22/05/21 Review: Wakefield AFC vs Brighouse Town

Wakefield AFC 0-2 Brighouse Town (Yorkshire Trophy, Group A) The Millennium Stadium [Featherstone]

The long wait for my 200th ground finally came to an end last weekend as a trip to Featherstone in Yorkshire allowed me the chance to get to a match in a proper stadium. In pre-COVID days I had promised myself I'd do something really big for my 200th and had all sorts of ideas about where to go, but with all that has been going on in the world for the past year or so I was just grateful to be back out doing what I love for only the second time in 2021. Is the Featherstone Rovers rugby ground as exotic as a trip to Jamaica to watch Harbour View? Doubtful. Is West Yorkshire as beautiful as the Faroe Islands? Certainly not. But, with the restrictions currently in place I could not miss the opportunity to go to a proper stadium for my landmark outing and after weighing up a few National League options I decided that the Yorkshire Trophy had to be the best possible option. Wakefield versus Brighouse, let's be having it!

Oh yeah, the fair was also in town...

It's easy to forget what it's like to go to a busy match and as a result I almost forgot to buy a ticket, but after seeing on Wakey's Twitter that over 60% capacity had been reached I headed online to ensure that my two hour drive from Stafford wouldn't be for nothing. The last reasonably sized stadium I'd been to for a game was in February 2020 as I went to The Trico Stadium in Redditch and although Featherstone's Millennium Stadium is primarily a rugby stadium, it is also the home of Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League club Wakefield AFC. The club was formed in 2019 and although their usual league opponents would be more of the calibre of Dodworth Miners Welfare and Stocksbridge Park Steels Reserves, the Yorkshire Trophy has given the new club a chance to compete at the level they wish to soon aspire to be at as they took on Brighouse Town, who following the restructure are now three divisions higher in the pyramid. So far in the tournament, Wakey had lost 1-5 against Penistone Church of non-league's Step Five, whilst Brighouse had beat Church 1-0. This would mean that Wakefield needed an unexpected win by three goals or more against Brighouse to upset the odds and qualify for the Semi-Finals. My prediction was for a three goal victory, but not for the hosts- I went for a 4-1 prediction in favour of Brighouse.

Although ultimately it's not about the results, it's about footy being back

Recently I've found myself learning quite a bit about football in West Yorkshire and that has come from doing research for a podcast called 'Lost Clubs' which gave me and the other half of 'Pint of Football' (Tom) the chance to interview people involved in football in Ossett. Having spent the past couple of months learning about Ossett Albion, Ossett Town and how they merged to become Ossett United, I was now watching two teams that sit either side of them geographically.

Brighouse visitors had a 23 mile trip along the M62 for this game

As you can see from the picture, The Millennium Stadium is a beauty and offers a look at yet another great rugby stadium to add to my surprising collection of footy matches I've seen at rugby grounds. These range from a one-off game in Burton's Peel Croft all the way up to a French third-tier match at the beautiful Stade Raoul Barriére. Even the ground next door to my current place of work is a rugby ground, but it also gets used by Coventry United. For the record I'm not a fan of rugby, however I do admire a lot about the fan experience. I realise that football fans at the higher levels can't be trusted to stand-up or drink during a game because we're idiots and so to attend a game at a big ground and still have the perks of non-league football is a win-win for me. Plus, they were serving two-pinters and when you are in the mood to celebrate a landmark of grounds you have to take a moment to pat yourself on the back for picking a cracking place to watch the beautiful game.

Donning my Brid Town scarf too, just for good measure

The match started at 2pm meaning that I was on my way from Stafford by half 11. I arrived with twenty minutes or so to spare and with an attendance of almost 700 coming in to Featherstone I quickly ducked past the dodgems and entered ready for the game. Despite starting a few minutes later than advertised, I was grateful of the chance to grab myself a jumbo beer and find a good place to take the match in from and by the time I'd got settled we would be treated to an early goal which came after a really lively and end-to-end opening. I'm not sure if Wakefield were trying to deploy an offside trap or whether they were just slow to react, but their high-line was exposed as Jack Boyle raced into a one-on-one situation on the fifth minute and despite the best efforts of the home goalie the ball was deployed into his goal. Wakefield 0-1 Brighouse. Following the opener the game continued to be high-impact and I almost got an unwanted taste of the action myself as the ball bounced towards my big beer which was sat helpless on the seat next to me. Usually I wouldn't have been shy to attempt a header or a volley of the ball heading in my direction, but on this occasion I had to put my most prized possession first and I gave the crowd a great laugh as I jumped up, grabbed my beer and turned my back to the ball as it harmlessly bounced off an adjacent seat. I now finally understand how people who go to games with children feel.

That'll teach me for sitting down... over to the standing terrace for me!

An interesting fact about The Millennium Stadium that I was told by one of my friends who supports Featherstone Rovers is that one of the stands belonged to Scarborough FC's old McCain Stadium, which was the nearest Football League ground to me growing up in Flamborough Head. Something else that was interesting, depending on your definition, was when the fans started chanting "we all know the Ref wears a wig" during a long stoppage for a goalkeeper injury. The light-hearted official retaliated by giving a light tug on his head to prove them wrong. I'd like to think there is some history behind this bit of banter, but either way it certainly entertained me for a few moments whilst the injury was taken care of.

