Saturday 25th January 2020
National League South
Hardenhuish Park, Chippenham
Admission: £13.00
Programme: £2.50
Attendance: 527
Although Charlton were originally scheduled to play Fulham today, that fixture was brought forward to Wednesday due to Fulham's involvement in the FA Cup 4th Round, opening up the possibility of a bonus groundhop for me today. And I took advantage by booking a National Express coach trip to Chippenham, to complete my visits of grounds in the National League South.
Hardenhuish Park is about a 15 minute walk from Chippenham town centre, with a fixture board located on the passing main road, from where a short lane takes visitors past a cricket field, which is part of Chippenham Sports Club, whose cricket, tennis, bowls, hockey and AirDome facilities surround the football ground, to the entrance turnstiles. Just before the turnstiles, a decent array of club merchandise can be purchased from a rather charming blue "hut on wheels", with programmes available from an adjacent table. Inside the ground, there is a real mixture of stands, which adds to its character. Just inside the entrance, moving along the length, there is the main tea bar in the corner, with a control tower next to it, and then a small uncovered terrace. An old fashioned stand straddles the half way line, with four rows of seating which stretch out beyond the original stand, with newer prefab structures providing the additional cover. The clubhouse is located on the first floor of the stand, up a flight of steps to the rear, with windows along the front offering views of the pitch. Beyond the main stand there is a blue portakabin stacked on top of a white one, providing hospitality for club officials, with some uncovered terracing up to the far corner flag, and behind it a further portakabin which used to house the club shop. A few steps of uncovered terracing is located behind one of the ends, with an additional tea bar in the far corner, whilst behind the other end, closest to the entrance, a modern metallic stand provides cover for standing, with VIPs and sponsors catered for in a wooden building just inside the entrance. There is cover of flat standing along the entire remaining length, and the pitch has a noticeable slope from end to end. Hardenhuish Park is a nice ground offering plenty of character, with facilities sensibly added to over time as and when required, and there was also a friendly atmosphere around the place. The 62 page programme was a really good read, with plenty of interesting reading material and a plethora of stats and facts.
This match would be between clubs from opposite ends of the league table. In their third season in the division, Chippenham were in the relegation zone, second bottom in the 22 club division, following five wins and ten draws from their 26 league games, and in an attempt to change their fortunes, replaced their manager earlier this month. They were just a point adrift of safety, with four points covering the seven teams above them, but their form has been poor, picking up just two points from their last six league games, and one win, or 9 points, from their last 16 league games. Following relegation from the National League top flight, Havant and Waterlooville are very much in the hunt to bounce straight back, coming into this game in third place, following 14 wins and six draws from their 24 league games, eight points adrift of leaders Wealdstone but with two games in hand. When the two clubs met in the reverse fixture in early December, Havant & Waterlooville won 2-1.
On a very grey, dreary and chilly afternoon, and following a minute's silence in remembrance of the late Derek Fowlds, the actor who starred in Yes, Minister among others TV shows and who was a vice president of the club and a regular visitor to Hardenhuish Park, the opening half hour was an even affair, with both teams creating the odd half chance. On 36 minutes, the visitors had a great chance when the ball deflected out to Alfie Rutherford all on his own in the penalty area, but his eventual shot was well saved low down by the keeper. Chippenham then saw a shot from just outside the area go just wide, whilst in the closing minute of the half, Havant's Josh Taylor struck a shot which took a deflection before hitting the crossbar, with the rebound headed away under pressure by a defender.
The second half saw much more goalmouth action, with the visitors applying more of the pressure but momentum seesawed between the two teams. On 47 minutes, Havant hit the woodwork again, this time Danny Kedwell seeing his header come back off the crossbar, whilst on 51 minutes it was Chippenham's turn to be denied by the woodwork, Jay Foulston's free kick hitting the top left corner of the woodwork. On 68 minutes, Havant hit the woodwork again, Simon Walton striking a powerful shot which hit the bar, and from the rebound, another shot was deflected over. Shortly after that, a Havant forward chipped the advancing keeper by the edge of the area, but the keeper just managed to get enough on the ball as he stretched high above to divert the ball agonisingly wide of the goal, and then a fierce shot was well saved by the Chippenham keeper at his near post. It was then Chippenham's turn to have a couple of fantastic chances, firstly a shot from the edge of the area went just wide with the keeper rooted, and they then had a really golden chance to open the scoring on 81 minutes, when the ball was deflected forwards into the path of Luke Hopper and he sprinted clear from virtually the half way line unopposed, but as he approached the keeper, he struck the ball over the bar. The momentum then swung back towards the visitors. On 83 minutes, a thrown on was headed on to the back post, and the goalbound header by Sam Magri was cleared on the line, whilst in the final minute of normal time, the ball was curled beyond the back post and Andy Drury struck the ball against the post. But then in added on time, Chippenham had a couple of dangerous free kicks from the edge of the penalty area, but shortly after the final whistle and, somehow the match ended goalless with the points shared.
So, a second nil nil for me in four days, however this was an entertaining game to watch, which both sides could have won, and will both rue the woodwork denying them, particularly Havant & Waterlooville. Ultimately, both clubs would be happy enough with a point, which is probably more than Chippenham would have expected against such highly ranked opposition, whilst the point was sufficient for Havant & Waterlooville to climb to second place in the table, leapfrogging previously second placed Bath City, who had surprisingly lost 7-0 at leaders Wealdstone, much to the amusement of the Chippenham fans on leaving the ground.
Video highlights of this match can be viewed
by clicking here
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