17/10/20 Review: Long Eaton United vs Sporting Khalsa

Long Eaton United 2-0 Sporting Khalsa (Midland Football League Premier Division) Grange Park

As most of you will have seen by now, my adopted team for the 2020/21 season are Sporting Khalsa and after seeing them home and away for their past five matches, it was time to make it six on the spin yesterday as I was back on the road over to the East Midlands for another Midland Football League Premier Division encounter, this time between the top two sides in the league so far as Khalsa took on Long Eaton United at what would be my 197th ground in total. Overall, I had seen the Willenhall based club play eight times so far and although this one would be a huge challenge, I so far boasted that I had a 100% win record when watching the blue and yellow side play. Since the first visit to the Aspray Arena back in early 2016 where I watched on as Stafford Town were demolished 0-8, I have always loved watching Khalsa play and considering their aggregate score in my company was 30-7 before this game, I'd say that must also love having me there too. Today's game between first and second would be a whole other prospect, though.

The fans piling in for the big game

This latest groundhop was a very straightforward 88-mile round-trip across the A518 from Stafford and then on to the A50, meaning that I arrived in good time for the game and had plenty of opportunity to have a wander around the ground, starting off with a mooch over to the fenced off second pitch next to the main entrance to Grange Park which was hosting an Under 16's match. I wasn't here for the kids though and so after a brief glance I headed over to the turnstile in search of the main event, meaning that it was time to mask up, check in and hand over my six quid so that I could enjoy more of the good stuff at my ninth new ground of the season and my twelfth overall in the MFL Prem.

First stop, though... the bar!

Today's hosts for Sporting Khalsa were rebranded in 1956 as Long Eaton United, following a couple of other variations before that can be tracked back to the early 1900's. The Blues have been a fairly stable non-league community club throughout time, with the best highlight I can find from their history coming as Long Eaton St Helens when they won the 1912-13 edition of the Central Alliance League. Since then, they've been known for being the club who gave the world Notts Forest legend Garry Birtles, the owners of "The Big Jim Stand", and the former club of Montserrat international striker Vladamir Santos Farrell! Last season before the league was dismissed United were a decent midtable side at best- and more significantly a whopping seventeen points off their visitors today, meaning that their stunning start to the 2020/21 season would have come as a surprise to many. The big question on everybody's lips will be whether they are the real deal and will they be the latest in a line of clubs who have pipped the likes of Sporting Khalsa and Coventry United to the post?

If yesterday's match was anything to go by, they could be

Grange Park has been the club's home since the 1950's and it is one of the best all-rounders I've been to in the division so far. No, it's obviously not as fancy and well-kept as Coventry United's Butts Park, but it has a much better atmosphere. I'd argue that it's not as rustic and classic as Gresley's Moat Ground, but it feels better in other ways in terms of facilities, pitch quality and so on. Ultimately, it's certainly one of the best for having "proper fans" and it looked as though there was a bumper crowd cheering the team on for this match. The beers (and Jagerbombs!) were flowing, the social distancing was being exercised in the clubhouse and everyone was well up a well-fought game. Roll on 3pm...

The infamous "Big Jim" Stand in the distance

I placed myself over by the dugouts across from the main stand for most of the first-half as I expected an end-to-end affair- my prediction for the game was for a 2-3 classic which would see Khalsa extend their lead at the top to nine points, albeit still at a time when clubs have played anywhere between five and nine games before kick-off. The match began with the expected explosion of action and even the 2018/19 MFL Player of the Year Sean Williams was starting for Khalsa at right-back just a couple of weeks after he was an impact sub striker, scoring in the 6-4 win for the visitors against Selston just 17 miles up the M1. Just eight minutes had passed in the bout when Kam Campbell sprung the Khalsa offside trap to run through and slot past the underwhelmingly on-rushing Sam Arnold. United 1-0 Khalsa. Moments later it was Khalsa with a big chance and throughout large spells of the first-half it was the visitors in control despite only really making chances through set pieces. The closest they came to a goal was from Gibraltar international Jake Gosling, with the midfield maestro only being denied his third direct corner goal of the season by the crossbar, whilst at the other end Arnold made a magnificent point-blank range save after being initially caught in no man's land from a Long Eaton attack.

Ian Rowe on the touchline certainly wasn't too chuffed with it all

Frustrations started to build from the visiting team as Rikardo Reid went in to the book for a rough challenge on a Long Eaton man, but then just before the break the same player almost made amends as the forward struck a fierce drive down the throat of debutant Jake Askew in the United goal. Half-time soon came around and as I headed off to the bar to refuel the players headed down the tunnel into the underneath of the main stand to do the same, with the key difference being that I spent the fifteen minutes queuing for a packet of Monster Munch before attempting to avoid the swamp like toilet which was flooded in all areas.

