Beaconsfield Town 3 v 1 Egham Town

Saturday 30th December 2017
Southern League East Division
Holloways Park, Beaconsfield
Admission: £8.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 116
Match Rating: 3

After planning to go to visit Hamble Club in the Wessex League today, those plans were scuppered when I woke up too late, at 9.30, probably due to the lurgy I’ve been suffering from, to make it in time by train. It may well have been a blessing in disguise, avoiding the stress of constantly checking Twitter to see if the game was still on – due to heavy rain in recent days and overnight, games were falling down like ninepins. From a quick scour of the fixtures on the truly superb Groundhopper App, the match at Beaconsfield attracted me the most, and after checking Twitter for confirmation that the game would not be in any doubt, I headed to Buckinghamshire.

Holloways Park is about a two mile, 40 minute walk from Beaconsfield train station. The ground is found down a short lane opposite Beaconsfield Motorway Services, before spectators enter the ground through a turnstile block in on corner of the ground. Situated immediately adjacent to the M40 motorway, this is never going to be place of peaceful tranquillity, but it is a neat, smart ground with decent facilities for step 4, and with plenty of bright club signage to give the place identity. The clubhouse is situated behind the goal closest to the entrance, and overhang from this brick building covers a terrace, the low roof giving quite an intimate feel to it. Straddling the half way line is an all-seater stand, although slight inclines between rows means are not the best from there. Either side of the stand there are a couple of uncovered steps to stand on, with a rail to the rear. Behind the far goal there is a modern metallic stand situated immediately behind the goal, while there is just hard standing along the remaining length. No hot food was available today, but it was pleasing that admission was a very reasonable £8, much more like what it should be at Step 4, in contrast to the relatively astronomic charge of £11 asked for at Lewes on Boxing Day. It was a relief that Beaconsfield Town still issue printed programmes (the Southern League are allowing clubs to only publish their programme online as a download this season), and the 28 page programme was sufficiently informative.

Both sides are having good seasons so far, and are in the mix for at least a play-off berth, if not automatic promotion. Beaconsfield were in fifth place, having won 13 and drawn three of their 22 league games so far, with a seven point cushion inside the play-offs and just three points adrift of an automatic promotion spot. Egham Town wherein eleventh place, having won nine and drawn five of their 21 league games.

On a dry, overcast and very mild afternoon, the home side opened the scoring on 13 minutes. A header from a corner hit the bar, and Alexander Cathline stabbed the loose ball home through a crowd of players. Egham came close to equalising on 23 minutes when a free kick heading for the top corner was tipped over at full stretch by the keeper. Beaconsfield then came close on 26 minutes when the striker just got to the ball before the keeper to strike the ball goalwards it a defender cleared. On 34 minutes, Egham drew level. The ball was lofted upfield for Brendan Matthew to run onto and he cooly lobbed the ball over the keeper into the net. But Beaconsfield retook the lead three minutes later, again the initial shot came back off the woodwork, and Goldy Capella tapped the loose ball home.

Beaconsfield retained their slender lead at the break, and the second half was even for long periods, which suited the home side, and they extended their lead on 65 minutes. A drilled low diagonal shot was parried by the keeper into the path of Capela, who tapped the ball home. Although the visitors tried to mount attack, particularly in the closing minutes, they never really looked like pulling a goal back, and Beaconsfield claimed what was, in the end, a pretty comfortable win.

Steyning Town 2 v 2 Storrington

Wednesday 27th December 2017
Southern Combination League Division One
The Shooting Field, Steyning
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 67
Match Rating: 4

I wanted to take in some more festive football this evening, taking advantage of not being at work the following day. Visiting a new ground was virtually impossible, and my choice was further severely limited thanks to waterlogged pitches claiming most games in the south-east. Happily, Steyning Town installed a plastic pitch (in 2016) since my last visit seven years ago, and so this game was never really in doubt, despite snow falling in the area in the morning but which fortunately did not stick around.

The Shooting Field is located just to the north of Steyning village, and spectators current enter via a temporary entrance in one corner of the ground, while the original turnstile area is part of rebuilding work. Along the length closest to the entrance, there is a covered standing area which is currently used to store junk. Straddling the half way line is the clubhouse, which is bright and fairly roomy inside, and has large windows to watch the action through for those who do not fancy braving the elements outside on wintry days and nights. In front of the clubhouse, there is a rather intimate all-seater stand. A little further along the length, there is another all-seater stand with about five rows of seating. Around the rest of the ground, there is just hard standing, and although there is grass banking behind the furthest goal and along the remaining length, spectators are asked not to stand on it. Trees surround the ground, and it is a quiet and peaceful location. Indeed, it is a pleasant modest ground, easy on the eye and retaining its individuality and charm despite the installation of the plastic pitch. The 28 page programme was a double issue, also covering their coming Saturday's home game, and it was a decent read and covered the essentials well, although almost half of the content was advertising.

This match was a local derby, between two teams firmly entrenched in mid table. Steyning were in ninth place, following nine wins and two draws from their 19 league games, while Storrington were in twelfth place, following five wins and four draws from their 20 league games.