The only thing that could improve the situation would be a free face paint

As you'd expect after a long layoff due to COVID-19, the game was not only busy with fans and locals, but also with groundhoppers too. As I walked around the ground I noticed a guy wearing a Midland Football League jacket, a couple of lads discussing Cefn Druids football ground and the usual mishmash of football shirts from all reaches. I was wearing my Yorkshire CONIFA top to try and blend in with my fellow natives and I concluded my mooch about by stopping off at the food hut to see if I could pick up a delicious pie. Sadly, the pastries were all sold out and so I had to make do with a hot dog instead and in the meantime on the pitch Brighouse started to show their dominance. Right on the stroke of half-time Zephaniah Thomas showed a good turn of pace as he beat the on-rushing keeper to the ball, meaning that the Saint Kitts and Nevis international striker could give his team a bit of breathing space in time for the second-half. Always good to see an international player scoring and after looking at his career on Wiki page I was surprised to see how many clubs he'd played for. The highlight of course has to be Thunder Bay Chill! Wakefield 0-2 Brighouse.

Half-Time, meaning it's time to continue the tour of the ground

The second-half was pretty much more of the same with the majority of the big chances falling to Brighouse, but with the big difference in status between the two clubs I genuinely thought Wakefield gave it a right good go. The quality for the hosts up top wasn't great, but in terms of quality it didn't seem like a mismatch. Granted, Brighouse seemed to show greater fitness and could have grabbed a couple more in the second-half, but the same could be said for the hosts had their forwards been a bit more lethal. The best portion of the second-half for me was when both clubs brought on their respective number 16's, both left-wingers, and it added a whole new dynamic to the game. Brighouse's lad was exciting and pacey, cutting in on the right sometimes whilst taking it towards the corner flags at others. Meanwhile at the other end Wakefield's new introduction was a pure sprinter and he often outdid the Town right-back as he tried to inspire a comeback. In the end though it would remain 0-2 to the visitors in a result which sees the hosts of the Final give themselves a big chance to win the Yorkshire Trophy. Wakefield go out as the bottom team in the three team group, but rest assured they will be feeling proud at having taken on a team divisions higher than themselves and given them a close game. With football in West Yorkshire's non-league scene seemingly on the rise right now I think it's going to be an exciting time over there and I'll be keeping a close eye on how ambitious clubs like Ossett United and Wakefield AFC get on. Could we one day see a Wakefield based EFL club?

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03/04/21 Review: Wyrley Juniors Reserves vs Milton United Development

Wyrley Juniors Reserves 0-2 Milton United Development (Men Unite Division Two League Cup) Long Lane Park, Juniors

It's sad to think that we're a quarter of the way through 2021 and this is my first outing to a game this year, but in this sick and twisted COVID-19 world we live in you've gotta take any opportunity you can to see a game and with the return of the grassroots game my chance to get out of the house for a couple of hours was down at Great Wyrley's Long Lane Park. The big match on display was a County Cup game between Wyrley Juniors Reserves and Milton United's Development team. A proper Easter weekend treat and for me also a belated birthday celebration as I'd turned 30 the day before.

I wonder where the club get their players from... 

Although technically spectators aren't allowed to attend matches yet, I was grateful to be taking advantage of the fact the game today was being played in a public field and so I arrived at Long Lane Park ready to sit at a picnic bench and watch the football unfold next to me. All that was missing was a picnic, but thankfully I thought ahead and brought my own beer. For anyone who has been to watch a game on Long Lane, you may well have done what I did and find out the hard way that there are two grounds on the same road, separated only by a railway bridge and Mercia Way. When I first arrived at the ground I parked up in the busy looking car park and started walking towards the pitch. Despite the fact that there were plenty of people knocking about and the atmosphere felt very footbally, something didn't quite seem right. My suspicions were quickly confirmed as a player wearing a Sikh Hunters shirt approached me and asked who I was looking for. I just said "Wyrley" and was then told to head two-hundred yards down the road and turn right. Surely enough, the lad was right and I arrived in the right place. Considering I had an almost three hour journey by public transport to my last game at Malvern Town, a two hundred yard detour in a car was nothing to moan about in the slightest.

No complaints at all from me

The day's game would be the return of football for both sides and so when it came to making my usual pre-match prediction I really had no idea what to expect. Putting my finger into the windy Wyrley air, I decided to guess for a 2-1 home win between these two second-string sides. Before the Staffs Leagues were curtailed, Wyrley's ressies sat seventh in Division Two having won three and lost three from their 2020 campaign. Their Stoke-on-Trent opponents hadn't managed a win in the league season, gaining two draws and three defeats in their five games, but I suppose the morale of the story I'd learn from this outing is never underestimate a team who are based at the "Hardman Centre". Juniors lined-up with a very young looking squad and I expect that the club uses this branch to give some of their former youth team players the chance to play competitive football with the aim of eventually joining the first team. If that's the case I think it's a very good system for a village like Great Wyrley as many players between 16 and 21 in rural areas often end up giving up on the game or moving straight into pub leagues. Being from the tiny village of Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire I know all about the challenges of pub football and that's the route I went down, but had there been a Reserves/Development club in the village I may well have continued playing with similar aged players rather than being a substitute in a team littered with old alcoholics.

