Fleet Town 0 v 2 St Ives Town

Saturday 6th February 2016
Calthorpe Park, Fleet
Southern League Central  Division
Admission: £9.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 121
Match Rating: 2

After engineering works and expensive train fares put paid to tempting FA Vase games at Berkhamsted and Ipswich Wanderers, I instead headed for northern Hampshire and a rare visit to a Southern League ground.

Calthorpe Park is about a 20 minute walk south westwards from Fleet train station, via the town’s high street, and one reaches the turnstile after walking through the car park and by the clubhouse. Once inside, the ground is rather bland and has the feel of a ground from a step lower, although perhaps one would have a more positive impression closer to the summer months when the trees surrounding and enclosing the ground are in colour. Straddling the half way line by the entrance is an all-seater stand, which is spacious and has quite a high roof but with supporting pillars along the front. To the other side of the entrance is a tea bar, with some overhang providing a covered standing area to watch the game. Cover is provided behind both goals by iron sheets supported by scaffolding poles, while along the opposite length is hard standing with a grass bank behind. The pitch has quite a slope from end to end, but was good condition considering the persistent rain of recent months taking its toll on many grounds at this level. The 16 page programme was attractive and professionally produced, and although it was very basic, it did cover the essentials and was fairly priced.

This promised to be an interesting game. Although a glance at the league table suggested the away team, St Ives would be strong favourites, Fleet had one of the best home records in the division. Fleet came into this game in 17th position in the 22 team division, with 8 wins and four draws from their 25 games, and seven of those wins and two draws have been gained at home. St Ives were in third place, with 14 wins and nine draws from their 27 games, and are just three points behind leaders AFC Rushden and Diamonds. When the two teams met back in August, St Ives won 2-0.

With difficult conditions caused by a very blustery afternoon with occasional downpours thrown into the mix, it was not surprising that the first half was low on quality with few moments of excitement, although Fleet kicking down the slope, had the better of things. They should have taken the lead with just two minutes on the clock, when a ball played forward fell at the feet of Rob Carr as he broke clear of the covering defenders and through on goal but with just the keeper to beat, he shot low and wide of the far post. With the home side setting up very defensively, goalscoring chances were at a premium, but a minute before the break, St Ives came close to equalising when Ben Seymour-Shove saw his shot from outside the area come back off the crossbar with the keeper motionless.

Into the second half and St Ives came out with more intent as they kicked down the slope although a goalless draw was looking ever more the most likely outcome. In the end, St Ives went on to win the games with two goals following corners. On 62 minutes, Drew Phillips headed a corner into the ground and the ball bounced up and into the net. 11 minutes later and Charlie De’ath met a corner with a powerful header which sent the ball into the top right corner. Fleet battled on gamely, and had two really good chances in added on time to at least score a consolation goal, first a header inside the six yard box from a corner sent the ball wide of the goal, and a scramble deep inside the area did not fall kindly to a Fleet player. So a result that would have been expected, with the result lifting St Ives up to second in the table, but Fleet will probably feel hard done by to have not got at least a point from an uninspiring game that really neither team deserved to win. But Fleet stay in 17th place and 11 points clear of a relegation berth.

AFC Telford United 1 v 2 AFC Fylde

Saturday 30th January 2016
New Bucks Head, Wellington
National League North Division
Admission: £14.00
Programme: £2.50
Attendance: 1035
Match Rating: 4

When I originally booked train tickets for today a couple of months ago, it was with the aim of ticking off another of the 92 with a visit to Shrewsbury Town. Unfortunately for me, in the meantime they reached the fourth round of the FA Cup, with that fixture replacing the scheduled league fixture. Although they were drawn at home to Sheffield Wednesday, tickets were only available to those with a purchase history, and so I planned instead to get off the train a stop early and tick off a ground in the National League North, a very rare occasion indeed for me.

New Buck's Head is about a 15 minute walk from Wellington train station. It is a modern, relatively new ground, built in 2003, but has some nice individuality about it, offering very comfortable, good facilities, to make it a pleasant place to watch non-league football. Along one length is the rather impressive main single tiered all-seater stand. Providing the only seating in the stadium, views are excellent, with good elevation and space between rows. Executive boxes are located above the spectator seating, with a control centre in one corner and offices and the players' tunnel in the other. Behind both goals are virtually identical stands covering terracing, with an attractive blue curved roof on each. An interesting feature of the home end was the rather attractive graffiti murals along the concourse. The opposite end is allocated to away fans when large numbers are expected, but it was closed today. Behind this stand and towards the corner is a hotel. Along the remaining length is uncovered terracing, with a building housing the supporters bar, club offices and a study centre behind the middle section. The 64 page programme was excellent, with plenty of colour and attractively laid out, and with plenty of interesting and relevant reading material.

