30/12/17 Review: Bowers & Pitsea vs Ware

Bowers & Pitsea 0-2 Ware (Bostik First Division North)

Len Salmon Stadium

Exactly a year to the day since my failed expedition to Billericay Town's New Lodge, I was yet again in Essex for the New Year festivities and so I thought I'd have another go at getting to one of the Bostik League's grounds- this time I chose the fairly short hop over to Pitsea, on the border of Basildon, for my final game of 2017.

My 101st Ground

In truth, it will be the journey to and from the ground that shall live as long in the memory as the match itself, but I always maintain that Groundhopping isn't just about the 90 minutes of football on display, with the people, the ground and the many other factors all playing a part- my mate once took a drenching from a water sprinkler and it made an otherwise poor outing a great one. So with the 13:25 train from Leigh-on-Sea taking me to Pitsea, I arrived and mooched over to the Tesco Extra in anticipation of catching the number 5 bus to a place called Wilsner. So far so good. Having stood awaiting the bus with a few Pitsonians I thought I'd ask about the Bowers team, but after chatting with three different people it appeared that nobody actually knew anything about them, even to the extent that the junior bus driver questioned whether Wilsner was the right place for me to be getting off in search of the ground. Alas, I continued to take the ride until I eventually saw a bit of road that looked similar to what I'd seen on Google Maps earlier that day. As documented in a recent trip to Meadow Lane, I tend to make hard work of my public transport adventures due to a lack of botherdness to prepare for the journey, but with luck often on my side I dare say I've missed very little football as a result of it. With almost an hour until kick-off still, I knew that I was in the correct part of town and now just had to wander aimlessly until I saw that delightful nugget also known as a peeking floodlight from over yonder.

At least I could take in the scenery along the way

Having trawled through the graffiti-stained streets of Cliftonville in Belfast and some of the less delightful parts of Manchester I was no stranger to roughing it, but as I found myself roaming around alone and stumbling over bin bags and empty cider bottles on each street corner, I realised that this labyrinth of a council estate could go on forever and so I took temporary sanctuary in a pub on the Tyefields road. The folk in the bar were very friendly and after supping a quick beer, chatting about the mighty Macc Town and gathering information on the Len Salmon Stadium's location, I was again on my way with just under 30 minutes until kick-off. With the direct instructions ingrained in my mind, I soon found myself following a few other fans towards the ground. In an attempt to create a witty ice-breaker for the day I had prepared a humorous conversation starter that I soon found myself using as I approached the entrance. I walked up to the stewards guarding the side-entrance and said "who have you lads got today then?", to which they replied with "Ware". I was then straight in with "No, I said who, not WHERE!" and with a smile raised all-round I was happy to have added to the good mood of people at the ground, who were still buzzing from Boxing Day's bumper attendance of 208 for a massive 2-1 victory over local rivals Canvey Island. After heading into the well-attended clubhouse for a pre-match pint, I surrendered £10 at the gate and headed in to the ground with kick-off almost upon us. My first impression of the ground was that it has the rough-and-ready feel of the rest of the estate that the ground was built upon, but I soon realised that the tinpot style only added to the character of the venue and I was pleased to be at yet another ground that realistically matches the area it lives in. Just like the Lamb Ground I'd visited for my magical 100th last week, the Len Salmon came with a decent amount of covered standing and seating areas, with both home and away fans feeling welcome before the match. Before the start of today's match, the hosts were sitting pretty in 2nd, just 2 points off the top spot and an impressive 7 points in front of the rest of the pack and although table-topping AFC Hornchurch had three games in hand, the Bowers would feel that a win today could keep them in contention to make a challenge into 2018. For Ware on the other hand, today would be another chance for them to try and climb the table from their 22nd position and with just 2 points gained in 3 December games so far the odds weren't in their favour. My pre-match prediction for today was 4-1 to Bowers & Pitsea- how wrong could I be?

Game time

As expected, it was the 2015-16 FA Vase Finalists that started strongest in their red and white strip. Bowers looked to push forward in the early stages and the first big chance came in the 16th minute as Tony Stokes headed wide a free header following a great cross from the right-wing. This miss was to be the first of a few for the home side and it seemed like if they were going to gain the lead they would need a bit of luck- which almost came on a couple of occasions as the Ware keeper fluffed his goal kicks straight into the path of the front three for Bowers. It was not a great start in terms of action and I must admit that I was starting to feel that Ware would be happy to just play on the counter and not really do too much else. This remained consistent for the first-half and as the game turned into a simulation of a pinball table with the ball pinging up and down the field and bouncing off players without too much control being shown, the next real chance fell to Ware after 30 minutes and after Hamilton crossed in for Elsom it was only for an air-shot to deny the striker the opener.

The Bowers continued to push, but largely reduced to set-pieces

The most common sight from the stands was Jamie Salmon, who may or not be related to stadium named Len, taking free-kicks into the Ware box and although his delivery was often decent, there wasn't too much threat at the receiving end. Ware's left-back Oujdi had gone into the Ref's book following three fouls all of a similar nature, and when he soon conceded a fourth there was a moment's silence as the man in the middle decided whether or not to dismiss him. One fan tried to help the cause by shouting "that's his eighth one!" but in the end Oujdi was allowed to remain on the field, which would prove to be a key decision for the visitors. Bowers continued to attack and after Ashman waltzed through three defenders out on the left, he then picked out Lewis Manor who couldn't apply the finish. At the other end the lucky-to-be-on-the-pitch left-back Oujdi started a good counter in the 41st minute and after an initial shot was well saved, the ball fell to the poaching winger Marvin Hamilton and he just about bundled the ball over the line and gave the half a dozen travelling fans behind the goal something to cheer about just before half-time. Bowers 0-1 Ware.