Game time!

As a resident of Stafford it saddens me to say that I haven't been to as many Staffs County League matches as I'd hoped, with Ashbourne FC in pre-season 2020 being my last groundhop in the SCL, but as previous readers will know I do enjoy a county level game as much as the higher reaches of non-league and I'm certainly not a snob about sitting in a cold field to get my football fix. As I've eluded to earlier in the write-up, the ground isn't much more than a fenced-off pitch with a couple of subs benches and seats dotted around one edge, whereas from what I could see of the ground I stumbled on before I think they had a bit more of a substantial stand. I suppose I'll have to give it a go another time, but for now I was here to make the most of the day. The clubhouse was closed, but at least they had decent bogs which was an absolute blessing.

What more could you ask for?

With around 30 other people from the clubs ready to see what the match action would bring, we all watched and observed the one minute silence before the match and shortly after half past two the ball got rolling. Both sides had decent spells in the first-half but without creating too many early chances, however I did remind myself why you never stand behind the goal at a game at this level because naturally you end up being the ballboy. I was happy to help out Wyrley's keeper for the first three or four wayward shots but it soon grew tiring and I decided to carry on walking around the outskirts of the pitch to a less demanding area. Although the football wasn't electrifying, it was at least end-to-end and for every well-worked Wyrley move there was a direct counter always waiting and ready to pounce from Milton. United's kit, it has to be said, is also worth a shout out as it is a truly stunning design. The blue socks and shirt are complemented by a navy set of shorts, but the highlight for me is the badge which is stylishly printed into the bottom part of the shirt, making it standout much like quite a few grassroots clubs have started to try and do these days.

A bit of pressure from Milton during the first-half

The game continued to be closely fought but just after the half-hour mark the hosts fell behind moments after making an early couple of substitutions, as Milton's number 15 opened the scoring. Their right-winger did well to keep the ball in after run down the side, before crossing it to his striker and he took a touch before firing home with a tidy, firm finish. My first goal of 2021, but definitely not the last. Wyrley 0-1 Milton. As half-time approached, there was a crazy end to proceedings as the referee found himself needing to make a very big decision. A Milton player was judged to have taken down his opponent as he ran through on goal and with that there were two things to think about. Was it a red card? And was it a penalty? Initially, the man in the middle looked to have given a spot kick, but he was shouted over by one of his linesmen who then instructed him to go and speak to the other linesman and confirm whether it was in or outside of the box! After a good couple of minutes he eventually called for a free-kick, but did decide that the foul was made by the last defender and therefore produced the red card. Milton's defender took his anger out on the Wyrley goal frame and then again on the dugout, but as well as the light destruction there was also a few rounds of verbals between a couple of the Wyrley folk and the dismissed defender. As with many abusive exchanges, it was quickly ruled out as banter and the game restarted, with Wyrley unable to make the most of their set piece. This meant that the visitors led at the break, but would have to dig deep to hold on with ten men.

A big second-half needed from Juniors

Much like the first-half, the second was fairly end-to-end despite Wyrley having an extra man. As you'd expect, most of the key chances fell to the hosts but unfortunately for them they just couldn't hit the target. Perhaps it would have been a much higher scoring affair had it not been for a lack of match sharpness, but it certainly felt as though Juniors should have at least been testing the keeper more. Credit where its due though and United played out their match plan to perfection. The Stokies sat back, kept calm and when the time was right they doubled their lead on the break and made sure that they would put all of the pressure on the home side. Wyrley 0-2 Milton. I had the pleasure of being joined by my friend Faye for the final half an hour of the game but sadly even the support from a local didn't make the difference and we drew to a close with Milton taking the win. I overheard the Milton gaffer giving his post-match team talk from the pitch and he summarised it perfectly by praising his side's ability to keep calm and disciplined due to being a man light. A good performance all-round, job done for Milton and disappointment on this occasion for Wyrley.

It's good to be back- cheers Long Lane Park!

04/01/20 Review: Coventry Alvis vs WLV Sport

Coventry Alvis 6-0 WLV Sport (Les James Challenge Cup, Second Round)

Green Lane

In a weekend that the hipsters are calling "FA Cup Weekend" I decided to stick it to the man and sink my teeth into a real tournament- meaning that my opening match of the season would come in the form of some second round Les James Challenge Cup action as I managed to drag myself away from work early in time to visit my third Coventry based ground of the season. With Wolverhampton's University team making the 35-mile ride down the M6 to face a side that sit in the division above within the Midland Football League, the question on everyone's lips is whether they could cause a shock and make it to the Quarter-Finals, where an away trip to FC Stratford awaited the victors.

New year, new ground...

