28/08/17 Review: Maine Road vs Abbey Hey

Maine Road 1-2 Abbey Hey (FA Cup Qualifying Preliminary Round Replay)

Brantingham Road

It's not often you get to go to a Replay of a Replay, but that's exactly what the second match of my Monday double groundhop had in store for me as I headed over to Brantingham Road in the Chorlton-Cum-Hardy district of Manchester. Having already been to a game at Chester just a few hours prior to this game, I arrived in the south of Manchester nice and early in time for a top notch Hot Dog at the Wetherspoons just around the corner. It was during this between match downtime that I looked into the stats behind this derby match. Not only are the two sides in the same league, sitting 18th and 19th with 3 points and minus 5 goal differences apiece, but they were also playing each other for a third time this season already in the FA Cup. After a 2-2 Draw at The Abbey Ground in the original tie, the replay last week went into extra time following a 1-all draw before a 105th minute head-injury to Adam Hampshire for the Red Rebels player meant that the Ref had to abandon the game. With that being said, I'd predicted another draw for tonight's encounter which would mean the teams could potentially end up playing 315 minutes of football all-in-all!

Anyone for a pre-match wander around the on-site garden?

As I entered the ground via the tightly packed car park, I found myself with enough time to have a wander around the ground and see what was on offer in this one. The ground had two stands, with one housing a few wooden long benches and the other covering a section of concrete terracing. Maine Road is a team that was formed in 1955 by Man City's Supporters Club and these days they are still heavily involved as the club's main sponsor. The club is run by City fans and as if to make this tie even more tasty, Abbey Hey are very much a United lookalike that play in the infamous red and black colours known to be one half of the legendary Manchester Derby. So, needless to day that the scene was set and the 150 or so fans were ready to see how their sides would get on in what was my second derby match of the day- with the result being a home game this weekend against Evo-Stik Premier side Altrincham.

Third time lucky, let's hope!

Abbey Hey got the game up and running but it was Maine Road who pushed first, winning a corner inside the opening minute. Nothing came of this chance, but it signalled the first of many attacking plays that would come in an overall decent game of football. For Abbey Hey it was Ash Blake, pictured above, who had the first proper chance. As he ran inside from the left, the young winger slid to the ground and knocked his effort just wide in the 9th minute. This warning to the Maine Road defence was a let-off, but just a minute later they would not be allowed the same courtesy. George Noon had made a good run down the right for the visitors and when he crossed the ball in it was Rob Swallow who was waiting to apply a simple tap-in and the opening goal of the night. Maine Road 0-1 Abbey Hey. The Red Rebels continued to make chances and an 18th minute free-kick almost doubled their lead, but this time the ball smacked against the wall before looping on to the roof of the net.

I would say I was at the edge of my seat, but so was everyone

It wasn't all going the visitors way, despite their lead, and Maine Road showed intent of their own as the Sky Blues captain ran in on goal before shooting over the bar. Half-time came with the score still perfectly-poised at 1-0 to the visitors. I headed into the clubhouse during half-time where I got chatting to a few of the travelling football enthusiasts that had also made the trip to Brantingham Road. Apparently ground-hopping regular Tony Incenzo was here, as was a chap from Epsom in Surrey and also the chap I got speaking to was the father of the linesman. I spent a good five minutes talking to the man, a Chesterfield fan, and he told me that he was an involuntary ground-hopper these days as he travelled around providing travel for his son- and as a non-league lino, I imagine he also has to provide security on the odd occasion! I also had a brief chat with a hard-of-hearing Manchester veteran fan, who asked me about my travels in the following conversation: He asked me how many grounds I'd done, to which I told him 86. He said, "how many you got left to do?", and I just said "dunno, thousands?" before he looked at me and stated "oooh, you've got a few to go yet, kid!"

I literally took a pew during HT

I got back out to pitch side having missed the first few moments, but as I stepped out of the clubhouse I just about saw the Abbey Hey keeper being forced into a great save after a good strike from a Maine Road midfielder. With the home side dominating the start of the second-half, I had a very strong feeling that I'd still be stood here in an hour's time. A free-kick sailed just wide and were it not for excellent challenge after excellent challenge from Matt Cook, Maine Road would have undoubtedly been level. The right-back was the best player on the park by a country mile on this occasion. With the darkness forming in the sky, the match began to come towards its conclusion and credit must go to the Abbey Hey manager for introducing a new striker to the pitch in the form of Rhys Webb, who would prove to be just the breath of fresh air the visitors needed.

