Southall 0 v 2 Harefield United

Saturday 26th November 2016
Spartan South Midlands League Division One
Reynolds Field, Perivale
Admission including programme: £5.00
Attendance: 40
Match Rating: 3

Today was another day when nothing greatly appealed to me, but ultimately I decided to head to west London, to visit a ground that hosts Southern League football, as well as the Spartan South Midlands league football that I would be witnessing today. It would also be something of a local derby, with 10 miles separating the two clubs in western Greater London.

Reynolds Field is about a ten minute walk from Perivale tube station, immediately beyond the busy A40 dual carriageway, and considering that Southall have been sharing Hanwell Town's home ground for a few seasons now, it is surprising that there is absolutely no Southall Football club signage anywhere outside or inside the ground, just of Hanwell Town. After passing through a narrow car park, spectators enter the ground through a turnstile block in one corner of the ground. Immediately to the right of the entrance, and going along the length, there is quite an attractive looking white clubhouse, which is quite long with a central taller section, one side of which houses a rather basic clubhouse and the other the changing rooms. It is an unusual football building, all the more so as it houses a children's nursery during the week. As well as having a balcony outside, a raised standing area on scaffolding is provided immediately outside, offering an elevated view of the action from one corner and from where spectators can drink alcohol. To the right of the clubhouse but pitchside is a long metallic modern all-seater stand, usually the scourge of modern football grounds but it actually fits in really well here, underneath some trees and neatly situated below the clubhouse building. Behind the goal closest to the entrance there is cover stretching between the corner flags, and along the remaining length and goal line there is just hard standing, apart from a small brick built covered area about the size of a bus shelter a third of the way along the length. A very large electronic screen is situated on the half way line opposite the main stand, but was not in use today - presumably it is for Hanwell Town's home matches. All in all, it's a very neat and comfortable ground which has some nice character about it. The 24 page programme was very well produced, on good quality paper and attractively laid out. It contained all the necessary stats and facts and was certainly above average for this level of football, although some welcome message from club officials would have been nice.

On paper, this looked a game between two evenly matched teams, sitting comfortably in mid table. Southall came into this game in ninth place in the league, following nine wins and a draw from their 15 league games. They were a point behind today's visitors, who have won nine and drawn two of their league games, but have played three games more than Southall. The two teams have already met in the league this season, with Southall winning 1-3 away back in late August. Southall have had an impressive run in the FA Vase, reaching the 3rd Round, which they will contest away at Knaphill next Saturday.

On a cool but mostly pleasant sunny afternoon, the first half was a rather dreary affair, with good football at a premium and few goalscoring chances being created. On 35 minutes, the visitors took the lead following a poor attempted clearance from a defender along the ground went to a Harefield attacker inside the area, and he passed the ball to Luke Baldwin in a more central position, who struck the ball home. They almost doubled their lead on 43 minutes, when a low first time shot went through a crowd of players and forced a good save from the keeper to his bottom right. 0-1 was how it remained at the break, and Harefield deserved their slender half time lead, showing a little more invention.

The second half began in a similar vein, with Harefield looking the livelier and more inventive, and on 56 minutes they were awarded a penalty, following an excellent jinking run to go past defenders and although as he approached the keeper, he seemed to knock the ball too far but he went over the keeper's trailing leg to win his side a penalty. Aaron McLeish fired the spot kick down the middle to give his side a comfortable lead. That, finally, really opened the game up, as both teams started to show a lot more attacking intent than previously, with both teams having efforts well saved, go just wide of the post, and also both teams saw headers following corners hit the bar within a minute of each other around the 80 minute mark. Although Southall had slightly more of the chances, it was not to be their day, and they might rue not coming alive as a team well before the went two goals in arrears. On this evidence, they will do well to extend their FA Vase odyssey beyond next weekend's tough tie at Knaphill.