Arriving ten minutes late to the Alvis Social Club, I parked up and walked around passed the clubhouse and straight into the ground to see what I'd missed. As I handed over my £4 entry fee I was informed that it was still 0-0, although I could already tell from just moments of watching that this would not be a dull affair. The hosts were consistently assertive and I felt confident that my pre-match prediction of a 3-0 home win would be close to the mark. Initial thoughts on the ground were that it is quaint but basic, with the only stand being the generic hundred-or-so-seater green one that makes its way into many of the non-league's lower leagues. From memory, I think I last saw it as recently as November when I visited Mundy Playing Fields in Thornbury. Perhaps the boldest thing to be seen though in yesterday's match at Green Lane was the Scotland-themed kit that the visitors were donning, which certainly caught the eye. With navy, white and grey colouring in a cross-quartered style, I must admit that this one was a little different and unique to the usual all red or blue kits often found in the lower realms, whilst Alvis had a smart and simple sky blue strip similar to Cov Copsewood's, a side who I'd seen in action during pre-season, which is presumably a nod to their Football League friends.

Classic action shot, mainly to show off the aforementioned kits

In terms of action, it was all happening in the WLV defensive third and shortly after I arrived Alvis striker Linton headed a couple of goalward efforts at the Uni side's goal. The first was a sign of things to come and when a corner followed shortly after it was the big number 10 who again leapt up and this time he headed home from all of four yards out. Alvis 1-0 Sport. A substantial stoppage proceeded the opener as the WLV goalie received treatment for a broken nose- well, I say "treatment" but in actual fact the lad just looked to have a load of tissue bunged up his snout!

He wasn't impressed with my efforts to snap a pic of him in his less than finest hour

With most of the action taking place in the goalmouth, I decided to be useful and did a bit of ballboying, with the highlight coming as I produced a fancy flick back to the keeper, resulting in him asking if I fancied a game. To be fair, compared to some of his team-mates who just spent the majority of the game stood arguing with each other, I'd probably have been more useful in my post-Xmas state of unfitness. Alas, I resisted and instead walked around to the stand to see out the rest of the half, which gave me a good view of some very nice play from the hosts. Their number 4 who played a box-to-box role for his team, started off a fine move which eventually made its way out wide and then eventually to Linton who could have already had a hat-trick by this point if he'd shown a bit more bottle with his finish. This latest wayward strike forced the Coventry manager to kick the metal bin nearest him and that would prove to be the last notable feature of the half, meaning it was time to check out the clubhouse.

Alvis one up at the break, but surely there would be more to come...

For the first time in my life I have decided to be boring and attempt "Dry January", which meant that I would be sticking to the Pepsi on this occasion and it is actually quite weird how a fifteen minute can seem to be a lot longer when you aren't rushing against the clock to neck a pint. Despite my struggles against sociable alcoholism, I survived with a small coke and a bag of sensations, but I must admit that the club bar is a decent little effort. There is a good bar selection, a dart board, pool and snooker tables, plus a gambler and Sky Sports on the go. Perfection!

Good effort, Alvis

The best word to summarise the second-half was goalfest and from the offset there were again many a chance for the sky blue side, with Linton missing two clear-cut chances before the eventual breathing space came as Palmer tucked in a shot that fell to him from a deflected initial strike. Right place, right time. Alvis 2-0 Sport. Although there would still be plenty of time left to play, that second goal already felt like the winner as you never really got the impression that WLV would get back in it. They did get themselves a corner with one of a couple of half-chances, but as Alvis broke away from the set-piece they went forward with mighty pace and Richards rapidly played in Palmer for his brace. Alvis 3-0 Sport. The trio of Linton, Palmer and Richards was just too much for the visitors to handle in the second-half and having scored a couple already, this time it was the number 9 who turned provider by sliding the ball in from the right to allow Linton a tap-in for his second. It could have been his 10th, in truth! Alvis 4-0 Sport. And just moments later we'd see Richards gather one for himself as a routine clearance from an Alvis defender set him on his way to make it five. Alvis 5-0 Sport. By this point, the front three were fighting for the man of the match award and also the match ball, but there wasn't a selfishness about it and that was nice to see. Linton would this time provide the assist, again from the unmanned WLV left-wing and Richards would join his team-mates in helping himself to a double- meaning we'd seen a triple-double! Alvis 6-0 Sport.

This viewer will have had a job editing all of those match clips last night

It would be unfair to say that WLV Sports gave up in the second-half, because in truth they never really got going, but the side who sit 13th in Division Three were just simply not a match for their mid-table Division Two opposition and the young side were clearly frustrated and gutted when the final whistle did blow. As the lads left the field it looked for a moment like it was going to turn sour as some of the players started squaring up with each other, but when all is said and done it was a comprehensive victory for Alvis and they will now look forward to another cup match midweek, this time against local rivals Coventry Plumbing.

27/04/18 Review: Silverdale Athletic vs Ashbourne

Silverdale Athletic 5-0 Ashbourne (Leek Cup Final)

Ball Haye Green Sports Ground

When a big weekend involving Partizan Bristle and Pint of Football comes around you can expect it to be a packed and exciting one full of new grounds, beers and at this time of the season, silverware too. The action for us began on the Friday evening as Tom battled against time to get up to Staffordshire to pick me up before racing to see the Leek Cup Final being held at Ball Haye Green's ground.

