Horsham 3 v 2 Metropolitan Police

Tuesday 10th September 2019
FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round Replay
Hop Oast, Horsham
Admission : £11.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 445

 

I have very much wanted to visit Horsham's new ground since it opened just in time for pre-season this year, following the club's 11 years in exile sharing other club's grounds (at Worthing, Horsham YMCA and Lancing) since their old Queen Street ground was sold to developers. Being off from work this week, and the opportunity to watch an FA Cup fixture played to a finish, this match sufficiently appealed to me to pay my visit this evening, enabling me in the process to recomplete the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Located a couple of miles south of Horsham, Hop Oast is easily accessible, with car visitors able to park in the large Park & Ride car park of the same name located on the opposite side of the road to the football ground. Newly built grounds are renowned for being functional and bland and devoid of character and appeal. None of that applies to this ground, which is really neat, tidy and easy on the eye throughout, spacious and comfortable, and had a really pleasant and peaceful location. After passing by the clubhouse, the entrance turnstiles are located behind one of the goals. The clubhouse is large, bright and airy inside, and is attractively designed on the outside, with the club crest in the gable and a covered area to the front outside offers a decent vantage point of the action, albeit with netting along the front. In the side wall closest to the entrance there is a tea bar, and team line-ups are posted on this wall. A separate brick toilet is located in the corner. The main stand straddles the half way line containing about ten rows of seating, and is blends in well with the countryside surrounding, with the exterior in dark green, and with the seating in a lighter shade of green and with "HFC" spelt out in yellow. A small metallic stand for standing inside is situated immediately behind the goal opposite the clubhouse, whilst along the remaining length, there are modern metallic stands located close to either corner flag, one for standing, the other all-seated. Tall trees all around the ground behind wooden panel fencing provides a naturally enclosed feel, although a golf course and tall netting provides an unusual backdrop for a football ground. A printed programme was available at the ground, or an electronic version could be downloaded from the website after the match. Consisting of 32 pages, it was a very good read, containing plenty of information and stats about both clubs, and Horsham's history in the FA Cup.

 

This evening's match was brought about after the original tie ended 1-1, Horsham taking the lead in the first half with Metropolitan Police equalising after the break, although by all accounts Horsham really should have sealed their progress at the first time of asking, all the more so as Metropolitan Police were reduced to ten men for the closing 20 minutes. Horsham were promoted into Step 3 football in the Isthmian League Premier Division this season, after finishing second and then winning the play-offs in the South East Division last season. And they have made a good start to this season, winning two and drawing two of their opening five league games. After winning the Southern League Premier Division South play-off final, but then losing the Super Play-off against Isthmian League Premier Division play-off winners Tonbridge Angels, Metropolitan Police have had a fair start to their season, winning two and drawing one of their six league games so far.

On a cool and mostly clear evening, this was a most enjoyable game to watch, which arguable was something of a game of two halves, with the visitors looking the more threatening in the first half. They came close to opening the scoring with just three minutes on the clock, Jack Mazzone firing a free kick from just outside the penalty area against the post. However, the reprieve would only last six minutes, when Metropolitan Police opened the scoring with a very good goal by Bilal Sayoud, who won possession before going on a mazy dribble toward the edge of the area, and then fired the ball across the keeper and into the net. As the half wore on, Horsham got more and more into the game, and equalised on 42 minutes, Harvey Sparks striking the ball from the outer corner of the penalty area and the ball flew into the top right corner. Whether it was intended as a shot or a cross, only Sparks will know, but it meant the two teams would go into the break all square.

However, just three minutes into the second half, Horsham took the lead. A long ball forward was headed on by Lee Harding, finding Chris Smith, and he thumped the ball across the keeper and into the net. And Smith came so close to giving his team clear day light in the tie two minutes later, when he struck the ball wide from a central position after the ball was drilled in from the right. But two minutes later, they had a lucky escape themselves, when Mazzone laid the ball off for Rhys King in a central position in front of goal, but he blazed the ball over the bar. Both sides were now creating plenty of chances, particularly Horsham, and on 74 minutes, Smith saw a delicates shot from outside the area hit the top of the crossbar, but on 80 minutes, Metropolitan Police equalised, Luke Robinson clipping the ball first time across the keeper and into the net. It now looked like the tie was destined for extra time, but deep into added on time, there was a dramatic winning goal. Kieron Pamment lofted the ball diagonally towards the back post, and Smith managed to bundle the ball in from very close range. There were big protests from the visitors, who claimed a hand may have been involved, but after the referee consulted with the linesman, the goal was duly confirmed. There was still time for Metropolitan Police to come with a whisker of sensationally forcing extra time when a shot following a corner struck the crossbar, but it was not to be for the visitors and so it was Horsham who proceed to the next round, when they will host National League South outfit Dartford.