Not that I'm complaining... those MM were pretty damn tasty

Feeling optimistic for more goals, I watched the second-half unfold from behind Askew's goal, which turned out to be a fairly unfortunate decision as most of the action was happening over at the other end, with the Blues looking to try and kill the game. The hosts had a really good game management plan to tackle Khalsa and they executed it well, reducing the away side to bitty chances at best, and as the half developed it felt more like a chess match with Long Eaton looking toward Kieran Walker's long-throws and Khalsa praying that Gosling's set-pieces would eventually come good- a bit like watching Rory Delap versus David Beckham!

Things just wouldn't go right for Khalsa today

I constantly felt myself clock-watching into the final few minutes as I still had the feeling that there would be another goal to come and of course it would be one that decided the game as United looked to seal the points and Khalsa looked to snatch one for themselves. As we rode into stoppage-time it would be the well-drilled home side who got the win as they broke forward on a decisive counterattack and the ball eventually was gifted to Mitchell Robinson so that the substitute could round off a perfect day in the office for the Nottinghamshire side. "We are going up" chants began from the stand as the Blues knew that they'd cut Khalsa's lead at the top to just three points, but more importantly with two games in hand AND a superior goal difference. United 2-0 Khalsa. A huge win for Long Eaton and with a home game next weekend against winless Haughmond the ball is well and truly in their court now.

They will welcome the Shropshire strugglers with confidence

As I'm only now three grounds away from the big 200 it's really hard to put plans into action in order to make it a special occasion. Locally, I'd probably opt for something like Ilkeston Town as it's one I've always fancied. Ideally, I'd be heading off to somewhere exciting abroad for it, but realistically I don't think that will be a reasonable option for me in 2020 so I am still very open to any suggestions anyone may have... and in the meantime I'll be continuing to go to as many Khalsa games as possible knowing that I won't get to a new ground with them until Boldmere St Michaels in mid-December. Good luck to both of the clubs from the game yesterday for the rest of the season, I can imagine it being a very interesting battle for top spot again this year and these two should be right in the mix come the close of play.

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03/10/20 Review: Selston vs Sporting Khalsa

Selston 4-6 Sporting Khalsa (Midland Football League Premier Division) Mansfield Road

Well, it's not often that I get home from a game and have to sit in a dark room contemplating what just happened, but after this outing to Mansfield Road for my latest away day with Sporting Khalsa, that was just the case. Stay tuned for an action packed write-up which features a ten goal thriller, a very inconsistent set of officials, a high-speed car chase, a six car pile-up and cans of Guinness for a quid! Not quite the routine victory I'd expected when I set off from Stafford for another crazy afternoon of Midland Football League groundhopping.

The calm before the storm

One week on from my last trip across the Midlands to the East side, which was also for an away game with Sporting Khalsa as they overcame Heather St John's in Leicestershire, I was on the road again and this time rather than criss-crossing the region's rickety country roads, it was a much simpler (albeit longer) journey across to Uttoxeter, past Derby and then up the A38 to get to Selston. The large village, which borders Mansfield and Nottingham, would be the fifth non-league ground I'd visited in the area, having notched off South Normanton and Heanor Town in the Summer of 2017, Holbrook St Michael's in 2018 and most recently Basford United's Greenwich Avenue in December 2018. Yesterday's outing to the former East Midlands Counties Football League side would be not only a new experience for me but also for today's visitors, being as how last season's version of this game never got chance to happen due to COVID-19's closure of the 2019/20 season. If the one game they did get to play against each other last campaign- a 7-0 Khalsa win- was anything to go by then we'd be expecting goals, goals, goals. Having said that, even my pre-match prediction of 1-4 to Sporting was nowhere near the mark on this occasion and after making the 52 mile trip to Selston it would prove to be a memorable afternoon.

Albeit not the most inspirational of grounds

On many an occasion, a sodden Saturday afternoon game at a ground that isn't much more than a field with a tuck shop would be considered a poor outing, but this would not be one of those occasions. The village team, who share the ground with the cricket club, have a very typically basic facility at Parish Hall on Mansfield Road and overall I'd say that the place as a classic "village team" vibe going on. Growing up in the small East Yorkshire village of Flamborough Head, I myself feel very homely at places like this and so I thought I'd help out the local economy by heading straight for The Don Basdell Bar to grab myself a bit of pre-match fodder. The selection of hot pastries was far superior to the beer possibilities and although they were serving tinnies I decided to resist the £1 a can Guinness offering and instead treated myself to a sausage roll. It didn't quite rival the Samosas being served up at The Aspray Arena, but I suppose that's just something I'm going to have to learn to accept when following Sporting Khalsa on away outings. With kick-off looming I had a quick natter with Joe and a few of the other visiting members, before circulating around the cricket green until it became a football ground. As I walked around, I got the sense that the home fans were feeling a little nervy for this bottom versus top encounter and one even approached the lino on his way towards the pitch and jokingly said to him "come on liner, we need a big game from you today, lad!"

