Walton & Hersham 0 v 0 Camberley Town

Saturday 16th December 2017
Combined Counties League Premier Division
Elmbridge Sports Hub, Walton-on-Thames
Admission: £8.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 101
Match Rating: 2

It certainly wasn’t my intention to take in this game today. However icy conditions provoked pitch inspections at most grounds, and then an increasing number of postponements early in the morning, and after settling on a visit to Biggleswade with a back up of Langford, just as I arrived at my local train station, my Twitter feed announced that both games had failed their 10am inspections. So I decided to make a comfortable journey to south west London, safe in the knowledge that the game would be certain to go ahead on a 3G pitch. It would also allow me to re-complete the Combined Counties League Premier Division and the Isthmian League Division One South.

The Elmbridge Sports Hub is about a 45 minute walk from Walton-on-Thames train station, with a slight detour to the site of Walton & Hersham’s former ground at Stompond Lane, which the club very reluctantly vacated in mid September and has now been entirely demolished – just the grass and running track remain. Continuing through Walton-on-Thames town centre then right alongside the River Thames, it was an interesting if long walk. The football ground is part of a large sporting complex, partly on the site of Walton Casuals' former Waterside Stadium, where there is now an athletics stadium adjacent to today's football stadium. Spectators enter via a turnstile block in one corner, to then find quite an impressive, neat and tidy facility as one would expect of a new ground. Currently at least, the only spectator accommodation straddles the half way line. A large building which is attractively and intelligently designed, it contains five rows of seating with plenty of legroom, and the back row even has cup holders built into the arms. A good incline between rows offers good elevated and unobstructed views, although the stand is set some way back from the pitch. Along the top spectators can stand to watch the game, and inside is a spacious but rather clinical bar area. There are other large rooms either side of the bar room, although they were not in general use. Overhang allows some covered standing area on ground level either side of the stand. In the far corner is a burger van, although prices did seem rather eye-watering. There is just hard standing around the rest of the ground. There appears to be a base in place for a small stand opposite the main building, although it does seem an odd place for one, immediately behind relatively tall dugouts. There is wooden perimeter fencing, and while the stadium is very smart and is well appointed, as it stands it really is a sterile and soulless ground, with a minimum of club signage to make it feel like a home. It really is a total contrast in every way to Walton & Hersham’s former home Stompond Lane, which had fallen into increasing disrepair but just oozed character. Hopefully in time the resident clubs will be able to make the place feel more like home. The 22 page programme was quite thin but was informative enough with all the necessary stats and facts.

This match promised to be a decent one, between two clubs doing well in the league so far. Walton & Hersham were in third place, having won 14 and drawn three of their 21 league games, while Camberley were in fifth place, having won eight and drawn ten on their 21 league games. The two teams have already met in the league season, with that game finishing 1-1 in late September.

On a cold, overcast afternoon, Walton & Hersham had the better of the first half, doing most of the attacking, whilst the visitors for the most part looked compact and organised. On 5 minutes, a cross come shot from close to the corner flag driven in by a Walton forward skimmed the top of the bar, whilst on 20 minutes, the home side came close again, a powerful drive from the edge of the area was headed over the bar on the line. Camberley had a good chance on 35 minutes, a driven shot from outside the area seemed to slightly deceive the keeper as it swerved in the air, but he he managed to tip it over the bar. The last chance of the half fell to Walton, a low shot going just wide of the far post after a fortunate deflection.

The game followed a similar pattern after the break, although play became increasingly disjointed, with Walton trying to do much of the attacking - although they struggled to find their team mates with passes and seemed to become less and less inspired - while the visitors continued to look comfortable at the back and dangerous on their occasional attacks. Walton had come close to scoring on several occasions, and it looked like they would be made to pay for not putting at least one of those chances away when they conceded a penalty on 76 minutes as their forward was brought down in the box. From the spot, Adam Francis fired the ball just wide of the top right corner. Both teams created chances during the remainder of the match, but with quality very thin on the ground, it was not really much a surprise that the match finished goalless.

Dinas Powys 1 v 2 Croesyceiliog

Saturday 9th December 2017
Welsh League Division Two
The Murch, Dinas Powys
Admission: £4.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 25 (estimate)
Match Rating: 3

Having booked another bargain £4.00 Megabus return coach ticket from London to Cardiff a few months ago for today, it was far from certain that I would indeed catch a game in South Wales today. I had my work Christmas party last night, but still surprisingly managed to wake up relatively easily when my alarm went off at 5.30 am. En route, a long diversion away from a section of the M4 due to bridge repair works between Theale and Chieveley raised the stress levels of arriving in Cardiff in time for a game, as did the ever-increasing postponements being announced in south-east Wales on Twitter due to frosty or snow covered pitches. Happily, the closest I came to snow was seeing the covered hills to the north of the M4, and although that put paid to potential games there (even 3G "all-weather" pitches did not survive there today, Dinas Powys confirmed at 12.10 that their game would go ahead, and so I decided to make the 15 minute train journey south from Cardiff.