This was a most enjoyable evening, with an action packed game complemented by pleasant surroundings and a friendly feel to the place, and with a lively and engaged support, one feels that Horsham Football Club could have plenty of good times ahead if they can keep the feel-good momentum going in their new home.

An electronic version of the matchday programme can be viewed by clicking here.

Chelsea Women 1 v 0 Tottenham Hotspur Women

Sunday 8th September 2019
FA Women's Super League
Stamford Bridge, Fulham
Admission: Free
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 24,565

I would like to watch more women's football, but being played mostly on Sundays is not ideal for me. However, when it was announced that Chelsea Women would be staging their opening match of the Women's Super League season at Stamford Bridge - a ground I have been wanting to revisit for some time - and best of all, that all tickets would be completely free of charge, I booked my tickets and looked forward to the day out.

 

Stamford Bridge is conveniently located about a 5 minute walk from Fulham Broadway underground station, and the approach to the ground is impressive - a wide walkway with colourfully decorated walls either side, and at its end the stadium stands proudly tall, hemmed in between two train lines and various residential and hotel buildings. There is plenty around the exterior of the stadium to keep visitors entertained, including a large club "megastore", the "Shed Wall", the original back wall of the Shed End terrace and upon which posters of various club legends are placed. A statue of Peter Osgood is located outside the West Stand, the upper tier of which I chose my tickets for, which is usually the most expensive part of the stadium to sit in, and indeed, the section offered an excellent and unobstructed view of the action, with padded seats and heaters attached from the roof for wintry days.

Although today's game was officially "sold out", it was most disappointing that around 15,000 persons reserved their tickets but did not actually show up, although the fact remains that a crowd of almost 25,000 is a remarkably good achievement for women's football, and something that would surely have been unthinkable, certainly for a domestic league fixture, just a few years ago, although surely mostly as a result of the bounce of women's football following England's energising World Cup campaign in the summer, it wasn't even the highest attedance of the weekend, as over 31,000 attended the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium. The programme produced for today was excellent, with a glossy hardened cover and 44 pages packed full of information about the Chelsea women's club, today's visitors, and other interesting articles to digest. At just £2.00, it certainly represented far better value that the programme sold for the same price at Burnham yesterday.

It was fair to say that Chelsea were overwhelming favourites to win this match, with odds of 1-9 ahead of kick off. Usually there or thereabouts in the top flight of the women's game, they finished last season in third place in the Super League last season, and reached the semi-final of the UEFA Women's Champions League, only losing 2-3 on aggregate to Lyon, reigning champions and who would go on to lift the trophy again. Tottenham Hotspur Women were promoted in second place from the Championship, and this would be their debut match in the top flight of women's football.

On a sunny early afternoon, with kick-off at 12.30, Chelsea started very much on the front foot, and took the lead with just 4 minutes on the clock with a truly fabulous goal by Bethany England, who dispossesed Spurs' Percival on the right wing, knocked the ball to a more central position before curling it from 25 yards into the far top corner, giving the keeper no chance. At the stage one feared for the Tottenham ladies, and indeed Chelsea would go on to dominate the first half, playing good possession football while Tottenham set themselves up very deep, probably wise in their efforts to stay in the game. And Chelsea could not find a way through again to grab a second goal despite coming close a few times, as did Spurs however.

The game was more even at the start of the second half, perhaps Chelsea's play lacked some urgency, and Spurs looked more of a threat. But they had a tremendous let-off on 59 minutes when Chelsea hit the woodwork twice in the same move. Ji So-Yun dribbled through midfield with the ball before passing to Drew Spence, who hit a powerful shot from 25 yards which Spurs keeper Becky Spencer pushed onto the crossbar, Guro Reiten headed the rebound against the post, and her follow up shot was blocked by a defender. In the closing minutes in particular, Chelsea really should have scored a second goal, but the final ball was lacking and in the end Chelsea opened their season with a victory, but that it was only by one goal looked most unlikely in the opening stages of the match. No doubt they were the better team for long periods, and they probably could have upped their game and intensity if they needed to, but Spurs will be happy to have kept the scoreline narrow in their debut match in the Women's Super League, although perhaps slightly disappointed not to have grabbed a point.

