Broadfields United 1 v 2 Wallingford & Cromarsh

Saturday 11th February 2023, Kick-off 19.15
Combined Counties League Premier Division North

Tithe Farm Sports & Social Club, Rayners Lane
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 87

After missing out on a double following Charlton’s lunchtime kick-off a fortnight ago when my partner decided to join me for the day, I unexpectedly had another opportunity following a Charlton game today, when this game was very sensibly rearranged from a midweek date to today, when both clubs would otherwise not have had a fixture. An evening kick-off was necessary, as Rayners Lane were playing at home in the afternoon. That suited me perfectly to make my way across from south-east to north-west London, arriving with about twenty minutes to spare. The journey was a little complicated by the fact that Rayners Lane underground station, which is only about a ten minute walk from the ground, was closed today, and so instead I had to go to North Harrow station and catch a bus to close to the ground.

On my previous visit to Tithe Farm, in April 2019, the ground was one rather in transition. A 3G plastic pitch had been laid a year previously, a long stand with two rows of seating along one length had been recently smartly decorated, but although the new clubhouse in one corner of the ground had been constructed, it was not yet open, with the very old fashioned and tired clubhouse still open, and the ground generally looking rough around the edges due to the building works in place. Those have been completed, and the ground now looks really smart and offers excellent facilities for the level the resident clubs play at. A large kiosk has been installed by the half way line to take admission fees, with a 32 page colour professionally printed programme also available. The clubhouse is really impressive inside, stylish, modern and spacious with plenty of tables and chairs, big screens, dart boards and pool tables, with a large patio area to the front, and a tea bar hatch also offers a decent range of hot and cold food and drink. The former clubhouse has been removed, and a 3G caged plastic pitch installed in its place. The ground and the new clubhouse in particular has a real buzz about the place now, which was certainly lacking on my previous visit.

This game would be between two clubs occupying a berths in the lower half of the table, and with still a little work left to do to avoid the relegation trapdoor. Broadfields were down in  15th place in the 20 club division, following seven wins and a draw from 23 league games. Although they won their last game 5-1, they had previously lost their previous four league games since the turn of the year. Tonight’s visitors were known as Wallingford Town up to last summer, when they merged with Cromarsh Youth to form the current incarnation. And following promotion from Division One, they have had a decent season, coming into this game in twelfth place, following seven wins and four draws from 20 league games  and they were in good form, winning three of their last four league games since the turn of the year. In the reverse fixture played back in mid August, Broadfields came back from Oxfordshire with a 1-2 win.

On a cool evening, the first half was entertaining and played at a high tempo, with the visitors doing most of the attacking, but although they found the back of the net on 39 minutes, when Robbie Gallagher forced his way through into the penalty area to come up one on one against the home keeper, and his shot hit the keeper then back off Gallagher, before he tucked the ball home, but the referee decided that the ball had hit Gallagher's hand, and the goal was disallowed. 

The second half was a lot more even, and on 55 minutes, it was Broadfields who opened the scoring when Eric Lopes fired in a low shot from just inside the area which went across the keeper and inside the left hand post. But their lead was to only last four minutes when the ball was drilled in diagonally from the right inside the area, and Carlin Isaac tapped the ball home. The game could really have gone either way after that, but despite Broadfields having the more possession and looking the more threatening in the second half, it was Wallingford who scored the next and ultimately game winning goal on 85 minutes following a lovely slide rule pass through the defence and into the path of sub Ty Hamilton, who took the ball around the keeper and slotted the ball home from a slightly tight angle. And that proved sufficient to claim all three points.