Good selection of merch in the tea bar...

...although the decommissioned beer fridge is questionable!

For any fellow groundhoppers reading this, you must by now be thinking "but what about the stands? I must know more about the stands" and to you I will now dedicate a few sentences and even a photo to the wall of undercover seating and standing areas, which would house most of the 82 folk in attendance for this one. First up in the Ikea non-league club range we have the seating stand, featuring three rows of customised blue and black seats that are bolted into the concrete floor. This delightfully cosy package is ideal for rainy days and is used primarily by the family friendly home fans, but don't worry if that isn't your deal because stand number two is an all standing effort located just about on the halfway line and makes for a perfect place to stand, look cool and drink bargain Guinness. Finally, completing the collection, is the area that I'm going to call the "away section" because that's primarily where the visiting fans and officials went. This stand is a bit of a "best of both worlds" affair as it includes some seating and some standing areas, suitable for the whole range of travelling fans!

The best you can achieve when you groundshare with cricket

Although I have seen some fairly glamorous adaptations on these football-cricket double whammies, such as Sandygate in Hallem, on today's occasion I was just relieved and thankful that the game was not postponed, but also that there was somewhere dry to enjoy the action from- and yes, there would be plenty of that to come! Despite being the bottom side in the league so far and also last season before the cancellation, the hosts came out all guns blazing and although Khalsa made a couple of early initial half-chances, the first big one came for the Parishioners in the twelfth minute as Kenan Layton eventually finished off a good attack which left the away team looking unusually flatfooted and shell-shocked. Selston 1-0 Khalsa. This early setback appeared to give Ian Rowe and the Khalsa lads the kick in the nads that they needed and as the hosts continued to unsettle their lacklustre efforts to attack in the early stages, they did eventually carve out a chance as Rikardo Reid was the target of a cross into the box and he gratefully watched as his header evaded Brandon Meehan and landed in the back of the net. Selston 1-1 Khalsa. By this stage we hadn't even hit the half-hour mark and I'd already forgotten that it was raining as I walked away from the shelter to get a good view from behind the goal. Selston pressed again to restore their lead and they were rewarded against the visitors' three man defensive setup as Layton once again crept away from the eyes of Adnan Yussif to give himself the time and space so that when he was played in he could strike home his second of the day in the 29th minute. Selston 2-1 Khalsa.

Tes Robinson having too much of the ball for his liking 

Khalsa's club captain and former St. Kitts & Nevis defender Tesfa Robinson, who I've seen many times for Khalsa by now, was understandably fuming at how the game had panned out so far and his thoughts were echoed by Ian Rowe in the dugout, with particular frustration being unleashed on the linesman who was inconsistent at best. Throughout the match, we'd see the guy hobbling up and down the muddy line giving all sorts of weird and wonderful calls against both sides. A particular highlight was when he eventually got a decision right and raised his flag, only for it to fly out of his hand and into a nearby bush. Meanwhile, back on the pitch we'd see a fourth and final goal of the half as Lee Chilton slotted home to cap off a great move by Khalsa. It was good to see "Chilli" scoring a goal after having watched him run his legs off just a few days ago as a lone-striker for Sporting against Stourport Swifts. When I interviewed the gaffer post-match on Tuesday he was very proud of his ten men for winning the game, and gave particular praise to the attacker, who would again be a shining light. Selston 2-2 Khalsa.

Roll on the second-half!

Despite resisting a pre-match beer, I caved in and popped over to the bar at the break to grab a can to help calm me down, if nothing else. The game had been everything I'd hoped for and although the weather was horrid, I think that it's impact on the pitch made the game much more open than anyone would have expected. To quote my pre-match notes "sometimes the weather erases the form books" and that was exactly the case. I hung around to hear any half-time conversations that might be going on and the one that stood out for me was the last thing I heard as the players reappeared. Gibraltar international midfielder Jake Gosling, accompanied by a Khalsa coach, was told to "do what ya do" and these words will no doubt have played a part in what would follow. Before that though, Selston would go close to a third of the day as a strike in the aftermath of a corner was deflected on to the bar by the saviour Yussif. The lad had a stinker of a first-half in my opinion, but he really came into his own during the second. At the other end of the pitch we'd finally see Khalsa take the lead for the first time as Gosling was gifted the ball by his opposing left-back and even though he still had a lot to do, the goal was never in doubt as he ran in on goal, rounded Meehan and then slotted yet another goal to add to his incredible tally this season. That's six now! Selston 2-3 Khalsa.

