Hellenic League Division One East
Lowther Road, Wokingham
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 150
Whilst spending a few days groundhopping in East Anglia earlier in the week, I eyed an opportunity for another groundhop to conclude my fortnight off from work when I noticed that this fixture had been switched from Aldermaston to Wokingham, and brought forward to the Friday evening. Then seeing that Travelodge were offering rooms for just £25 at their nearest hotel at Winnersh Triangle, I made my plans to head to Berkshire, for a Friday-Saturday double in the area.
Lowther Road is located just over a mile north west of Wokingham town centre, and the entrance to the sports ground of the Emmbrook Sports & Social Club is in one corner, with spectators handing over the admission fee, obtaining a programme and giving track and trace details at a table. A limited amount parking is also available inside the ground. The football club share facilities with the local cricket club and indeed, on my arrival just over half an hour ahead of kick-off this evening, a junior cricket game was taking place, with the outfield still overlapping onto the football pitch, and as soon as that game ended, some club officials hurriedly placed some metal barriers along the football pitch length. There is obviously no hard standing along this length, or behind one of the goals. There is behind the other end, and along the remaining length, with an all-seater metallic stand painted in orange and black towards the corner flag along this length. The clubhouse is located beyond the cricket field, with a decent bar area inside. The ground has an inevitably open feel to it, but having had to live a nomadic existence for many years mostly sharing at various other grounds to retain their place in senior football, it is really pleasing to witness a club working hard to build up facilities at their home ground, with the hard standing, stand and floodlights only installed before the start of last season to ensure the club's return to Lowther Road. A paper programme was produced for this fixture, but by the originally scheduled hosts AFC Aldermaston, with references made to the game being played on the Saturday at Aldermaston. It was printed in colour, with a welcome message, histories of both clubs and some other interesting articles to read.
This game would be both clubs' first competitive fixture of the season, on the opening weekend of the Hellenic League, and neither club participating in this season's FA Cup. Wokingham & Emmbrook were well placed when last season was voided, in fourth and the final promotion berth, following 13 wins and three draws from their 22 league games, and had games in hand on all clubs around them in the table. AFC Aldermaston were in 14th place in the 17 club division, but were not in any real danger of being dragged into a relegation scrap.
On a mild evening, this game certainly started at a lively pace, with both clubs looking to attack, but it was the home side who took the lead on four minutes, after the ball was played forward low for Jake White to run onto, and he tapped the ball past the keeper and it trickled over the line just before a scurrying defender could get back to clear. And they doubled their lead on 13 minutes, White striking the ball first time past the keeper at the near post. The visitors did keep looking to attack but were a bit too ready to just lump the ball upfield rather than build opportunities, and they conceded again on 25 minutes following a free kick from the right, Callum Eagle chesting the ball down before striking the ball past the keeper. And barely a minute later and it was already pretty much game over, Harris crossing the ball from the left, and Ellis Day took a touch before lashing the ball home. The home side were looking rampant now, certainly aided by some weak defending by the visitors, and in first half added on time, White added a fifth, when his free kick from just outside the box took a big deflection to wrong foot the keeper and send the ball into the net.
The half time whistle blew almost immediately afterwards, and one feared that the scoreline could get really ugly for the visitors in the second half. But as often happens when the game is already won at the interval, the second half was a much more low key affair, with the intensity dropping from the home side's play, but Aldermaston's players deserve great credit for looking much more solid as they fought hard to ensure the scoreline did not get any worse, despite being reduced to ten men on 72 minutes for a late tackle, and they did manage to create a few chances to grab a consolation. Wokingham & Emmbrook were awarded a penalty on 87 minutes, but the keeper saved it, and the scoreline remained unchanged by the final whistle, to seal a wonderful start to Wokingham and Emmbrook's season, while Aldermaston will hope they got their first half horror show out of their system.
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