Thatcham Town 1 v 4 Maidenhead United

Saturday 16th July 2016
Pre-season Friendly
Waterside Park, Thatcham
Admission: £4.00
Programme: None
Attendance: 80 (estimate)
Match Rating: 2

Today I decided to take the opportunity of taking in a friendly double in Berkshire, when I noticed that this match would be kicking off at midday. It almost didn’t happen for me though, as Southern Trains cancelled their once hourly train service, which threatened to mean that I would miss kick off. But fortunately, the replacement bus service was speedy enough to ensure that I would still make my connection en route, arriving at the ground twenty minutes before kick off.

The Waterside Park is barely a five minute walk from Thatcham train station, and spectators enter via a brick turnstile hut in one corner. Along this length is the clubhouse building, tea bar hatch, and an Atcost all-seater stand. It’s not the best place to watch the action from, as it is set some way back from the pitch and has floodlight pylons in  the way of one’s vision. A small modern metallic stand covers some steps of standing is positioned between the corner flag closest to the entrance and the goal. Hard standing is available around the rest of the ground, but along the length opposite the main stand, the playing area is a long way from the standing area. The ground has a nice leafy, countryside background and feel to it, pleasant on a warm summer's day like today. No programmes were produced today.

Thatcham Town are in the Hellenic League Premier Division, finishing in second place last season with 90 points from 38 league games, seven points adrift of champions Kidlington. Maidenhead United finished in seventh place in the National League South, with 59 points from their 42 league games, five points adrift of the play-offs.

On a very warm and humid afternoon this game was something of a mismatch, dominated by the visitors who created plenty of goalscoring chances throughout, whilst the home side struggled to get near Maidenhead’s penalty area. Maidenhead took the lead on 12 minutes, when their striker teed himself up to volley the ball into the top right corner from the edge of the area. They doubled their lead on 35 minutes when a low pass forward was guided on with a first time shot that went low across the keeper and into the net.

Maidenhead continued their dominance after the break, forcing a succession of corners, but it wasn’t until the 65th minutes when they scored their third. A looped ball over the defence set the forward through on goal, and although the keeper parried the initial shot, he tucked away the rebound from an angle. Thatcham pulled a goal back on 70 minutes when a free kick was curled into the bottom right corner, but Maidenhead scored their fourth four minutes from time, when their player kept running towards the penalty area and eventually dispatched a low shot which found the back of the net despite glancing the keeper’s body on the way through.

So, Maidenhead would be pleased with their performance in this opening fixture of their pre-season, whilst Thatcham probably just wilted in the heat against technically superior opposition.

Langney Wanderers 2 v 3 Eastbourne Town

Tuesday 12th July 2016
Pre-season Friendly
Shinewater Lane, Eastbourne
Admission: Free
Programme: None
Attendance: 60 (estimate)
Match Rating: 3

For my first midweek action after work of the season, I took advantage of a rare opportunity to revisit Shinewater Lane midweek. Despite home club Langney Wanderers approaching their second season as a senior football club, still their home ground is unsuitable to host midweek competitive matches.

Shinewater Lane still offers very basic of facilities, with the ground remaining a completely unenclosed recreation ground, no floodlights or seating are present, hard standing is only available along one length and behind one goal. There is a small metal stand covering a flat area in one corner, and the pitch is railed off. It seems quite remarkable that the club was allowed into senior football last season seemingly without any commitment to upgrade their home ground with senior facilities. No programme was produced for this evening’s game.

This evening’s clash between two Eastbourne clubs would be between two clubs in the Southern Combination League, with Langney Wanderers finishing last season finishing ninth in Division One and Eastbourne Town finishing second.

 On an overcast evening, this was another entertaining friendly match that I have watched so far this season, played at a high tempo and was evenly matched. The home side went ahead on 19 minutes, when the ball was swung from deep, beyond the far post and headed back, allowing a simple header from a central position to guide the ball home. Just a minute later and Eastbourne equalised with a lovely goal from the edge of the area. 1-1 was how it remained by half time, although Langney came close on several occasions to going back into the lead.