Just ten minutes late, not a bad effort

Arriving in the sleepy estate of Leek's north side, we parked up on Pump Lane and walked towards the ground whilst wondering if we'd gone back in time. Tom exclaimed that this is what he expected every village and town in the North to look like and the best way I could describe it is that it felt like we were on the set of Coronation Street. Either way, we soon made it to the turnstile and surrendered £3 a piece to enter a lively atmosphere for this regional cup final. The match was already underway and with Silverdale playing in a strip similar to Argentina's against the red kitted Ashbourne team, we soon took our stance and got invested in the game. My first thoughts of the ground, which has been the home of Ball Haye Green for many years and will sadly be closing its doors for good at the end of the season, was that the huge factory overlooking it certainly worked well as a feature piece and gave off the impression of a very working class club. I imagined the lads back in the 80's closing up for the weekend and then returning on a Saturday to represent the working man's eleven against other clubs from the surrounding towns and villages of Staffordshire, which is much better in my opinion than when you go to some of the modern grounds and just sit there knowing that you are probably only about the fifth person to sit in a particular seat in a newly polished generic stand. By the way, that's the sort of thing you can look forward to reading about in my entry from Sunday's friendly match at Sandbach.

You could almost feel the asbestos tickling your tonsils

The rest of the ground was pretty much in tune with the knackered feel of the towering grey building and with a group of kids having a kickabout behind the goal and plenty of locals to the side watching the action on the pitch there was a vibrancy to the evening and the two Staffs County League Premier sides were already giving them a show. Silverdale currently sit in 3rd and their opponents 10th, but having overcome the odds to get to the final Ashbourne would be hopeful of avoiding another drubbing like the 4-0 loss they'd had back in August in their league encounter. I'd predicted a 3-1 victory for Athletic and Tom, having zero knowledge of either side, went for a 2-1 Ashbourne win. Having missed a dozen or so minutes of the game we were thankful to at least see the opening goal of the night and it would be Silverdale's captain and number 5 who somehow headed home despite being possibly the smallest man on the entire field. Silverdale 1-0 Ashbourne. The Newcastle-Under-Lyme based side continued to progress and when their number 9 bicycle kicked another effort just wide from close range we got the feeling that it was going to be an easy win for Silverdale, which was emphasised further in the middle of the first-half as the left-winger doubled the lead from an almost identical corner to the first. Silverdale 2-0 Ashbourne. Half-time soon came and with that we searched for a pint at the hatch over by the corner of the ground. Unfortunately amongst the orders of oatcakes and pouring of tea for the masses, we were unable to spot beer on the menu and so instead decided to head back to Tom's car to retrieve my emergency stash of Foster's tinnies. We spent the majority of the rest of the break petting a cat called Bailey, which was a delight for us both.

Ready for the second-half

Not much time had passed since the game recommenced and a nice pass towards a Silverdale forward was converted to put the game almost beyond doubt. Silverdale 3-0 Ashbourne. With the trophy looking to be slipping away, Ashbourne sealed their own fate just seconds after the third goal and a poor back pass to Carter in goal led to him stumbling and conceding a corner, which was put away with ease. Silverdale 4-0 Ashbourne. The match seemed to be all over now and as the hour mark passed a Ball Haye man waddled past us with a bucket of mugs, must have been getting ready for the post-match potwashing duties. Ashbourne did go close themselves and through their number 11 a shot was chipped over the keeper from 20-yards out and it bumped on to the post- unlucky. Some fans seemed to tire of the match in progress and one lady stood out in particular as she resorted to trying to spank the behind of the linesman as he ran up and down the line, meanwhile one overly passionate Silverdale man was screaming his lungs out with instructions and motivational messages to see his team into the final few minutes.

You can't beat a floodlit final

As we approached the end the referee, who I know from my matches watching Stone Dominoes, continued to maintain his reputation at this level of producing his own law on to the game and an Ashbourne player would see himself go into the book for attempting to block the opposing keeper's kick out of his hands, which was ludicrous at best. The final twist came in stoppage time as the rather chunky substitute striker was released through on goal- the number 12 made no mistake and he rounded off the game with the final action of the night. Silverdale 5-0 Ashbourne. John soon ended the game after this and with that brought the big cheer for Silverdale, champions of the 2017/18 Leek Cup.

Let the celebrations begin

We stuck around for a few minutes to see the lads collect the trophy before heading back to Stoke, with the first of our three matches already been and gone. Needless to say that the highlight of the weekend was still to come as we'd spend the following day at Moss Rose seeing my beloved Silkmen lifting the National League title, but nevertheless it had been a great starter for us and it certainly got us in the mood for the next couple of days. Silverdale, astonishingly, would go on to have another game at the weekend themselves and I'm glad to report that their 4-0 win over Florence on the Saturday afternoon would round off a pretty awesome couple of days for the Staffs side. Stay tuned tomorrow to read my report of the CONIFA exhibition match and a first visit to Sandbach United for Ellan Vannin versus Panjab. Cheers!