Ready for some late action? I know I was

Webb ran the show in the last 10 minutes and really took advantage of a tiring Maine Road defence. He burst down the field and through the opposition, before hitting a shot straight at the keeper and then a rebound effort was blocked by the backtracking centre-backs in blue. The resulting corner saw him nod the ball just wide and then he even popped up as the free-kick taker in the 85th minute, with another effort being deflected away from the goal. With time almost up, there was yet to be a couple of goals in this one and Webb finally got his goal in the 89th minute after hanging the Maine Road right-back out to dry out wide before hitting his shot past a flat-footed keeper. Maine Road 0-2 Abbey Hey. Credit must be given to the hosts after conceding the second goal as they did not see this as game over. Deep into injury time Maine Road's number 8 looks up and sees his chance to smash home an expertly whipped strike from 25-yards, which gave the hosts a final straw to clutch at with seconds left. Maine Road 1-2 Abbey Hey. Needless to say that the equaliser could not be purchased for love nor money in the final minute and it would be Abbey Hey who would finally claim the victory after an almighty 285 minute series of footballing rivalry.

And you'll never guess who the Red Rebels face next Monday in a League away match...

28/08/17 Review: Chester vs Macclesfield Town

Chester 0-2 Macclesfield Town (Naional Premier League)

Swansway Chester Stadium

A Bank Holiday Monday afternoon jaunt to Chester is just what the doctor ordered in what would prove to be the first of two outings yesterday. Unlike everybody else on the planet who also seemed to be heading to Cheshire's county capital, I was not going for the zoo, the pleasant market-town vibes and delicious food, no no no, I am one of those weirdos who goes to some of the nicest places in the country to watch the football.

Still, at least I got to see this little fellar

As a Macc Town fan, it is a crime against the footballing gods that I'd never been to this derby day fixture before, but thankfully I was finally checking-in to see what all the fuss was about at the Swansway Chester Stadium, as it is known these days, to see how my beloved Silkmen would get on in what would be the first competitive fixture I'd seen them play since that heart-breaking afternoon at Wembley back in May. A lot has changed since then, as I'd seen from trips to Moss Rose in pre-season and also to another away day at Stockport County, and there was a new-look team trying to gel together under John Askey as the 2017/18 season got off to an indifferent start for the Silkmen. Following a great opening win at Wrexham, Macc then drew two and lost two before picking up their second 1-0 win of the season on Friday against over Dover, leaving them with 8 points from 6. Chester on the other hand, who host three Silkmen players from last season in the shape of Andy Halls, John McCombe and Kingsley James, as well as the Macc Captain from the 2015/16 in Paul Turnbull, had drawn their first three league matches before a defeat and a victory before today's game- meaning that before play they were just two points behind their rivals.

Should be a good one at Swansway Chester Stadium

I set off with plenty of time to allow for Bank Holiday traffic and it was a good job I did so! Almost an hour and a half it took me to get to the west of Chester from Stoke and I made it with just 20 minutes to spare. To save being held-up in horrendous post-match traffic, I parked up on the main road to the ground and joined many blue kitted fans, both from Chester and Macc, in heading down Bumper's Lane ready for kick-off. By the time I'd made the decision to go to the West Stand rather than behind the goal, it was time to take my seat and see the sides come out ready to do battle.

West Side iz dee best

The Macc fans sat around me were in their usual mixed-bag format, with young, old, entranced and barely bothered folk all taking up their views on the game. One man, just 10 seconds in to the match, already felt the need to say "it's a game of two halves" and that signalled the first of his generic football phrases throughout the afternoon. My first observation on the pitch was that Ryan Astles was an absolute giant and the ex-Rhyl and Northwich Victoria defender looked set to take the far inferior frame of Tyrone Marsh to the cleaners in terms of physical battles. The 23-year old partnered ex-Macc player John McCombe in the heart of the Chester defence and although they had the height, they could do nothing about the pace of the Silkmen attackers running rings around them from the off. With just 7 minutes on the clock, a cross came in from the right and like an unmasked version of The Flash, Mitch Hancox darted into the box and got his glancing header towards and into the goal. Chester 0-1 Macc. Needless to say that this amazing start led to shots being fired from the away end at last season's Macc captain Andy Halls, who now dons the shirt of their rivals. "Hallsy, what's the score? Hallsy, Hallsy, what's the score?" was the preferred opening chant that the former Stockport right-back had to endure as his ex-employers looked to build on their opener. The game seemed to be flying-by as a Macc fan and in the 30th minute the lead could've been doubled as Gime Touré rose high above everyone in the box to head the ball just a mere whisker over the bar. Chester had a couple of long-range efforts themselves but with the Macc fan proclaimed Kingsley "Silkmen Reject" James looking their best player, they didn't seem likely to get back into it before the break.

Half-Time, happy days for the away support

As there wasn't much to see or do during the break, the joys of being an away fan, I sat back and soaked in the shade whilst looking over at the many Chester fans who would seemingly rather be in my shoes at this stage- both from over-exposure to the sun and also to the waves of Macclesfield Town attacks. With over 2,000 here for this derby match, I was eager to see the second-half get underway and see if we would kill the game off or let the blues back in. So far, Danny Whit, Tyrone Marsh and goalscorer Mitch Hancox had impressed me for Macc, as well as Elliott Durrell out on the right. Chester's side hadn't done much to inspire me and although I was impressed with the very familiar James, I couldn't help but feel the side's problem was due to a lack of passing and build-up play. Most of the time I'd seen Macc defending it was in the form of headed clearances and apart from the odd goal-kick, I don't think Shwan Jalal had touched the ball really.

