Caldicot Town 4 v 0 West End

Saturday 16th March 2019
Welsh League Division Two
Jubilee Way, Caldicot
Admission including Programme: £5.00
Attendance: 60 (estimate)

  

With some Tesco Clubcard National Express vouchers I had getting close to expiry, I decided to use them to pay my first visit of the season to Wales today, booking a day trip from London to Newport. In the days running up to matchday, the forecast was for rain throughout today in south-east Wales, which meant I kept a nervous eye on social media, and with a 3G joker card at Penybont (in Bridgend) in reserve to reroute to if need be. Fortunately, the rain did not arrive in Monmouthshire until well after kick-off, and so on arriving at Newport, I caught the train back to the last town in Wales before the Severn Estuary and the English border, to take in this game in the third tier of Welsh football.

Jubilee Way is about a 15 minute walk from Caldicot train station, although before the game, I diverted to enjoy a pleasant walk around Caldicot Castle and Country Park. Arriving back at Jubilee Way, visitors to the ground are welcomed by some attractive club signage posted on the clubhouse wall close to the passing road, including a fixtures board and the club crest. The clubhouse is accessed outside of the ground, and is spacious, comfortable and inviting, and was doing a roaring trade today with eyes glued to the big screens watching Wales complete the Six Nations Grand Slam with a comprehensive win over Ireland in Cardiff. To enter the ground, spectators pass to the side of the clubhouse, paying for admission and a programme at a small kiosk, with picnic tables available on patio areas before and after the entrance, up some steps. A long modern metallic all-seater stand has been installed in the last couple of years straddling the half way line along one length, while an older and more traditional stand is located on the other side, more towards one of the corner flags, although this is currently out of use pending some refurbishment and upgrading to ensure the ground does indeed meet the ground grading requirements for Tier Two of the Welsh footballing pyramid. There is just hard standing around the rest of the ground apart from behind one end, with see-through fencing separating the ground from playing fields behind one end and a footpath along a length, and the Second Severn Crossing is just about visible in the distance. The ground is a pleasant place to watch football, peaceful and with plenty of character remaining despite the ongoing modernisation of the facilities, and as is often the case in Welsh football, there was a very friendly and welcoming feel about the place. The programme was really excellent too, helpfully given a glossy, water resistant cover and consisting of a total of 52 pages with a 20 page insert relevant to today's game inside a more generic publication. There is more than enough to read about both clubs, the league and copious amounts of statistics, and it was very professionally presented and laid out.

The home side would certainly have been hot favourites to win today, coming into this game in third place in the table, following 14 wins and two draws from their 25 league games, whereas Swansea based outfit West End were second bottom in the 16 team division, following six wins and no draws from their 22 league games. They had also lost their last ten league games. Recent history between the two clubs certainly favours Caldicot too, as they have won the last eight encounters, which included a 2-5 win in the reverse league fixture last month, and a 0-6 win in the Welsh Cup, also played in Swansea back in October.

Conditions would prove to be extremely difficult this afternoon, with a very strong chilly wind making it difficult for players to judge the flight and run of the ball, and to control it. So perhaps it wasn't too surprising that the game was quite even for most of the first half, as both teams struggled to adapt, before a quick fire double in the final couple of minutes of the first half suddenly put the home side in command of the match. On 42 minutes, a ball down the wing drew the keeper out, and it was then crossed low for Giancarlo Gabbiadini to sweep the ball home just before a defender could challenge. And within a minute, they doubled their lead, this time a ball down the left resulted in a low cross for Garin Withers to tap the ball home.

From looking like they would go in level at the break, the visitors had a mountain to climb if they were to get anything from this game, and any hopes they might have had were dashed within a couple of minutes of the restart, as Caldicot started the second half very similarly to how they finished the first, with two quick-fire goals. Less than a minute after the restart, Withers floated the ball from the right wing and aided by the wind, the ball dropped over the keeper and into the net. And three minutes later, it was 4-0. The ball was lifted through the middle and as the keeper came out, Ben Smith just managed to poke the ball past the keeper and into the empty net. At that stage, one feared things could get rather ugly for the visitors, but somewhat surprisingly, Caldicot couldn't find any further goals despite forcing some good saves and hitting the woodwork.

