Northiam 75 6 v 3 Peche Hill Select II

Tuesday 11th August 2020, kick-off 18.30
Pre-season Friendly
Recreation Ground, Northiam
Admission and Programme: None
Attendance: 11

After enjoying the feel-good factor of finally having grassroots football back to watch on August 1st, the FA, in their infinite wisdom, then decided to ratchet up their inexplicable hostility to watching grassroots football by banning spectators right down to Step 7 a few days later, a decision that is so absurd given that social distancing pretty much occurs naturally from Step 5 down, and considering that far more "risky" pastimes, such as visiting pubs, restaurants, non-essential shops, or joining the masses on the beaches, not to mention other sports not having to be played behind closed doors at recreational level, are all permitted with varying degrees of precautions. And so that has left spectators with games at Step 8 venues and below to choose from. On Saturday I decided not to bother, mostly because of the heatwave conditions of around 33C making the garden, some beers and a barbecue a much more attractive proposition. But this evening, with the heatwave still lingering, I decided to get out in the "fresh" air after work and watch some grassroots football, enjoying the evening sunshine at a peaceful, rural recreation ground in East Sussex, having seen a Tweet from the home club advertising the game earlier in the day.

The Northiam Recreation Ground is located in the centre of the village, just over a mile from the Kent border. The football pitch is situated beyond a grass and playing area, neatly nestled between trees along three sides, with a long green wooden hut housing the changing rooms. Furniture consists simply of a few wooden benches scattered around the pitch. It's a typically country village setting, and a pleasure to watch football at on a hot summer's evening. It may be a modest venue, but it certainly has hosted some notable events over the years. As plaques on the entrance gates mention, four world leaders, including Winston Churchill, met here in 1944, Neil Ruddock played some games for Northiam after his retirement from the professional game, and back in 2014, I was in attendance when comedian Milton Jones performed a stand up in a marquee on the field - a slightly surreal but memorable experience.

This evening's game would be between two clubs in the East Sussex League, with Northiam 75 in the Premier Division, whilst Peche Hill Select II are newly (re)formed, and will take their place in Division Two this season, a division below their first team.

With temperatures still hovering around 30c at kick off, Northiam created plenty of chances in the early stages, but it was the visitors who opened the scoring on 13 minutes, after an initial shot was parried by the keeper to the feet of a Peche Hill player, who tapped the ball home. Northiam finally scored the goal their good play deserved three minutes before the interval following a great jinking run from the half way line, ending with a low shot past the keeper from around the penalty spot.

Shortly after the interval, a great flick over a defender on the wing sent a Northiam player running into a more central position, before being upended in the area, and the resultant penalty was converted high down the middle. On 53 minutes, Northiam scored their third, the ball played forward towards a teammate in an offside position, but he stayed clear of the ball, allowing a team mate to run onto the ball and take it down the right, before crossing the ball to be tucked into the net at the far post. On 67 minutes, Peche Hill were awarded a penalty of their own, which again was driven high down the middle. On 73 minutes, Northiam scored their fourth with a driven shot from the edge of the area, in off the far post, and their fifth came on 84 minutes with a beautifully curled shot from the edge of the area into the top left corner, just out of the keeper's reach. And they made it six on 89 minutes following a cross from the left, and the ball was chested down and stabbed low inside the near post. Peche Hill scored their third deep into added on time after the ball was crossed from the byline and guided home from very close range at the near post.

So, plenty of goals, and good goals at that, and overall this was a very entertaining game to watch. It was certainly a display which bodes well for Northiam under their new manager, Shaun Barkworth.