Saturday 25th November 2023, Kick-off 15.00
Spartan South Midlands League Division One
Old Northamptonians Sports Ground, Northampton
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00 and online
Attendance: 40
This was not my intended destination today, as I had planned and was heading towards Long Buckby for their Northamptonshire FA Junior Cup tie against Northamptonshire County League outfit Blisworth. But as my train approached Northampton, the conductor announced that the train would be terminated there, as the line beyond was closed due to a fatality on the line, and passengers should wait at Northampton for further information about onward travel. With no indication about when the line would reopen, I abandoned my journey and headed instead for Northampton O.N. Chenecks, a club that has been on my radar to visit for some time. As it turned out, the next train to Long Buckby did leave half an hour later, but fortunately my alternative arrangements proved most enjoyable.
The Old Northamptonians Sports Ground is about a 40 minute, 2 mile walk eastwards from Northampton train station, an easy to follow and mostly straight and flat walk, although buses are also available along the route. The football ground is part of a smart and tidy sporting complex, comprising of two rugby pitches and a cricket square between the rugby and football pitches. An imposing building is located on the complex, with a spacious clubhouse on the first floor with an impressive range of drinks, multiple big screens showing various sports, and a great atmosphere with long rows of tables. A balcony stretches along the front, and gives an excellent elevated view of both the main rugby and the football pitches, the latter from one corner. The football pitch is accessed behind one goal, paying admission at a window through an arch. To the left of the entrance is a tea bar hatch, while along one length, there is stands either side of the dugouts, one all-seater, the other containing a few steps to stand on. There is no hard standing along the remaining end (a junior pitch with permanent dugouts is located behind this end) and length (behind which are the rugby pitches). All in all, it's a pleasant place to spend a few hours, even if pitchside facilities are on the basic and open side.
After finishing as runners up last season, in what was their first season in the Spartan South Midlands League after over fifty seasons of continuous membership of the United Counties League, Northampton ON Chenecks are having an even better season so far, coming into this game unbeaten in the league and top of the table, following 13 wins and three draws from their 16 league games so far, and had not conceded in their last four league games, a run which started with a 0-7 away win at today's opponents Letchworth Garden City Eagles last month. Letchworth Garden City Eagles, who have achieved twelfth place finishes in each of their first two seasons since their promotion to the National League System, have had a fairly slow start to their season, coming into this game in 16th place, following three wins and four draws from their 16 league games.
On a gloriously sunny, but very cold afternoon, it soon became clear that this game would run true to form, as the home side opened the scoring in the third minute, when Jonny Muddiman crossed the ball from the left, Tyron Primus headed across goal and a Letchworth defender got into a bit of a tangle which resulted in the ball deflecting over the line apart from the occasional break by the visitors, ON Chenecks dominated proceedings, but did not double their lead until the 35th minute, when Lewis Irwin ran onto a long ball, and although he took a touch which seemed to go to close to the keeper, the keeper fumbled the ball and Irwin was able to stroke the loose ball home. They should have scored their third on 42 minutes, when a free kick was met with powerful free header by an unmarked Muddiman, but the ball went over the bar. But within a minute, the ON Chenecks did score their third with an excellent if unusual goal, Kelvin Moyo striking an excellent free kick on the half way line, with the ball coming back off the underside of the crossbar, before bouncing off the keeper to send the ball over the line.
The game felt as good as won by half time, and another thumping win for Chenecks against Letchworth looked very much on the cards. But perhaps unsurprisingly, the second half was a much quieter affair, although the home side scored their fourth on 56 minutes, when some lovely quick passing towards the penalty area ended in Irwin receiving the ball through on goal, and he cooly dinked the ball over the keeper and into the net. Somewhat out of nowhere, Letchworth pulled a goal back on 69 minutes with an excellent goal, drilled into the top right corner from just inside the penalty area. The game rather petered out, as the home side saw out a comfortable victory to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points - and no doubt, Letchworth will be glad to not have to face them again this season, in the league at least.
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