Southern Combination League Division Two
Walton Lane, Bosham
Admission: Free
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 120
As usual when planning my bank holiday action, my local league, the Southern Combination League, did not disappointing in offering a good range of options to choose from for my morning fare. Combining Bosham with Paulsgrove later worked out pretty much perfectly on the trains, and although Bosham would be a revisit for me, my only previous visit was over ten years ago, and I remembered it being a pleasant place to enjoy a football game at.
Walton Lane is about a twenty minute walk from Bosham station, with access to the ground gained in one corner. The football pitch is pleasantly natually enclosed by trees and housing, and is part of immaculately maintained leisure facilities for the village, including a children's play area and village hall behind one length. Also along this length, but close to the corner, is the clubhouse building, with a bar and separate tea bar hatch located inside, and overhang provides plenty of cover for standing. Team line ups are written up on a whiteboard posted on the outside wall.This length is lined with red barrier fencing to keep spectators behind. The rest of the ground does not have railing or ropes, but a path leading around the outside of the pitch does provide some hard standing. It is a very pleasant place to watch football at, with neat and tidy facilities, and a friendly welcome from all encountered. Unfortunately, there is virtually no chance that facilities could be enhanced with floodlights or stands to enable promotion to Step 6. A printed programme was produced for this game, and it was a good read.
Both of today's clubs had rather average league seasons last season, with Bosham finishing in fifth place in the 14 club division, while Rustington finished in tenth place. And this season, Bosham have won one and last one, while Rustington have drawn the only game they have played so far.
After Bosham won 3-5 at Hailsham just two days previously, there would surely be plenty of goals in this game. Unfortunately, that proved not to be the case, and although the game finished goalless, this was still an entertaining game to watch. Bosham came closest to breaking the deadlock on 42 minutes, when a chipped shot from Toby Hewett hit the outside of the bar. Bosham probably had the better of the second half in terms of possession, although it was Rustington who came closest to grabbing a winner with a couple of decent chances, but in the end, the points were shared, which was a fair outcome from a closely fought game.
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