A full re-run of the match can be viewed by clicking here.

Burnham 2 v 3 Tiverton Town

Saturday 7th September 2019
FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round
The Gore, Burnham
Admission: £8.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 143

After missing the opening two Saturdays of this year's FA Cup competition due to Charlton playing at home on the same days, I certainly wanted to take in a FA Cup fixture today with Charlton not playing. I chose a fixture at one of the few easily reachable grounds I had not yet visited, offering a potential giant killing with the lower ranked club at home.

The Gore is about a half hour walk from Burnham train station, via the rather quaint village centre, and after passing through a fair sized car park, the turnstile block open today was situated in one corner of the ground. Dominating the ground is a large modern building housing the bar, changing rooms and other facilities stretching about two thirds of the length closest to the entrance, with four rows of covered seating pitchside and is all very easy on the eye, with a brick base, a white back wall and roof for the seating, and a blue curved roof of the building itself. The building also has a tea bar window, closest to the ground entrance. On the opposite side, a much more old fashioned grey stand covers a flat standing area, and has some supporting pillars along the front. There is just hard standing around the rest of the pitch, with grey metal panel fencing behind both ends and tall trees lining the remaining length, giving the ground a rural feel to it. This is another ground that would appeal to plane spotters, as planes ascend over the ground. The 20 page programme is well designed and contains the important stats and reading material.

After some pretty lean years since their relegation from Step 3 football in 2015, suffering three relegations in four seasons, things are looking brighter for Burnham. Promoted back to the Step 5 Hellenic League Premier Division for this season, they have won one and lost three of their opening four league games,  and to reach this stage of the FA Cup , they have beaten Tring Athletic 2-1, and then in midweek caused an upset, beating Southern League South Division outfit Slimbridge at home on penalties. Tiverton Town have made a strong start to their season in the Step 3 Southern League Premier Division South, winning three and drawing two of their opening six league games. Today would be Tiverton's first game in this season's FA Cup.

On mostly sunny and mild afternoon, this game had a surprising start, with Burnham, who had looked confident in the opening exchanges, took the lead with just three minutes on the clock. A quick break resulted in two Burnham players sprinting forward from the half way line against one defender, and after exchanging passes, it was Gavin James who eventually struck the ball low past the keeper. And they looked good value for their lead and it was somewhat against the run of play when Tiverton were awarded a penalty on 15 minutes for a handball. River Allen struck the ball into the bottom left corner, with the keeper diving the other way. There was not too much further attacking action for the rest of the half, as the game was even and it was hard to believe that two steps separated the two clubs in the football pyramid, as Burnham more than held their own.

One assumed that Tiverton would come out after the break fired up and play better, but the same pattern continued, and Burnham went back into the lead on the hour mark after a Tiverton player got in a tangle with the ball and was dispossessed, allowing Cameron Rohart-Brown to run forward, eventually poking the ball past the keeper from a slight angle. Tiverton came close a couple of times from corners, but still Burnham looked quite comfortable, until things started to go wrong for them from the 75 minute mark, when the ball was pumped high into the box, the keeper couldn't claim the ball, and it bounced off Jared Lewington and into the net. And two minutes later, a Burnham played was shown a second yellow card and then a red for bringing down a Tiverton player as he approached the penalty area. From the resultant free kick, right on the edge of the penalty area, Rivers drilled the ball low through the crowd of players, past the keeper who may have been slightly unsighted, and into the net. Down to ten men, it was always going to prove a tall order for Burnham to equalise and earn a midweek trip to Devon, and so it proved, as Tiverton saw the game out well.

So as would have been expected beforehand, it was Tiverton who progressed to the next round, but for long periods today it did not look likely, as it was impossible not to feel great sympathy for Burnham, who played ever so well, looked assured and organised, with little indication they were the lower league team, and certainly deserved something out of the game.