Half-time, get the beers in

The afternoon was surprisingly mild considering the arctic conditions we'd seen recently, but that still didn't stop people wrapping up in three thousand layers. As a pint was poured for me at half-time, the bar staff couldn't help but comment on the temperature outside and said that my hands must be cold from being out there with a bevvy in hand. I quickly informed her that I was indeed wearing shorts and that left her unable to add further comment about the concerns of being cold. I did however start to feel the need to pull out my new woolly hat for the second-half and the colours of my Sheffield FC garment fitted in well with the red wear of the home fans.

Second-half, behind the goal view with the away few

The second-half was more of the same really and after Alaa Oujdi was subbed off before being sent off, the match was underway again. The first chance of note came on the hour-mark and unfortunately for the home side it was again a shot off target,this time from Leahy from close-range. I could continue to write about the chances carved and wasted by the hosts but ultimately it would be the away side who sealed the deal with another well-timed counter. Another ball was punted up towards substitute striker Sam Alderson and he took his chance to beat the back-peddling defence and then much to his delight he lofted a shot over a stranded Chafer in goal to ensure the three points. Bowers 0-2 Ware. In fairness, I couldn't knock the effort of Ware and they implemented their gameplan to perfection today as they countered with precision and played an otherwise unspectacular game in which they absorbed the Bowers & Pitsea attacks. I do think that Bowers would have easily won this one had they been more clinical at hitting the target, but that's how it goes sometimes at this level and I'm sure on another day it would have been a different story. The Ref soon blew for full-time after Ware almost made it 0-3, but either way Ware would be chuffed with the result. I promptly departed the ground and made my way back to the bus stop to begin my journey back to Leigh- after popping back to the pub for a post-match pint, of course.

And the victors would be on their way back Hertfordshire

I don't know when I'll next be making it to a new ground but hopefully it will be sooner rather than later and in the meantime I'd like to wish all the fans from Bowers & Pitsea and Ware a Happy New Year, as well as my other readers. Have a good 2018 y'all!

23/12/17 Review: Tamworth vs Leamington

Tamworth 0-3 Leamington (National League North)

The Lamb Ground

So here it is, Saturday 23rd December 2017, also known as the day that I visited my 100th Ground. The centurion is something that I'd set myself a target of achieving by the end of 2017 and although I left it pretty late to get there, I must say that I'm pretty impressed with the 47 ground haul that I've managed this year. Throughout December I have been thinking of making a big deal of it, with ideas of seeing the Etihad, Turf Moor or Anfield to mark the occasion, but in the end I felt like I just needed to get on with it and so I asked for cover from my afternoon shift to get to a game. My initial plans were scuppered early in the day when a potential free ticket to Villa Park vanished into thin air and with few games to choose from in the area, I decided I'd make the ride down the M6 and across the A5 to a ground I'd been toying with visiting for a couple of years now- The Lamb Ground.

My Fifth National League North ground 

Tamworth Football Club are known as The Lambs and it is at the Lamb Ground that the Staffordshire side have lived in since shortly after their founding in the mid 30's. Some of you may remember a few decent FA Cup runs they've had since the turn of the millennium, but aside from that they have existed as a National League side, with many a season in the Premier and the Northern divisions. Following their most recent relegation at the end of the 2013-14 campaign, Tamworth have had three seasons of finishing just outside the playoffs and are still ambitious to make a return to the non-league's highest branch. Leamington on the other hand have just made it into the National League North after finishing runner-up behind Chippenham Town in last season's Southern Premier League, but that certainly hasn't stopped them continuing to progress as they started the day hoping to climb away from the drop-zone. The Brakes may have been 9 points off Tamworth before play began, but they would no doubt be looking back to a 2-3 away victory over leaders Salford City as inspiration and with expecting a close tie, I predicted a 0-0 draw for this one- surely it couldn't be a classic for my 100th, could it?

Feeling Festive yet?

I finished work in Stafford at 2pm on the dot and by the time I crossed South Staffs it was just about time for kick-off. The ground is located right in the heart of a housing estate in Kettlebrook and can be seen from the Snowdome, and so I parked up on a side street and started to mooch over with the last few stragglers. Entry was priced at £12 for today, which I thought was fairly reasonable considering my last trip to Kettering's Latimer Park in the league below was a tenner and whenever I go to National League Premier matches it tends to cost me a whopping £17-£19. I stepped through the turnstile just in time for kick-off, and I was pleasantly surprised with the scenes that were unfolding between my eyes. Painted in a bold red coat, the majority of the roof was covering concrete standing areas and one fairly modern looking main stand that provides the only seated area at The Lamb Ground. The away fans had already taken over a fair chunk of the only non-covered section of the ground and there were a couple of food huts on-site too. If I were to categorise the ground in any way, I would say that it is a typical non-league venue with a lot of character and some decent viewing areas all-round, and for me it is what you would describe to people if they asked what a football ground was like at this level. Prominent colours, the smell of burgers, a good sprinkling of fans and clutter crammed into every corner and crevice surrounding- a much happier and familiar place for me than the generic feel of being at most Football League stadiums.