Bracknell Town 5 v 2 Thatcham Town

Saturday 19th November 2016
Hellenic League Premier Division
Bottom Meadow, Sandhurst
Admission: Free
Programme: Free
Attendance:103
Match Rating: 4

This was one of those days when nothing really stood out for me as an attractive fixture, but in the end I chose this match, between two clubs going well in their division, and with this being the last “home” game being played at Sandhurst Town’s home ground whilst the finishing touches are made to the redevelopment of their own home ground, Larges Lane. An announcement on the club's Twitter feed in the morning that this game would be free entry for all sealed the deal for me.

Although Sandhurst train station is closer to Bottom Meadow, with less frequent trains stopping there I decided to walk from Blackwater station, taking in a very pleasant half hour walk along the Blackwater Valley Path, through Shepherd Meadows to Sandhurst Memorial Park, amongst which the football ground is located, neatly mainly natually enclosed away from the rest of the parkland and recreational facilities. Spectators enter in one corner of the ground, next to the brick clubhouse which is located behind a goal. It is rather cramped and basic inside but nicely decorated, and outside there is some overhang to provide covered standing on a tiled area, and there are also some tables and chairs. There is a modern metallic all-seater stand beyond the half way line on the opposite length, whilst there is just hard standing around the rest of the ground. Trees surround the ground and being quite colourful today, made for a really pleasant enclosure to the ground. As well as free admission, programmes were available free of charge from the clubhouse and was a decent effort, professionally produced and covered the essential stats to preview the match.

Thatcham Town came into this game top of the table, with twelve wins and five draws from their 17 league games, although they have played more games than all teams immediately below them. Bracknell Town were in fifth place, with nine wins and two draws from their 14 league games, and with games in hand on all teams above them. On Tuesday, they inflicted the first league defeat of the season on Thame United, to really propel themselves into the mix at the top of the table. This match was the fourth time the two clubs had met this season, and Bracknell certainly have had the upper hand in those meetings, winning 2-3 away in the FA Cup, 1-4 away in the league, and 2-1 at Sandhurst in the Berks & Bucks County Cup.

This turned out to be a truly remarkable game, beginning with a lightening start which saw the visitors race into a two goal lead inside the first four minutes. Virtually straight from the kick off, Thatcham wanted through Bracknell’s midfield and defence before James Tennant slotted the ball low across the keeper and into the net. In the third minutes, a close range shot forced a good reflex save by the keeper, but from the resulting corner, Tennant headed the ball past the keeper’s dive and into the net. Thatcham had another great chance with just eight minutes on the clock when a rasping drive from a fairly tight angle saw the ball take a slight deflection to divert the ball into the woodwork. The match was looking remarkably one sided, although as the half wore on, Bracknell came more and ! more into the game, creating some presentable chances. But the visitors went into the half time interval two goals to the good and well placed to go on and claim a valuable away win to consolidate their place at the top of the table.

What happened after the break was quite astonishing, as Thatcham contrived to completely implode and convert a winning half time position to be on the wrong end of a thrashing. It was Bracknell's turn to score quickly at the start of the half, within a minute of the restart a quickly taken free kick caught Thatcham napping and some slick passing through midfield and defence ended with TJ Bohane firing low past the keeper. On 50 minutes, Thatcham had a goalbound shot hacked away by a defender, but that was a good as it got for the visitors in the second half. On 52 minutes, a powerful first time near post shot went just wide of the post, and three minutes later, a far post header following a free kick went wide of the post. But on 57 minutes, the scores were level. The ball was floated towards the far post and Adam Cornell headed home. On 65 minutes, Bracknell were awarded a penalty for a foul tackle on Cornell towards the left edge of the penalty area. Seb Powerman drilled the ball into the bottom right corner despite the keeper diving the right way. On 69 minutes, Bracknell scored a fourth, when the ball was again floated towards the back post and Cornell headed home. Thatcham had really lost the plot by now, and following some increasingly robust challenges, what felt was inevitable happened on 75 minutes when they had a player, Callum Wilmoth, sent off for a stamp which also provoked handbags amongst most of the players on the pitch. They had another player sent off on 83 minutes for a second yellow card, and in truth they should have had at least one further player sent off with sustained mouthing off to the referee. Bracknell scored a fifth on 86, minutes when a delicate little flick sent the ball past a defender down the right, before the ball was passed low into Cornell, who had the easy task of slotting the ball into the net to complete his hat-trick.