09/09/17 Review: Florence vs Redgate Clayton

Florence 3-9 Redgate Clayton (Staffordshire County Senior League Challenge Cup Second Round)

Lightwood Road

This weekend's Saturday afternoon provided me with a very rare day off, meaning that I could once again get myself over to a ground in search of football, beer and whatever other delights I could lay my eyes on. I think, although I could one day be corrected, that Lightwood Road is the location of the closest ground to my house and lying just a mere 0.7 miles away from my Dresden digs, it was bound to be one that I'd tick off the list eventually- and with the weather being hit and miss, the Potters vs United game being out of my price range and goals guaranteed, I'd have been a metaphorical mad man to let Florence's Cup game with Redgate Clayton pass me by. Having said that, I was happily dropped off at my 88th ground by my girlfriend as she headed home from our short-lived outing to a local retail park.

Nothing like a cup match on a Saturday afternoon

With a 2pm kick-off, I expected there would be at least a small scattering of fans at this match having a bit of a get together before the big game in the area later on today- the 5:30pm kick off at the Bet 365 of course, where United were in town. Earlier today Stoke's Under 18 side had played a Liverpool side led by Stevie G, so it is safe to say that the South-East side of Stoke-on-Trent was being treated to a fantastic day of football and although I wasn't at either of the Potters matches, I was still keen to support a local side rather than travelling further afield on this occasion and this meant a cup tie between two sides from the Staffordshire County League would prove to be my choice. Both sides play in the highest league of the regional division, with today's Newcastle-under-Lyme based visitors sitting in 8th after 4 wins from 6, meanwhile Florence are struggling to cope with a poor start that has seen them take just 1 victory and 1 draw in 9 league outings. Having already seen one game at this level between Foley Meir and Newcastle Town Reserves, I had made a pre-match prediction of 1-4 to Redgate Clayton today and although I couldn't have adequately prepared myself for the 12-goal free for all that was to come, I did at least expect the net to be rippling on a regular basis- unlike the 0-0 I'd sat through during the international break at Shrewsbury.

Hello shelter, my old friend

As the players came out for kick-off I found myself to be one of two people in attendance today, which was a shock as there had been a fair few more than that at the McIntosh Arena in Meir last time I went to game of this calibre. Thankfully as the game got going, plenty of families and lads sporting tinnies appeared to bring the attendance up to roughly 25 overall. My first point of note was that Florence were sponsored by Carlsberg, a decent name for the shirts in this division, and for some obscure reason the home keeper was wearing a practically identical kit to that of his outfield players, which was a tad odd. Alas, this didn't stop the home side getting off to an unexpected flyer as they took the lead within 4 minutes of game time. With the ball being plunged into the Clayton box, the ball would eventually land into the feet of the number 11 who showed composure and bit of good fortune to lift the ball over the red-shirted opponent's number 1 and into the net. Florence 1-0 Clayton. With the wind blowing in the favour of the Stokey's and the weather clearing up somewhat, I decided to leave the almighty Dynamic Ceramic Stand and go over to the area that I can only describe as "the Porch" behind the goal so that I could get a closer view of the action. Time went by and surprisingly the only real crunch challenge of the game in the opening 15 minutes came as the Florence keeper was left injured after being on the end of a 50-50 challenge from a Clayton midfielder- he must've been mistaken with an outfielder in that kit!

I knew the sun would eventually pop out

The previously mentioned tackle left Florence's shot-stopper unable to carry on and with an unscheduled break in play to allow the keeper to be treated, the Florence number 9 used this time to head over to the crowd and ask one chap why he wasn't playing today. The man, with a can of Carling in one hand and a fag in the other, told his supposed teammate that he had his boots in his bag if needed, just before the Ref called everybody back into action. With a third of the opening half now gone, it was time to witness a second goal for the day and after Redgate's number 11 outmanoeuvred a statuesque yellow and black defence, he squared the ball to the frontman who tapped home an easy equaliser. Florence 1-1 Clayton. The Florence keeper continued to struggle in the home goal and shortly after being replaced by a man in a Glasgow Rangers jersey, Florence took another well-deserved goal after yet more sloppy defensive work. The number 6 for the hosts burst into the box and on to a ball that was in the realm of the keeper, before squeezing a touch in-between the defence and keeper alike to give himself an open net to pass the ball in to. Florence 2-1 Clayton. Tensions were running high by this point for the favoured away side and eventually Clayton's left-back approached his goalkeeper and politely asked him to stop "shitting himself". This motivation style of speech seemed to inspire, or scare, the luminous green side back into life though as they began to pressure towards the back end of the half. The number 7 had a good strike saved by the sub keeper, witnessed by the injured number 1 as he hobbled back over to the bench from the changing rooms, and despite having around half a dozen corners it didn't seem likely we'd see an equaliser before the whistle. Ironically, from the place I'd moved to in order to see the action closer, I then missed the final goal of the half as a tame looking shot seemed to be gathered up initially by the Florence keeper before it eventually rolled into the net to the home team's bemusement and the visitor's relief. Florence 2-2 Clayton.