Talk about painting the town ground red

On the field, the game started at a reasonable pace and both sides showed signs that they could play a bit. As the away fans continuously chanted "Ohhhhhhh Lemmy, Lemmy" it would be Callum Gittings who almost got the opener on 9 minutes, but he was only able to slide his effort wide as a desperate Stephan Morley tracked back for Tamworth. Once the Lambs got the ball moving on the astro-turf pitch they looked pretty good themselves and the play-off chasers carved a half-chance on 12 minutes- this time the shot on the edge of the area would be high, wide and not too handsome. The hosts did continue to press in the opening stages and after Darryl Knights pulled out a flick that Neymar would have been impressed with to release Zack Kotwica, the midfielder then ran in on goal before eventually hitting a poorly composed strike straight at the well positioned keeper and captain Tony Breeden. Amongst these chances there was a few rough challenges going about too and after two bookings in as many minutes for either side, I was finding myself at the heart of a proper game of footy and the opening goal was just around the corner.

But first, a quick toilet break

With the half-hour mark surpassed it was former Notts County forward Colby Bishop who pulled out a great goal as he fired in a 25-yard rocket that flew into the net in front of the rapturous away support. Tamworth 0-1 Leamington. The yellow and black scarves were waved as the fans piped up again, this time with a round of "One shot, One goal. One shot, One goal!" as Tamworth restarted the action. An injury to an away player had forced an early change to the side for Leamington and it would be Ahmed Obeng on the left-wing who would make a crucial chance just before the break. The number 14 ran down the left-wing with only a cross into the box on his mind, and when he eventually picked out the pass it was expertly placed in to Gittings who simply couldn't miss from inside the 6-yard area. Tamworth 0-2 Leamington.

Half-Time, best give the Clubhouse a try

With Leamington showing a crucial and cutting edge thus far, the break gave fans from both sides time to reflect on a slightly unexpected scoreline to this point. To do this, I plonked myself in the thick of it amongst many heavy drinking fans in both red and yellow, ready to sample a pint of my own. It was nice to see the bar rammed with people and with the added delight of both sets of fans mixing and exchanging conversation, I supped my beer before heading back out for the second half. With the cool air drawing in the night, I decided to jump in the long stand running across the opposite side to the main stand and soon after kick-off I realised that this was where the noisy home fans were housed. With not much to shout about for the home lads, they turned their attentions to festive frivolities by singing a full verse of Rudolph. The good will and fun nature amongst the crowd soon turned back to brief silence and disappointment though as Bishop was gifted another chance which he took after rounding the keeper easily to create himself an open goal. Tamworth 0-3 Leamington. The collapse at the back for the Lambs was compounded by the fans who piped up again with a round of "we're shit, and we know we are" whilst the away fans cheered an easy three points with still half an hour to go. Connor Taylor would have a decent chance towards the latter knockings, but his quickly taken shot summed up the host's day to be honest. The 708 in attendance had a fair spread of home fans and they did continue to cheer on their side, but it was one man stood a few meters to my left who kept me entertained as he continued to shout out the word "clueless" after every failed attack, waiting a beat before then repeating the word in a louder and longer-drawn tone.

Clueless... CLUUUUUUUUELESSSSS!

The main positive I can report from the day was that Dexter Walters, a second-half sub, was a shining light amongst an otherwise dull offensive outfit from Tamworth and the young left-winger showed some awesome skills down the flank, beating Leamington's Richard Taundry on every occasion they faced up. He showed some flicks and tricks that reminded me of Justin Kluivert and if the lad picks up a bit from the experience of National League North football, I predict that he'll go on to bigger things and maybe even the Football League. As it was for this afternoon though, his efforts would be fruitless and despite a lot of late pressure we were to see no consolation goals from the red-shirted Lambs. I stuck around for a few minutes to clap both sides off and I continued to applause as the Leamington players approached the away fans. Having known little of the visiting side today, I must say I was very impressed and I'll look forward to eventually getting over to the New Windmill Ground.

Merry Christmas to all Lambs fans and Brakes supporters alike, and also to my regular readers! 

25/11/17 Review: Kettering Town vs Gosport Borough

Kettering Town 2-0 Gosport Borough (Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division)
Latimer Park

With now just one ground standing between me and the promised land of being in the Groundhopping centurions club, I was starting to get excited as I made the trip down to Northamptonshire to visit top pal and fellow football-lover Will, to take in our 12th ground together. We have been lucky enough to see a good few away days with Macc at such hotspots as Edgeley Park, Harrison Park, Congleton Town's Booth Street and even last season's Wembley defeat, but as my fellow Yorkshireman has just moved to Burton Latimer I really didn't have a better excuse to open up my pursuit on Northamptonshire's grounds and so with a free weekend on my hands I headed down the M1 and got the party started.

