AFC Stoneham 2 v 0 Baffins Milton Rovers

Saturday 18th January 2020

Wessex League Premier Division

Stoneham Lane Football Complex, Eastleigh

Admission including Programme: £6.00

Attendance: 75

Yet again I tried to tick off a visit to Totton & Eling today, and yet again I was thwarted, this time due to a waterlogged pitch. Which in some ways seemed rather strange on a beautiful day of wall to wall blue skies and bright sunshine, but heavy rain falling throughout the week on saturated ground had taken its toll. I made my way to the Southampton  area with a visit to the Stoneham Lane Football Complex in as a back up, and it would be no hardship to divert to there instead take in AFC Stoneham's first league game at their brand new venue, enabling me to recomplete the Wessex League Premier Division as soon as practicably possible.

The Stoneham Lane Football Complex is about a 15 minute walk from Swaythling rail station, and a peaceful haven of rural tranquility this location is not, with the M27 motorway passing close behind and above one of the lengths. Operated by the Hampshire FA, to enter the complex, it is necessary to register in advance on the Hampshire FA website, provide plenty of personal data, which generates a personal QR code to be scanned from a mobile device on a reader at the automatic turnstiles. That allows access to the main complex building which includes a large café area, and spectators then proceed outside to the turnstile block to enter the main "stadium pitch" (there are two other plastic pitches adjacent to the main one). The "stadium pitch" is enclosed by see-through cage fencing, with a long metallic all-seater stand straddling the half way line on one side, and hard standing is available around the rest of the pitch. As customary in the Wessex League, team line-ups were written up on a whiteboard, located just inside the entrance. It is a very neat, tidy and smart facility, and there was a friendly, welcoming atmosphere about the place. A 24 page programme was included with admission and was a good read, with an eye catching front cover in colour, a couple of welcome messages and good information about both clubs and the league season.

These are exciting times for AFC Stoneham, moving into their new home ground, and things are proving just as exciting on the pitch this season. Now in their fifth season in senior football since their promotion from the Hampshire League, and promoted as champions of Division One last season, they are second  in the table, following  14 wins and two draws from their opening 20 league games, three points behind leaders Alresford Town but with two games in hand. Baffins Milton Rovers were having a great season but have been hampered badly by postponements, having not played just one league game in December, and one before today in January. They came into this game in twelfth place, following ten wins and seven defeats from their opening 17 league games, but with league games in hand on all teams above them, a top six finish looks very achievable. Today would be the first meeting between the clubs this season.

On a very chilly afternoon, particularly as the sun set, the first half was an even affair, with plenty of hustle without much end product. Although Stoneham came closest to scoring, the visitors also looked dangerous on the attack, particularly down the wings, but the final ball was lacking.

Stoneham burst out of the traps after the interval, and they went on to dominate the rest of the match. Barely a minute after the restart, a poked shot hit the outside of the post, although on 49 minutes, a low ball across the goal by the visitors just evaded a tap in. On 58 minutes, a Stoneham player surged forward clear of the defence, and was eventually brought down by a defender inside the penalty area, and a penalty was duly awarded. Hills converted into the top right from the spot, just evading the keeper's outstretched fingers. Stoneham doubled their lead on 64 minutes with a super goal, Wiseman  curling the ball perfectly from the edge of the penalty area into the top right hand corner, giving the keeper no chance. They hit the woodwork again on 82 minutes, this time a shot hit the inside of the post, with the ball then bundled away from the danger area for a corner. Stoneham saw out the game quite comfortably in the end, to maintain their second place in the table.

Montpelier Villa 5 v 1 Rottingdean Village

Wednesday 15th January 2020
Southern Combination League Division Two
Falmer Sports Complex, Falmer
Admission: None
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 50 (estimate)

Fancying some midweek action, the return of prolonged heavy rain this week resulted in most games within Sussex being postponed. Fortunately this game was never in doubt thanks to a plastic pitch, and although a trip to the Falmer Sports Complex would be a revisit for me, it is a very different ground now to the one I visited in August 2015, in the the early stages of Montpelier  Villa's debut season in the Southern Combination League.