The Murch is a short, less than 10 minute walk from Dinas Powys train station via a couple of footpaths, and spectators walk past a Community Centre and enter the ground behind one goal. Facilities here are rather basic. Hard standing is only available from the goal by the entrance, around the corner by the entrance, where the changing rooms are located which back onto the community centre, and apparently today, if anyone required a toilet, they would have to ask permission and be accompanied through the home changing rooms. The hard standing path continues past a green container unit, where refreshments are for sale inside, and leads to a stand, which is quite attractively decorated in club colours of red and black stripes covering a couple of steps. No floodlights, clubhouse nor pitchside seating is available, and while it is possible to walk around the remainder of the ground, the grass is fairly overgrown and probably not intended to be accessed. The ground has a peaceful, rustic setting, closely surrounded by trees, and would presumably be a really pleasant venue to watch football at on a brighter, sunnier and warmer day than today. The 24 page programme had an attractive, hardened cover, with a welcome message, presentations of the home and away clubs, and the predicted line-ups, but lacked fixtures/results and league table, and over half of the pages were advertising.

This game was between two teams struggling towards the bottom of the division, particularly the home side, who were second bottom, having won one and drawn three of their 13 league games. Perhaps it is fortunate for them that the bottom club, AFC Porth, are pointless after ten games. Croesyceiliog were in 12th place in the 16 team division, having won four and lost the other eight league games they have played. They came into this game in terrible form, losing their last five games.

On a grey, overcast, chilly and increasingly dank afternoon, I only arrived about ten minutes ahead of  the 2pm kick-off, and the first half was an even affair, mainly a midfield battle. On 7 minutes, the visitors played a corner into the near post and a couple of deflections sent the ball goalwards before the keeper did a little juggling on the line before pushing the ball away. On 39 minutes, Dinas Powys had two good chances in quick succession, and on the stroke of half time, the visitors saw a header from a corner deflected wide.

The second half continued in the same even fashion, but on 54 minutes the visitors were awarded a penalty on the advice of the linesman for a silly foul tackle on a forward as he was heading out of the area. The home players were very unhappy with the decision, but Daniel Prichard drilled the ball low and under the keeper's dive to give the visitors the lead. Croesyceiliog really started to dominate the game, coming close to scoring on several occasions and forcing some good saved, and they doubled their lead on 75 minutes. A good aerial cross from the left found their forward in plenty of space, and ran into the box and although his low shot appeared to be heading wide of the far post, a defender stuck out a leg to divert the ball just inside the near post. That actually seemed to wake up the home side, and they pulled a goal back on 81 minutes, a low ball to a central position in the area was turned into the net. Dinas Powys finished the game strongly, although they lacked the quality to look likely to grab an equaliser. The closest they came was with virtually the last touch of the game, a diagonal ball over the top found their forward in plenty of space by the outer corner of the penalty area, but his shot was well parried by the keeper.

So an important three points for the visitors, which they probably just about deserved, to put an end to their poor run of form, whilst Dinas Powys will need an upturn in form sooner rather than later if they are to avoid occupying one of the two relegation berths to intermediate football, and are now six points adrift of safety having played two games more. They may well end up hoping for a reprieve.

Tunbridge Wells 1 v 2 Beckenham Town

Tuesday 5th December 2017
Southern Counties East League Premier Division
Culverden Stadium, Tunbridge Wells
Admission: Free (usually £7.00)
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 206
Match Rating: 3

I decided to make my first visit to Culverden Stadium for over three years this evening, motivated by the club’s offer of free entry for all as an early Christmas present to thank the club’s supporters, who continue to support their team in good numbers, albeit steadily declining, since their remarkable FA Vase Final appearance back in 2013.

The Culverden Stadium remains a very pleasant venue to watch football at, with some cosmetic enhancements around and new portakabins positioned above the uncovered terrace behind the goal, although these appeared to be out of use this evening. The 32 page programme printed in full colour had a good variety of articles and stats. It was probably a little overpriced at £2.00, certainly at a step 5 club, although it would be churlish to criticise on an evening of free entry.

Tunbridge Wells are having another difficult season in the league so far, coming into this game down in 18th place in the 20 team division, following four wins and two draws from their 18 league games. They are, however, 8 and 12 points ahead of the bottom two clubs. Beckenham, having won nine and lost the remainder of their 15 league games, were in 9th place, just five points adrift of the leading two teams. The two clubs met in FA Cup back in early August, with Tunbridge Wells winning 1-0 at home.

On a relatively mild, and dry evening, this was a competitive game that Tunbridge Wells slightly edged during the first half, but it was the visitors who took the lead with pretty much their first sight of goal on 24 minutes, when an unmarked Adam Wadmore headed home a corner. Within a couple of minutes, the hosts came close to equalising when a low shot went just wide of the far post, but they were level on 34 minutes with a well worked goal. A corner was played short, passed low into the area, and a clever reverse pass set Ian Parsons towards the byline, and he tapped the ball home.

The second half was a quieter affair, and what turned out to be the winning goal was scored on 67 minutes by the visitors. After the hosts made a bit of a hash of an attacking move, the ball was lumped forward for Harry Ottway to run onto, and he outpaced the defence to break clear before showing good composure to guide the ball low past the keeper. Tunbridge Wells never really looked likely to equalise for a second time, with the final ball just not good enough as they were consigned to another defeat.