Will + Football + Beer = The Ultimate Saturday

After spending an hour or so having a whip round of his delightful new abode, we soon cracked on with the sausage butties and bottles of Bud and before we knew it 2:30pm had arisen, meaning it was time to make the 2 minute walk to Latimer Park, the current home of Burton Park Wanderers and of course today's hosts Kettering Town. As of 2013 The Poppies have resided here following a torrid few years and this is the closest Kettering have been to having a happy and stable home since losing Rockingham Road in 2011- which has sadly started being demolished just this month. Another abandoned ground in Nene Park proved to be a very temporary dwelling for Town before they then moved on to a fairly new stadium in Steel Park- home of Corby Town. Yes, it is fair to say that the Poppies have been like wandering nomads of late and have played in whichever league at whichever ground will have them, but only credit can be given to their fans as they have kept on following them through thin and thinner- and today was no exception. With an average home attendance of 673 so far from their eight matches, this continued support for a side who play 7 miles from their old ground has remained great and even when the side plummeted from the Conference Premier to the lows of the eighth-tier Southern League Division One it didn't stop them supporting the lads in red and white. As for the afternoon's South Coast opponents, Gosport Borough, today would be a chance for the bottom of the table side to build on their first win of the season last weekend and try to pull away from potential back-to-back relegations. With roughly a dozen travelling supporters, the bright green kitted away side were far from favourites for this one and I decided to go for a 4-1 home win in my pre-match prediction.

Decent Clubhouse

The first impression we got from Latimer Park was that a modern and well-presented clubhouse was to be the highlight in terms of the features of the ground and this spacious bar area was delightfully crammed just before kick-off. After purchasing a couple of pints to take out, we made our way into the sunny, yet frosty, afternoon ready for the teams to emerge from the tunnel. We stood at the halfway line looking over at the three seated stands that by now had started to fill up. Behind both goals were covered terraces of all-standing space, with the larger one housing the few away fans and the smaller one was filled to the brim with the Kettering kop. Compared to many clubs at this level, both sets of fans were pretty well-voiced and as the hosts started the game in a commanding position, Gosport's fanbase were more focused on the size of the ground. "My garden shed is bigger than this." was a humorous dig to say the least.

I can confirm that I haven't a garden shed to compare it with

On the pitch, Kettering Town soon found themselves one up and it was through former Football League forward Aaron O'Connor that the Poppies took the lead. The ex-Newport County goal-getter darted into the box of Gosport Borough and with the defence honing in on him, the number 8 blasted a shot into the net of Tom Price and this fierce strike sparked a frenzy behind the goal. Kettering 1-0 Gosport. This 6th minute opener looked to set the tone for dominant display and conditions on the field picked up, so did the icy wind blowing across Latimer Park. Will made the foolish mistake of leaving his beer perched on the white metal fencing around the edge of the pitch and with just under half a pint left the weather took his beverage from him as the gust blew it to the ground, leaving him to ponder what he had referred to at the time as "the worst moment of his life". Kettering started to show intent to grab a second goal just before the half-hour mark however it would be the wind that would double its lead as a second gust knocked my plastic pot over and led us to the decision to run back to the clubhouse to refuel, at which point we just about saw a brilliant save from Price to deny Matthew Stevens.

An interesting policy

As the bar was located just outside the ground itself, Will and I were presented with a pass that allowed us to pop out and grab a beer- and because we had already done this before kick-off the kindly steward jokingly said "you may as well keep it" as we re-entered, knowing that we'd probably be taking in more alcohol as the day progressed. There was a lot of assertive possession towards the back end of the half from the hosts and only small chances fell to either side before the whistle, but nevertheless I was happy with what I'd seen so far. Fearing that I'd miss a goal just before the break, I quickly marched into the toilet only to be pleasantly delighted that whilst standing at the urinal I could observe the action through the small window located very usefully looking on to the pitch- a very handy feature, indeed.

Other clubs should take note

Half-time was spent in the yet again bountiful bar and as the darkness unfolded we were pleased to be indoors to try and warm-up before reluctantly stumbling back out for the second 45. We took shelter between the stands alongside a youthful steward who kept us company with some insightful conversation about the club. I was curious to know whether Latimer Park would be at an acceptable level to be accepted in the National League, having been to grounds at both ends of the scale of that league in the shape of Aggborough and North Ferriby's EON Visual Media Stadium, and I was informed that the Chairman of the club is apparently all ready to start building should the club gain promotion. The ground does currently look a bit like a construction site in fairness, but I can certainly believe that there is ambition there. Behind one of the goals is a fenced off area containing dozens of seats rescued from their old home. Back on the pitch there had now been 68 minutes on the clock Kettering found themselves with a set-piece in a dangerous area and as the ball was swung in it was Brett Solkhon who finally managed to beat an in-form Boro keeper and seal the 3 points for the home side. Kettering 2-0 Gosport. I was pretty happy to have witnessed another goal, but it wasn't to be good news for Will as he yet again saw his beer knocked to the ground by the wind- leading him to spend the remaining 15 minutes of the match indoors and out of the clutches of the weather.

Another one bites the dust

The weather was truly bitter by this point and I think that the match pretty much died off after the second goal, aside from one more amazing save from the diving Price yet again to keep the size of the lead down. Some home fans left just before the end of play, citing the cold weather as the reason, meanwhile Rene Howe and co tried to stay warm by continuing to pepper the Gosport penalty area without really threatening too much more. The Ref soon blew for full-time and I popped back in to the clubhouse to join Will. We supped up and sodded off into Burton Latimer to try out the various pubs and working men's clubs on offer. I expect that I'll be back in these parts fairly soon and I certainly wouldn't rule out a return to my good pal's new local.

