Bexhill United 3 v 0 Mile Oak

Tuesday 25th February 2020
Southern Combination League Division One Cup Second Round
The Polegrove, Bexhill-on-Sea
Admission: £5.00
Programme: 50p
Attendance:

Ideally, I would have wanted to have seen the rematch of the RUR Cup Semi Final between Eastbourne Town and Lancing this evening, having been present when the original tie was abandoned on the hour mark. But not particularly impressed that spectators of the original tie were expected to pay full price again for the rematch, I decided to give that game a swerve, and pay a second visit to the Polegrove in less than a week, for an interesting looking cup tie.

A glance at the league table suggested that this would be a game between two evenly matched teams, who are both chasing down a top four spot in the league to take advantage of the additional promotion spots available this season. Bexhill were in fifth place, following 11 wins and six draws from their 23 league games, three points adrift of fourth placed Mile Oak, who had won 13 and drawn three of their 21 league games. In the league encounters between the two clubs, Bexhill triumphed 2-0 at home in October, whilst Mile Oak made home advantage count last month, with a 1-0 victory.

Once again this game had to survive a pitch inspection following heavy rain in recent days, but fortunately a spell of light rain late afternoon did not further threaten this match. Indeed, the pitch remained in remarkably good condition for a recreation ground, although it inevitably was tacky in places, with sand added in the small problem areas. Although it was dry throughout the match, it was certainly very cold, particularly when exposed to the wind, which made the stand an inviting place to seek shelter inside. In the end, this was a game that Bexhill pretty much controlled from start to finish, and they took the lead in 5 minutes with a fine strike from Jack McLean, drilling the shot from the edge of the area past the keeper's dive. They created several other really good chances, and had a strong looking appeal for a penalty turned down on 21 minutes, before they doubled their lead on 27 minutes, when a corner was deflected into his own net by the head of Stevens. Mile Oak had a great chance to pull a goal back virtually straight from kick off with a ball over the top, but the ball was struck over the bar. On 36 minutes, Bexhill had an even stronger shout for a penalty turned down, but they saw the half out relatively comfortably to hold a two goal advantage at the break.

Bexhil continued very much in the ascendancy after the break, continuing to create the majority of the goalscoring chances, and they thought they had scored a third on 57 minutes when a free kick from the right was headed home at the back post, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Mile Oak huffed and puffed without really threatening to pull a goal back, and on 87 minutes, Bexhill scored their third of the night, when Wes Tate took a touch on the edge of the area before picking his spot, firing the ball into the top right corner, to confirm Bexhill's passage to the next round, when a visit to Seaford Town awaits.

Charlton Athletic 3 v 1 Luton Town

Saturday 22nd February 2020
EFL Championship
The Valley, Charlton
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 18,969 (2,785 away)

The vagaries of the Championship fixture list dictated I would be heading back to The Valley for a second consecutive Saturday for what was, following last Saturday's results, a real "must not lose" game for the Addicks against rivals in beating the drop.

After Saturday's disappointing home defeat against Blackburn Rovers, Charlton were five points clear of the relegation zone, in 19th place following nine wins and nine draws from 33 league games. Luton, promoted as champions from League One last season, were in 23rd place, four points adrift of safety and six adrift of Charlton, following nine wins and three draws from their 33 league games. But they came into this game having won their last two league games, which followed a horrible run on picking up just one win and one draw from 11 games. When the two clubs met at Kenilworth Road in late November, Luton won 2-1, despite Charlton taking an early lead.

A match report can viewed by clicking here, and brief video highlights by clicking here

So, a much needed win for the Addicks, after quite a poor first half, Lyle Taylor really proved the difference to win the game, not just with his goals but also his all-round play, leading from the front and providing the perfect response to the Luton fans who were abusing him.

Bexhill United 2 v 2 Wick

Wednesday 18th February 2020
Southern Combination League Division One
The Polegrove, Bexhill-on-Sea
Admission including Programme: £5.00
Attendance: 102

It was quite an unexpected bonus to take in this game this evening, following the seemingly endless wet and windy weather experienced in the south-east in recent weeks, and particularly after the latest storm, Storm Dennis, bringing prolonged heavy rain over the weekend and into Monday. Although Tuesday was dry, persistent drizzle during Wednesday afternoon made me fear the worst, but mid afternoon Bexhill United tweeted that their game would be on, and so I made me way down to the Polegrove for the first time this season.

Since my last visit on Boxing Day 2018, there have been several enhancements to the perimeter of the ground. A new entrance has been installed, so instead of access being gained through an opened gate to the recreation ground, spectators now pass along a wall, with the entrance fee being paid at a more conventional window. In addition, an interesting notice board has been installed outside of the changing rooms, giving some very interesting historical information about the ground, including the much-admired mock Tudor grandstand. The 12 page programme, included with admission, seemed to be designed to be relatively timeless, with no indication of dates, league table or fixtures, nor comments about recent games, but during a spell of inclement weather and likely postponements, it was probably a sensible publication under the circumstances.