Into the second half and Langney went back into the lead on 53 minutes with a freak goal. A free kick from his own half sailed high into the air and as the keeper seemed to have the ball covered as he reached out upwards, the ball floated over him and dropped into the net. But again Eastbourne soon got back on level terms, the ball being headed in from a central position after it was headed across goal. Both teams continued to create some good goalscoring chances, and Eastbourne went into the lead for the first time on 67 minutes with a lovely low angled shot past the onrushing keeper and the ball went in off the far post. They were awarded a penalty on 76 minutes when their striker was hauled back by a defender after a long goalbound run into the box. But the keeper saved the penalty low to his right.

This game continued my fortunate run of pre-season friendlies that have been entertaining to watch, played at a good tempo, with a competitive feel which will surely mean that both managers will have learnt plenty about their teams.

St Albans City 2 v 3 Stevenage

Saturday 9th July 2016
Pre-season Friendly
Clarence Park, St Albans
Admission: £10.00
Programme: £2.50
Attendance: 420
Match Rating: 3

With more choice of friendlies available this week than last, I decided to tick off another ground in the National League South today. It is a ground that I have wanted to visit previously, being apparently one of the dying breed of classic non league football grounds left, but I have been deterred with the club's notoriously eye-watering admission charges, currently £15.00 to watch a team struggling to stay in the second tier of non league football. A more reasonable charge to watch a professional team visiting spurred me to make the journey to Hertfordshire today.

Clarence Park is about a five minute walk from St Albans City train station, and is set within a municipal park of the same name, adjacent to a cricket club with an attractively traditional and imposing stand. Once past one of the turnstile huts, located at each corner of the ground although not all were open today, one indeed finds a refreshingly old fashioned non-league football ground, with rather basic facilities to further give the impression that £15 entry is excessive for National League South matches. There is a bowl of terracing stretching from end to end, around the corners and along one of the lengths, mostly uncovered apart from the area straddling the half way line which has cover. Along the remaining length is the highlight of the ground, a wooden structure containing narrow rows of seating, some of them wooden. It looks a lot more attractive than it is a good place to watch the action from, with tight legroom, supporting pillars and floodlight pylons potentially obscuring one’s view, and it is set some way back from the pitch. About a third of the stand has been allocated as a director’s lounge. As one would expect with its park location, attractive trees line the ground and it has a peaceful feel to it. The 24 page programme was pretty good for a pre-season publication, glossy and in full colour and covering all three of the club’s home pre-season fixtures. It did a good enough job in presenting each of the teams as well as providing interesting club information and opinion.

Today would be the first game of pre-season for both clubs. St Albans fought a successful battle against relegation from the National League South last season, finishing two points and two places clear of the relegation zone, in 18th place in the 22 team division. They have signed several players with Football League experience, and hopes are high that the club will have a much more comfortable season to come. Stevenage quite comfortably remained in League Two last season, finishing in 18th place in the 24 team division, and they too have made several new signings - although only one officially anonymous "A. Trialist" took to the field today.

On an overcast, muggy afternoon, this was an entertaining friendly played at quite a high tempo which, as the respective scorelines were to demonstrate, saw St Albans the better team in the first half, with Stevenage superior after the break. The home side took the lead on 16 minutes, when Matt Ball crossed the ball from deep towards the far post, and Louie Theophanous headed back across the keeper and into the net. They came close to scoring again two minutes before the break, but Junior Morais fired a free kick just over the bar.

Stevenage changed their entire team at half-time, and put in a much better performance than the first half team did. They took just two minutes to get back on level terms. Following play inside the area, Tom Conlon laid the ball back to Andrew Fox, who drilled the ball across the keeper and into the net. Against the run of play, St Albans went back into the lead. Ben Herd delivered a free kick into the danger area and Josh Hill headed the ball into the net. Their lead was to only last eight minutes though. New signing Jake Hyde met Dipo Akinyemi's cross with a glancing header which went in off the far post. Stevenage went into the lead for the time on 77 minutes, when Hyde found himself in oceans of space with just the keeper to beat as the defence claimed offside, and he coolly chipped the ball over the keeper and into the net. Stevenage had a couple of chances to extend their lead before the end, but they narrowly claimed the win.