So in the end, a comfortable victory for Caldicot, which sees them rise to second place in the table and they remain well on course on the pitch, as well as off it, to achieve promotion to the new Tier 2 FAW Championship next season, whilst West End appear to have a big battle on their hands to avoid relegation. With regards to my personal groundhopping, this was the fourth consecutive game I have watched in which there has been a four goal margin, and then seventh that I have seen at last four goals.

This proved to be a most enjoyable day out and club to visit, it was just a shame that the weather was rather unpleasant, with the buffeting wind during the game being joined by heavy rain as I walked back to Caldicot train station to embark on the long journey home. 

Dorking Wanderers Reserves 0 v 4 Sandhurst Town

Saturday 9th March 2019
Combined Counties League Division One
Meadowbank Stadium, Dorking
Admission: £6.00
Programme: Online only
Attendance: 47

I decided to stay fairly local today, partly because yet more rail engineering works on my local train line would make journeys even longer and more inconvenient than usual these days. Geographically, today's visit to the Meadowbank Stadium could be considered a revisit, however every element of the inside of the ground has been completely transformed since my previous visit, and there is a different home club now. As my only previous visit to the former incarnation of the Meadowbank was some 26 years ago, this did feel like a new ground for me to visit in any case.

The Meadowbank Stadium is located about a ten minute walk from Dorking Deepdene train station,  much of it a pleasant walk alongside the Pipp Brook tributary of the River Mole, and finally the Meadowbank Park. The football ground is located just beyond the park, with the town centre very close by up a short incline. After the ground fell into disrepair to the extent that former club Dorking FC were evicted in 2013, a move which probably paved the way for their sad demise after 137 years in existence, the ground has been completely and impressively redeveloped, re-opening after some delays last summer. The new stadium was certainly worth the wait, with the result a sensibly sized ground, that is very easy on the eye and offers impressive fan friendly facilities - albeit that some of those are not in use for reserve team fixtures like today. The exterior of the stadium along the main entrance side certainly gives a preview of what is to come, with a group of connected buildings with a modern design and a nice blend of white and red walls, with some timber cladding. The headquarters of the Surrey FA are located at the end closest to the entrance to the complex, which is connected to a building with a lower roof housing the changing rooms, and then there is the main entrance to the ground, with a taller roof to match the height of the Surrey FA's headquarters. Spectators entered the ground through this entrance today, paying admission at a small reception area, as the turnstile blocks either side were not in use. After walking through the corridor from reception, the "matchday bar" could be accessed by climbing a flight of stairs, and a very impressive lounge bar it is too - bright, modern, airy and comfortable, offering a combination of tables and chairs, comfy seating and sofas, with sit-down matchday meals available, and the windows along the front offer an excellent elevated indoor view of the action. This was the only place where food and drinks could be purchased today, as the pitchside hatch and also a wooden hut, which both normally sell refreshments, were both closed today. Straddling the half way line is a stand containing 6 rows of seating, and good elevation to the seating and then between each row ensures good unobstructed views of the action. Towards the far corner from the entrance along this length is a metallic stand with a couple of terrace steps. A similar stand is located just around the other corner behind the other byline. There is just hard standing around the rest of the ground, with wooden panel fencing enclosing the ground. To complete the total transformation of the ground from its previous guise, a 3G plastic pitch has been installed. One thing that has remained constant about the ground is its picturesque setting, with the town's church visible close behind and above the main stand, and the hills of the North Downs also visible - albeit the view is not quite as spectacular as it was at Dorking Wanderers' previous ground at Westhumble Playing Fields. The new stadium's tastefully designed buildings around one corner of the ground augments its appearance. It is difficult to find any fault in the stadium - centrally located, smartly designed in terms of appearance and size, and to use modern parlance, a "visitor experience" that one would rarely encounter at this level, yet it still feels like a real football ground, avoiding the negative trappings of modern football commercialism which can often produce sterile environments. For the club's Under 23 team fixtures, no hard copies of the programme are produced, instead an online version is available for download, a 40 page pdf document that is very readable, way above average from what one usually encounters at Step 6, and includes more than enough reading material about both clubs, the necessary stats and facts, and also plenty of information about the first team.