After relegation from the Premier division last season, AFC Telford United are in grave danger of suffering successive relegations, as they went into this game bottom of the table, three points from safety, with six wins and five draws from their 27 league games, although they had picked up some form, with two wins and a draw since the turn of the year before a disappointing home defeat against fellow relegation threatened Hednesford Town in midweek. Having finished runners up in this division last season, AFC Fylde are well on course to reach the play-offs again this season, in fourth place with 14 wins and four draws from their 24 games. When the two teams met in October, AFC Fylde won 1-0.

On a sunny afternoon, after an even start, the visitors took the lead with six minutes on the clock. The ball was played low diagonally forward to the feet of Danny Rowe, who took the ball deep into the area, and had plenty of time and space to check back before firing the ball low across the keeper and into the net. Telford didn’t let their heads drop though, and they were back on level terms on 14 minutes. After a short corner, the ball was crossed to the far post perfectly by Sean Clancy, and John Cofie nodded the ball in from close range. Telford continued to look threatening and a lovely drive from outside the area by Lucas Dawson struck the crossbar. Somewhat against the run of play, AFC Fylde went back into the lead on 38 minutes. Danny Lloyd was played in completely unmarked down the left channel, and eventually he fired past the keeper from a fairly tight angle and the ball went in off the far post. The match became increasingly feisty, with some cynical play from the visitors in particular with off the ball incidents, robust challenges and moaning to the referee. Half time came at a good time with a red card becoming increasingly inevitable.

That there were no further goals (and that the game finished with nobody sent off) in the second half was astonishing, as the home side came desperately close to scoring several times, having by far the better of the second half, while the visitors looked dangerous on the break despite a poor second half performance by them. Telford had three stand out chances to claim a vital point. On 55 minutes, Dave Hibbert shot over the keeper from just outside the area but the ball rebounded off the far post. On 63 minutes, an overhead kick forced a save at full stretch by the keeper, as did a glancing header from a free kick on 71 minutes. But after that, the chances dried up as Fylde weathered the storm as they held on for three points to consolidate their place in the play-offs positions. Although Telford will feel bitterly disappointed not to have claimed at least a point from this game, at least results went for them today and remain three points behind the two teams immediately above the relegation zone and the performance they showed today will give them great heart that they can pick up the necessary points to lift them out of the relegation zone

Team Solent 3 v 2 Moneyfields

Saturday 23rd January 2016
Test Park, Southampton
Wessex League Premier Division
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 31
Match Rating: 3

Today was a day when no game really stood out, and although I was planning to head to Berkshire to watch Sandhurst Town, at the last minute I changed my mind and instead headed for Southampton. It turned out to be a good decision, as news came on my Twitter feed that the Sandhurst game had been postponed.

Test Park is just over three miles north of Southampton Central, with plenty of buses going fairly close to the ground. Although the fact that the ground is part of a university sports complex, and that Team Solent is the team of Southampton Solent University, does not bode well for a ground with character and a good atmosphere, it is not actually a bad ground – it is neat, easy on the eye, with some individuality. Spectators enter behind one of the goals, through a wooden turnstile block. Down one length, there are a couple of small all-seater stands, with curved roofing providing a refreshing change from the similarly sized identikit stands so common at grounds at this level these days. Beyond the far stand is a small burger van. Beyond the far corner flag there is a small stand covering a few metallic terrace steps, and around the rest of the ground is just hard standing, with quite attractive wooden fencing enclosing the ground. The 16 page programme was reasonable and provided the essential stats to preview the game.

This season is panning out to be one of mid table obscurity for both clubs. Promoted as last season's champions of Division One, Team Solent have had a solid season so far in the Premier Division, coming into this game in 12th place, with seven wins and three draws from 18 games. In recent seasons, Moneyfields have regularly been top 6 contenders, but so far this season has been disappointing for them, coming into this game in 16th place in the 21 team division, with six wins and two draws from their 18 games. When the two teams met in Portsmouth in late September, Team Solent won 1-4.

