Oakwood A v A Mile Oak

Friday 4th March 2022, Kick-off 19.45

Southern Combination League Division One
Match abandoned at half time due to floodlight failure, Oakwood leading 1-0

Tinsley Lane, Crawley
Admission: £5.00

Programme: Online only

Attendance: 45 (rough head count)

With my partner having an evening out with her new work colleagues, I took advantage of a rare opportunity for some relatively local Friday night football with my first visit to Tinsley Lane since 2013, and my first time seeing Oakwood as the home team since 2009.

Tinsley Lane is about a half hour walk northwards from Three Bridges train station, with quite a long and unlit track leading from the passing road to the ground, leading to one corner of the ground. Along the length closest to the entrance, there are a couple of steps of uncovered terracing before reaching the clubhouse, with a spacious and comfortable bar area inside, and a brightly lit outdoor covered area to the front, with a row of chairs and a whiteboard for the team line-ups, although this was not used this evening. The area is bright and nicely adorned with club signage. Just beyond the clubhouse building is a new addition since my last visit, a metallic all-seater stand with four rows of club coloured red and black seats, and a club crest attached to the rear wall. There is hard standing along the end closest to the entrance, whilst along the remaining length and end, there is no hard standing, just grass to stand on. The ground has quite a rural appearance, with tress all around and practice and junior pitches behind one end and behind the clubhouse, but a dual carriageway passing close behind one corner provides constant traffic noise. An online only programme is produced and available on the club’s website.

Both clubs have work to do to avoid a bottom two finish and with it risk relegation to Step 7 football, particularly Oakwood, who came into this game in 15th place in the 18 club division, three points above second bottom Hailsham Town, following five wins and four draws from their 23 league games. They were not in good form, having lost their five league games, and won just once in their last 11 games. Mile Oak were 2 places and four points better off than Oakwood, having won six and drawn five of their 23 league games, and were unbeaten in their last five league games. Mile Oak have certainly provided me with great entertainment when I have watched them this season, winning 4-3 at home to Wick in late August, and then recovered from a 3-0 half time scoreline to eventually triumph 3-4 away at Montpelier Villa just after Christmas. The reverse fixture of this evening’s match in early October ended in a 1-1 draw, and the two clubs also met in the first round of the Sussex Senior Cup, with Mile Oak winning 2-0 in late October.

On a chilly but dry evening, Mile Oak spent most of the first half on the attack, and in the second minute, an inswinging cross was headed goalwards, forcing a good fingertip parry by the Oakwood keeper. On 20 minutes, it looked like the visitors had opened the scoring, when another inswinging cross towards the back post skimmed off a head, with the ball falling to Benn, who tapped the ball home. The goal was given, but then the referee went over to the linesman, and then disallowed the goal for offside, with the skimmed header deemed to have been off a Mile Oak head. On 34 minutes, some good passing football ended with Benn showing some good footwork to round the keeper before firing the ball goalwards, but a defender cleared quite comfortably. And a minute later, Oakwood took the lead following virtually their first attack of the half. After an initial shot was blocked by the keeper, the ball fell to an Oakwood player and from an angle, his powerful shot was parried by the keeper, but the ball still found its way inside the far side netting. On the stroke of half time, Mile Oak had another chance to get on the scoresheet when the ball was whipped in from just to the right of the penalty area, and a stooped header sent the ball over the bar.

Shortly after the referee blew the half time whistle, the lights on the two pylons behind one end steadily went out. After about ten minutes, the lights on the remaining two pylons also went out, leaving the ground in darkness, save for the clubhouse. An electrician then set about trying to fix the fault on the boards in the clubhouse, but then the remaining lights went out in the clubhouse as well, leaving the whole ground in complete darkness. At about 9.15 the decision was made to abandon the game, preventing what was set up to be an interesting second half, with the better team on the night behind.