Whilst Dorking Wanderers' first team appear to be romping towards the Isthmian League Premier Division title, their reserve team are having a steady time of it back in the Combined Counties League Division One this season after stepping down from senior football for two seasons. They came into this game in ninth place, following 11 wins and five draws from their 29 league games, but came into this game in bad form, losing 7-1 away at Sutton Common Rovers in the Surrey Senior Cup in midweek, drawing last Saturday which followed three straight defeats, conceding 12 goals in the process. In the table, they were two points and one place behind Sandhurst Town, themselves back in this league after a two season absence, in their case due to lateral movement to the Hellenic League Division One East. They had won 12 and drawn four of their 24 league games, thereby having five games in hand over Dorking Wanderers Reserves. When the two teams met in the reverse fixture back in early October, the match ended 2-2.

On a mostly sunny afternoon which started off warm but became cold in a biting wind during the second half, this was a game that Sandhurst always had the upper hand in, but particularly so in the second half. With barely a minute on the clock, the visitors saw a long range shot hit the woodwork via a slight deflection, and on 7 minutes, the ball was volleyed low just wide of the far post. They really should have taken the lead on 14 minutes, when the ball was deflected forward for their striker to run onto for a one-on-one with the keeper, but he placed the shot just wide of the left hand post. But they did take the lead on 33 minutes, and a very good goal it was too. Bobby Mitchell started running from his own half, withstood a foul as he ran forward with the referee playing advantage, eventually jinking his way into the penalty area before firing low past the keeper. On 41 minutes, the ball was curled beautifully by a Sandhurst player forward from just inside the area over the defenders and keeper, but the ball bounced off the underside of the bar, and a team mate poked the loose ball just wide of the far post. And in first half stoppage time, a diagonal ball forward towards the six yard box just evaded a decisive touch to score. For all of Sandhurst's chances, the home side had the odd sight of goal, and the game was still very much in the balance at the break.

And so it remained until the 63rd minute, when the visitors doubled their lead, substitute Paul Rake heading a corner just under the bar and into the net. And four minutes later, it was pretty much game over with another terrific goal by Mitchell, another mazy run through midfield ended with a low shot across the keeper and into the net from outside of the area. Sandhurst were really in the ascendancy by now, breaking forward virtually at will as Dorking's youngsters struggled to contain the forward runs. Sandhurst scored their fourth on 73 minutes, after the ball was crossed high into the box, the keeper couldn't claim it, and after a couple of attempts, Luke Burrows poked the loose ball into the net. They had further chances to increase their lead, but they did not manage to, and in added on time, Dorking Wanderers' left back Luke Cunningham was shown a straight red card in the aftermath of a foul.

Downton 1 v 5 Fawley

Saturday 2nd March 2019
Wessex League Division One
Brian Whitehead Sports Ground, Downton
Admission including Programme: £5.00
Attendance: 58

 

With rail engineering works yet again making a trip into or via London excessively long or expensive, I decided to journey along the south coast and into Wiltshire today, to tick off my penultimate ground in the Wessex League Division One.