Macc would start the second-half shooting towards the visiting support

The second 45 started poorly from the visitors and I feared for the first 15 minutes or so that Chester would get themselves back into contention. James ran in from the left and forced a decent stop from Jalal in what was Chester's biggest chance so far. At the other end, Gime Touré was having a woeful time of it and his self-frustration led to him lunging in on a Chester player and becoming the first player to enter Peter Wright's book. Chester's early efforts to get back into it had also led to man-mountain Astles leaving his defensive duties to go up-front and try to provide some added brute force in attack. This didn't shake Macc's focus though and with Durrell now pulling the strings out on the right the Silkmen fans were asking when, not if, the second goal would come. In the 62nd minute Durrell swung in a corner and Kieran Kennedy stuck his head on it to open his goal-scoring account with his new club. Chester 0-2 Macc. In truth, the floodgates could've opened at this point and Tyrone Marsh had a trio of chances towards the back end of the game. His third, a header from a Danny Whitaker cross, rattled the crossbar.

A lovely afternoon to get your first goal, Kieran

As with the start of the second-half, the end of it saw Chester doing their best to try and grab a goal of their own. In the dying embers, that man again Kingsley James found himself baring down on the Macc goal and were it not for an on-rushing Jalal and a backtracking defence it could've been a tense end to the game as the eventual shot was overstretched and looped over the bar. The final memorable moment of the afternoon was as Chester teenager Tom Crawford came on to make his senior debut for his hometown club- a lovely moment for the lad and the applause belted out around the ground as the lad entered the field for the final few minutes. The Ref blew the final whistle shortly after a final Chester attack in the Macc box and therefore secured a derby day defeat for Chester. I would have liked to have stuck around after the match to visit the clubhouse and shop, but as I had a second game to get to I jumped straight in my car and head on my way to Manchester in search of yet more football.

27/08/17 Review: Stoke City Ladies vs Leicester City Ladies

Stoke City Ladies 1-3 Leicester City Ladies (Women's Premier League Northern Division)

Community Drive

Just over since months after my first visit, this August Bank Holiday Sunday afternoon was put aside in my diary for a return to Community Drive so that I could go along and support the Potters Ladies side once again and get the proper match day experience in Smallthorne, Stoke. My last outing to this ground was for the Staffordshire Ladies Cup Semi-Final encounter between Stoke Ladies and their very own Reserve team and on this occasion the first team were barely tested, running out 6-0 winners on their way to winning the Cup for the ninth time in a row. Today's test in the early stages of the new Women's Premier League season, which is the third tier of women's football, would prove to be a far sterner challenge in the form of Leicester City's side and with the Foxes ladies winning their opener 2-0 versus Bradford City. Stoke on the other hand had lost their first match of the new season last Sunday as a poor 1-4 defeat against Derby County saw them get off to a disappointing start at Community Drive- so baring this in mind, I predicted a 2-2 draw for this one even though I would be cheering on a Potters victory.

Potters vs Foxes, let's do this

As a former resident of the Sneyd Green area of Stoke I was quite familiar with this area of the city and although I never got to see the last tenants, Norton United, play at Community Drive, I was aware of the ground and after my last trip I was keen to get back over to my old stomping ground. I made it across town in just over 10 minutes and had a good 15 to spare before the game, meaning that I could pop in to the bar to grab myself a pre-match pint just in time for the action to commence. After originally walking into a darkened room with the shutters down on the bar, I feared that my afternoon out in the sun would have to be observed without the aid of a tasty beverage- a fate that I shall undoubtedly have to face tomorrow afternoon at Chester vs Macc. After eventually finding myself holding my all too familiar groundhopping buddy, I proceeded to enter the ground itself just past the astro-turf pitch and cricket pitch that are also housed within the sporting facility. Once handing over £2, an absolute bargain for a proper game of competitive football, I took my seat in the lower stand in-front of the hill full of people enjoying the sun with deckchairs and such, and before I knew it the game had started.

Eleventh game of the season, including friendlies

Within the opening three minutes the hosts were up on their feet cheering and this electric start had led to the first goal of the afternoon. A ball was pumped up from the right-hand side of the field and as it headed towards the floor a battle between a Stoke attacker and Leicester centre-back eventually led to the ball bouncing unfortunately off of Holly Morgan and looping over Clarke in the visiting goal for an own goal. Stoke 1-0 Leicester. Leicester still clearly hadn't had chance to loosen up after the ride up the A50 and a defensive error almost let Kate Asher in shortly after the opener, but thankfully Clarke was able to regain composure with a full-stretch diving save to her left. Asher has looked lethal last time I'd seen her, netting two in that game, and this afternoon she looked fierce too, even though she was never really presented a clear-cut opportunity after this early strike. Once Leicester had got through the opening 10 minutes, they started to get into the game more themselves and a couple of shots in quick succession from the engineering midfield almost led to an equaliser, with one well blocked and the other stopped by a defender's face, leading to a corner which was saved by Hall in the Stoke goal. Leicester's main threat was coming from their red-headed winger who was on the left one minute and the right the next- the number 14 was rapid and caused issues for the full-backs all day, causing Hollie Gibson to get a booking in the first-half as she struggled to keep up.