All being well, they might have this lot installed next time round

11/11/17 Review: Abbey Hulton United vs New Mills

Abbey Hulton United 3-2 New Mills (North West Counties Division One)
Birches Head Road

Day one of seven off from work meant that I had the whole world at my disposal and with a choice of matches lying at my feet in the end I decided to ditch ideas of a road-trip to Barrow to see Macc, in favour of keeping it cheap and cheerful for a trip to a very local ground in the form of Birches Head Road- my 98th ground and 23rd new venue of the season.

Only two more to go til the magic 100- woohoo

Today's opponents for Abbey Hulton United were appearing from the High Peak of Derbyshire and with a 30-mile journey on the cards today they would be looking to take three points off fellow newbies to the Hallmark Security First Division. Whereas United have joined the league after gaining promotion from the Staffs Senior League last season, unfortunately for New Mills they enter the division after a second relegation in a row and with the two sides sitting in 12th and 13th respectively before today's bout, both with 18 points, it would be interesting to see how this one would pan out. We mustn't forget that two seasons ago the sides were three divisions apart and it was of course the 2015-16 campaign where the Millers set an unwanted record after finishing the Evo-Stik Northern Division season with just 3 points from 42 games, including 0 wins!

Ohhhhh, Abbey Abbey, Abbey Abbey Abbey Abbey Hullllton!

With the sides sharing a points deadlock before the game, I decided to predict a 1-1 draw for this one and when arriving at Birches Head Road, just off the main canal route through potteries and also around the corner from my old dwelling in Sneyd Green, I was met by a muddy carpark and a couple of friendly locals- I'd expect nothing less in Stoke. There isn't much to say about the ground itself other than it is as basic as some of the other grounds I'd been to around the Staffs Senior League, but with a fair helping of fans and a full to the brim ramshackle clubhouse showing dodgy Russian streams of European matches on the TV, it was clear to see that the champs of the 2016-17 season were keen to build on last season's success. I quickly parted ways with a £2 coin and was given a can of beer to take out to pitch-side just in time for a rendition of the Last Post and a minute's silence which was almost perfectly observed for Remembrance Day, with the exception of the tune ending alongside the background noise of a hoover revving up. Following this the match got underway and just 90 seconds had passed when Abbey Hulton had their first chance after an accurate defensive clearance on to the left-wing was squared to the host's number 9. His early sighter bobbled wide on this occasion, but there were more chances to come for the hosts. In truth it was the visiting Derbyshire side that looked likely to score first and as I took stance in the modern 50-seater all black main stand by the halfway line, the Millers were on the ascendance. Despite no goals on this occasion, the New Mills travelling support seemed more eager for a goal than their opposition, with two fans sat in front of me seeming more worried about the logistics of their regional cup exploits. Despite all of this though, it would be the hosts who would soon be gleeful as an opening goal came about from another good cross-field ball on the counter. With 30 minutes on the clock the number 11, known only as Kieran to me, received the ball on the right-wing before cutting inside the New Mills defence and hitting home a left-footed strike into the net. Abbey Hulton 1-0 New Mills. As time progressed the back four of New Mills didn't as Dave Riley's side almost doubled their advantage just before half-time. It had certainly been the case that the home side had grown into the game after a good counter-attacking goal in the first 45.

HT, 1-0

With the referee's half-time whistle, the bar soon filled-up again as people tended to avoid the single-figure temperature conditions outside. Within moments of the break starting, I soon found myself joined by a good chunk of the home crowd who were pretending to be interested in the score of the Scunthorpe vs Bristol Rovers match that was being streamed rather than standing out in the cold. A can of Foster's later and it was time to head back out for a highly-charged second-half. New Mills started on the back-foot from the off, with the first chance falling again to Abbey Hulton- this time their keeper bailed them out with a full-stretch save to deny a header. An ambitious loft on the hour-mark from the opening-scorer went over the bar too as the 153 in attendance sensed another goal and as if that wasn't exciting enough for a neutral I was about to be witness to one of the game's rarities. In the 65th minute New Mills broke forward and in an act of desperation the Hulton goalie ran out and handled the ball outside of the area, seeing red for the liberty.

Grab a beer lads, things just got interesting

As one of the home side outfield players jumped in goal, the now depleted hosts now needed to act wisely, and what better way to do so than grab a second goal? As I reemerged with a beer from the clubhouse, I was just in time to see and hear United double their lead as their striker put in a decent finish in the 70th minute. Abbey Hulton 2-0 New Mills. It was now up to the visitors to react and they did just that 2 minutes later. After seeing his fellow number 9 just pop one into the goal, New Mills forward Nathan Neequaye grabbed his 10th of the season and in the process made the stand-in goalie seem frail as he showed quick reactions to tuck away ahead of the frantic orange defenders. Abbey Hulton 2-1 New Mills. The game had really turned on its charm by this point and after being denied his second just moments after New Mills scored, good old Kieran would soon be sliding on his knees as the hosts sealed the deal. At one end, New Mills thought they'd equalised as their number 8 nodded home, but after the offside flag was raised Abbey Hulton made a quick break again and this time the left-winger went clear of a tiring defence before comfortably finishing his side's third and final goal of the afternoon and perhaps the 3 points in the 84th minute. Abbey Hulton 3-1 New Mills.

The question is can the hosts hold on?

