United Counties League Premier Division South
Leading Drove, Yaxley
Admission: £8.00
Programme: £2.00 (and online)
Attendance: 59
Following a very wet week, caused by Storm Ciaran, and persistent tain forecast to fall today, I decided to play my 3G joker card today with a visit to a venue with a 3G pitch. The incessant rain was causing problems on the trains, meaning I did consider having to settle for a Step 7 game at a school facility, but fortunately the trains were looking in good shape heading up to Peterborough, and so I settled on taking on a relatively long trip up to Cambridgeshire.
Having arrived in Peterborough, I then walked to the bus station, and then caught a bus for the half hour ride southwards to the village of Yaxley, with the closest bus stop to the ground about a five minute walk, located beyond the built up area and bordering the expanse of The Fens. Access is gained by walking through the car park and entering through a full body turnstile, having paid at a window. Facilities are quite basic here, with an all-seater stand located to the left of the entrance towards the corner flag, containing two rows of seating. Another, smaller stand containing two rows of seating is located close to the corner flag on the opposite side, and immediately behind one goal a stand covers steps of standing. A fairly large brick clubhouse building stretches around one corner, with some picnic tables pitchside. There is just hard standing around the remainder of the ground.
Both Yaxley and Daventry occupied the bottom two places in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division last season, and so were relegated into the United Counties League Premier Division South, with Yaxley having a particularly miserable season, picking up just six points all season. But both clubs have steadied the ship in their new surroundings, with Yaxley going into this game in seventh place in the table, following eight wins and two draws from their 14 league games, while Daventry were in fifth, following 11 wins and six defeats from their 17 league games. But recent form has contrasted wildly for both clubs, with Yaxley losing their last four league games - three of those at home - whilst Daventry had won their last four league games.
On a wet afternoon, with the rain barely abating all afternoon and the first chilly conditions of the season, this was a very entertaining end to end game, and with just two minutes on the clock, a long punt downfield by the keeper found Rio Henson and he ran into the area before being tackled from behind, to earn his side a penalty, which he himself converted into the bottom left corner. But their lead was to last only until the 13th minute when Daventry equalised when Yaxley failed to clear the ball following a corner, and Kye Little struck the loose ball home. Barely a minute later, Daventry came close to taking the lead, when Nabill Shariff saw his shot come back off the underside of the bar, and then Yaxley went straight down the other end and it was Matthew Harris-Hercules's turn to see his shot come back off the bar. Yaxley retook the lead following another ball downfield, which Rylan Nicholson-Barfoot ran onto and stride forward before finishing emphatically past the keeper, a lead which Yaxley retained going into the break.
With heavier rain arriving for the second half, Yaxley restarted very much on the front foot, causing plenty of problems down the right, but they just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. Daventry then gradually got more of a foothold, and they equalised for a second time on 64 minutes when, following a corner, Oran Jackson guided the ball home. But their lead was to last just three minutes as Yaxley retook the lead for the third time, when Harris Hercules turned and struck the ball home after an initial shot was blocked. Although Daventry created several good chances to equalise for a third time, they found the home keeper in excellent form, producing good saves to deny the visitors, and in the end Yaxley held on to claim the three points.
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