Hullbridge Sports 3 v 2 Enfield 1893

Saturday 2nd December 2017
FA Vase 3rd Round
Lower Road, Hullbridge
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 85
Match Rating: 4

Lower Road has been my last remaining ground to visit in the Essex Senior League for over a year now, and with a decent cup tie in prospect in probably my favourite cup competition, and with the visitors being a team I watched in a rather lively encounter in the previous round, I decided to complete the league today.

Lower Road is a couple of miles north of Rayleigh train station, and armed with a £1.80 Plusbus add-on ticket, I travelled a little further beyond ahead of kick-off, to enjoy a couple of pints at Hullbridge Riverside, in two pubs opposite each other on the bank of the River Crouch and which couldn’t be more different from each other. The football ground is part of a large expanse of playing fields, spectators enter in one corner of the ground, paying at a small hut, and a long brick building extends from just outside the entrance to close to that half way line. This building houses the clubhouse, function room and changing rooms, with several picnic tables on a grass area to the front. There is little aesthetic beauty about the ground itself. Along the clubhouse length, there is a fairly tall stand covering a flat standing area by the half way line, and immediately either side there are modern metallic all-seater stands. There is a further small stand covering a flat area towards the furthest corner flag, although it does not seem to be in use. There is just hard standing behind both goals, while the remaining length is out of bounds to spectators. The perimeter is interesting – half of it has quite attractive dark brown panel fencing, behind one goal and along half a length, beyond which there are only poles standing, and behind the remaining goal there is see through hexagonal metal fencing. The programme was a really good effort, printed in colour, attractively laid out, some interesting articles to digest and more than enough stats and facts to preview the match with.

Perhaps disappointingly at this stage of the competition, this tie paired two teams from the same division, the Essex Senior League. It had been a difficult season for Hullbridge Sports so far, certainly in the league. They were bottom of the Essex Senior League, having won four and drawn four of their 20 league games so far, although following six consecutive league defeats , they have picked up four points from their last two league games and won a cup tie midweek. To reach this round of the FA Vase, Hullbridge have beaten Ilford 0-3 away, Conley Heath 1-0 away in a replay, and Wembley 3-2 at home.  Hullbridge have had a very good recent pedigree in the FA Vase, reaching the fourth rounding each of the last three seasons. Enfield 1893 were in 14th place in the Essex Senior League, following six wins and two draws from their 19 league games. To reach this stage of the FA Vase, Enfield have beaten Haverhill Borough 1-0 at home, Stowmarket Town 4-5 away, Coggeshall Town 1-0 at home, and Tower Hamlets 1-2 away.

On a bright and sunny but bitterly cold afternoon, Hullbridge came closest to scoring first on 5 minutes. A defender tried the shepherd the ball out of play but Jimmy Cox managed to whip the ball into the box, and Michael Salami's powerful header forced a great reflex save from the visiting keeper. The game rather meandered along until the 23rd minute, when Hullbridge were awarded a penalty after a powerful shot from outside the area by Joe Pattison hit a defender's hand. Cox struck the ball low in the bottom right of the goal, sending the keeper the wrong way, to give the home side the lead. Enfield came close to equalising on 30 minutes when John Bricknell fired a free kick just over the bar. But for the most part, the first half was a midfield battle, and the home side retained their narrow one goal lead at the break.

The match really burst into life three minutes of the break, and set the tone for a very lively half of football, with tempers boiling over, not helped by a weak referee. Initially he awarded a free kick just outside the area close to the byline when a cross was blocked by an Enfield hand. After protests by the Hullbridge players, the referee consulted the linesman, and he then awarded a penalty instead, to provoke some really aggressive protests by the Enfield players. Eventually, Cox scored his second penalty of the match, firing into the bottom right corner. Enfield's players and coaching team really pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable, screaming and gesticulating at the referee frequently, particularly when they were denied a penalty for an apparent foul in the box. On 68 minutes, Hullbridge's keeper had to be subbed due to injury, and within a minute, Enfield saw a cross played high over the keeper, which he couldn't claim, but the ball was stabbed into the side netting at the far post. On 73 minutes, Enfield were awarded a penalty, probably inevitably following sustained intimidation by their players towards the referee, for a foul tackle in the box. Bricknell fired the ball emphatically into the top left of the net to give the visitors hope. They had further hope when Hullbridge's substitute keeper was sent off for retaliating to a late tackle, although bizarrely only one Enfield player received a yellow card for their part in a melee. Scorer of both Hullbridge's goals Jimmy Cox took over in goal, and so it was probably with some relief that they opened up a two goal lead on 83 minutes, Harry Watkins shooting the ball into the top left corner from a free kick just outside the area. But within 2 minutes, Enfield pulled back the deficit to one goal again. The ball was launched high into the box, and after a couple of attempts to poke the ball home, Luke Thomas did. Despite plenty of huff and puff, Enfield didn't really threaten to score an equaliser, and so it was Hullbridge who progressed to the last 32 of the competition. And that was the deserved outcome, not least considering the conduct of the visiting team towards the officials.