Yateley United 0 v 2 Shortwood United

Saturday 26th August 2023, Kick-off 15.00
FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Sean Devereux Park, Yateley

Admission: £5.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 216

With yet another rail strike taking place, today not fancying a local revisit on the buses, and with many intermediate league seasons not yet starting, I decided to go on a drive to north east Hampshire today, attracted by a FA Vase tie between clubs from different league, as opposed to slightly closer Step 7 grounds. It would be quite a big day for the home side, being their first ever game in a national FA competition.

I recall walking past the entrance to Sean Devereux Park on my walk from Sandhurst station to Eversley & California's home ground a few years ago, but undoubtedly Sean Devereux Park is most easily accessed by car, with ample car parking available on the complex, as the lane passes between a training pitch and a golf course, with the main car park between the football ground and a cricket field in this very rural, green and peaceful location. The excellently designed modern clubhouse, with a sloping roof, has a large club badge adourning the outside side wall next to the wooden hut where admission is paid to enter, and from where a decent printed programme is also available. Newly promoted into the National League System this year, the ground is a work in progress. The clubhouse is modern and stylish inside, with big screens showing live football, and hot food and drinks are available from a side hatch. To the front of the clubhouse is a large wooden decking area, and its slightly elevated position made for a popular place to congregate and watch the game from. The pitch is fully railed, with hard standing only available along one length and behind one end. A fairly small stand covers a couple of steps to stand on is just to the side of the goal. An all-seater stand will have to be installed before March next year, as a condition of being granted promotion to Step 6, and floodlights will need to be installed, although the bases for these are already in situ. It is a really pleasant place to watch football at, and there is a nice sense of there being a real community spirit around the place. 

Yateley United stormed to the Thames Valley League Premier Division last season, winning all 20 of the league games they played, and they have made a decent start to this season in the Combined Counties League Division One, winning two and drawing two of their opening five league games. Shortwood United, who spent six seasons in the Southern League between 2012 and 2018, currently ply their trade in the Hellenic League Division One, and have made a solid start to their season, winning three and drawing one of their opening six league games.

On a mostly overcast afternoon, with a prolonged shower arriving midway through the first half, this was a game that the visitors pretty much always looked in control of. And after seeing a header go just wide of the post on 19 minutes, they took the lead on 32 minutes, when a free kick was floated into the box from the right, which Jordan Molyneux diverted with a glancing header past the keeper and into the net. On 38 minutes, a close range header was blocked on the line and the loose ball couldn't quite be prodded home. And Shortwood doubled their lead in the second minute of first half stoppage time, when Martin Smith ran onto a flick-on sending him through on goal, and he cooly thumped the ball past the keeper.

It looked a comfortable lead for the visitors at the break, and although Yateley did more attacking after the break, they rarely looked like getting back in the game, not really managing to build up a head of steam until stoppage time at the end of the game, when they forced several corners and a couple of goalmouth scrambles just evaded a tap in, but it was Shortwood who quite comfortably progressed to the next round, where they will be at home to Longlevens in late September.

Highlights of this match can be viewed by clicking here