So, in the end a convincing win for Bracknell which no-one could have predicted after the first quarter of an hour. Thatcham's implosing was amazing, and came out of the game with little or no credit, with some increasingly agricultural tackling developing into a complete lack of discipline and composure for the most part in the second half, and one felt that, in the end, something of a thrashing was exactly what they deserved.

Basildon United 3 v 2 Felixstowe and Walton United

Saturday 12th November 2016
FA Vase Second Round
Gardiners Close, Basildon
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 64
Match Rating: 4

I decided fairly early on this week to visit my penultimate Essex Senior League ground today, with an attractive looking fixture in the FA Vase. However constant rain was forecast throughout today, and thereby brining about the first nervous Saturday morning of the season, monitoring Twitter feeds and finding back-up plans. However, the rain turned out to be constant drizzle rather than downpours and so this game was never in doubt and I indeed paid my second visit to south-east Essex on consecutive Saturdays.

Gardiners Close is just over two miles, or a 45 minute walk, north eastwards from Basildon train station, and the football ground is situated amongst various others sports clubs. After passing through the car park and then turning just in front of the clubhouse, spectators enter along one length, where all of the spectator facilities are situated. There is an all-seater stand straddling the half way line, whilst either side are covered standing areas, with a couple of picnic tables in both areas. Hard standing is available around the rest of the ground, with slight neatly lowed grass banking around the path. Tall trees line the length opposite the stands, giving a pleasant background. There is also some terrace steps straddling the half way line on this side, but the tall dugouts get in the way of one’s view from there. An onion shaped water cooler tower behind one corner makes for an usual sight. The 20 page programme covered plenty of stats to preview the match, and was pleasingly light on advertising.

This match promised to be a well matched game between two clubs from neighbouring leagues. Having finished as runners up in the Essex Senior League last season, just two points adrift of champions Bowers and Pitsea, they went into this match in sixth place, with 11 wins and two draws from their 20 league games. Felixstowe and Walton United were in sixth place in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division, with eight wins and three draws from their 15 league games. They had a terrific run in the FA Cup from the Preliminary, which included a win against National League South outfit Bishops Stortford, to reach the 3rd Qualifying Round. To set up today's fixture, Basildon beat Crawley Green 1-2 away in the previous round, while Felixstowe beat Haverhill Borough 4-0 at home.

On a really murky afternoon, with constant fine misty rain falling, Basildon were certainly quick out of the traps, opening the scoring with just 4 minutes on the clock, Nathan Dewberry tapping in at the far post  following a cross along the six yard box. Dewberry doubled Basildon's lead on 13 minutes following a rebound off of a defender. Basildon were in virtually complete control throughout the first half, although a minute before the break, the visitors did see a free kick floated into the box miss everyone and come back off the far post.

The second half continued in much the same vein, with Basildon dominating, Felixstowe just could not get going and the match seemed to be meandering towards a comfortable home victory, with Basildon having the best chances to score again, a floated shot coming back off the crossbar and a close range far post strike on the stretch was blocked by a defender. Out of nothing Felixstowe gave themselves hope on XX minutes. The ball was chipped into the box from a free kick and although Craig Jennings failed to control the ball initially, he pounced on the loose ball to stab it home. Things got even better for this visitors on XX minutes when they equalised. A good run from midfield towards the outer corner of the area ended with a low cross towards the six yard box and Kyron Andrews tapped the ball home. They barely deserved to be back on level terms, but they upped their game and extra time looked to be on the cards until the sixth minute of added on time when Basildon won the match with a terrific goal by Jamie Brown, who took a few touches to create a little space for himself to curl a lovely low shot from the edge of the area into the far bottom corner, to spark wild celebrations, and at the final whistle which blew shortly afterwards, they celebrated as if they had won a cup. Felixstowe will be so disappointed to lose so late in the game, but Basildon undoubtedly deserved to progress into the last 64 of the competition, and Felixstowe were fortunate to give themselves a chance in the closing minutes.