This match would be between two clubs very much in the hunt for a top 4 place and promotion to the enlarged Step 5 next season. Bexhill United were in fifth place, following 11 wins and five draws from their 21 league games, just a point adrift of fourth placed Mile Oak, and four points adrift of Wick who were in third place, having won 13 and drawn three of their 20 league games.

On a mild, dry evening, and with the pitch in surprisingly good condition considering the recent wet weather, albeit the pitch was was rather sticky and tricky, and sanded in places, kick off was delayed by 15 minutes from the originally scheduled 7.30 kick off time, as the visitors only arrived at the ground at 7.15. This was an entertaining game to watch, with both sides creating plenty of chances throughout. And after both teams traded an early chance, a Bexhill forward connected with a cross with an overhead kick, but the ball went just wide. On 18 minutes, a cross from the right by the visitors was struck powerfully first time, but the keeper saved with an outstretched foot. But barely a minute later, Bexhill took the lead, when the ball was played forward, the keeper came well out his area, and caught in no mans land, Jack Shonk had the easy task of striking the ball low into an empty net from about 30 yards. And six minutes later, the Wick goalkeeper almost suffered another embarassing moment, when a long punt downfield by the Bexhill keeper was carried in the stiff wind, and the Wick keeper just managed to desperately tip the ball over from virtually under the bar. On 29 minutes a Wick free kick from outside the outer corner of the penalty area was curled onto the top of the bar, and four minutes later they saw a goalbound strike through a crowd was blocked by a defender, and on 39 minutes, a powerful shot was parried past the post.

So, a narrow lead to the hosts at the break, but with all to play for after the break. And indeed, Wick drew level on 48 minutes, a Bexhill defender took a swing at a cross from the left but could only  deflect it faintly, and Terry Dodd poked the ball home from a close range, central position. And they came close to turning the game on its head two minutes later, when the ball was headed against the near post from a corner. But it was Bexhill who went back in front on 58 minutes when a shot was blocked, only for Shonk to slot the ball home for his second of the match. Following his protests, a Wick player was sent to the sin bin. Chances continued to be created by both teams, but it was the visitors who would score the next goal on 79 minutes. After a free kick was blocked, substitute Josh Irish drilled the ball low from the edge of the area past the keeper. Chances seemed to dry up after that, and so the points were shared - a fair result overall, but no doubt a point that Wick will be the happier with, both after coming from behind twice, and to maintain their lead over Bexhill in the race for a promotion spot. Interestingly, the reverse fixture takes place on the last day of the season.

Charlton Athletic 0 v 2 Blackburn Rovers

Saturday 15th February 2020
EFL Championship
The Valley, Charlton
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 25,363 (2,063 away)

Despite what was, on the face of, a very average fixture, a very rare these days bumper attendance was assured today, with it being chosen as the club's annual Football For A Fiver fixture which, resulting in all seats in the stadium being sold for just £5. A promotion running annually since 2011, in recent years that resulted in increased attendances, but still about 10,000 short of a full house. Partly due to the club being in League One, but mostly because of the fans' disenchantment with the club under previous owner Roland Duchâtelet, but with the outlook looking infinitely brighter for the Addicks now, in the Championship and with new owners at least saying all the right things, this year's fixture was a sell-out days in advance.

Such days always brings an air of trepidation amongst Charlton fans, as their team always seems to turn in poor performances and invariably lose - or struggle to a dire stalemate - whenever the club runs such promotions to boost the attendance. Indeed, the last time Charlton won on a football for a fiver day was back in 2015. Since Charlton's last home game, a crucial 2-1 victory against relegation rivals Barnsley, two very difficult away fixtures followed. Last Saturday, they put in a very limp performance apparently, losing 3-1 at Stoke City, but then followed that up with a magnificent performance at Nottingham Forest in midweek, winning 0-1 against a club that would have climbed into the automatic promotion places with a win. So, Charlton came into this game in 19th place, six points above the relegation zone, following nine wins and nine draws from 32 league games. On paper, this felt like a tough game to win for Charlton, with Blackburn up in tenth place in the table six points adrift of the play-offs, following 13 wins and eight draws from their opening 32 league games. They were in decent form too, picking up three wins and two draws in their last six league games. The reverse fixture of this game was played on the opening day of the season, when Charlton, most surprisingly, secured a 1-2 away win.

A match report of this game can be found by clicking here, and brief video highlights by clicking here

Forest Green Rovers 1 v 2 Walsall

Saturday 8th February 2020
EFL League Two
The New Lawn, Nailsworth
Admission: £18.00
Programme : £3.00
Attendance: 3,136

When Great Western Railway offered tickets for just £5 each way from Gatwick Airport to Stroud in their January sale, I decided to take advantage, choosing this fixture to tick off my penultimate ground in the EFL.

