26/04/2016 Review: Coalville Town vs Basford United

Coalville Town 5-0 Basford United (Evo-Stik First Division South, Playoff Semi-Final)
Owen Street

Ahh, the Playoffs. That time of the season where it's all or nothing. A whole season of consistency and form, culminating in a one-off fixture in which you cannot afford a bad day. After watching the Conference Playoff Final at Wembley last season between Grimsby Town and Bristol Rovers, I can honestly say that the only people who enjoy them are the neutrals. Being a Macc Town fan, I have never had anything to do with a Playoff match with my team, meaning that I can freely attend them and watch other nervy sets of fans go through the motions. At the top level, Playoff Semi-Finals are made up of two legs and would have a home and away tie, followed by a trip to Wembley for the winners. At the foot of the ladder though, it is much more harsh in its format. One match, hosted by the higher finishing teams from the league, decides the game and the final is 4 days later at the ground of the highest league-ranked team. On first glance, it seems ruthless and befitting of the team finishing in 2nd place in the Evo-Stik Divisions. However the more I think about it, the more I think that it is in fact the best way. So often in the professional leagues, the team that sneaks into the Playoffs last minute wins them because of their decent late form. The difference being here that the teams who earn the top spots (2nd and 3rd in Evo-Stik) will have home advantage.

3rd Place Coalville Town welcomed 4th Place Basford United

Not that I'm saying home advantage is the be-all and end-all of being a success, as this fixture has proven already this season. When Coalville visited Basford they beat them 1-0, and in the return fixture Basford came to Owen Street and also won by a single goal. With that being said, I had predicted this tie to be closely fought and I expected a 0-0 or 1-1 draw which would lead to penalties.

I expected the weather to put a dampener or the proceedings

Living in Stoke, I was slap bang in the middle of two Evo-Stik Playoff games and had to choose between a trip to Coalville in the Southern Division, or a drive up North to watch Salford City take on local rivals Ashton. Needless to say that when it's snowing it is never a good idea to head Northbound! As their club badge would suggest, Coalville Town are nicknamed "The Ravens" and it seems fair to say that the club is looking to fly to new heights, having been runners up in the division in the 2013/14 and 2012/13 seasons and losing in the Playoffs. Basford United on the other hand are the new boys in the division and a seemingly possible achievement of back-to-back promotions was what the Nottinghamshire-based club would be dreaming of at this stage in the season. With Shaw Lane Aquaforce or Lincoln United to come in the final, the stage was set for a snowy April eve in the heart of rural England.

Big night, albeit a familiar scenario, for the Ravens

Only 3 days ago did the League come to a conclusion here at Owen Street and it was in the most dramatic of fashions. Stafford Rangers came to Coalville on Saturday afternoon needing just a point to secure the title. In the end, a 1-1 draw was enough to give Boro the trophy and also reassure the home side that they were as good as anyone in the division. United had ended their regular season with a 1-0 defeat against Romulus and had also held Stafford in the previous weekend. I arrived at the ground having never seen any images of what to expect (which is the way I like it, I'm a Grounhopper who doesn't like spoilers!). I was grateful to arrive early enough to get a parking space in the ground's car park and upon jumping out of my car I was instantly greeted by a local who simply zipped up his thick sports jacket and said to me "you're gonna be cold, young lad". I walked away from him and headed to the turnstile, where I paid up and bought myself a Programme to read at the bar pre-match. Not many had arrived as early as I, and those who had seemed to be away fans. My first impression of the ground was that it had, to put it nicely, certainly seen some action. A worn, but still decent, pitch stood upon me, which was surrounded by small green stands at three sides. Further in the background (as pictured above) was a fantastic looking clubhouse, which was still being finished, and so I swiftly headed to the old one for a beer.

