FA Cup Second Qualifying Round
New Lamb Meadow Stadium, Arlesey
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 335
Match Rating : 3
On FA Cup day, I shortlisted a visit to either of the two remaining clubs in the Spartan South Midlands League left in the competition, Colney Heath or Baldock Town. In the end, I decided to visit one of only three Step 10 clubs left in the competition. I was also swayed by Baldock doing much more to publicise and build up their fixture, which included tweets of support from various celebrities including Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler, Darren Gough, Ricky Hatton, Shane Ritchie and Adam Woodyatt.
Baldock Town have had a nomadic existence since reforming in 2003, and since the start of this season, they are now sharing the home ground of Southern League Division One East outfit Arlesey Town. The New Lamb Meadow stadium is about a half hour walk southwards from Arlesey train station, after passing though the small town centre. After passing though gates, there is a large car park, and visitors can visit the clubhouse before entering, which is very homely, spacious and comfortable inside. Spectators enter the ground via a turnstile block towards one corner, and once inside, the stadium is neat and tidy and very sensible proportioned for a club in the Southern League. On the back side of the clubhouse building, which stretches along most of the length and is attractively decorated in linearly arranged cream and brown coloured bricks, there is covered seating, which is raised and thereby offers good views of the action. A tea bar hatch is located further along the length. On the opposite side is a fairly large stand, about two thirds of which offers terrace steps, and the remaining area has three rows of seating. Behind one goal there is a bank of uncovered terrace steps, and towards one corner, there is a covered area resembling a bike shed, which is intended for disabled visitors. Behind the remaining goal there is just hard standing. The programme was appropriately priced and had a good welcome message although lacked factual information and the page devoted to the visitors was partly outdated and partly factually incorrect.
Baldock Town came into this match bottom of the Spartan South Midlands League Division One, however that is more a reflection of their success in the national cup competitions. They have drawn their only two league fixtures so far, with at least two games in hand on all teams above them. They had already played three fixtures to reach this stage of the FA Cup, having beaten Ardley United 1-3 away, North Greenford United 3-1 at home, and Thame United 4-3 at home - the latter being the most impressive, with the visitors being from two steps above, and are in the same division as today's visitors, Aylesbury United. Aylesbury United have had an average start to their season, with two wins and three defeats from their five league games so far. Their FA Cup campaign has included a 4-1 home win against Leverstock Green in a replay, and a 0-1 away win at Tilbury.
Dry and slightly sunny weather on my train journey ride north was most certainly a false dawn, as heavy rain arrived as I was about half way walking to the ground and rain of varying intensity barely relented for the rest of the day. As might be expected, the underdogs took the game by the scruff of the neck, without looking likely to score for the first twenty minutes or so, until Josh Coley strode forward before firing shot from the edge of the area which went just over the bar. Both teams traded half chances, and the standout chance fell again to Baldock came close again on 35 minutes, when Harry Holland struck a powerful shot which forced a superb reflect save by the visiting keeper. Just as it looked like the underdogs would go in level at half time, the visitors took the lead in the last minute of the half. The ball was delivered from a free kick into the box, headed back across goal, and a defender's overhead kick attempting to clear deflected the ball at the feet of Ryan Kinnane, who fired home from a central position. It could have got even worse though, as Aylesbury's Tyriq Hunt was sent clear by a lovely through pass, but the referee controversially blew the whistle for half-time.
Being behind at the break was quite harsh on Baldock, but they came so close to equalising a minute after the break, Owen Robertson heading the ball against the bar. 6 minutes later, and a shot by Alex Coppin from the outside of the area drew a finger tip save. However, on 59 minutes, the visitors created real daylight in the scoreline when they scored their second. A low ball forward beat the offside trap and found Hunte in the box, who took a touch before calmly firing low under the keeper and into the net. That felt like the decisive goal, and although there was plenty of huff and puff from the Baldock players, they just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net until the fifth minute of added on time at the end of the match when a corner flicked off of the head of a defender, and substitute Zach Dyer volleyed the ball home through a crowd of players and via a deflection from a fairly tight angle. Unfortunately it was too little too late for the home side though, as the final whistle blew within a minute.
So Baldock's excellent cup run came to an end, but their players gave it absolutely anything on their big day, for long periods looking more likely to score, but Aylesbury's extra bit of quality made the difference in the end.
Video highlights of this match can be found here
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