On a freezing cold evening under a clear, moonlit sky, this was an even match, with both sides taking advantage of the plastic pitch to play good passing football along the floor, and rarely looking to lump aimless balls forward. On 9 minutes, Storrington saw a far post diving header hit the inside of the post and roll along the line, whilst on 14 minutes, a Steyning player just inside the opposition half saw the keeper off his line and tried to lob him, but the keeper just got back to grab the ball. On 31 minutes, Steyning again saw a shot just gathered on the line by the keeper, but they did take the lead on 33 minutes, Steyning did take the lead when Craig Knowles pounced on a loose ball to fire the ball home from a central position 10 yards out. The visitors levelled the scoreline on 42 minutes, though, Bradley Lewis firing a free kick low just inside the keeper's right hand post.

Into the second half and Storrington took the lead on 67 minutes when, after an initial shot was blocked, Joseph Stakim drilled the ball low across the keeper and into the far corner of the net. Steyning then equalised on 78 minutes when their player drove with the ball towards the outer edge of the six yard box and cross the ball low for Knowles to tap the ball home. Steyning came closest to claiming the winner in the remaining minutes, seeing a header cleared off the line, and as the referee put his whistle to his lips to blow for full time, a free kick was lumped into the box and a shot was parried by the keeper in the last action of the match.

A share of the points was probably a fair reflection of the game, which neither side dominated but played some good, patient, attractive football throughout.

Lewes 2 v 0 Hastings United

Saturday 26th December 2017
Isthmian League Division One South
The Dripping Pan, Lewes
Admission: £11.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 802
Match Rating: 3

It was with some considerable reluctance that I attended this game, not wishing to pay a shocking £11.00 to watch Step 4 football. However, the location fitted in well following my morning game at Peacehaven, the alternative of bottom of the table Whitehawk against out of form Eastbourne Borough did not sufficiently appeal, and it is always a joy to visit the wonderfully named Dripping Pan, a ground that just oozes charm and uniqueness from every pore.

The Dripping Pan is located just a couple of minutes walk from Lewes train station, not that trains were an option today with no services running on Boxing Day. Spectators enter through turnstiles behind one of the goal, at the top of a modern terrace with an attractive cover. Immediately to the right of the terrace is the tall clubhouse building which does obscure the view of one corner from the terrace, and the clubhouse is located on the bottom floor. Beyond a tea bar window in the corner, there is a modern and stylish all-seater stand stretching most of the length, whilst behind the far goal, there is a steep bank of uncovered terracing built into a grass bank. Walking to the left from the entrance turnstiles past the covered terrace, four beach huts are located in the corner to be hired out, and which offer a good vantage point particularly during wet, wintry days such as today. Around the corner, the path continues high along the top of a tall grass bank, offering a great elevated view of the action. The 32 page programme, a double issue also covering the coming Saturday's home game, was a really professional job, in full colour, attractively laid out, with interesting articles to read and the important stats mentioned.

Lewes are having a great season so far, top of the division following 15 wins and six draws from their 24 league games, leading the table by two points and have played less games than most teams below them. Hastings United, who lost in the play-offs last season, have had yet another turbulent season, losing their newly appointed managed Adam Hinshelwood in September, then allowed most of their high-earners to leave in favour of younger, more local players. Coming into this game, they were in eleventh place, having won nine and drawn eight of their 24 league games, but they did come into this game on a 10 game unbeaten run.

The day had become really chilly with frequent rain showers, and Hastings did seem to have the confidence of a team unbeaten in ten, as they had most of the possession and looking good with it for the most part, but they never really looked like scoring, lacking a final ball. And on 24 minutes, after a Hastings attack broke down following an apparent handball by a Lewes defender, Charlie Coppola kept on running, into the penalty area where he was brought down by defender Jack Dixon. Jonte Smith hesitated in his run-up, putting the keeper on his backside before rolling the ball into the bottom right corner. Not much else occured for the rest of the half, as Lewes held a narrow lead at the interval.

Unfortunately some rather unsavoury scenes occurred at half time, and some young intoxicated delinquents supposedly supporting Hastings but much more focused on causing trouble set off a very loud explosive device in the covered terrace, provoked a brawl which even Hastings substitutes helped to address, and early in the second half, the "gang" let off firecrackers onto the pitch, before the stewards got them under control with the assistance of the police, sadly. Perhaps events had an effect on the Hastings players on the pitch, as they put in a really subdued performance after the break, and on 57 minutes, Lewes doubled their lead with a superbly taken free-kick by Leon Redwood, which went in off the underside of the bar. That really killed the game, and for the most part Lewes looked content with playing out a comfortable 2-0 win, although on 79 minutes a dipping shot from just outside the area came back off the crossbar, and Hastings seemed to lack the inspiration or imagination to get back in the game, although in the last minute of normal time, they saw a far post, close range header blocked on the line.

This was a case of Lewes doing enough to claim the three points and they look on course to claim promotion back to the Isthmian Premier, whilst Hastings are destined for mid-table obscurity, hopefully to build towards a more exciting season next year.