Time to leave the Porch End in search of beer

My half-time adventure on this occasion involved a somewhat long-winded voyage to find a pint of Carlsberg Export in the clubhouse adjacent to the Bowls Green, an awkward interaction with the keeper who was almost certain that I'd won the half-time raffle prize of a box of choccy's, all before a mooch back to the Stand to listen to the latter part of a conversation that seemed to be about the Florence number 11 being married to a Mexican drug mule. Yup, roll on the second-half.

Sat comfy and ready for goals, goals, goals

Although there was still a further 8 goals to see here, amazingly until the 68th minute the score remained at two-all and on the hour-mark Florence could've altered there eventual destiny as the number 6 broke well and passed the ball to 10, who was unlucky not to score from a very impressive counter-attack. At the other end Clayton struck a post and one Florence player was told to "close his legs" after being megged by the all out attacking lime green's. The deadlock was eventually broken by a midfielder as the number 8 for Redgate pranced past a legged-looking defence before hitting home a left-footed drive into the net. Florence 2-3 Clayton. The floodgates seemed ready to burst by now and just two minutes later the number 9 for Clayton doubled his tally for the day as he pinged home a perfectly-placed long-range strike and caused mild excitement amongst the Dynamic Ceramic Stand. Florence 2-4 Clayton. In what would be a third goal in five minutes, a ball from the left was accurately placed into the path of the Clayton 10 and he made no mistake in putting the win beyond doubt. Florence 2-5 Clayton. Everybody on the Florence team looked ready to call it a day with ten minutes still left on the clock, apart from the number 11 who took the ball into his grasp on the halfway line- flicking the ball over a towering centre-back before outpacing him to hit home a great consolation goal that was perhaps goal of the day. Florence 3-5 Clayton. One lad joked that he ran like was dodging the Mexican mob as he showed a great turn of pace to score, but despite this there would be no more joy for the hosts in front of goal. Seconds after that goal the Florence lads imploded again as another cross from the left was this time met by 9 who completed a hat-trick with his headed strike. Florence 3-6 Clayton. In what seemed like an age in comparison to the last 15 minutes, we then had to wait a further five minutes before the centre-back of Redgate scored from a corner as the tenth goal of the day went in. Florence 3-7 Clayton. Stoppage time proved to be a cruel ending for Florence as the keeper misjudged the bounce of the ball as it rose above and over him, into the path of the number 10 who found himself bundling home his second tap-in of the afternoon. Florence 3-8 Clayton. And as if a cake of this type needed icing, we then saw the away side number 11 cap off the rout with a simple finish after latching on to a pass through the middle as he ran in across the right-hand side. Florence 3-9 Clayton.

12 goals at the footy, and in the meantime Reginald and Arthur have managed half a frame of Bowls

As some headed off to the Bet 365 in search of more live action, others and me included walked over to the pub to watch Soccer Saturday and calm down with a cold beer after an absolute monster of a goal glut. Despite being humbled by the away side, I'd say that the hosts could take pride in their performance in the first 65 minutes or so and in all honesty it was the fitness and quality of Redgate Clayton that saw them through to the next round. Next up for Clayton is a trip to Walsall to face Phoenix, whilst Florence host Eastwood Hanley and will hope for more stamina as they look to pick up much need points. For me, I don't have any firm dates in the diary but if plans work out I'll be at Wolves vs Bristol Rovers in a couple of Tuesday's time to see the continuation of the Carabao Cup. Cheers for reading!

12/04/17 Review: Lichfield City vs Sporting Khalsa

Lichfield City 0-3 Sporting Khalsa (J.W Hunt Cup, Quarter-Final)
The McDonald's Community Stadium

Yet again I found myself taking advantage of a night off from work last night, and tonight's action would come from the little old city of Lichfield. After seeing a West Midlands side take down a Staffordshire team last night in the form of Walsall Wood's 4-0 trouncing of Rocester, I would yet again be placing my metaphorical money on a West Mids side to do the business in the J.W Hunt Cup. Sporting Khalsa, whom I saw stitch Stafford Town up last season in this competition, were the visiting side for this game and being from the division above their opponents, they were favourites for the tie. I went in with a 0-4 pre-match prediction, which was mainly inspired (copied) from what I'd seen on Tuesday night. Khalsa are currently 4th in the Midlands Premier, whilst City are a very respectful 7th place in the First Division and were it not for an admin error on the behalf of Lichfield last season, this match would have been a repeat of the 2015/16. Lichfield were booted out of the Cup just before the final due to fielding an illegible player, meaning that Sporting Khalsa lifted the trophy after an entertaining final in which they beat Wolverhampton Sporting Community 3-2 at Molineux.