The 90th minute approached and with it came yet another goal as New Mills flirted with the idea of stealing a point. With full-force attack and a temporary goalie at their disposal, it would be a left-wing cross that seemed to me to evade everyone including the opened armed keeper, making for a tense finish. Abbey Hulton 3-2 New Mills. The dream comeback could almost have been on too as the former level 8 side won a last minute corner that was dramatically headed wide by the New Mills keeper. With that the Ref decided that enough was enough and he brought the final curtain down on this match. After a poor first 45, the second-half was a true classic and a good advert for football at this level. My last visit to a game in the Hallmark Security League had been for a Premier Division encounter between fellow Stokies Hanley Town and Atherton Collieries, but even though this match was a tier lower in the pyramid it didn't make it any less of a goal-fest. Well done to both sides for an entertaining end to the game!

04/11/17 Review: Sporting Khalsa vs Coventry United

Sporting Khalsa 3-0 Coventry United (Midland Football League Premier)

The Aspray Arena

Ever since visiting Khalsa's Aspray Arena at the start of 2016, I've been eager for an excuse to make a return to Willenhall- and I bet there's not many around who are as excited to be back in the West Midlands town. With Partizan Bristle (aka Tom) making the journey up from Bristol for this one, this day had come as a result of a vigorous planning between myself, Tom and another Pint of Football pal in Mikey and we were all rather chuffed to have nailed this date in the diary of our "Sporting Khalsa (A) Planning Committee" Facebook Messenger Page. And as if that wasn't enough, the thought of a post-match curry in the 4-4-2 Lounge was too much for even our other halves to miss out on and so Sophie and Becky decided to join the party and make our Sporting Khalsa firm a mighty set of five.

If you thought the Millwall Ultras were fierce, you should take a look at the "Khultras" (Minus the child!)

Arriving from Stoke, Bristol and Wolverhampton respectively, we made it to the ground nice and early, so needless to say we wasted no time and headed straight into the clubhouse to try out a pint whilst studying the menu for later on. Having already sampled the bargain beer and incredible curry before, the only changes to the 4-4-2 Lounge that I could note were a wall that seemed to have been constructed in the middle of the bar and another that had been taken down to allow for a patio area adjoining to the seating area we found ourselves in. So far so good and the Aspray Arena was as great as I'd remembered, with build-your-own-toilet and all, but it was time to turn our attentions to the pitch as we headed into the ground. We arrived at the turnstile and met the first issue of the day for Mikey as there appeared to be no way in for his wheelchair, but the ever-friendly Khalsa staff soon found the solution as they opened up the large gate and he was soon inside. Over to our left was the main stand still looking luscious in yellow and blue, whilst on the right was a new stand that housed the few away fans who'd travelled over for this top of the table Midlands Premier League clash. When I last visited, I'd seen Khalsa tear apart Stafford Town in a J.W Hunt Cup match here and after chatting with a couple of the owners they'd told me of their aspirations to continue to build up a National League standard venue, so I was chuffed to see that they were staying true to their word.

The new stand, very nice

True enough there was still a sense of the Aspray being a bit of a construction zone, but since buying this ground on Noose Lane from Willenhall Town in 2010 they have certainly put some great effort into making this a proper home of football for the British Asian club. As already mentioned, today's match was bound to be a big one for both sides as a 3rd vs 5th clash that could see Khalsa leap to the top of the league if results went their way. Since gaining promotion to the Midland Premier in 2015, Khalsa had finished 3rd on both occasions so far and despite a poor start to this campaign they were yet again chasing the title after going 14 games unbeaten in all competitions. For Coventry United they were also fairly new to this level and this was only their second year in the 9th tier of English football, which isn't such a bad record when you consider they only formed in 2013. Yes in their four year history it is true that United have achieved a lot, winning the Midland League Division Three in 2013, Division Two in 2014 and Division One in 2015, before finishing mid-table in the Premier last season. True enough this would be a battle between two sides with big dreams and on the way to the ground Tom, Sophie and I had made our predictions. We all went for a Khalsa victory, with a 3-2 prediction for me.

Come on you Khalsa!

With kits of yellow and blue for the hosts, red and green for the visitors as well as orange and purple shirted keepers this was a feast of colourful attire and there was an equally eye-pleasing start for the hosts in this match. Kyle Brady managed to beat the offside trap in the 4th minute and the number 9 offered a cool finish to match and set his side on their way to another victory. Khalsa 1-0 Coventry. United did start to grow into the game after the early setback and we saw a pretty even first-half, but despite some decent play from both sides there was one player that I couldn't take my eye off. Cov were playing a right-footed left-back which just wasn't working out for the visitors and as he popped up and down the field I found myself feeling annoyed at this tactical decision by Terry Anderson. I know that it is the modern way to have right-footed left-wingers and vise-versa, but this who nonsense of inverted wing-backs just doesn't work for me. At the other end Craig Bannister missed a big chance on the right and managerial maverick Ian Rowe soon found himself spitting feathers as the whistle blew for half-time. So far I'd enjoyed the game and was glad to be back, but I'm afraid that the same could not be said for the ladies who had instead taken to watching the linesman running up and down his side of the field like a toddler- and in fairness, it was pretty hilarious.