The Falmer Sports Complex is part of the University of Sussex campus, which itself sits immediately opposite Brighton & Hove Albion's Amex Stadium, with the A27 dual carriageway running inbetween. Parking is limited in the immediate vicinity of the sports centre, but plenty is available on the main university campus, or Falmer train station is about a 15 minute walk away, mostly uphill. On my previous visit, the ground was just a roped off grass pitch, but had leafy surroundings, with all four sides accessible to spectators. Since then, a plastic pitch has been installed, and the pitch is also marked out for American Football, with its goal posts installed behind the football goals. Entrance is gained in one corner, with programmes available at the gate, and along most of this length is hard standing, covered by a curved white plastic roof. A mesh wall separates those watching the game on the main football pitch from those watching the action on the adjacent multi sports plastic pitch, and team line-ups are written on a large whiteboard posted on this wall. This length is the only area accessible to spectators, with the rest of the pitch being closely lined by high cage fencing. Refreshments are available from the centre's pavilion a short walk away, this evening only from vending machines, but usually a spacious bar area is available. Montpelier Villa have applied for promotion to senior football, but whilst facilities here are certainly above average for Step 7 football, with floodlights and cover, it is hard to see how the ground could be allowed to host Step 6 football as it stands, with no seating present and only one side of the ground accessible.  The programme was very decent for this level, with a lengthy welcome message and the necessary stats and facts to preview the match.

Montpelier Villa certainly look favourites to do enough to achieve promotion on the field, having won 13 of their opening 14 league fixtures, scoring 66 goals in the process, and only dropping points in their opening game of the season, which they drew 3-3. They came into this game seven points clear at the top of the table. Rottingdean Village were in 12th place in the 14 team division, following two wins and two draws from their 13 league games. In the reverse fixture of this evening's game played in late August, Montpelier Villa won 0-4.

The originally scheduled kick-off time of 7.45 was put back to just after 8 after traffic problems caused by the A27 being closed due to an accident. On a dry but very chilly evening thanks to a cool breeze, the opening quarter of the game was quite even, scrappy, but with the visitors were looking just as dangerous as the hosts - indeed, with just 2 minutes on the clock, Rottingdean had a shot from the edge of the area deflected over the bar. But on 21 minutes, Montpelier Villa were awarded a penalty when a run jinking past challenges into the penalty area was halted by a defender's trailing leg. Chris Grant struck the ball from the spot into the bottom right corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. And on 29 minutes, Montpelier Villa doubled their lead, Joshua Rondel going on a super surging run from the half way line, gliding past several chances, before passing the ball low from the edge of the penalty area inside the keeper's near post. And within a minute, it was all but game over, when a low cross from the right was clipped past the keeper by Mitchell Ford. The visitors were really struggling to cope with Montpelier Villa's attacking play now, and they conceded a fourth on the 44th minute when Rondel tapped in at the far post.

Within a minute of the restart though, Rottingdean pulled a goal back, when a cross from the right was deflected past the wrong footed keeper, and they did have a decent change to pull another goal back on 50 minutes, but the ball was stabbed just wide of the far post. But on 57 minutes, Montpelier Villa restored their four goal cushion following a lovely aerial diagonal ball towards the corner flag, and following a dribble to the byline, the ball was crossed low for Shay Tobin to turn the ball home. The game rather petered out after that, with Rottingdean looking a beaten team and the hosts seemingly happy to see out a comfortable victory.

Charlton Athletic 2 v 2 West Bromwich Albion

Saturday 11th November 2020
EFL Championship
The Valley, Charlton
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 19,720 (3,154 away)

This was a match that Charlton fans were really looking forward to, as it would be first home league game since the takeover of the club by East Street Investments was officially confirmed, following the EFL's approval, thereby bringing an end to Roland Duchatelet's shambolic, at times breathtakingly incompetent ownership since 2014. And with the new chairman, Matt Southall, making all the right noises about engaging with the fans and local community, looking for organic development of the club, and even Abu Dhabi based majority shareholder His Excellency Tahnoon Nimer speaking of his enthusiasm for the challenge, it really felt like the sun was starting to rise again in SE7, after 5 years of dispair and gloom - even last season's promotion was tainted with fears about the future.

This promised to be a tough assignment for Charlton, however, still plagued by injuries, and with both senior strikers Lyle Taylor and Macauley Bonne out injured, it was left to 20 year old Josh Davison, who finished last season with Isthmian League outfit Enfield Town, to lead the line.Slowly players were coming back though, with Johnny Williams and Tomer Hemed on the bench, and on loan signing from Aston Villa, Andre Green, making his debut in the starting XI. Charlton came into this game in 19th place in the 24 club division, four points clear of the relegation zone, and since the Boxing Day win at The Valley against Bristol City, they lost 2-1 at Derby County, and 0-1 at Swansea City. West Bromwich Albion came into this game in second place, following 14 wins and ten draws from their 26 league games, level on points with leaders Leeds United, and 9 points clear of third place and the play-off positions. They had only picked up two points from their last four league games, however. A quirk of fate saw this exact same fixture played at The Valley last Sunday in the FA Cup 3rd Round, with West Brom triumphing by 0-1. Very different teams would be fielded today from that game though, with Charlton's team more resembling an Academy line-up, and included a 16 year old in Aaron Henry. When the two clubs met in the reverse league fixture back in late October, the match finished 2-2, with Charlton equalising four minutes into added on time with a penalty.

