Rayners Lane 3 v 4 Park View

Monday 22nd April 2019
Spartan South Midlands League Division One
Tithe Farm Sports & Social Club, Rayners Lane
Admission including Programme: £5.00
Attendance: 46

With a plastic pitch installed at the Tithe Farm Sports Club last summer, I had been keeping a visit here in reserve for a wet or wintry day. Very few of those came along this season, and after deciding I would rather visit a new ground than a revisit today, but with most options for that involving a very long journey, which I did not fancy after a hectic few days, I chose to take in this game today to round off my Easter travels.

The Tithe Farm Sports and Social Club is about a ten minute walk from Rayners Lane underground station, and it is fair to say that the ground was not looking at its best today, as it is in the middle of major redevelopment, with the result that parts of the ground felt more like a building site. Temporary fencing panels are situated at the entrance to the ground, with a fixture board poking above, but which had not been updated since the autumn, and after passing through a small car park, again tightly fenced in, visitors follow a temporary corridor past the clubhouse, and reach the ground along one length. As well as the recently installed plastic pitch, on the far side there is a long smartly and colourfully decorated stand, built of breeze blocks and a mostly wooden roof. The middle third covers a flat standing area, and both areas either side inside the stand contain two rows of seating in club colours of yellow and green, but there is no incline between rows. There is room to stand to the rear of the seating. To the right of the entrance, there is the clubhouse, to the front of which there are several wooden benches to sit in, a refreshments hatch is located towards one end of the clubhouse building, and next to the hatch the team line-ups are posted. The clubhouse looks very tired inside, but this is probably mainly due to it being only be in place for another month or so, when it will be pulled down to make way for a new multi use games area, intended to be used by the local community. Adjacent to the existing clubhouse, a much larger and very smartly designed building has been constructed, and will serve as the clubhouse after this season. Very tall trees closely line three side of the pitch, providing a natural enclosure to the ground. Clearly these are exciting times for the club, and when all of the redevelopment works have been completed, it will surely be an impressive facility and will be well worth a revisit. The 16 page programme was informative, with some interesting reading material and no advertising at all.

 

In truth, there is not much left to play for for either club this season, with just two games left to play. Rayners Lane were in eleventh place in the 20 team division, following 15 wins and six draws from their 36 league games. Park View have had a reasonable first ever season in senior football, coming into this game in 14th place, following 12 wins and six draws from their 36 league games. When the two teams met in the reverse fixture back in early September, Rayners Lane was 2-3.

 

The glorious warm, sunny conditions which have accompanied this Easter weekend continued today, and this game had an explosive beginning, with the home side taking the lead with barely two minutes on the clock. Alex de la Salle played a lovely through ball for Rob Hastings to pass the ball into the net before the keeper could get there. Rayners Lane then had a really good passage of play, passing the ball well and creating numerous chances before they did double their lead on 28 minutes. An initial shot was parried by the keeper and Ronnie Blagden drilled the ball home from a central position. A water break was then immediately called. Although Rayners Lane continued to be in the ascendancy, the visitors started to create some chances, and on 41 minutes, they pulled a goal back when Solomon Ofori ran forward from the half way line, just outpacing the covering defender before eventually poking the ball past the keeper. And a minute before the break, the visitors equalised, again a fast break saw the home defence struggling to retreat sufficiently and after the ball just evaded the keeper's grasp, Ofori tucked the ball home for his second of the game. A level scoreline looked most unlikely throughout much of the first half, but it was clear that Park View's pace on the break was causing real problems for the home side.