Today would be a chance at redemption, with home court advantage

One instantly noticeable thing about Lichfield City is that they are indeed sponsored by McDonald's. After Mayor McCheese himself agreed a deal with the club in 2015, the ground was renamed and rumours have it that Ronald has been paying the players in legendary McNuggets since then. As I arrived at the ground ready for the big game, I parked up on the side of the hidden roadway and popped straight into the bar to have a quick pint and watch the last minutes of Borussia Dortmund's 2-3 loss against Monaco. Donning my Khalsa scarf, I sat in and amongst the fans of both sides and soaked in the pre-match atmosphere inside the fairly packed bar. It was great to see the youth teams of Lichfield and Khalsa respectively kitted-up and having a good time, as well as the classic group of Villa fans sat in the corner slurping pint after pint.

My Clubhouse pictures never do justice to how busy it actually was

When kick-off came around I took my mooch over to the entrance, coughed up my fiver to get in, and then took shelter from the suddenly cold winds in the very basic seating area to the left of the gate. Doubting they'd remember me from my trip to the Aspray last season, a lot of Khalsa's owners and representatives had already packed out the seating and a few of them said hello to me as I perched amongst them ready for the game to begin. Note for if they are reading, I will be back to see you next season and I'll be bringing a few mates along to experience the quality ground, great hospitality and awesome post-match curry!

My lodgings for the evening

The game started off well enough, with both sides looking intent on getting the early advantage. Despite a bobbling pitch, Khalsa looked confident in knocking the ball about and they looked to have the edge when it came to possession. Lichfield looked decent on the counter from early-on and Joseph Haines was making some promising runs from left-back, however their first effort on goal after about 10 minutes was straight down the path of Khalsa's number one. At the other end Khalsa had a long-range drive wisp past the posts and a header was nodded wide, but it was Khalsa's left-back who was looking dangerous and as the ball sat up Michael Perks tested his luck on 25 minutes with a thumping 30-yard strike which flew over. With half an hour now gone, the away side were awarded a penalty and had a big chance to take the lead. Despite stepping up confidently, Meese had his spot-kick very well saved by James Lawson, keeping it at 0-0 for now. This memory won't serve long in Lawson's memory though, as the resulting couple of corners eventually led to the opener and it was captain Tes Robinson, the Brummy-born St. Kitts & Nevis international, who rose highest to power home his headed effort. Lichfield 0-1 Khalsa. Having seen the penalty saved just before this opener, Lichfield could ill-afford to feel sorry for themselves and would hope to gain a bit of luck to help them get back into it before half-time. Unfortunately for them though, fortune favoured the Sporting and we were to be treated to an outstanding strike just before the break. With 5 minutes left for City to hang-on, Khalsa's sharpshooting left-back found himself approaching the ball from about 25-yards out. Having already set his sights with an earlier worldie-attempt, he this time followed-through with a beautifully struck volley which headed towards Lawson's goal. The unfortunate keeper guided his way towards his right-hand post as the shot went past him, before the ball rattled off said post, straight at Lawson and then finally bounced into the net. To call it an own goal would be harsh, as it was a truly magnificent strike! Lichfield 0-2 Khalsa.

HT, 0-2 to the away side

Despite being two down at the halfway point in the game, I didn't feel as though the hosts were out of it yet. A set-piece header and a stunning goal were the difference so far, but I'm sure David Langston will have been telling his lads that they can get back in it. Whilst he was doing that, I headed back into the bar to warm-up whilst watching a few HT highlights from Bayern vs Real, and before I knew it we were ready to get back out there for the second-half. Khalsa's executives decided to watch the second 45 from the shelter behind the goal, meaning that I was left alone in the stand with some of the competitions officials. With the second-half lacking in chances and flair, I ended up listening-in to some of the weird and wonderful topics of conversation around me which ranged from 'the six-second rule for keepers' to 'referees wearing pink'. In fairness, tonight's Referee and Officials were pretty much spot-on with most calls and this allowed for a fairly calm second-half. It wasn't a boring one, and Lichfield did give it their all to open the Khalsa door, but it probably won't be one that sticks in my mind long-term. Despite this though, there was to be a final goal in the game and with Sporting refreshing their wings for pacey substitutes, it would be the favourites that got the killer third goal. I thought it was Meese from where I was that had made amends for his earlier penalty failure, however the Khalsa Twitter page suggests that it may well have been Fabrice Kasiama. Either way, a good run on the 77th minute from the right-hand side eventually made its way to someone and they converted coolly. Lichfield 0-3 Khalsa. Fair play to Lichfield as they continued to play decent football for the final ten minutes, and despite looking suspect to conceding a fourth on the break they did almost pull one back as an expertly dispatched free-kick by the number 8 bounced off the bar in the closing stages.

The full-time whistle blew, and it was safe passage into the Semi's for Khalsa

The three-goal victory for Khalsa was comfortable in the end and next up in the Semi-Final will be a tough game against the MPL leaders and almost certain champions Alvechurch, whilst fellow Midland Prem side Highgate United will encounter Wednesfield FC from two divisions below in the other Final Four fixture. For Lichfield City it should hopefully be back to winning ways in the League now, with a home-tie this weekend against Coventry Copsewood. All that's left to say from me is good luck to reigning champs Sporting Khalsa for the Semi-Final- depending on when the final is, I'll make an effort to get to the final at Molineux as it's a much better excuse to make a visit than a Wolves game!