I had previously visited Forest Green Rovers' former stadium, The Lawn, back in 2002, when I watched a memorable 4-4 draw with Barnet in what was then the Conference. The club relocated just a few hundred yards away along the same road to the New Lawn in 2006, with a couple of stands transferred brick by brick between the grounds. A trip to Forest Green Rovers is certainly a unique experience in terms of visiting EFL grounds, and to reach The New Lawn, it is necessary to catch a bus for a half hour journey southwards through the scenic Cotswolds landscape, through the closest small market town of Nailsworth, and from there, the bus continues up a very steep and rather narrow hill for about a mile, reaching the ground as the residential area morphs into countryside, with the road turning into a single track road. Just over the road from the ground is a small park area with spectacular views towards Stroud. On approaching the ground itself, the ticket office is located outside one corner of the ground, with the club shop housed in a small container unit. The surrounding walls are brightly decorated, and a couple of boards provide plenty of information about the eco-friendly initiatives undertaken by the club since Ecotricity owner Dale Vince took over the club's chairmanship in 2010. The club is also extremely proud that only vegan food and drink has been available to all visitors and staff since 2015, and the club was confirmed in 2017 as the world's first vegan club. A bright, long and relatively spacious bar is available to home fans only, located in the main stand, with a hot vegan food can be obtained from a serving hatch, whilst visiting supporters can get their vegan alcoholic beverages from a marquee just outside their entrance. Inside the ground, the main all-seater stand dominates, stretching along one length and giving unobstructed views of the action, and with executive boxes above the seating. There are covered terraces behind both goals, both for home fans, and I chose to watch from the North Stand, the wider of the two, as I always like to take advantage of being able to stand on a terraces to stand on at professional games when available. The remaining length is allocated to away fans, and is mostly a shallow uncovered terrace, but with a small metallic all-seater stand containing just two rows of seating in one corner above the terrace. Given the club's green ethos, it was a slight surprise, albeit very welcome one, that programmes are still produced, and a decent publication it is too, 56 pages attractively laid out, very easy on the eye and was informative and interesting enough.

In their third season following promotion to the EFL in 2017, and after losing out in the promotion play-offs last season following a fifth placed finish, Forest Green came into this game in ninth place in the table, following 12 wins and nine draws from their 31 league games, and two points adrift of the play-off places, but they were not in good form, drawing their last game at Grimsby, which followed three consecutive defeats. Walsall were relegated from League One at the end of last season, and there is little prospect of an immediate return, as they sat in 15th place, 12 points adrift of the play-off positions, following ten wins and six draws from their 31 league games. They were also in poor form, having lost their last three league games, and four of their last five. When the two teams met in the reverse fixture in August, the game ended 1-1, although in an EFL Trophy fixture between the two clubs, Walsall triumphed 6-0.

On a mainly overcast but occasionally sunny afternoon, with a chilly wind keeping conditions cold, the first half was an even, a cagey affair for the most part but both sides managed to create a couple of decent chances. On the half hour mark, Walsall appealed strong for a penalty following a handball, but the protests were waved away. On 37 minutes, Forest Green came so close to opening the scoring, when a corner was played in and Josh March rose highest to connect with a glancing header, but the ball bounced back off the inside of the far post, roll back along the line and towards a crowd of players, with a Walsall defender just managing to hoof the ball clear.

It would only take seven minutes after the break for the deadlock to be broken. The visitors were awarded a penalty when Kevin Dawson rather rashly bundled over Liam Kinsella by the outer corner of the penalty area, and Josh Gordon struck the ball low towards the bottom left corner, and although the keeper Conrad Logan went the right way, he could only deflect the ball high into the roof of the net. Forest Green then had a glaring chance to equalise, when the ball was crossed across goal finding an unmarked Aaron Collins, but he couldn't make a clean connection to apply the necessary finish to tap the ball home. That was to prove very costly for Forest Green, as shortly afterwards, on 73 minutes, when Walsall doubled their lead. Lavery dispossessed a Forest Green player in midfield, with the loose ball rolling into the path of Wes McDonald, who drove down the left, going past a couple of defenders,  before eventually striking the ball across the keeper and into the net. That seemed to knock the stuffing out of Forest Green, who for a while did not seem to show much urgency to get back in the game, instead happy to pass sideways and backwards. But as the game entered the final ten minutes, Forest Green did look a lot more threatening, creating some good chances, and on 80 minutes, Collins' excellent shot on the turn forced a fabulous save by the keeper Liam Roberts low down to his left. On 86 minutes, Forest Green finally found the back of the net, when a corner was floated in and March connected with a glancing header to send the ball inside the far post. A point was suddenly very much up for grabs now, and Forest Green pushed hard in the closing minutes, but the closest they came were a couple of powerful headers into the keeper's clutches, and so they fell to their fourth consecutive home defeat since the turn of the year, although they still remain only three points adrift of the play-offs. Walsall will be delighted to have ended their losing run, which keeps their very faint hopes of making the play-offs alive, with nine points to make up.

To some relief, the infamous bottleneck of traffic heading back down the hill to Nailsworth wasn't as bad as it might have been, and I made it back to Stroud on the bus just before 6, comfortably in time for my booked train of 18.31. This was a really enjoyable day out, at a unique ground, setting and club within the EFL.

Video highlights of this match can be viewed by clicking here.