I thought I'd wander over to goal side, as the Foxes were pressing 

Although the actual football was great and the weather was perfect for a match, there was one factor that can be often more inconsistent than the passing or unpredictable than the weather- the refereeing! As well as giving countless unpopular decisions, some of which were good calls and others which were baffling, the man in black somehow managed to give a 25th minute corner from the wrong side! He enforced his clearly wrong decision for the kick to be taken on the right of Leicesters posts, even though both sides, management and the lino seemed to be telling him that he'd gone nuts. With the tension rising, he called a break just before the half-hour mark to allow everybody a minute to grab a drink and cool down. Shortly after this a refreshed Hannah Keryakoplis, scorer of this beauty last week, tried her luck again as she ran inside the Leicester half before pumping a 35-yard strike towards goal. The ball floated towards the Foxes goal before eventually hitting the top of the woodwork and then out for a goal kick- an outstanding effort from the Welsh international.

Sources tell me that these are the remains of goalposts that Keryakoplis has shot at in training!

Stoke Ladies survived a final bit of Leicester pressure and would go into the break leading 1-0, unlike the men's side who had just fallen behind to a Jay Rodriguez at The Hawthorns as I re-entered the bar for a brew. For the first 30 minutes or so of the second-half, the game remained more like a game of chess as the visiting side looked to force their way back into contention. The Ref continued to halt the game and even had to book Emily Owen as she proclaimed "Ref, you're very bad". Time was getting on by this point and Leicester were still fighting to get an equaliser. In the 77th minute, they got it as Rosie Axten poked the ball home amongst half a dozen players inside the area, signalling a huge sigh of relief for the visitors who had put a lot of pressure on the home side. Stoke 1-1 Leicester. I thought that this would set up an interesting and open last 12 minutes and indeed it did- with the ball finding the net again just one minute later. Another set-piece was prodded into the box and it was Axten for the second time who bundled the ball into the net and sent the management team in the Away dugout into hysterics as they turned the match on its head. Stoke 1-2 Leicester. As much as I was supporting Stoke this afternoon, I couldn't help but applaud the Leicester comeback as it was well-deserved- Stoke hadn't registered a decent chance since half-time.

The home support started to shout out support from the top of the hill- G'wan Stoke!

This wake-up call seemed to give the Potters a second-wind as they pushed forward now to look for an equaliser of their own and during this encounter I wouldn't have put anything past either side- it could've ended 2-2 or 1-3! Sadly though for the Potters it would be the latter and a perfectly-timed counter attack from Leicester saw the ball soon find its way to substitute attacker Sophie Domingo. The blue shirted number 2 put her head down and ran towards goal, before applying a solid finish into the net and sealed the three points for the away side in the 89th minute. Stoke 1-3 Leicester. The final whistle blew after a good bit of injury-time in which Stoke looked to get a consolation goal, but this second home defeat left them still searching for a first point of the season and also kept up Leicester's 100% winning streak so far. Both of these sides are in Cup action next Sunday, with Stoke facing a trip to Morecambe and Leicester going to Chorley, but for me I'll be back in action tomorrow with one heck of a double-dose. After going to watch the side I support, Macc Town, away at Chester, I'll be heading across the M56 to Maine Road in search of a much awaited conclusion of their FA Cup Replay Replay against Abbey Hey. Let's see if it's third time lucky, ey?

23/08/17 Review: Foley Meir vs Newcastle Town Reserves

Foley Meir 4-2 Newcastle Town Reserves (Staffordshire County Senior League Premier)

McIntosh Arena

Last night I was given the option of two games- I could either go to The Bet 365 to see Stoke City take on Rochdale in the Carabao Cup, or I could head to a ground around the other corner for some Staffs Senior League action between Foley Meir and Newcastle Town's reserve side. On the plus side The Potters would provide me with high-quality football, a packed atmospheric stadium and the chance to revisit the Bet 365 for the first time in a good few years. However, I'm not the kind of mainstream guy who just hops along to Premier League grounds for the fun of it, so instead I headed over to Meir in the hope of seeing a goal-fest during this 6:30pm kick-off.

You don't have to tell me twice!

The Bet 365 Stadium and Meir's McIntosh Arena are both situated roughly 3-miles from my house in Dresden, so either way I was in for a much quicker trip home than that of my trip to Buxton last night- and hopefully there would be a better game too! I arrived at the ground with a good five minutes to spare after heading straight over from work and when I parked up pitch-side I jumped straight out of my car and into the action with the players coming out for the match. Before the start of the game, both sides had played four league games, gained six points and managed a plus-three goal difference so far and therefore I predicted a close encounter on the field. I guessed 3-3 on this occasion.