A match report of the game can be viewed by clicking here, while video highlights can be viewed by clicking .here.

So, a very good point for Charlton, coming from behind twice against against a club for whom this point was enough to send them to the top of the table.

Walsham-le-Willows 0 v 2 Norwich United

Saturday 4th January 2020
Eastern Counties League Premier Division
Summer Road, Walsham-le-Willows
Admission: £7.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 69

 

When my partner announced that she would like to come with me for a day out today, I chose Suffolk as one of my "go-to" destinations for a nice day out in pleasant, scenic and friendly surroundings. And so I planned a drive up the A12 and A14, a three and a half mile walk on arrival around the peaceful village and surrounding countryside (a guide to which can be viewed by clicking here), a stop for a lunchtime pint, and before taking in this game in the afternoon.

Walsham-le-Willows is a small, sleepy and picturesque village, with the football ground a ten minute walk northwards from the village centre, out in the open countryside. The football club is part of Walsham-le-Willows Sports Club, whose facilities straddle either side of a country lane. To one side, there are a couple of football pitches, a caged 3G pitch, a tennis court and a car park, whilst to the other is the senior football ground, with its pitch used as a cricket outfield during the summer months. Entrance is gained in one corner, paying admission at a smart wooden hut, from which programmes are also available. Immediately inside the ground is the complex's clubhouse, with a bar that is quite warm and cosy inside, and a large patio with picnic tables on to the front. A separate adjacent but similar looking pavilion building houses the changing rooms some distance behind one of the goals, with a tea bar hatch located in the front wall of this building. Straddling the half way line is a decent stand,  with four rows of seating inside and good elevation between the rows and no obstructing pillars. Either side of the seating area inside the stand  there are a couple of shallow steps to stand on, with team line-ups posted on the back wall. Immediately behind the other goal there is quite a spacious stand made of corrugated sheets. Due to the field being shared with the cricket club, the remaining length is grass but with railing, except for the cricket square area straddling the half way line. The old pavilion is still in place on the far side of the cricket field. In summary, the ground is neat and tidy, blending in well with the rural surroundings. The 32 page programme was a very good publication,  with a colourful and eye catching cover, all of the necessary stats and facts, and some interesting articles to read about the home and visiting clubs, and football in general.

Walsham-le-Willows are having a steady season so far, coming into this game in 13th place in the table following seven wins and three draws from their opening 20 league games. It has been a strange season for them so far. They were in decent form, winning their last two, and five of their last seven league games, and have lost just two of their last 11 league games. That steadied the ship after a very poor start to their season, when they lost eight of their opening nine league games. After a two season stay in the Isthmian League, this is Norwich United's second season back in the Eastern Counties League, and after finishing eleventh last season, they came into this game in sixth place, following ten wins and three draws from their opening 17 league games, six points adrift of second place. They were in good form, scoring a total of 14 goals in their last three league games, although those three games stretch back to late November. When the two clubs met in the reverse fixture back in September, Norwich United won 2-0, and although Walsham-le-Willows won 0-1 at Plantation Park in the League Cup in November, the result was subsequently overturned due to Walsham fielding an ineligible player.

On an overcast afternoon with a very chilly breeze blowing, this turned out to be a game mostly controlled by the visitors, as the hosts just never seemed to get going. Norwich United took the lead on 12 minutes following a quick break down the middle, with the ball laid off to Liam Jackson, who struck it low under the keeper. On 36 minutes, Norwich were awarded a very soft looking penalty, Finlay Barnes falling to the ground after a defender's push, and a Walsham player was sent to the sin bin for his protests. Jackson then drilled the ball from the spot into the bottom left corner.

So, a comfortable looking lead at the interval, and that rarely looked in any danger throughout the second half, which Norwich United controlled for long periods, creating the vast majority of the chances, although Walsham did also create the odd half chance towards the end of the game, as Norwich started to give the ball away a little more. But the final score was a fair reflection of the game, a win which sees Norwich United rise to fifth, still six points adrift of second place, while Walsham dropped to 16th, but remaining ten points clear of the one designated relegation berth this season.