Wessex League Division One
Magna Road, Merley
Admission including Programme: £6.00
Attendance: 30
With strikes not affecting the trains today, I fancied quite a long distance groundhop today, and I narrowed down my options to two clubs that would recomplete my visits to all clubs in their respective divisions, Hamworthy Recreation or Stanway Pegasus. With a sunny and exceptionally mild day forecast, I opted for a trip to Dorset, saving the plastic pitch and functional surroundings of Stanway Pegasus for a more inclement day, of which there will no doubt be plenty to come in the coming months.
After arriving at Bournemouth station armed with a PlusBus ticket, I then caught a bus for about a half hour journey northwards to the ground. The football ground is based within the Hamworthy Club grounds, which hosts quite an impressive variety of leisure and sports facilities - an indoor dog show seemed to be taking place in one of the halls today. The bar is large, spacious and comfortable, with an impressive range of drinks and hot food (including meals) were also available. A couple of large, uncovered balconies outside the clubhouse offer an elevated view of the action behind one corner of the pitch. Access to the ground itself is down the steps from the balcony, or along a path from the car park along the bottom of the pavilion building, and admission is paid at a window in a wall underneath the balcony, with printed programmes available if desired for no extra charge. A small stand covering a flat standing area is located along one length between the entrance and the half way line, with hard standing stretching beyond around one end and to the half way line on the far side, where a green metallic all-seater stand has recently been installed. The rest of that length and the end closest to the entrance is out of bounds. Whilst facilities immediately around the pitch are rather basic, it je ground is perfectly adequate, with plenty of scope to upgrade should the need ever arise, and it is a very pleasant and peaceful venue, surrounded by trees and the well maintained complex.
It is fair to say that Hamworthy Recreation earnt their promotion from the Dorset Premier League, having been crowned champions in each of the last three completed seasons, and topped the table by 13 points last season. They have settled into mid table this season, coming into this game in ninth place, following six wins and six defeats from their opening 12 league games, although they had lost their last three league games. Ash United were down in 18th place, following three wins and five draws from their opening 15 league games
On a gloriously sunny afternoon, and warm until the sun started setting, after a minute’s silence was observed for Remembrance, the first half was an even affair, with both sides creating some decent chances, until the visitors opened the scoring on 38 minutes, when George Timms rose highest to head home a corner at the back post.
Hamworthy Recreation started the second half on the front foot, and it didn’t take long for them to get back on level terms, albeit the equaliser was rather gifted to them in the 51st minute, when a defender played a back pass which was easily intercepted by Hamworthy’s Jack Satterley, who slotted home from an angle. And they went into the lead eight minutes later, when some quick passing inside the box ended with the ball being fed forward into Satterley’s path, and he poked home from close range. Ash’s best chance to salvage a point came in the 74th minute, when a one-on-one was blocked by the keeper, and the loose ball was struck goalwards from a tight angle, but a defender got back to block the ball. And so it was the home side who claimed all three points.
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