Socks at the ready, it's almost game time

My first thoughts on the ground were that it was the most basic I'd come across so far, which I'd pretty much expected with it being on the seventh-tier of the non-league tree. With one green metal-roofed stand to my right and the club's infrastructure to the left, there really isn't that much to say about the ground itself. Most of the upkeep and running of the ground is done through hard-earned fundraisers in the community and since the 80's Foley have raised roughly £80k to turn what is essentially a bit of grass on the top of a hill into a haven of footballing goodness for the people of East Stoke which has seen some highlights such as lifting the Staffs Senior Division last season. It isn't all a bed of roses though, as I found out when stumbling around the ground amongst the unstable pitchside surface towards the stand. Whilst the match kicked-off, I continued to tread around in my new work shoes hoping not to take a tumble as I entered the stand. Once inside, I stood staring at the five seats in the main stand of this "football arena" wondering at what point a pitch is crowned a football ground. Is it at the point it has changing rooms and a bar? Is it at the point of having a stand? Or is it at the point that a team calls it home? Either way, I felt as though I was hovering somewhere over the border at the McIntosh. Out on the pitch, Foley had started the game well and pressed from the off, with two decent chances falling to them in succession around the 4th minute. First the number 9 hit a shot at the Castle keeper and then from the following corner the number 4 sprinted into the 6-yard box and volleyed wide in what will go down as a poor finish albeit from an awkward angle.

View from the grand stand

Castle's Reserve side, as you'd expect, was a young XI full of kids who were looking hungry to get their names known in Staffordshire's football scene and they showed early glimpses of class to the couple of dozen bystanders in attendance on this sunny evening. However, it was Foley Meir's right-winger who caught my eye as the star of the match- the number 7 looked very bright going forward and were it not for slightly mistimed crosses, he'd have undoubtedly got an early couple of assists as he aimed to pick out the big man up top for the hosts. Foley continued to attack and when the number 9 had the ball inside the opponent's box, he took a look up as he attempted a cheeky chip towards goal. The dink, which looked on target anyway, took a large deflection on its way into the air before looping over Castle's helpless keeper and into the net, therefore giving the hosts the lead with just over 25 minutes gone. Foley 1-0 Newcastle. At the side of the pitch there was little reaction to the goal, apart from one clear sign of joy from a man who let out a rippling fart before downing his tinnie in celebration of the opener- fair enough.

At this stage I distanced myself from the mild gusts

With the wind, no pun intended, now in the favour of the side in red they pushed forward in search of a second. The opening scorer looked dangerous every time he got the ball in the final third and the number 8 in the centre of midfield was making tricky runs through the middle of the young defending Newcastle Town lads. As is often the case in football though, it would be the struggling visitors who struck the next goal and against the run of play they made the most of Meir's failure to clear the ball when the number 4 whipped in a curling 25-yard shot that found its way into the top corner for Castle's equaliser. Foley 1-1 Newcastle. There was still 10 minutes left of the first-half and both sides certainly looked hopeful of grabbing another before half-time. Aside from Castle pressurising the Meir defence without getting shots away, the hosts created a couple of chances with fast-paced attacks and when the left-winger headed over it seemed likely we'd go in all square. Foley's number 8 had other plans though and took the game by the scruff of the neck just before the whistle- he carried the ball elegantly across the pitch like a Stokey Andres Iniesta and after showing the blue defenders his left-footed dribbling, he quickly swapped over to his right inside the box to prod home a very good goal. Foley 2-1 Newcastle.

Training ground routines being shown on the field in this one

Half-time was a chance for me to get into the clubhouse for a stern can of Carling and also to have a study of the varied memorabilia on display. With everything from a ADO Den Haag shirt wishing the club good luck, to a £700 cheque from Stoke City and even a crest on the wall from Northern Ireland's Cullybackey Blues, this really was a great way to pass my time. I also read about Foley's greatest years as they won the Longton and District Football League for 6 years on the spin in the early 1950's- an achievement that the likes of Barca and Bayern would struggle to topple! And from the good to the great, I saw another great moment of non-league comedy unfold as the Foley Meir keeper entered the bar. After pointing out a chap, who I assume he must be pals with, he approached and simply asked, "can I borrow your cap?" before grabbing the sun-visor and heading back out for the second 45. I followed suit and went out just in time for the kick-off and another decent half of end-to-end football.