St Albans could be pleased with their performance, particularly in the first half, although their performance was probably enhanced by a poor show from the Stevenage team in the first half. Stevenage looked much better and a more professional team after the break, and both managers will surely have learnt plenty from today's lively encounter.

Video footage of the Stevenage goals can be viewed by clicking here.

Oxford United Women 0 v 2 Birmingham City Ladies

Sunday 3rd July 2016
Women’s Super League Cup 1st Round
Northcourt Stadium, Abingdon
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 454
Match Rating: 3

Today I was inspired to take in a rare dose of competitive football amongst a diet of friendly action for the next month, with an interesting looking women’s cup match.

The Northcourt Stadium, home of Abingdon United of the Hellenic League, is about a half hour walk from Radley train station, and is a very neat and tidy stadium, undoubtedly thanks in some part to the presence of Oxford United women here. After entering through a turnstile hut in one corner, spectators enter the fan zone, a really good area considering the target market of WSL clubs are families, with a souvenir stall, “Olivia’s Snug”, a small covered area for children to get creative with crafts, and “Olly’s Den”, where children can shoot into a net with a speed gun. Children are also encouraged to gather around Autograph Alley after the game. Behind the goal by the entrance is a brick building stretching almost between corner flags, housing the changing rooms, tea bar and clubhouse. Stands straddle the half way line either side, on one side is a modern metallic all-seater stand, whilst opposite is a more old fashioned and attractive small, narrow green stand covering standing room. Around the rest of the ground, including behind the remaining goal, there is just hard stamding. Some colourful trees and fairly attractive building surrounding the ground make this a very pleasant, intimate setting, topped off with a very good pitch, albeit with a slight incline. The 16 page programme was glossy and covered the basics without being particularly informative or interesting.

This match presented the opportunity of a giant killing, with Oxford eighth out of ten in the WSL2, with two wins and a draw from their eight League games. After a bad start to their season, losing their first five league and cup games, conceding 24 goals in the process, they won their following three, drawing the next, before claiming a good 2-2 draw at home to leaders Yeovil on Thursday. Birmingham are in third place in the WSL1, with three wins and three draws from their eight games, and are unbeaten in their last six games, although they have only scored twice in their last five games.

On a very warm and sunny afternoon – an all too rare occurrence so far this summer – the match started off evenly, as Oxford looked organised in defence, but gradually Birmingham exerted their authority on the game, having the first real chance on 23 minutes when Isabelle Linden got on the end of a ball over the top, but the lob over the keeper went just over the bar. Then Andrine Hegerberg first saw a goal bound shot blocked on the line, and then after pouncing on a suicidal pass from an Oxford defender just outside the six yard box, the keeper managed to smother the ball. But on  35 minutes, Birmingham were awarded a penalty when the keeper fouled Linden after she got on the end of another ball over the top and was about to lob the keeper. Hegerberg placed the penalty into the left hand side of the net, to give Birmingham a deserved lead – although just the one goal deficit was a fair reward for a battling Oxford side.

Into the second half and Birmingham dominated for long periods, looking by far the likelier to score although Oxford looked dangerous on the break, relying on the pace and skill of the outstanding Ini Umotong. She forced a good save on the hour mark, and came even closer to equalising 11 minutes from time, when her cross shot beat the keeper but came back off the far post, and one sensed that that was there real chance to force extra time. So it proved, as four minutes later, a neat move of passes resulted in Melissa Lawley striking the ball low past the keeper. Birmingham saw the game out comfortably to seal their passage through to the next round. They certainly deserved that, as their superior class could have resulted in a more emphatic scoreline, but Oxford played really well, and with a little more luck, could easily have forced extra time.