Hemel Hempstead Town 3 v 2 Berkhamsted

Saturday 27th July 2019
Pre-season Friendly
Vauxhall Road, Hemel Hempstead
Admission : £5.00
Programme: None
Attendance: 150 (estimate)

After aborting last Saturday's planned visit to Vauxhall Road thanks to an excessively priced entrance fee,  today's £5 admission was much more acceptable to me, all the more so as today's game could have been considered a more attractive one anyway, given that it would be a local derby, with just around six miles separating the two clubs.

Vauxhall Road is over 2 miles from Hemel Hempstead train station, which I decide to walk, mainly along the busy A414 dual carriageway following much of the same route as I had last Saturday to reach Leverstock Green. The colourfully decorated entrance turnstiles are located adjacent to the car park, and once inside, a path takes visitors along one length. Towards the corner there is a decent sized patio area with picnic tables provided, and a snack bar and burger van available in front of the clubhouse, which is quite dated and dark inside, but has a large function room to the rear. Surrounding the corner there is a large toilet block decorated in club colours, a wooden hut for pigeon racing club, and a small club shop. To the other side of the entrance, works are taking place which inevitably (but surely temporarily) results in a rather scruffy and messy look to the area, with the original small stand having had its roof taken off, but with a small amount of cover available to the side for standing room, which also serves as the disabled area. Behind the goal closest to the entrance there is a very smart all-seater stand, with bright red seats inside and sponsors graphics on the rear wall. Behind the other goal there is a similar sized stand but covers a small terrace to stand on, and towards one of the corners there is a double decker of portakabins, in the other corner there is a basic electronic scoreboard. Straddling the half way line on the remaining length there is a fairly small all-seater stand. Hard standing is available around the rest of the pitch. With trees all around and a quiet location, it is generally a pleasant place to watch football at, and will be all the more so when the works along the entrance length are completed. No programmes were produced for this fixture.

Hemel Hempstead have just completed their fifth season in the Step 2 National League South, finishing in 16th place in the 22 team division last season. Berkhamsted had a very sold season in their debut step 4 season, finishing in sixth place in the Southern League Division One Central, missing out on a play-off berth by three points.

After a week of hot, sunny weather, only punctuated by the odd thunderstorm, heavy rain arrived overnight and constantly fell throughout the morning. A resultant burst water main blocked my only path to my local train station, requiring a diversion to the next station along the line, and putting me back by an hour, as well as ensuring my clothes were soaked through. Happily the rain had stopped as I headed north, leaving an overcast afternoon in west Hertfordshire. This would be my third fixture in succession where the home team were from a higher league, and it looked like a third convincing home victory was in store, when Hemel Hempstead opened the scoring on 6 minutes following a terrific dribble into the box by Sam Ashford, with good close control keeping the ball away from several covering defenders, before eventually poking the ball past the keeper, off the inside of the far post and into the net. But Berkhamsted levelled the scores on 12 minutes when a cross from the right by Jonathan Lacey was volleyed home first time past the keeper by Lewis Toomey. And the visitors went into the lead on 27 minutes following a ball through the middle found Lacey through on goal, and as the keeper came out, Lacey dribbled across the area, seeming to take too long as the keeper and a defender managed to get back to cover the goal, but the ball was well struck inside the far post. Hemel Hempstead had some good chances to score again, a shot from 8 yards out went just over the bar and a header hit the crossbar, but Berkhamsted deserved their half time lead following a very solid first half performance.

In the second half, although the game generally was fairly even, Hemel Hempstead created plenty of good goalscoring chances. On 59 minutes, a dinked cross to the far post was headed just high and wide, whilst on 62 minutes, a low shot was parried and the rebound went over the bar. But they did equalise on 68 minutes when a well judged header just evaded the keeper's dive to nestle into the bottom right hand corner. On 75 minutes, a Hemel free kick was punched downwards by the keeper, and the rebound was struck just wide with the goal at his mercy - although it was more of a reaction shot. It looked like the game would end in a draw, until the last minute of added on time, when Hemel Hempstead scored the winner. The ball was pumped forward, and the subsitute keeper unconvincingly punched the ball away at the edge of his area amongst a couple of players, and the ball ran to a Hemel player who curled a superbly judged shot from about 40 yards into the empty net.

So, a victory that would have been expected for Hemel Hempstead, but there was much to be pleased about for Berkhamsted, who played very well and were far from outplayed by their opposition from 2 steps higher in the pyramid

Langney Wanderers 8 v 3 Littlehampton Town

Friday 26th July 2019
Pre-season Friendly
Priory Lane, Eastbourne
Admission: £3.00
Programme: None
Attendance: 30 (rough head-count)

With an unusually good choice of local fixtures on a Friday evening, I decided to take in my second all-Southern Combination League pre-season Friendly by paying a revisit to Priory Lane, home of National League South outfit Eastbourne Borough, which is shared as a home venue by Langney Wanderers. It would also be slightly unusual that the home team would be from a division higher than the visitors.

Langney Wanderers have just completed their fifth season in senior football, and their first at Step 5 level, finishing in 15th place in the Southern Combination League Premier Division, ten points clear of the relegation zone. Littlehampton Town finished in sixth place in the division below, Division One, but were some 30 points adrift of a top two promotion spot.

Unsurprisingly, there have been no alterations to the ground since my last visits to Priory Lane last season, and no programmes or team sheets were produced for this evening's fixture.

