22/02/20 Review: Redditch United vs Nuneaton Borough

Redditch United 3-2 Nuneaton Borough (BetVictor Southern League Premier, Central Division)

The Trico Stadium

Every so often you get the opportunity to experience an ultimate afternoon of football and although that it is a rare thing to come across, this is exactly what Tom and I would come across last weekend as we travelled back in time with a train ride down to Redditch to see the bottom side United taking on Warwickshire side Nuneaton Borough. Would the ground be one of the best we'd seen? Perhaps. Would the game feature goals galore, ugly scenes between the away fans and a player? Possibly. Would we drink too much beer and end up stranded in Wolverhampton on the way back to Stafford...?

Almost certainly!

Just one sleep on from the visit to Deeside Stadium for a gusty Welsh Premier League top versus second battle in which the mighty Nomads overcame the Saints and we were out and about again for a trip south this time. For me, this would be my eighth BetVictor Southern Central ground out of the twenty-two and for West Country based Tom it was his second, having only previously seen Keys Park in Hednesford to set the bar high in what he expected of the grounds at this level. My last outing to a ground in this division was earlier in the month and actually just four miles down the road over at fellow strugglers Alvechurch- I saw them play out a fairly entertaining goalless draw at Lye Meadow against Leiston just three weeks prior. Of course, it would be nothing compared to this absolute classic that we'd see here at The Trico Stadium and when we arrived into Redditch train station we made predictions for a Nuneaton win. I went with an audacious 0-6 whilst Tom predicted 1-4, which when you consider the hosts had scored just one in their last eight, whilst conceding a staggering twenty-eight in the same spell, wasn't a completely unrealistic guess. As we entered the ground, we overheard two fans from opposing sides talking pre-match predictions and the Nuneaton fan ended by saying "well these runs have to come an end at some point"- indeed!

They'd need the help of the Gods to muster up a first league win since August Bank Holiday

It's safe to say that in the groundhopping circles there is a lot of good to be said about the Trico Stadium and having seen pictures of the ground from many who've raved about it, I must say we were instantly impressed with the place as we entered from the main turnstile on Holmwood Drive. Not only were the stewards greeting us friendly, but we automatically felt like we'd stumbled on to an absolute classic in the form of this old school ground and the legendary main stand, clubhouse and dugout megamix stood out as the feature-piece amongst the more modern features such as the green fencing around some parts and also the plastic pitch. As I've gone on record and said before, with grounds such as Bromley's Hayes Lane, I would much rather see a club spend money on investments to improve their pitch and facilities rather than ploughing it into the generic newfangled stands that half of the non-league seems to be popping up at the moment. This, in a word, is a proper bit of footy ground!

What a welcome...

... what a paint job...

... and oof, there's the big boy!

Of course though it's not just about the rustiness of one's seats, nor is it the boldness of one's paint job, there is also the delights of the clubhouse to explore- and that we did. The Reds Bar, in the higher tier of the stand, is simple but successful as it offers a great selection of beers and also the chance to catch the game from the indoor comfort should one choose that as their fate. We decided to be braver than we'd been the previous night during the near-hurricane winds at Deeside and we went out to pitch-side just as the action began. Nuneaton, still in contention and searching for the playoffs, were kicking from right to left from our stance and they got off to a decent, albeit not electrifying, start by attacking Redditch. This battle of red versus blue, another satisfying feature for me when I attend a game, was surprisingly end-to-end considering the form of United and although their goal-scoring form was poor I'd picked out St Kitts and Nevis international striker Romario Martin as the one to watch for the hosts, whilst spotting Luke Benbow, formally seen at Stourbridge, as my Nuneaton threat. Of course, this was not my first time watching the Boro this season and I made my debut to Liberty Way at the back end of last year when they lost to rivals Rushall Olympic, and although they hadn't been playing at their best so far they did strike first in this five-goal thriller when Isaiah Osbourne grabbed the opener and opened up the groans from the stands as you almost could hear the 190 in attendance thinking "here we go again". Redditch 0-1 Nuneaton.

Don't worry, Redditch fans, there was am unexpected storm brewing

Half-time rolled around and we retreated back into the clubhouse just to check that our respective clubs were having an equally as depressing time as the one we were visiting. A quick check on Sky Sports News confirmed that Macc were 0-2 down at local rivals Crewe whilst Tom's beloved Rovers were holding on to a 0-0 which would eventually become a sad 0-3 away at the Stadium of Light. Ahh well, at least we still had the second-half to come at The Trico (or "The Treatco" as is it should be known) and on the hour-mark it was the former Boro boy and aforementioned international striker Martin who banged the equaliser past Tony Breedan. Redditch 1-1 Nuneaton. And before we'd had chance to get comfy again we were jumping around with joy from the clubhouse window as Boubakar Traore, not to be confused with Boubacar Traoré who plays in the Moldovan Premier League, nor the Malian Blues singer, scored Redditch's second goal in as many minutes to send the crowd into a delirious mix of shock and joy as the Reds took the lead for the first time. Redditch 2-1 Nuneaton. By this stage the game was starting to feel like anything could happen and as the hosts began to dream of a first league win in almost six months there was a further twist in the tale as Nuneaton were awarded a penalty. The fresh-faced substitute stepped up to take it, but Powell's strike was denied by Kieran Boucher and I honestly feel that this was the first time that the home fans started to believe that it might just be their day.

We housed ourselves in the Sallie Swan Stand for the remainder

With Nuneaton now throwing bodies forward, the aim for Redditch would be to soak up the pressure and counter, which is exactly what happened with less than ten minutes remaining as Martin was able to strike again and hopefully give the hosts that vital win- only their third in the league as of yet. Redditch 3-1 Nuneaton. Frustration was at a peak from the visiting fans by now and as captain, star striker and top scorer Benbow was brought off they made their feelings heard by throwing abuse towards him in a manner that I would certainly consider unnecessary. I obviously wasn't the only one to think this as the main man himself came back out afterwards to confront the fans and although it didn't lead to physical violence it certainly did get ugly in the stand. In the meantime, most of the Nuneaton fans appeared to forget why they were here as basically nobody was watching the game as Miles Addison grabbed a stoppage time goal which in more positive circumstances could have given the fans a chance to give one last roar as Nuneaton looked to salvage a point. Redditch 3-2 Nuneaton.

Debatable, after those displays

Obviously it was only a handful of people involved in the negativity and I'm not suggesting that the Nuneaton fanbase were to blame, but it did somewhat sour the afternoon for short moment and I was glad to see the guy who was being the most verbally involved removed from the ground, which instantly defused the situation. Credit where it is due to the stewards and of course to the team on the pitch for grabbing that huge huge win which sees them move to within five points of second-bottom Alvechurch- albeit still fourteen off safety! I wasn't lying when I said this blog entry had it all and I have no idea how my next one will even try to top it. Thanks for reading.