Isthmian League Premier Division
Imperial Fields, Mitcham
Admission: £10.00
Programme: Sold Out
Attendance: 152
Match Rating: 3
After spending a really fascinating and enjoyable recording of Piers Morgan's Life Stories with Caitlyn Jenner at the London Studios, although I wanted to go straight to a football game in the evening, it was difficult to plan exactly where, not knowing for certain what time I would leave the studios. It turned out to be 6.30pm, and with no new grounds for me in reach, I chose to revisit a ground that I had last visited the furthest time ago, and one I knew would offer protection from the elements, with persistent heavy rain forecast in the evening. And so I took the Northern Line tube train from Waterloo to Morden.
Imperial Fields is about a 20 minute walk from Morden station, and the football ground is located between two plastic pitches. Spectators enter in one corner of the ground, via a turnstile block built into the exterior wall, and immediately inside is "The Shak", a snack bar with a Carribbean theme, and which seemed wholly inappropriate for a cold, wet evening in south London. A relatively modern stadium in 2002, this is a really nice ground, with excellent and varied facilities perfectly suited to the level of football it hosts, and none of the bland features frequently found in 21st century non league stadia. Along the length closest to the entrance, there is a large all-seater stand straddling the half way line offering excelling elevated and unobstructed. Hard standing is available either side of the stand, in front of the large building housing the complex's indoor facilities. Behind either goal there are identical steep terraces, mostly uncovered except for the middle section, although with no rear or side walls to the cover, it did not offer great protection against the swirling rain of this evening. Along the remaining length there is just hard uncovered standing, with a couple of steps to stand on along the middle third of the length. Arriving approximately 15 minutes ahead of kick off, the club had already sold out of matchday programmes.
Following promotion as champions of Division One South least season, having accumulated 105 points from 46 games although still only winning the division on goal difference, Tooting and Mitcham came into this game in 20th place in the 24 team division following four wins and four draws from their 16 league games. They had an awful start to their season, with just three draws from their opening ten league games, their first win not coming until early October, but their recent form has picked up, having won four of their last five league games. Burgess Hill Town were one place above Tooting, in 19th place following four wins and four draws from their 14 league games.
On a cold, wet night, the visitors certainly had the better of the first half, as they looked lively whilst the home side struggled to find any rhythm. Burgess Hill took the lead on 14 minutes, following some slick moving through the midfield culminating in a one-two, laying the ball for Lucas Rodriguez to strike the ball past the keeper and into the net. They almost doubled their lead on 26 minutes, when Aaron Smith-Jones' firm header from a corner drew a fine reaction save from the keeper. A rare chance for the home side came on 38 minutes, a shot from the edge of the area took a deflection to send it just wide of goal, and a header from a resulting corner was blocked on the line.
The second half continued in much the same vein, with the home side frustrating in their inability to retain possession, but on 63 minutes, they came close to equalising, when Mike Dixon struck a curling diagonal shot which the keeper tipped around the post at full stretch. However, a minute later and they were back on level terms. Dixon went on a good run towards the penalty area, before his eventual shot took a deflection off a defender to send the ball just inside the post beyond the keeper's dive. That really inspired Tooting, who spend the next few minutes attacking the Burgess Hill goal, but the visitors rode that storm out and the game settled down again, and it looked like the game was heading towards a share of the points. But just as three minutes of added on time was announced, Burgess Hill grabbed the winner, when James Richmond headed the ball powerfully into the net from a corner. The visitors saw out the remainder of the added on time comfortably enough, and claimed their first away win of the season, which they certainly deserved to on the night.
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