Let the snooping begin

With the temperature plummeting, I joined the couple of dozen folk in the upstairs bar and sought out a couple to sit with and talk gibberish with. In an amazing case of coincidence, it turned out that the man and wife were Stokies and followed the mighty Kidsgrove Athletic, a team that I had previously visited and thoroughly enjoyed back in September. We got chatting and it turned out that they were also non-league enthusiasts who loved to visit teams around and about the Midlands. They had told me of their hopes for Blyth Spartans to host the Evo-Stik Northern Playoff Final against Salford/Ashton so that they could go up there for the weekend (which didn't happen, unfortunately for them).

The calm before the (snow) storm

I didn't hang around for too long, as I wanted to head out to get a good seat by the half-way line. I supped up my beer and headed out, passing the changing rooms on the way and a sudden late rush of fans entering the ground. I found a top notch seat and sat in anticipation of the game. It is worth noting a point of praise to Coalville, who played "You'll Never Walk Alone" before the game as a mark of respect to the Hillsborough Disaster. With the hail subsiding, the ref came out with the players and got the game rolling. Both sides looked to take control early on, with United's Kyle Nixon striking an ambitious 25-yard volley within the first few minutes of the game. At the other end a save from the keeper was called on, which wasn't enough as Alex Troke hit home an early opening goal- the perfect start for the home team. Coalville 1-0 Basford. The fans seemed fairly quiet to start with, and the only chants appeared to come from a few lads who stood behind Basford's goal. I, however, found myself planted in amongst the local Coalvillian youths and was subject to hearing the following exchange of conversation. One lad read aloud from his phone "Ali is out for the rest of the season", to which his mate questioned back to him, "Who for Coalville?"

A classic example of confused Midlands lingo, in banner-form

On Saturday, Rangers fans flooded to Owen Street to see the title-decider and the attendance was totalled at over 800. Today's modest 300+ was still a decent turnout and so far it was all action on the pitch, with the Ravens looking good on the ball and controlling the tempo well. Lee Torr at left-back had stood out for me so far- the number 3 had a great mixture of attacking and defensive work-rate, with the ability to pick out a pass and dribble past opposition players. And it was he who provided the play to grab the second goal, as he rifled a shot towards goal on the counter-attack to win a corner. The result was a free header from Woodward and the lead was doubled for the Ravens. Coalville 2-0 Basford. And within a minute of the second, Torr was at it again. A mazy run led to some good play down the left channel, and a half-hearted clearance from the Basford defence only fell to Danny Jeno who crisply fired in from 25-yards to put clear daylight between the sides with only 25 minutes gone. Coalville 3-0 Basford. I could only assume at this point that the fans were stunned to silence, as the whole ground seemed gob-smacked by the excellent start to the match from Coalville. The proverbial pin dropped when one guy balled out "Goooo onnnnnnn Coalville!", which raised a few chuckles. Basford kicked off again and again almost conceded instantly. A good save this time denied the destructive force of Town's attack. No more goals followed before the half-time whistle despite efforts from Torr, who continued to pull the strings. One chance almost fell to the away side on the stroke of half-time, but then the home side countered and became unlucky not to kill the game. The ref blew the whistle and brought a chance for the away side to regroup. I quickly headed up to the sole bar at the ground and joined the queue for a beer.

I never said it was an organised queue

Despite the stunning display here at the ground today, a lot of fans were still hung up on the events of Saturday. In one corner I heard somebody telling her friends about the Tweets that Stafford fans had been sending to wish them luck for the game tonight- and directly in front of me, a thirsty old chap was telling his pal that there were many more bar options at the weekend to accommodate the vast away support. Needless to say that when I got my pint, I took it back to the icy outdoors. I couldn't help but think back to the wise words of the man who greeted me when I arrived, and wished that I could see him again to ask to lend his gloves just whilst I drank my pint.

What a time to be alive

Alas, the second-half began and the floodlights came into play. The first ten minutes were subdued to say the least, as it seemed clear that Coalville were happy to play on the counter now and were ushering Basford to push forward. This plan worked well for them, as they broke quickly on a counter attack and won a penalty from an unusually competent referee. Troke stepped up to hit home his 2nd goal and Coalville's 4th- surely the clincher? Coalville 4-0 Basford.

