Eastern Counties League Premier Division
Walmer Road, Lowestoft
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 130 (estimate)
Match Rating: 3
During a 4 day break at Carlton Meres holiday park close to Saxmundham, I wanted to take in some football in the area, and the closest available this evening was just over 20 miles away up the A12 on the southern outskirts of Lowestoft.
Walmer Road is located about two miles south of Lowestoft train station and town centre, although as I was driving this evening, it was a relief that there is an ample car park adjacent to the ground. Spectators enter the ground roughly by the half way line, handing over their entrance fee at a small blue kiosk, with programmes and golden goal tickets available at a table just inside. To the left, set some way back from the pitch, there is a brick covered walkway into the clubhouse, which looks old fashioned and quite quirky on the outside but is very bright and modern inside. To the front, there is a large grassy area with benches scattered around. To the right of the entrance, there are a couple of small areas of cover close to the corner flag, with a brick building housing the changing rooms behind. Immediately behind the goal there is a smart low blue stand covering a flat area. Straddling the half way line on the far side is a long modern metallic stand, although its appearance is enhanced with large club signage along the back. There is just hard standing around the rest of the ground. There is plenty of space around the ground, some trees, and a tower visible behind one of the goals, and although the openness of the ground means it hardly feels intimate, it is an interesting ground, and plenty of attractive, colourful signage gives the place some pleasing identity. The 28 page programme was neatly presented with plenty to read.
After finishing in tenth place last season Kirkley & Pakefield have had a solid start to their season, winning two and drawing two of their opening five league games, while Gorleston, who finished in seventh place last season, have won one and drawn one of their opening four league games this season.
On an overcast evening, with drizzle arriving early in the second half, this was a strange game in that, within the first ten minutes, it looked like this would be a real mismatch. With just over a minute on the clock, the hosts took the lead, a low pass forward was played into the path of Kaiden Goldspink, who fired a wonderful shot from the edge of the area, over the keeper and into the net. And they doubled their lead on 8 minutes, after a defender was dispossessed in the area and Kyle Haylock passed the ball into the net, via a sizeable deflection off the keeper. Kirkley should have scored more too, always looking threatening as they attacked at will, but gradually the visitors settled and the game became quite even as the half wore on. But 2-0 was how it remained at the break.
After making a double substitution at the break. Gorleston were a team transformed after the break, and on 58 minutes, they pulled a goal back. A corner was fired in low and Peter Lambert drilled the ball into the net. Gorleston were the better team for the rest of the match and if there was gone a further goal, it looked likely to come from them as Kirkley posed little threat. Deep into added on time, Gorleston had Luke Goreham sent off for lashing out as the home team guarded the ball in the corner flag, and they just couldn't find the equaliser that their second half performance probably deserved.
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