After a blisteringly hot few days - the record high temperature ever only just being missed yesterday - conditions were considerably cooler and overcast this evening. There was certainly plenty of entertainment for the small crowd, thanks to some excellently energetic and creative play from the hosts, aided by some catastrophic defending by the visitors. With just 3 minutes on the clock, Langney took the lead, when their player ran forward with the ball and with no-one closing him down, lashed the ball home from the edge of the area. They scored again on eight minutes, when a weak back pass was easily intercepted, and the Langney forward strode forward before placing the ball low past the keeper. Littlehampton then had a decent chance on 20 minutes, when a shot on the run went just over the bar, but five minute later Langney scored their third, a slick passing move into the box ended with the ball being struck into the net via a big deflection off the keeper. And on 35 minutes, it was 4-0. The ball was crossed to the back post, and via a deflection, fell at the feet of a defender, but as he dallied, he was dispossessed and the ball was drilled inside the near post. And the scoreline began to look a bit ugly on 40 minutes when Langney scored their fifth. The ball was laid back to a team mate at the edge of the area, and then struck powerfully past a motionless keeper. But on 42 minutes, Littlehampton were awarded a penalty for a pull in the box, and was duly converted into the roof of the net. But within a minute, Langney scored their sixth, following a slick passing move ending with the ball being neatly clipped into the net from just inside the penalty area.

So, a pretty disastrous first half for the visitors, and the second half started in a similar vein when, just two minutes after the restart, Langney were awarded a free kick just outside the area. A Littlehampton player protested too strongly and for too long, and his calling the referee a "a f***ing idiot" resulted in his enforced substitution. The free kick was then dispatched into the top right hand corner, again the keeper was motionless. And the scoreline became 8-1 on 67 minutes following a quick break down the middle, and a shot took a deflection with the ball looping into the goal. As substitutions were made, the game became less one-sided, and Littlehampton's defending went from the catastrophic to being acceptable. And on 73 minutes, Littlehampton were awarded another penalty, this time for a foul tackle as the forward was in full stride, and this penalty was also converted, this time into the left side despite the keeper diving the right way. Both sides had good chances to score again, but it was Littlehampton who would pull another goal back, on 79 minutes, when a free kick was struck into the top left hand corner.

8-3 was how it finished, and the game was as entertaining as the scoreline suggests, with Langney Wanderers playing some lovely, free-flowing football. As for Littlehampton, this was hardly ideal preparation in their final friendly before their league season starts next weekend - one can only hope that tonight's defence was an experimental one. As unusual result as 8-3 is, this was actually the second time I have seen Langney Wanderers win by that scoreline, the previous time back in 2013 when they won a Sussex Intermediate Cup game away to Ovingdean.

Newhaven 5 v 1 Hailsham Town

Tuesday 23rd July 2019
Pre-season Friendly
Fort Road, Newhaven
Admission: £3.00
Programme: None
Attendance: 60 (estimate)

I certainly wanted to make the most of a very warm and sunny evening by taking in a game, and I had a decent choice along the East Sussex coast this evening. In the end, I decided to make my first visit to Fort Road in four years, seduced by the prospect of a very pleasant drive to get there, and the nice setting of the ground.

There have not been any major alterations to the ground since my last visit. The large and imposing main stand still straddles the half way line, and whilst it still will not win any beauty contests, it is great to see that it is virtually fully functional now, with changing rooms, a bar area and a tea bar all located on the ground floor. Up a flight of stairs, the main area of seating offers terrific views, not only of the action, but also of the rolling hills of the South Downs, the Newhaven - Dieppe ferry arriving and docking, and at the the foot of the steep Fort Hill behind one end, a new skate park and pump track has very recently been constructed, and provides quite an eye catching backdrop. Further seating available at ground level of the stand. Uncovered seating is still present behind both goals, although only the end closest to the entrance was open today, and behind that is now redundant shallow uncovered terrace, with a small wooden stand, although that seems to be occasionally used to serve drinks and a hot food from. The remaining length is just hard standing, although only about two thirds from the entrance is accessible. Unless my memory fails me, an interesting addition is a small boat just inside the entrance, Unsurprisingly, no programmes were produced for this fixture.

Newhaven had a good season last season, finishing fourth in the Step 5 Southern Combination League Premier Division, whilst Hailsham Town finished in eighth place in the division below, Division One.

This game started quite evenly, and Hailsham came close to opening the scoring on 10 minutes, almost benefitting from a bit of a mix up by a defender allowing the Hailsham forward to nip in and tap the ball past the keeper but the ball trickled just beyond the far post. But within a minute, Newhaven were awarded a penalty following a foul bringing down a Newhaven player in full stride. The penalty was struck into the bottom right corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. They scored again on 19 minutes when a cross from the left was deflected into his own net by a defender, and they were given a helping in hand in scoring their third too, on 27 minutes, when the keeper passed to his defender, who then lost possession to a Newhaven forward, who passed to his team mate in a central position for an easy finish past the keeper. 3-0 was a little harsh on the visitors, and they finished the half strongly and after going close a couple of times, they did pull a goal back on the stroke of half time, when a low ball from the byline was tucked in from close range.

As the ferry was just coming into berth, Newhaven scored their fourth, on 49 minutes, following a perfect cross from the right wing which was headed in unmarked at the far post. And their fifth followed on 53 minutes, when their player turned from the left wing, running with the ball towards a central position, before firing the ball home from the edge of the area. They had a couple of other chances to further extend their lead, but Hailsham also created some decent chances and were unlucky not to score again themselves.