Lovely sunset, don't know why the keeper didn't wanna see it

Newcastle's youngsters started the half well and after the number 9 tested the keeper, both the number 8 and left-winger had a go at getting the equaliser. The goals were still yet to keep on coming and in the 73rd minute a right-hand side cross enticed the Castle defender into flicking the ball past his own goalie to give Foley a two-goal lead with just over quarter of an hour left on the clock. Foley 3-1 Newcastle. In fairness, the reserves didn't give up the ghost and within a minute of conceding they grabbed a second goal of their own. A set-piece this time found its way on to the head of Castle's number 6 and he lifted an arm to celebrate the fifth goal of the game and another lifeline for the visiting side. Foley 3-2 Newcastle. A fourth goal would be enough by now for the hosts and they looked likely to grab it on more than one occasion. In the 80th minute a Meir striker rounded the goalie well, but by the time he'd composed himself to applying the finish, a couple of Newcastle defenders had jogged back on to the line and one of them was in the right place to deny the goal for now. At the other end, Castle went close a couple of times but Foley seemed fairly comfortable after bringing on a fresh left-winger to try and help stretch the visitors on the counter. He did just that in injury time as he burst into the box and won his side a last minute penalty which would allow Mark Grice to step up and confidently boot the last ball of the game into the net and seal the 3 points as the referee ended the game with the final whistle. Foley 4-2 Newcastle. I quickly jogged back to my car and headed on my merry way, knowing that I'd seen a cracking game of football for an almighty price of £0. It does go to show that getting out to a local ground has its charm. Yes, I could've paid a mere £15 to see a good Stoke performance in their 4-0 trouncing of Rochdale, but I was very satisfied with the game I'd seen just a few miles away and with other local clubs like Florence FC, Redgate Clayton and Eastwood Hanley just around the corner, I'll certainly be making the most of the chance to support this division and the sides within the Stoke-on-Trent community. I also really want to go to Abbey Hulton United, who won this division last season, and I'll be no doubt making my Birches Head Road debut soon enough. In the meantime I say goodbye and farewell to Foley Meir, with my only regret being that I didn't find one of the so-called limited edition mugs that I was hoping to purchase to commemorate my first outing to the Staffs County League- if anyone knows how I can get a hold of one of these rare antiques, give me a shout and I'll be glad to make a purchase!

22/08/17 Review: Buxton vs Shaw Lane

Buxton 0-2 Shaw Lane (Evo-Stik Premier Division)

Tarmac Silverlands Stadium

A bit of a rarity these days as I was out and about to see two Evo-Stik Premier sides that I'd never watched before yesterday. My Tuesday night venture across the Staffordshire Moorlands into the Peak District would see me cross off my thirteenth ground in this division as I went to Buxton to witness The Bucks take on The Ducks in a highly-anticipated first league game of the season- about time!

13 down, 11 to go!

Not only was this my first trip to Silverlands, but the same could also be said for last season's Evo-Stik North Southern Division champs and for Barnsley outfit Shaw Lane this would be a chance for back-to-back victories in the league after disposing of Hednesford Town at the weekend. The hosts were on a high too and after thrashing in-form Stafford Rangers 4-1 in their own backyard on Saturday they would hope to build momentum as they returned home to their familiar surroundings in the high-altitude Derbyshire market town. My route from Stoke for this one was pretty smooth-going, aside from dodging sheep that trotted on to the Macclesfield Road between Leek and Flash, and naturally I was happy to have made it in plenty of time to check out the ground and have think about who I fancied to win the day. I found myself plunging straight into the modern-styled clubhouse bar and in the meantime I got nattering to a couple of chaps about the game- where I gained some valuable knowledge ahead of the tie. The track-suited Buck fan openly stated that "it's a big game when you know more of the opposition players than your own", which is something that I will be able to somewhat sympathise with on Bank Holiday Monday as I'll make my way to Chester to see my beloved Silkmen take on their Cheshire rivals whose side contains no less than four Macc players from the past couple of seasons. Gotta love the transfer shenanigans of non-league football!

Swanky Clubhouse alert

Based on the similar starts that the sides had made, I expected that this would be a closer tie than it was last night and just before the match I guessed that The Bucks would gain a narrow 2-1 win tonight in front of the 300 or so in attendance for this one. With the weather looking dull, the pitch in fine fettle and the sides coming out in blue and red kits respectively, I was ready for kick-off and took my pint out to a bench opposing the Main Stand so that I could be in prime position for the opening exchanges. The first ten minutes were 50-50 and although there was plenty of meaty tackles sliding in, there was little in the way of goalmouth action and when the visitors fizzled a cross from the left into the danger area I jumped-up hoping that we'd be treated to a first strike at goal, but this was not the case as the ball eventually surpassed everybody and went out for a goal kick. Buxton's side form last season had a good league run and were unlucky not to reach the play-offs, finishing just 2 places and 3 points outside of the sacred zone, but based on how they'd started tonight I wasn't convinced that they'd reach those lofty heights again in 2017/18 and when Joe McGee struck a long-ranger wide on the quarter-hour mark you could sense that this wasn't going to be the classic that I'd craved.

Please, please, please, not another goalless game in the Peaks!