Half-time, 1-0

The night before Tom had to endure seeing his beloved Bristol Rovers lose in the FA Cup First Round to Notts County and during half-time it was my turn to see the disappointment as I looked at Sky Sports News on the big screen to see that Macc were losing 1-0 at Forest Green. Thankfully, we were both able to drown our sorrows and be grateful that we were at the Aspray Arena seeing the mighty Sporting Khalsa- my first two matches had seen the Punjabi side gain 8-0 and 3-0 victories over Stafford Town and Lichfield City.

All ready for more Khalsa goodness

As Khalsa reemerged the Assistant Manager asked the owners how rivals Bromsgrove and Coleshill Town were doing, but they refused to divulge and were more bothered about their own side getting the three points. The eventually comfortable victory could have become a bit more rocky on the hour-mark as Cov had a clear chance to equalise, but thankfully for the blue and yellow fans the United forward's header acted as a great clearance rather than a shot on target- talk about a let off. This seemed to spark the lads back into action and they then went close themselves as Liam Holt went close after a well-worked move. The game entered the final 10 minutes but this point and it still seemed possible for either side to end with victory, but Holt wasn't ready to see his side share the spoils and the number 6 set up an 82nd minute goal for Bannister, who just about squeezed the ball in past Rich Morris from a tight-angle to seemingly seal the three points. Khalsa 2-0 Coventry. In fairness to Cov they didn't take their defeat lying-down and were it not for some heroic defending from club captain and St. Kitts & Nevis international Tesfa Robinson it could have been a tense ending for Khalsa. As it was though, it would be the hosts who added a third in the last minute of regular time. Holt had been fairly assertive all game when going forward and after assisting the last goal he this time took an effort on himself, wrong-footing the keeper with a tidy finish from long-range. Khalsa 3-0 Coventry. The full-time whistle soon blew and we piled into the clubhouse ready for a stomach-warming curry. Today's victory had moved Khalsa up to 2nd after Bromsgrove Sporting fell to mid-table Highgate United, which meant for a very satisfying feel all-round despite Macc being dumped out of the Cup. The rest of the early evening was spent in the 4-4-2 Lounge with some wonderful scran, a couple more beers to wash it down and laughter amongst some great people.

Til next time, UP THE KHALSA!

03/11/17 Review: Notts County vs Bristol Rovers

Notts County 4-2 Bristol Rovers (FA Cup First Round)

Meadow Lane

For the second time this season, Pint of Football and Partizan Bristle were meeting-up for a weekend of football, beer and laughs galore as we made our separate ventures over to Nottinghamshire's County town for a Friday night FA Cup tie. Tom and his platoon of blue and white Gasheads had left from Bristol in the mid-afternoon and I set-off at a more leisurely time of 5pm from Stoke-on-Trent, with the plan to meet at the ground somewhere between 6:30 and 7pm. Knowing the the end of week traffic would be pretty hectic, I instead parked-up in Beeston and jumped on the 5 minute train into town in search of Notts County's Meadow Lane.

Next stop, Nottingham

Just over a year has now passed since Tom and I carried out our infamous weekend of madness in which we visited 4 games, in 4 days, in 4 countries and our British Isles conquest still goes down as our best tag-team effort yet. Having done Dundalk on the Friday for their title-winning final clash, before heading up to Belfast for a League game at Cliftonville's Solitude ground, we then flew back to England in time to make a Sunday trip to world-record holder TNS in Oswestry and then completed the stint with a Halloween outing to Keys Park, Hednesford. None of our exploits together have since matched, but with an FA Cup encounter pairing-up with a Saturday afternoon in Willenhall to see Sporting Khalsa at one of my all-time favourite grounds, this was still bound to be a great couple of days. This was coincidentally also my second time watching Bristol Rovers this season, sixth overall, and I was still yet to see a victory for the Gas- my record before the game was 5 draws 1 loss (after 90 minutes) and even though I would be seeing Rovers face a side from the division below, it was be bound to be a toughy as their opponents sit top of the League Two pile. Yes it is true that Notts County ended the 2016-17 campaign in a very uninspired 16th place, but with former Premier League forwards Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi up top you just never know what to expect. Ameobi, who scored 43 goals for Newcastle United in his 14 years at Tyneside and has also amassed 10 caps for Nigeria between 2012 and 2014, is a player I'd admired during my introduction to the game and I must admit I've probably seen many of his goals if not all of them on Match of the Day over the years. Additionally, County also had another veteran striker on the bench in the form of 37-year old Alan Smith and they also boast two of my favourite former Silkmen players as Shaun Brisley and Elliott Hewitt lined-up for what was bound to be an FA Cup Classic. I made my usual pre-match prediction and went for a 3-2 home victory, whilst Tom used his experience of traumatising and unsatisfactory away displays to predict a 2-0 loss for the Gas.

The bright lights looking ready for a night of FA Cup action

Back to my trip and I'd made it into the city centre, which I had familiarised myself with over the Summer as I spent a night here on a Stag-Do for my mate Sam. Knowing little of this part of the city apart from the train station, the hotel we'd stay in and Hooter's, I headed over to the latter for a pint whilst waiting for the lads to arrive. From the bar I was able to see Meadow Lane and soon enough I got the call from Tom to say that they'd arrived. Even from the outside, Meadow Lane didn't quite look like it should be the home of England's oldest Football League club and the modern style of this twenty thousand capacity ground seemed like many a generic ground I've seen at this level. Having had the delights of visiting the country's oldest ground, Hallam's Sandygate, during the FA Cup Qualifiers back in August, you must forgive my snobbish attitude towards stadia like this. I soon met Tom and the gang after arriving and we headed into the Jimmy Sirrel Stand with half an hour until kick-off.