On a bright, mild afternoon, Team Solent looked much the brighter team in the first half, always looking to play football while the visitors preferred more agricultural means and moaning to the officials. The home side took the lead on 9 minutes. Following a free kick into the box, an initial shot drilled towards goal was blocked by a defender's leg, but later in the move, James Orvis struck the ball low through a crowd and past an unsighted keeper. They doubled their lead on 32 minutes, when the ball was crossed from the right wing into the six yard box, and Jesse Waller-Lassen just beat the keeper to tap the ball home. Moneyfields were back in the game within a couple of minutes though, Thomas Chapman heading the ball downwards into the far corner following a corner. Although Team Solent had the better of the rest of the half, few goalscoring chances were created, but they deserved their narrow lead at the break.

Into the second half and Moneyfields thought they had equalised on 49 minutes when the ball was headed in following a free kick, but the goal was ruled out for offside. On 58 minutes, Team Solent were awarded a penalty when a rash challenge brought down the Team Solent forward running to the byline. Ade Olumuyiwa, from no run up, coolly passed the ball into the net with the keeper diving the other way. One felt that that would be the decisive goal, as it was hard to see Moneyfields getting back in the game although they did come close a couple of times, and when they finally did score their second, in the third minute of added on time, it was far too late to snatch an unlikely and undeserved point. A free kick just outside the far outer corner of the penalty area was dinked in, and the loose ball was prodded home by Gary Austin

Little Common 5 v 1 Arundel

Tuesday 19th January 2016
Recreation Ground, Little Common
Sussex Senior Cup Round Three
Admission including Programme: £4.00
Attendance: 87
Match Rating: 4

A rare midweek game for me was prompted with one of my local senior football clubs hosting higher opposition in the county Cup competition on what promised to be an emotionally charged evening, being the first game since Little Common's founder and chairman, Ken Cherry, passed away.

There have not been any improvements to the Recreation Ground since last season, and the programme, given away with the reasonable admission, remains a good, informative read, with some moving comments regarding the passing of Ken Cherry, including from his grandsons, player-manager Russell Eldridge and club secretary Dan Eldridge.

This would appear to be a tough game for the home side, with Little Common playing in the division below their visitors, but they have had a very good season in Cup competitions, reaching the quarter final in both league cups and beating higher opposition along the way. They were in 6th place in the Southern Combination League Division One, with 29 points from 18 games, and reached this round of the Cup by beating Seaford Town 0-1 away and Oakwood 3-1 at home. Arundel were in 11th place in the Southern Combination League Premier Division, with 30 points from 23 games, and had beaten Storrington 0-1 away and Crawley Down  Gatwick 2-0 at home to reach this round of the Cup.

This fixture was originally scheduled to be played at Arundel, but two postponements caused the fixture to be reversed. It was perhaps fortunate that this game survived tonight, with sub zero temperatures and a frost forming on the pitch ahead of kick off, conditions which claimed most other games in this part of the world this evening. After a minute's silence was observed before the laying of a wreath for under a jacket and scarf placed where Ken Cherry used to watch games from. Arundel may, on paper, have been favourites to win this game, but a combination of poor defending and organisation from them, together with some inventive attacking play from Little Common, saw the visitors concede three goals in the opening 18 minutes. Little Common opened the scoring on 12 minutes when Lewis Hole sprinted clear down the right and crossed low for Jamie Crone, who took a touch before firing the ball into the net. They doubled their lead on 15 minutes. Russell Eldridge played the ball into Crone, who took his time before shooting past the keeper, and the home side opened up a three goal lead on 18 minutes when again they got in behind a static defence, Jared Lusted passing to Hole, who touched the ball first time into the net. So a very surprising start to their game, but Little Common deserved their commanding lead. Arundel gave themselves hope of getting back into the game on 21 minutes. Little Common couldn't clear the ball as Arundel rained in crosses and shots, and eventually Asa Nicholson struck the ball firmly into the roof of the net. The game settled down after that, and 3-1 it remained at half time.

At half time, the game was far from over, particularly if Arundel got another goal back soon after the break, but on 50 minutes, it was Little Common who had a great chance to extend their lead when Lusted was fouled in the area and the referee awarded a penalty. Eldridge sent the keeper the wrong way to restore Little Common's three goal lead, and he celebrated at the spot where the wreath for his grandfather was laid. Arundel then had a couple of sights at goal, hitting the post with one effort, before Little Common made the game safe on 70 minutes when Martin Denny drilled the ball home inside the post. Although Little Common did invite pressure during the remainder of the game as Arundel battle on, they comfortably saw the game out to progress to the next round and a trip to Isthmian League outfit Worthing following a performance and result that would have !made Ken Cherry very proud - the perfect fitting tribute to a man who was Mr Little Common Football Club.