Believe it or not, we're only halfway through

With still over thirty minutes left to play, I was starting to wonder whether this game may be in with a shot of taking the 'Pint of Football' record for most goals in a game and although it didn't go on to eclipse the twelve goals seen between Florence FC and Redgate Clayton back in 2017, it would definitely be the biggest score line I've seen at this level! Just one minute after the fifth goal of the afternoon, we had a sixth and this time it would be Panjab international striker Gaz Singh who did really well in the box, wriggling and battling away from the Selston defenders before picking his spot and striking a sweet left-footed goal. The relief and celebrations said it all and as someone from the away end shouted "can I cash out now?" it felt almost as though the points were heading back to Willenhall. Selston 2-4 Khalsa. Selston refused to go down without a fight though and whilst Meehan made a crucial save to deny Gosling a second goal at one end, their visitors seemed unable to cope with the long ball game of the home side from the other, with simple balls up to the forwards causing chaos for an extremely high line of defenders. Jordan Black this time found himself with the ball in a dangerous area and he played in Layton once again. The number 11 made no mistake as he rounded Sam Arnold and tapped the ball home for his hat-trick. Selston 3-4 Khalsa.

The battle brews on

By now we'd made it to 64 minutes of the match and we were on the verge of goal number eight. Khalsa responded, again, to their latest goal conceded as they won a corner. Using their height advantage, the visitors crammed players into the box and as Gosling's corner was met by Matt Fulloway, it was up to Meehan again to make another point-blank save and unfortunately for him his efforts were not rewarded as Reid was eventually able to stab the ball into his net after a bit of pinball in the box. Selston 3-5 Khalsa. Someone broke the actual net during the goalmouth scramble, which led to a couple of minutes delay- and a chance for me to catch-up on my notes! Thankfully for my near-frozen hands, there would be a ten minute break until the next goal as Selston got themselves back into contention yet again. The last goal from the home side had seen Black release Layton and this time the hat-trick hero turned provider by setting Black on his way. Selston's number 10 had far too much time to run in on goal before chipping a lovely striker over Arnold to set up a tense final fifteen. Goal of the game in my opinion. Selston 4-5 Khalsa. The thing that really surprised me about today's game was how leaky Khalsa were defensively- especially after seeing them put in a fantastic display on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Stourport Swifts WITH TEN MEN FOR MOST OF THE GAME! Maybe it was that gut busting display that took it out of them, perhaps it was the weather, the difference in pitch at Mansfield Road, or even the fairly lengthy commute, but ultimately none of this can excuse such a poor defensive display. However, I'm sure that the one thing that would be of huge reassurance to Khalsa's backroom staff after yesterday is that even when they weren't playing as well as they can defensively, they were still scoring plenty at the other end. After Selston looked to have levelled in the final five minutes, the offside flag saved Khalsa's blushes and that inevitably would be the final warning they needed to shut up shop and see out the win. Sean Williams, who'd arrived in the game somewhere in and amongst the flurry of goals, had been very good for Khalsa since coming on and it was the attacking right-winger who would have the final say in the game. As the hosts pushed for a late equaliser, they would be hit on the break as Williams mugged Jake Paylins at left-back before dashing into the box to score the final goal of the game with literally the last kick of the game Selston 4-6 Khalsa. Men of the match for me were the two number 11's on either side. Layton for his involvement in all four Selston goals, and James McGrady for his constant hunger, aggression and pace on the Khalsa left-wing.

Both teams must go again on Tuesday night

As soon as the Referee blew for the end of the game, he was approached by the home side's manager who called out the inconsistency of the officials. I did tend to agree that there were a host of crazy decisions all afternoon and although there was no biased towards either side, it still made for uncomfortable watching at times. Anyway, having seen so much action I headed back to my car ready for what would hopefully be a quiet and easy drive home to Stafford. Nope- as soon as I approached Derby I would end up being party to a car chase which saw a Land Rover speedily weaving in and our of cars and followed by five police vehicles. I'd seen similar scenes all afternoon watching Khalsa's defenders chasing Layton to be fair, so this was nothing new to me on this occasion. And then to top it all off, when I got back into Stafford there was a pile up of crashed cars on the outskirts, meaning that my drive home took the best part of an hour and a half. Thankfully, it didn't appear as though anybody was seriously hurt. That's it, I'm done... let's see what Tuesday brings as I attend the local derby between Khalsa and AFC Wulfrunians.

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