7:45pm, game time

The view of the pitch was excellent and for an away day this was a very good place to be in my opinion. I know that a lot of visiting fans prefer to be behind the goal where they can huddle together and get the chants going as a more menacing crowd that comes close to the kop end at their own ground, but for me I prefer to be near the half-way line and getting an even view of the whole game. I'm obviously a typical neutral fan. The game started off with a very high-tempo and it would set the tone for a chance-filled evening at both ends with Rory Gaffney, supposedly the most deadly striker in Europe if you believe the weird and wonderful "Expected Goals" formula, going close in the first minute. Despite the horrid kit clash on display, there was no confusion amongst the away side when popping the ball about in the early stages, with a goal coming as early as the 8th minute. Joe Partington set the tone with a scrumptious cross from right-back and Liam Sercombe would be there to head the ball in and give Rovers an early lead to the delight of the few hundred surrounding me. Notts Co 0-1 Rovers. This positive start may have settled a few pessimist's nerves but not all of them, and table-topping County would look to get back level as soon as they had the chance- however it would be a two-goal deficit that they would need to chase as Rovers scored again in the 12th minute. A corner was taken on the left-wing by Chris Lines and the minuscule midfielder Stuart Sinclair found a gap in the Notts defence which allowed him to head home for his second goal of the season. Notts Co 0-2 Rovers.

It's all Rovers so far

Could it be that I was finally going to see Bristol Rovers win a game? Don't speak too soon. Despite their brilliant start, The Magpies would certainly not be beaten with just 12 minutes gone and they soon made their first meaningful chance- with former Bristol City striker Stead having his close-range header saved at point-blank range by Adam Smith in the Rovers goal. Kevin Nolan and his lads soon grew into the game and the fans eventually began to shout from the Spion Kop. The drums soon began to play from the home end and a cocky selection of Rovers fans aptly responded with a verse of "you only sing when you're drumming, sing when you're drumming", but the smiles would prove to soon be wiped off of the faces of the travelling Bristolians. On the half-hour mark Ryan Yates, on-loan from neighbours Forest, got his head on an expertly-placed free-kick and the comeback was on. Notts Co 1-2 Rovers. Just a minute later County gained themselves a corner and after some sloppy defending it was the 19-year old Yates in the right place again to grab the equaliser. Notts Co 2-2 Rovers. The match remained at 2-all until the break and it was during the half-time pint that we discussed another crumbling Rovers defensive display. Notts County, who remind me of the sort of team that I'd build on Football Manager when the game was 4 or 5 seasons in and all your old favourite players were old free agents, were truly matching up to some of their other impressive displays this season and for the Gas it was largely the same in terms of inconsistency and goals a plenty. During a pit-stop at the urinal, one half-cut Gashead proclaimed to me that Darrell Clarke should change from the largely disappointing 4-1-2-1-2 formation to a 4-5-2. I couldn't tell if he was making a humorous comment about not bothering with a keeper or if he just couldn't count to 11, so I just nodded in agreement.

12-man Rovers take to the field for part two

The second-half started with Notts continuing to dominate and with DC refusing to take on the advise of the drunken toilet fan, things didn't look likely to change on the field. Tom nicely summarised the display of Sinclair, the attacking point of the diamond, by stating that he had the positional play of a sausage roll and I couldn't really argue with his point- although I did now feel hungry for some pastry goodness. The inevitable fifth goal of the day was soon scored and it was Jon Stead who finished off his fourth goal of the season. Notts Co 3-2 Rovers. A flare was released from the kop end and even with over 30 minutes left, there was a distinct feel that the pendulum would not be swinging back around in Rovers' favour. A bunch of County Stewards emerged in their hi-vis jackets looking like a bold bunch of extras from Lord of the Rings, but there was no trouble at all amongst the very well-behaved away fans on this occasion. Ellis Harrison came on towards the back-end of the game, but aside from a couple of runs around the halfway line and an assist for a chance, he was as ineffective as the others surrounding him. In the 87th minute Rovers fan Gale got his wish as he got to see Alan Smith come off the bench, shouting "how does this compare to playing in a Champions League Semi-Final?" as he trotted on, but the former England international would only play a cameo role in his side's joy as he was on the field for an injury time fourth for County. Terry Hawkridge headed past a sleepy Rovers defence and Jorge Grant had no difficulty in passing the ball around the away keeper and into the net. Notts Co 4-2 Rovers.

Cue mass exit from the Rovers faithful

Full-time soon came about and after heading back to the car with the lads Tom had travelled up with, we went our separate ways as we wandered back into town for a post-match beer and an eventual trip on the tram back to Beeston- the result of us missing the last train by one minute. Overall I would say that Meadow Lane, which is a cross between Molineux and Vale Park in terms of layout and style, was as decent albeit generic as a ground you'd expect to see in the fourth tier of English football and with an attendance of just over 4,000 in tonight I was hardly blown away by the volume of either set of fans. The fact that it is a ground within walking distance of the railway station and the game itself was a great one for the neutral made it one that I'll certainly remember, but on a weekend that also involves a trip to the Aspray Arena it is always come to come in second-place!