Borden Village 0 v 0 Minster

Saturday 13th May 2023, Kick-off 15.00

Kent County League Premier Division

The Playstool, Borden

Admission: Free

Programme: None

Attendance: 200 (estimate)

Following the conclusion of my earlier game, the Kent Intermediate Challenge Shield Final at Maidstone United's ground, I then made my way up to the outskirts of Sittingbourne, via quite a lengthy detour via Blue Bell Hill and down the M2, as the direct link via Detling Hill and the A249 was closed this weekend. Nonetheless, I arrived with plenty of time to spare for a game that would decide the destiny of the Kent County League Premier Division trophy for either side.

The Playstool is located close to the centre of the small, sleepy village of Borden, located a couple of miles south west of Sittingbourne. Although the ground itself is as basic as they come in Step 7, it enjoys a pleasantly rural, relaxing and easy on the eye setting. Accessed down a short lane, following a small car park which was not in use today, there is a small brick clubhouse building just inside the grounds, from where refreshments could be obtained, and a whiteboard displaying the team line-ups was displayed outside. The football ground is shared with a cricket field, which was were cars were directed to park today for the anticipated bumper crowd. The football pitch is naturally tightly enclosed, by a hedgerow behind one end, trees along one length, and further trees behind the other end. A steep grass bank leads up from the cricket field towards the rest of the recreational area, and this made for a good elevated diagonal view of the action. The remaining length is roped off for spectators to stand behind, although the middle section in inacessible due to the presence of the cricket square, either side of which were portable fabric dugouts.

This was as big a fixture as you could get in the Kent County League Premier Division, as the result today would determine which of the two clubs playing today would be crowned champions, although with Borden Village coming into the game a point ahead of Minster, a draw would also suffice for them. Borden Village had won 20 and drawn three of their 29 league games, and won their last five league games, played in the space of just nine days, while Minster had won 19 and drawn five of theirs, and were also in very decent form, winning four of their five league games, drawing the other. In the reverse fixture of today's game, played back in October, Minster won 2-1.

With a bumper crowd present today, including many groundhoppers from all over the country, the game was intriguing and tense rather than being a good spectacle, perhaps unsurprisingly for a game with so much riding on it, as it developed mostly into a midfield battle, with the few goalscoring chances created well snuffed out and the scoreline remained goalless at the break. 

The second half started in a similar pattern, although as the half wore on, with so much at stake, finally some decent chances were created by both sides. On 65 minutes, a Minster corner was met with a fairly weak header, just evading behind helped on its way by another at close range, but the keeper just managed to gather the ball. Then, Borden Village had a great opportunity to make sure of the title on 74 minutes, following a low ball forward which a defender seemed to cover but the ball squirmed into the path of the Borden Village forward, and he strode forward before eventually blazing the ball over the bar. In the closing minutes, Minster pushed hard for a winner, with a curling shot coming back off the far post on 88 minutes, with a follow up shot going over the bar, while on 90 minutes, the title was almost settled in bizarre circumstances when a clearance by a home defender richocheted back off a Mnster player, sending the ball over the stranded keeper and only just over the bar. They had one final chance to snatch the title in the second minute of added on time, when an inswinging cross was flicked on with a back header, but the ball went just over the bar. But in the end, Borden Village kept the clean sheet which ensured they would lift the trophy shortly after the final whistle.