Guru Nanak 0 v 4 Greenways Aces

Saturday 30th September 2023, Kick-off 14.45

Kent County League Division One Central & East
Guru Nanak Sports Club, Gravesend
Admission: Free
Programme: None
Attendance: 30 (estimate)

With yet another rail strike taking place today, this time by the ASLEF train drivers, it was back to relying on buses or driving today. Having driven to the Lake District and back this week, I did not fancy a long drive today, and so I headed for a ground that has long intrigued me, even though the level of football would be low, equivalent to Step 8 in the football pyramid.

The Guru Nanak Sports Club is located just to the east of Gravesend town centre, and the entrance to the complex is unusual to say the least, walking through a large ornate arch, before passing by a massive temple and other decorations and memorials, before walking around to the playing fields. There are two pitches under the shadow of the temple, with a mostly two lane running track going around the outside, and this provides hard standing for the football pitches. The main pitch is the further one from the temple, and has railing around the pitch on three sides and is lined by tall trees along the furthest length from the temple. There are permanent dug outs in place, in club colours with signage, and the running track is located between the dugouts and the pitch. A small all-seater stand is perched on top of a small bank in one corner and provides a good vantage point to watch the action from. It certainly is a rather unique and very pleasant place to watch football.

Both clubs have had decent starts to their season, which suggested that today would be a close encounter. Greenways Aces had won four and last the other of their five league games so far, while Guru Nanak had won three and drawn of their opening five league games.

On a mostly bright and sunny afternoon, the visitors all but killed the game inside the opening twenty minutes, as they opened up a three goal lead, aided by some questionable defending by the home side. The visitors opened the scoring on four minutes, when a ball from the right caused some confusion amongst the Guru Nanak defenders, the keeper fumbled the ball and eventually the ball was bundled into the net. On 16 minutes, Greenways were awarded a penalty for a slight push as the Greenways player ran into the box, which was converted down the middle. And they were awarded another penalty just a minute later, for a trip as the Greenways player dribbled along the byline. This was also converted, low just to the right of centre. And it seemed that the visitors had scored a fourth when a cross from the left was tapped home despite the keeper getting fingertips to the ball, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

With the game all but decided by half time, the second half was unsurprisingly a fairly quiet affair, although Guru Nanak did carry more of a threat. And it was following one of their attacks that Greenways added a fourth goal. Guru Nanak saw a shot apparently come back off the post, and Greenways went straight up the other end, with a one on one opportunity opening up, and the Greenways player calmly sidestepped the keeper before tapping into an open goal. The visitors had a player sent off for a bad late tackle in the second minute of added on time, but Guru Nanak were unable to grab a consolation goal.