Anglian Combination League Premier Division
Trafford Park, Wroxham
Admission: £3.00
Programme: None
Attendance: 45 (rough head count)
Today would be my last time taking advantage of Greater Anglia's Autumn Hare ticket promotion, which enabled me to secure tickets from London to Norwich for £5 each way. Options in the Norwich area were very limited today, and originally I intended to pay a visit to Norwich CBS. But since buying my train ticket, first it was announced they would have to vacate their usual home at the Football Development Centre after last week’s game as works commenced to install a plastic pitch there, and their schedule fixture at their new temporary venue at The Nest had to be postponed due to a game already scheduled to be played their today. So, a fixture in the Anglian Combination League became the only realistic option, but early kick-offs ruled out most of the more appealing grounds or games to visit, and in the end I settled on a visit to Trafford Park. Watching the reserve team at home when groundhopping is never completely ideal, but it was a ground that had been on my radar to visit for a long time.
Although Trafford Park is within walking distance from Hoveton & Wroxham train station, train times dictated that I would catch the bus from Norwich city centre, with the nearest bus stop about a five minute walk away from the ground, over the train line and down a short country lane, leading to the entrance in one corner of the ground, with admission paid inside a walk-through wooden hut. Unsurprisingly, no programme was produced for today's game, but visitors were invited to help themselves to programmes from the last two first team home games, which was much appreciated. Along the length closest to the entrance there is an old fashioned stand with five rows of seats inside. Behind the end closest to the entrance there is just hard standing, whilst behind the other end, a modern metallic stand offering steps to stand on is positioned immediately behind the goal. Both stands are nicely brightly decorated. Along the remaining length, there is hard standing up to the half way line, beyond which is a long brick clubhouse building, offering quite a spacious bar area, with some quirky items decorating the interior, whilst outside along the front there is a covered area, where some seats and picnic table have been placed. Closely lined by trees, Trafford Park has a pleasantly rural and peaceful setting, and there was a really friendly welcome and atmosphere around the ground from the various people I encountered.
Things have been a bit of a struggle in recent weeks for Wroxham Reserves, as they were unable to field a team for their fixture last Saturday, and they lost their previous three league games. They still came into this game in a decent seventh place in the table, following six wins and two draws from their 14 league games. Today would see a mostly very young team fielded by Wroxham, with a couple of 16 year olds and two 17 year olds, but with the 40 year old former Norwich City player Grant Holt to help guide them through. Whilst Holt was an accomplished striker in his professional days, he would line up in defence today. Scole United were in third place, following seven wins and two draws from their 13 league games and had won their last two games, both at home. When today's clubs met in the reverse fixture back in August, Wroxham won 1-2.
On a gloomy afternoon, with misty rain occasionally sweeping through, and after a period of silence was observed for Remembrance, the first half was an even affair, mostly a midfield battle although both sides had sights of goal, but the scoreline remained goalless at the half time interval.
Into the second half and Wroxham broke the deadlock on 59 minutes when Sebastien Limon drove in from the left and fired in a fierce shot from a tight angle which, with the aid of a slight deflection, whistled past the keeper and inside the far post. The host should probably have doubled their lead on 66 minutes when later in the move when the referee waved away appeals for a penalty, the ball was curled just high and wide from the edge of the area. The game was still very much in the balance, until it started to drift away from the visitors in the last quarter of an hour of the game. On 77 minutes, Jake McDowall was shown a straight red card when he slid in for the ball studs first, catching the keeper on his follow through, and on 84 minutes, Scole were reduced to nine men when their player was sent to the sin bin for the remainder of the match for dissent. And Wroxham made absolutely sure of the win on 88 minutes with a lovely goal, Ted Conway connecting with a cross across the edge of the penalty area with a perfect volley, which sent the ball like an arrow inside the left hand post.
The result saw Wroxham rise a place to sixth in the table, while Scole dropped a place to fourth. This proved to be a really enjoyable visit, and is a place I hope to return to in the future for a first team game, and when I can enjoy the surrounding Norfolk Broads more in better weather.
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