To reach the Brian Whitehead Sports Ground, I caught the train to Salisbury, then walked ten minutes into the city centre to catch the bus for a 20 minute journey southwards, with the ground about a five minute walk away from the nearest bus stop down a country lane. The entrance to the ground is just beyond a small car park between a large sports hall and the clubhouse, which is spacious and very comfortable inside, and with two real ales from the local Downton Brewery available on cask. After paying admission at a wooden hut, one finds virtually all spectator facilities down the closest length. After passing by the clubhouse wall, there is a tea bar window and then the changing rooms block, before reaching a stand straddling the half way line, containing four rows of bench seating inside. There is just hard standing around the rest of the ground, although a nice feature is that, between two neat, spacious and nicely designed dugouts, there is a colourful board in club colours welcoming visitors to the ground. Trees, which were bare this afternoon, line three sides of the ground, whilst the back walls of a couple of large sports halls form the background behind one of the goals. Rolling hills are just about visible behind the clubhouse length, with houses closer behind the opposite length and behind the other goal. The 28 page programme, included with adult admission, is above average for step 6 - well designed and produced, as expected for a publication produced by JMA Programmes, and with the necessary stats and plenty of interesting articles to read.

In truth, there is not much left to play for both of these clubs this season other than finishing as high as possible. Downton were in sixth place, following 12 wins and five draws from their 27 league games, nine points behind fifth placed United Services Portsmouth and a further ten points behind fourth placed AFC Stoneham, having played two more games than both of those clubs. Fawley were in tenth place, following ten wins and four draws from their 29 league games. The omens certainly pointed towards a home victory, as not only were Downton higher in the table, they were unbeaten in their previous seven games, while Fawley had only won one of their last seven games, and on the morning of this match, their goalkeeper had to pull out due to injury, and centre back by trade Tom Rafferty lined up between the sticks. In the reverse fixture of today's game played back in August, Fawley won 3-2.

 

On a grey, overcast but mild afternoon, this turned out to be a surprisingly one-sided affair, and even more surprisingly in favour of the visitors, but one that was sadly dominated by the referee. I am usually loathe to criticise referees, but there can be little doubt he had an absolute stinker today. Fawley had the first real chance of the game, when a close range shot was saved by the keeper's head, for which he required some time for treatment. A minute later he was back in action, saving a powerful shot with his outstretched leg. Downton then saw a long range shot hit the woodwork on 6 minutes, this time the Fawley keeper requiring some attention as he crashed into the post as he backpeddled trying to cover the shot. The game then settled down until Fawley were awarded a penalty on the half hour mark. No-one quite knew why, and no-one appealed for it - presumably it was given for shirt pulling. Mark Lilley struck the ball low into the bottom corner to give the visitors the lead. Four minutes later and Fawley doubled their lead when Ben Rankin beat his man to the right side of the penalty area, took a few steps along the outside corner of the penalty area, before firing a stunning shot into the far top left hand corner of the net. On 43 minutes, Fawley were awarded another penalty, this one did look justified following a rather reckless tackle. Lilley struck the ball high into the left side of the net, with the keeper diving the other way. And in added on time, Fawley were awarded their third penalty of the game following a tackle slightly from behind although plenty of contact did seem to be made with the ball. Lilley struck the ball to the left side of the goal, this time low just inside the post and beyond the keeper's dive to complete his hat-trick of penalties, and to give Fawley a very commanding lead at the break.

Downton did not seem to be at the races during the first half, but they did up their game in the second half, without looking likely to get back into the game, although they did come close to pulling a goal back on a couple of occasions. But on 66 minutes, the referee seemed to completely lose the plot. It started with a Downton actually complaining about being awarded a free-kick following minimal contact, and the Downton player would have preferred advantage, if anything, as he passed the ball on. Complaining to the referee was slowing the game down, the protests continued with yellow cards and then a red being shown to Matt Steer, but then despite a Downton player repeatedly shouting "you're a f***ing cheat", he received no punishment whatsoever. Fawley were then awarded the free kick instead, but rather sensibly under the circumstances, gave possession back to the Downton keeper. Happily, the game settled back down after a farcical few minutes, and Fawley scored their fifth on 80 minutes, after the ball was lumped forward for Tom Munday to run onto and thanks to a combination of good touches and favourable bounces, found himself clear to fire the ball past the keeper. In the second minute of added on time, Downton were awarded a penalty of their own for a tackle that did not see to be a foul, and Ben Smith struck the ball low into the right side of the net. The final whistle blew shortly afterwards, to end what proved to be one of the more eventful games, and the referee can surely only hope there was no assessor in attendance.