Green
Combined Counties League Division One
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 48
Match Rating: 3

With heavy rain forecast throughout the morning, I decided to head to south-west Surrey today with the possibility of a last minute diversion to the 3G pitch at Alton Town for a back up in case my intended game was postponed late on. Happily the game survived so that I could watch a game on grass today. This game would also have the added dimension that it would be a local derby, with less than four miles between the two clubs.

The Frimley Green Recreation Ground is about a 20 minute walk from Farnborough North train station. The football ground is fenced off from the rest of the recreation ground by green see through fencing. Behind one length is a grassy hill which makes for an attractive backdrop to the ground but also offers a good vantage point to watch the game from without paying. On this side of the pitch, an atcost all-seater stand straddles the half way line. On the opposite side there is a brick building attached to a rather less attractive breeze block building with a cast iron roof. In front of this building, there is a covered standing area, whilst to the other side of the brick building, there is a covered area with a roof but no wall to it. Around most of the rest of the ground there is just hard standing, apart from a small section between the seated stand and a corner flag. The 24 page programme covered the important fact but with almost half of the pages advertising, was very light on interesting reading material.

This was a game between two mid table teams, with little prospect of challenging for a promotion spot. Frimley Green went into this game in eighth places, with nine wins and two draws from 20 games, while Ash United were in eleventh place, with seven wins and four draws from their 20 games. When the two teams met over the Christmas period, Ash made home advantage count with a 2-1 win.

On a cold, overcast afternoon with occasional light drizzle, Frimley Green started the game strongly and took the lead on 13 minutes with a great strike driven in from 30 yards by Dan Milborrow. They should have doubled their lead within a minute when Ben Acton ran onto a ball over the top, but placed his shot wide of the goal. But after Ash had completely dominated the opening half hour, they equalised on the break. The ball was launched downfield and the striker ran onto the ball with two covering defenders, but he managed to eventually get his shot away to send the ball low past the keeper. Ash now assumed the ascendancy, and on 34 minutes saw a shot come back off the inside of the far post.

Into the second half, which started as the first half had ended, with Ash in the ascendency, passing up a couple of good chances to take the lead, but in the final 20 minutes it was all Frimley Green, and they will wonder how they didn’t score,  foiled by a combination of near misses and terrific saves. Indeed, after a shaky start by the visiting keeper, which promoted the Frimley Green bench to shout to his players "he can't catch, he can't kick, he can't save", he was in inspired form thereafter, and certainly had the last laugh as he denied his mockers the win, and certainly Ash would be the happier of the two teams to have shared the points here today.