 And indeed, it was the visitors who had the better of the second half, and within five minutes of the restart, they took the lead. Again a very quick break forward, this time down the right, saw the defenders struggling and Ofori eventually poked the ball past the keeper to claim his hat-trick. Only a superbly timed tackle from behind as a Park View player sprinted into the penalty area denied the visitors a fourth on 59 minutes, and within a minute Rayners Lane equalised when Hastings curled the ball beautifully from the edge of the box into the top right hand corner, giving the keeper no chance. Park View looked much the likelier to grab a winner with their pacy attacks, but the game became very end to end in the closing minutes, and that was how the winner came about in added on time. Following a Rayners Lane corner, Park View broke quickly once more, and a drive down the right ended  with a low cross for Ofori to sweep the ball home. Rayners Lane couldn't threaten another equaliser in the closing couple of minutes, and they will really kick themselves for losing a game they looked in total command of during the opening half hour, but ultimately their defensive frailties against a lively and pacy attack ensured they would finish the game pointless.

Little Oakley 2 v 3 Frenford

Saturday 20th April 2019
Eastern Senior League Division One South
Memorial Ground, Little Oakley
Admission : £5.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 70 (estimate)

I had been saving a visit to Little Oakley for one of the warmer and longer days of the season, and with blue skies and sunshine forecast along with temperatures nudging 20C, today was the day to tick off my last ground in the Eastern Senior League Division One South.

To get to the ground, I decided to alight at Wrabness train station and embark on a thoroughly enjoyable 3.6 mile walk along the Essex Way footpath, following the bank of the River Stour with lovely views across to the Suffolk shoreline, through the woodland of the RSPB Stour Estuary Nature Reserve, then across farmland, passing by a disused windmill and then through the small village of Ramsey, before the footpath eventually leads right into the car park of the Little Oakley Memorial Club. The clubhouse, with a small patio outside, is located outside of the football ground, and to enter the ground, spectators pass around a small caged 3G pitch, before handing over the admission fee at a kiosk. Facilities have been steadily added to since the club's elevation from the Essex and Suffolk Border League to senior football in 2017, to what was then just a roped off field with dugouts. Along one length beyond the dugouts there is a green metallic stand with four rows of seating inside, which blends in quite well with the trees behind, and with club coloured blue and black seats inside, whilst just to one side of the goal at the clubhouse end is a similar looking but smaller stand with four steps to stand on. Hard standing is available along these two sides, whilst there is just grass to stand on along the other two sides, although the area behind the goal was marked as out of bounds for spectators. The ground has a leafy, rural and peaceful backdrop, and has a real village community asset feel to it. Apparently today's programme will be the last to be printed by the club, as from next season it will follow the disappointing trend of clubs at this level only publishing programmes online. Today's 24 page programme was a decent one, glossy and with some colour, it contained more than enough stats and facts to preview the game.

Both clubs have had decent seasons, and should finish comfortably inside the top half of the final league table. Little Oakley came into this game in seventh place, following 17 wins and seven draws from their 33 league games. Frenford, in their first season of senior football, were in ninth place in the 19 team division, following 14 wins and eight draws from their 34 league games. Little Oakley would surely be seeking some revenge today, as when the two teams met in the reverse fixture back in late October, Frenford comprehensively won 7-0.

On a warm afternoon, Little Oakley had the better of the opening exchanges, forcing two good saves, before taking the lead on 24 minutes. An initial shot was blocked but with the keeper now out of position, Brandon Rusby passed the ball into the net from a slight angle. Frenford had a good chance to equalise on 29 minutes following an excellent drive through midfield with the eventual shot parried, whilst a minute later, Little Oakley had a great chance to double their lead when the ball was crossed low from the right, but in a central position the ball was ballooned high and so wide the ball did not go out of play. On 38 minutes, Frenford got back on level terms. The ball was looped high to the back post before being struck home from a slight angle by Aaron Hunwicks.  But just before half time. Little Oakley went back in front, a free kick was sent over from the right wing and Lewis Wood got up well to powerfully head the ball over the keeper and into the net.

Just two minutes after the restart, Frenford equalised again with a lovely curled shot from the edge of the area into the top right corner by Larry Asare. Frenford were having the better of things now and on 74 minutes they were awarded a penalty, which Billy Whatling converted, striking the ball low into the bottom left corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. Little Oakley never really threatened to salvage a point after that, as too many of their players seemed to wilt in the sun, perhaps with an end of season feel to their play, and so it was Frenford who secured the double over Little Oakley this season. The walk back to Wrabness train station completed a most enjoyable and relaxing day out in the countryside, which felt like some reward after enduring the many days of cold or wet conditions over the winter months.