Last season I trekked all the way out to Matlock Town's Causeway Lane to endure a 0-0 game between the Gladiators and Ilkeston and with this one looking likely to follow a similar pattern I sat wondering if I should make trips to this area of the world simply for the scenery and long-walks, rather than the so far poor-standard of football. My fortunes, and those of the travelling fans, would be turned though as Nicky Walker entered the field as an early sub forced on by an injury to Gav Rothery. As Alpha Kaba slipped in the centre of the Buxton midfield his opposing number 8, Spencer Harris, took the ball forward and unleashed Walker who ran into the box and tucked the ball home just about past Jan Budtz in the home goal. Buxton 0-1 Shaw Lane. Walker was one of the aforementioned players returning to his former employers at Silverlands and there was more than one or two groans as the announcer confirmed the scorer as The Ducks took the advantage towards half-time. Despite two minutes added time at the conclusion of the first-half, if anything Buxton looked likely to concede a second and it would be up to Martin McIntosh to rouse his side going forth into the final 45.

A picture says a thousand words...

During the break I popped back into the bar for a second pint and my attention was caught by the large variety of fans in the room. As well as a couple of Stoke City jerseys on display by young fans, I also saw a chap in a Macc Town jacket (legend!) and even a polo-shirt donning the Yeovil Town logo. Alongside myself wearing a bright orange Greuther Furth top and Dundalk scarf there was many in Buxton and Shaw Lane gear too, which is always nice to see. I did pop in to the club store to study the large array of merchandise on display, but in the end I couldn't tempt myself to add to my gigantic scarf collection and resisted parting with my remaining cash on this occasion. Back outside it had turned dark by now and the game was ready to resume- with The Bucks looking to get back in it. They made a decent start and got themselves in the thick of it with some goalmouth pressure to start the second-half, but at the other end they looked suspect again as Budtz fluffed his clearance out for a corner to Aquaforce. By this time I'd had a good wander around the ground and I made my way into the grandstand in time to see the second and final goal of the game. Spencer Harris had pulled the strings to grab an assist in the first-half and this time it would be his turn to test out the less than comfortable looking number 1 for The Bucks. From 25-yards or so on the break, Harris hit a decent strike towards the goal and I can only assume that it caught Budtz out as he got a weak hand on the ball as he dived into his right-hand corner, only for the ball to ripple off of his glove and roll into the net and seal an agonising moment for the hosts. Buxton 0-2 Shaw Lane.

The Beers to Goals Ratio was too low for my liking

The frustration of the fans was emulated on the field too and after Liam Hardy rugby-tackled the Shaw Lane keeper out of his own box, we almost saw a third goal after Alex Byrne finished well on the break- thankfully this one was denied by the lino as he revealed his offside flag to the relief of the home fans. Hardy continued to try to get his team back in it and in the 70th minute he tested Jon Stewart after beating the defenders with a delicate touch before poking the ball straight at the on-rushing keeper. Stewart continued to twist the metaphorical knife in towards the end of the match by delaying his goal-kicks to the extreme and he eventually fell foul for his time-wasting technique as he entered the book.

Time running out now for the Buxton boys

I fear that had Buxton seen 20 minutes of injury-time at the end of the second-half that they wouldn't have scored last night and when the board eventually read out for 5 minutes of stoppages, Buxton pressed one last time for a consolation. On 90+5 minutes and what was basically the last touch, Hardy had the ball crossed into him and his hefty finish from 6-yards out rose high and thundered on to the bar, therefore summarising what sort of evening The Bucks had been through on this occasion. Credit is due to the away side as the final whistle handed them another victory for the season, with the defence looking very solid and substitute returnee Nicky Walker standing out for me as the best player on the field in an otherwise fairly flare-ridden affair. Overall I did enjoy the game and I must pay my compliments to the great set-up that Buxton have got at Silverlands, but with some awesome games witnessed at this level such as my trip to Dales Lane to see Rushall beat Grantham last season and a 3-2 March classic at Coles Lane between Sutton Coldfield and Marine this one won't live as long in the memory I'm afraid. My next trip will be tonight and I'll be keeping it local with a short-hike to either Florence FC or Foley Meir for my first Staffordshire County Senior League- with the write-up to follow as always.

Cheers Bucks and Ducks alike, enjoy the rest of the season

08/08/17 Review: Rocester vs Sporting Bromsgrove

Rocester 0-3 Sporting Bromsgrove (FA Cup Qualifying Extra Preliminary Round Replay)

Hillsfield

My fourth match in the space of seven days would also prove to be my third FA Cup Qualifier of the season already as I headed out to a local ground in the form of Hillsfield in Rocester. With this being a Replay, following on from the 2-2 draw on Saturday at the Victoria Ground, it would be a good chance for Midland Premier League new boys to prove that they have the calibre to thrive at this level against a side who finished 17th in the division last season. Although this was my first visit to Hillsfield, I had seen Rocester once before in an away 4-0 drubbing to Walsall Wood and I fancied them to bow out of the Cup on this gloomy evening- I made a 1-3 pre-match prediction to the visitors based on their form from last season in both the League and FA Vase.

