Colden Common 0 v 5 Locks Heath

Saturday 5th September 2020
Hampshire Premier League Senior Division
Oakwood Park, Otterbourne
Admission: Free
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 60 (estimate)

Well, this was not my intended destination when I set out from home this morning. Instead, I was heading for Totton & Eling against Bemerton Heath Harlequins, to complete my visits of grounds in the Wessex League. But as my train trundled along the south coast, news came through on Twitter that their game had been postponed, as a Totton player had tested positive for Covid-19. That certainly caused a problem for me, as there were no other grounds within range in the National League System that I had not previously visited, and so I turned my focus onto the Step 7 Hampshire Premier League. Two games caught my eye - arguably the "game of the day", Bush Hill against Fleetlands, or Colden Common against Locks Heath. I chose the latter, seduced by the promise of a programme, and I had heard good things about a friendly club with a (albeit basic) ground set in an attractive location - appealing on a early autumn afternoon.

Oakwood Park is about a 25 minute walk southwestwards from Shawford train station, in the village of Otterbourne. Indeed, it used to be the home ground of Otterbourne FC up until 2016, when the club folded mainly due to being unable to develop the ground to move up to the Wessex League. And with Colden Common's previous ground itself unable even to be upgraded sufficiently to host step 7 football, being unable to install the necessary pitchside railing and hard standing, they moved in, just over a mile from their previous home. But given Otterbourne FCs issues, it is inconceivable that Oakwood Park will ever be able to host NLS football. The football ground is located on one side of a recreation ground, with the brick clubhouse, which blends in nicely with the surroundings, tucked in the corner, with drinks and bar snacks available, and a TV on the wall. Plenty of sanitising helps was available for use both outside and inside. There is railing and hard standing along this length, with the railings moulded to form open air "dugout" areas, with moveable seats placed within the area. An unusual background along this length is a long row of solar panels. The other length and behind one of the goals is roped off, separating the main football pitch from the rest of the playing field and a couple of children’s play areas. The remaining end is tightly lines by tall trees. In a league which has not required programmes to be issued, it is to Colden Common's enormous credit that they have almost always issued, and very decent today's issue was too, 28 pages with an attractively designed cover, packed with interesting articles to read about the club, it's history, today's visitors and news from around the league, with advertising only in the two inside covers. Well worth a pound, and it was pleasing to see that most if not all copies produced were bought, just going to show that a paper programme with decent content still has its place in the modern day.

The Hampshire Premier League got underway in midweek, with Colden Common winning 2-1 at home to Stockbridge, whilst Locks Heath lost 4-3 away at the perennially strong and ambitious Fleetlands. Despite losing, apparently the narrow defeat and performance boded well for a more positive season ahead, after being bottom of the table, following three wins and five draws from 24 league games, when last season was abandoned. Colden Common were a steady ninth, following nine wins and four draws from their 19 games, but with games in hand on all clubs above them. However, both clubs now have new management teams in place, and have been busy in the recruitment of new players, so time will tell how these teams will gel for the season ahead.

On a mostly sunny, occasionally overcast afternoon, Colden Common came close to opening the scoring on 5 minutes, after a low ball forward was nudged to the left of the keeper who had come out, but the shot on goal was deflected wide by a covering defender. They came close again on 24 minutes, when a shot was parried onto the underside of the bar. Those chances were something of a false dawn though, and on the half hour mark the visitors were awarded a penalty for a shove, which was converted low under the keeper. On 39 minutes, a Locks Heath shot from outside the area was parried by the keeper, and from the resultant corner, the visitors doubled their lead, a far post header hit the bar, and the rebound was headed goalwards, and a defender's desperate attempt to clear the ball on the line only managed to send it into the roof of his own net.

So Colden Common had it all to do in the second half to get anything from the game, but they gifted the visitors a third goal on 51 minutes to all but settle the result. The ball was crossed in from the right, and a Colden Common defender passed the ball into his own net with no Locks Heath players nearby, unaware that the keeper had moved in anticipation of collecting the ball himself. The home side did see a shot from outside the area tipped over the bar on 54 minutes, but on 65 minutes, the visitors scored their fourth, a cross from the right headed back across the goal, and then stabbed in at close range. And the scoreline became rather ugly for the home side on 86 minutes, after a Locks Heath player ran onto a low through ball, just managed to wriggle past a defender, before stroking the ball past the keeper and into the net. Colden Common had another shot parried at full stretch on 88 minutes, but the visitors held on to their clean sheet, and on this performance, they certainly seem set for a vastly improved season this time around. Colden Common will be very disappointed after a bright start, and hope this was just a bad day at the office, although their next game is away at Paulsgrove, who have scored 13 in their opening two games....