Worthing 1 v 1 Tonbridge Angels

Friday 19th April 2019
Isthmian League Premier Division
Woodside Road, Worthing
Admission: £10.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 1,332

 

Following the Southern Combination League Division One Cup Final at East Preston, I then headed the short distance along the coast to Worthing, for this league encounter between two clubs looking to secure play-off berths.

Woodside Road is about a ten minute walk westwards from Worthing train station, and a lot of work has been carried to make the venue cosmetically appealing, starting with the turnstile block, brightly decorated with mostly sponsors advertising. Just past the entrance, a range of club merchandise is available from a gazebo, and programmes from an adjacent wooden hut, with the path reaching pitch side immediately behind one of the goals. To the right, there is an uncovered terrace consisting of a few steps, which continue along the far length, which has a small covered area straddling the half way line. To the left of the entrance, there is a stand covering terrace steps, and then a refreshment kiosk by the corner. Along this length, there is a large and imposing stand, with a sizeable clubhouse, and changing rooms, on the ground floor, with rows of seating above, which offer excellent elevated, unobstructed views of the action. Behind the remaining end, there are a few steps of terracing, with a stand covering the middle third. There is a lot to like about this ground, neat and tidy, smartly finished with club signage and colours, and plenty of individuality too. The 28 page programme was well presented and with a good mix of stats and interesting articles to read, and not too much advertising present.

With just three league games left to play, this promised to be an entertaining game between two good sides, with Tonbridge Angels coming into this game in third place, following 20 wins and six draws from their 39 league games, and were three points ahead of fifth placed Worthing, who are in the final play-off spot. However, there is a real bottleneck behind them, with just three points separating Worthing and ninth placed Folkestone. In the reverse fixture is December, Worthing won 1-2, and in a League Cup tie at Woodside Road in late November, Worthing won on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

On a warm and sunny afternoon, backed by a terrific attendance which helped generate a decent atmosphere, Worthing probably had the better of the first half, certainly in terms of possession, but too often the final ball was just not good enough as they struggled to get shots on target. Tonbridge were extremely fortunate not to be reduced to ten men early on when an aerial diagonal ball forward found the run of the Worthing forward, and he was brought down just before he reached the penalty area by the last man. Very surprisingly, only a yellow card was shown, despite an obvious goalscoring opportunity being denied, and the free-kick was wasted. Not long afterwards, the Tonbridge keeper was handled outside the area, but again (but more justifiably) only a yellow card was shown, but again the free kick was wasted. Tonbridge also created the odd chance, but also did not really come close to finding the back of the net, and a goalless scoreline at half time was a fair reflection of the first half.

Into the second half and Tonbridge then gradually assumed the ascendancy, having the better chances, and on 52 minutes, the ball squirmed away from the keeper following the cross, but was hacked away just before a Tonbridge player could get a decisive touch. But on 63 minutes, Tonbridge did take the lead following a quick break forward, former Charlton youngster Tom Derry running forward down the right before passing to an unmarked Joe Turner, who drilled the ball low first time past the keeper from 10 yards. Tonbridge then had a few chances to double their lead, before Worthing grabbed an equaliser on 80 minutes with a very good goal. David Ajiboye drove from just past the half way line past several Tonbridge players, reaching the penalty area and then driving the ball low past the keeper. That really fired up the home team, with their fans loud and vociferous, and they looked much the more likely to grab a winner, but it never arrived, and a draw was probably a fair result of a game that ebbed and flowed. It is a point that was probably better for Tonbridge, even though they slipped a place in the table following Saturday's game, as did Worthing, who thereby slipped out of the play-off positions.

Video highlights of this match can be viewed by clicking here