Get them raincoats at the ready

For those of you who didn't follow the outstanding season of The Rouslers last season, all that you need to know is that they won the League during an unbeaten campaign that saw them drop just 10 points from 38 games. In the FA Vase they had a legendary, albeit unexpected, run going all the way to the Semi-Final and they were just one victory away from a day out at Wembley in the Final. Additionally, the Worcestershire side had the highest average attendance for any club at that level in the 2016/17 season, which ain't half bad for a club that is not even 10 years old! The crowds have been so good of late that when I made plans to visit the Victoria Ground last season for their FA Vase Quarter-Final match against Buckland Athletic, I was denied the chance after seeing last-minute on Twitter that it had sold out before the match- which I had not even considered a possibility at this level. The Romans, on the other hand, have only managed to reach the Last 16 of the Vase on one occasion in their 141 year history- alas, they would not let last season's non-league overachievers get past them without a fight and they'd already proved that in the original bout on Saturday.

It's that time again for The Gilbert Egerton Stand faithful

As kick-off time edged ever nearer I had a quick whip-round the ground, which is located within just a few meters of the Hogwarts of Construction Machinery- aka the JCB College- and I was unsurprisingly met my some of their advertising boards surrounding the soggy pitch. Shortly after this I popped into the covered seating area, pictured above, ready for kick-off. Unlike a couple of the matches I've been to lately, this one started off well and with just a couple of minutes on the clock it was Robbie Bunn who had the first dig for the visitors, but his close-range effort was tame in the end. Bunn's confident wasn't knocked though and with 5 minutes gone he burst into the box again and then knocked it past Adam Binks in the home team's goal. From my angle it looked like it was heading in, but that didn't stop John Pykett running in and stopping his team mate's strike on the line before knocking it in himself- a very cheeky goal indeed from the right-winger. Rocester 0-1 Sporting. The early signs suggested that this would be a one-sided affair unless Rocester could get back in it sooner rather than later- and they almost did in the 10th minute when Carl Allen vollied off of a corner, but his shot went was well-saved by Reece Francis.

Can the hosts make the most of these early set-pieces?

Whereas the Romans looked decent from set-plays, the visitors looked very slick in attack from open play and even against an aggressive Rocester team they made some good chances that could have led to far more goals. Wade Malley in particular was not in-form for this outing and his first one-on-one of the evening led to him scuffing a left-footed chip straight into the Keeper's arms. Just before half-time a second through ball released the Bromsgrove number 10 clean through on goal and yet again he fluffed his lines, meanwhile at the other end the Romans had a close call when three shots in succession just about kept out of the goal. After Ollie Roome hit towards goal from the right, another shot was blocked and then Albert Lansdowne hit wide from 25-yards. That meant we remained at 1-0 with the halfway point, so it was time for a beer and a warm-up in the Clubhouse.

"Do we have to go back outside?" asked one kid to his Dad

As with the first-half, the second started with a bang too and Sporting were quick off the mark again. Captain Reece Hewitt ran in from the left-wing and enticed his opposition into fouling him for a penalty. Liam Spink, the right-back (of all people!), stepped-up and with nerves of steel he slotted home securely. Rocester 0-2 Sporting. Amongst the rain and break in excitement on the field I took enjoyment from the gents behind me who were obviously something to do with non-league football and they spent the majority of the second-half nattering about the restructuring of the leagues at this level amongst other things. It was interesting, albeit confusing, listening in to the chatter and I was particularly interested by one man's predictions for the Evo-Stik Northern League South. He firmly believes that this year will be Leek Town's year to win the division and he thinks that Kidsgrove Athletic won't be far behind them. I am a fan of both of these sides and would love to see them succeed, so hopefully he'll be right. Back on the field and Chris Lloyd had been introduced from the away side. The substitute winger was here, there and everywhere as he capitalised on the tiring Rocester lads. After rounding what seemed like half of the home defenders and the Keeper, Lloyd's shot was eventually palmed on to the post and out for a corner. As time ran down I received a rare treat from the Board Room as one lass brought out some pork pie- who was I to say no to a free bit of porkie?

Into the last 10 now- still raining

Even though the game seemed won by this stage, Hewitt fancied a final goal for his side and as he ran in to the box yet again we was this time taken out by the Rocester number 1 and another penalty was blown for the visitors. Lloyd stood up to finish off a solid substitute showing by thumping home the spot-kick in the 83rd minute. Rocester 0-3 Sporting. That was it for the goals and after the hosts gathered a couple of yellow cards they finally heard the Ref's whistle blow for the final time. This one had probably been my tie of the round, with the weather failing to ruin a feisty, goal-filled match in which both sides had a good go. Rocester will be disappointed to have lost out in what will go down as a heavy defeat, but after winning all of their pre-season matches they must go into the League opener against AFC Wulfrunians with their heads held high. Good luck to both sides for a happy season in the Midland Premier League.