Eastern Counties League Cup Round One
Friends Meadow, Debenham
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 68
Having driven up to Suffolk today for a three night stay in the Framlingham area, I checked into my accommodation and soon made my way westwards for the 20 minute drive to Debenham. Although Suffolk is within range for me from home for a Saturday visit on public transport, from the choice of games I had this evening at previously unvisited grounds, I chose one which is not easily accessible without a car.
Friends Meadow is located to the west of the village of Debenham, and is part of quite an impressive sporting complex at Debenham Leisure Centre. Despite contradictory signage, to access the football ground, spectators enter through the main entrance to the leisure centre, through the clubhouse, and out the pitch facing door, before reaching a small wooden kiosk where admission is paid for and programmes can be purchased. In all honesty, I was not expecting a great venue here, being part of a leisure centre, but I was happily proved wrong. There is a large grass area between the entrance kiosk and the pitch, with several picnic tables scattered under trees, and a smart standalone wooden hut from where hot and cold drinks, as well as food from a barbecue, can be purchased. The only spectator furniture pitchside is quite a large metallic all-seater stand straddling the half way line, with just hard standing and railing around the rest of the ground, and smart black wooden dugouts, with a club sign between the two, opposite the stand. The ground is in a peaceful, rural setting, presumably much better enjoyed outside of the winter months, and is very well maintained with plenty of club colours and signage to give the ground nice identity.
Debenham LC have occupied a mid table berth in each of their last eleven seasons in the second tier of the Eastern Counties League. They opened this season with a draw and a win from the first two league games, but have lost their last two, both at home, and exited the FA Vase at the first hurdle with a 6-2 defeat away at Premier Division outfit Histon. Needham Market U23s, or Reserves as they were known prior to this season, have struggled in this division over the years, finishing in the bottom four in the last 8 completed seasons, and this season hasn't started well either, picking up just one point from their opening six league games, with defeats including 7-0 and 6-1 defeats, the latter inflicted on Saturday.
On a mild evening but with heavy drizzle arriving just ahead of kick off which persisted throughout the first half, after a fairly even start with both sides having sights of goal, the visitors took the lead on 12 minutes when Archie Exworth drilled a low free kick goalwards from 30 yards out, the keeper could only palm the ball into the danger area, and Lucas Vance tapped it home. Although they tried to get forward, Debenham really lacked a cutting edge, and Needham Market came closer to doubling their advantage. On 29 minutes, Travis Buxton saw a long range shot came back off the crossbar, and a minute later, Ollie Fraser saw his shot from outside the area parried wide. But on 33 minutes, the visitors did double their lead following a good passing move which ended with Shane Wardley cutting the ball low back towards the edge of the area for Clayton Osborn to run onto and strike it first time low into the bottom left corner. And it looked like Needham would virtually seal their progress into the next round before half time when they were awarded a penalty on 41 minutes for a blatant push, but a fairly weak penalty struck by Vance was well saved by the Debenham keeper Bailey Fairweather low to his left.
Debenham still had it all to do in the second half, and they did restart with a greater intensity in their play, without really threatening to reduce the deficit. And the visitors pretty much wrapped the game up on 61 minutes, when Ivan Sanchez received the ball to the left of the penalty area, cut inside before firing the ball powerfully across the keeper and into the net. That really did kill the game off, as it drifted towards its inevitable conclusion, with Needham Market looking the more likely to add to their tally. And they can now look forward to a trip to Great Yarmouth Town in the next round in early October, while Debenham certainly seem to have work to do to arrest their early season slide.
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