Job done- time to grab a pie!

With the deal sealed, Basford had to try something new. The tactic they changed to seemed to work in some respects- as they picked up several yellow cards and managed to go 15 minutes without conceding many chances. This unsustainable method didn't last though, as the subs began to come on to the field and prevent any red cards appearing. The first of the substitutions seemed to take an age to be acknowledged, as one fan told everyone "He's been stood with board for 10 bloody minutes!", before adding "I bet battery is flat by now". The game continued to become bogged down in bad tackles and fatigue on both parts, but following a perking up from the fans we seemed to have a pick up in the pace for the last 20 minutes. The home fans shouted "we want five", which was met with one fan shouting back "we want one". Eventually, the fifth did come and it was yet again for the home side. Watson, a striker who looked lazy off the ball and immensely talented on it, rounded the keeper and had enough time to think before adding the final goal of the night. Coalville 5-0 Basford.

Whoever meets this hot Coalville side on Saturday should fear the burn 

As some fans started to leave, the away side did put in an effort to give the away fans at least one goal. Rueben Wiggins Thomas shot from 6 yards for Basford and was somehow denied a consolation by club captain Sean Bowles to preserve the clean sheet. I quickly checked Twitter to see that Salford had gone to extra time and Blyth had lost to Workington, meaning that my Saturday afternoon location was still to be confirmed (It has now been confirmed as Salford, after they won 3-1 AET). And with that, the final whistle blew and a large roar surrounded the ground. Coalville had done it, they'd made it to the final and were only one game away from the Evo-Stik Premier. I decided not to head back up to the cramped bar and instead rushed off to my car to begin the 45 mile trip back to Staffordshire, via Derbyshire.

Why does there always have to be some guy with a drum?

In fairness, I think that on a better day Basford would have given Coalville a run for their money. However, a long season of fighting hard to make the Playoffs had obviously taken its toll on one side more than the other and as I walked away from a ground that I'm pretty certain I'll visit again, all I can say to conclude is good luck to the Ravens for the final on Saturday.

02/04/16 Review: Macclesfield Town vs Braintree Town

Macclesfield Town 3-1 Braintree Town (National League)
Moss Rose

Another day, another game at Moss Rose and thanks to my friend Will, we were high-rolling at the game today as Match Day diners for my Birthday. Very fancy! Waking up to the sound of rain, our first fear was that the game would be called off and our VIP experience would be drowned out. As well as it being my Birthday, it was also Macclesfield Town's official "Ladies Day" which meant the added excitement of free Prosecco and even the opportunity to have our nails done!

Putting the "Lad" in Ladies Day

We arrived at the ground at half 12 and took our seat with the other Match Day diners. After the delights of tomato soup and a beef dinner, I took a look through the programme as I waited for the majority to arrive for today's game. Facing up to Essex's finest in Braintree Town, sitting 6th in the League before the game, it was likely to be a tough game for the Silkmen who were themselves 10th. Nicknamed the Iron, the club have been in the top-flight of non-league football since winning the Conference South in the 2010-11 season and have spent one year longer than Macc at this level. Not for the lack of trying though, having finished mid-table season after season and just missing out on a play-off push two seasons ago after reaching a record high finish of 6th. Macclesfield Town of course suffered the same fate last season of the dreaded 6th place finish, just one spot outside the play-offs. Despite two great victories over Easter for the Silkmen, it seemed too little too late after a disappointing January and February had seen Macc fall into mid-table oblivion.

Roary is still working off his pre-match carvery

As kick-off drew closer we took our seats, the best in the house, and prepared to hopefully see the Silkmen grab another three points and look to derail Braintree's promotion bid. I had spoken to a couple of away fans at the bar, who had set off at 8:30am to be here today, and they were telling me that they would be going even further north on Tuesday as they head back up for an away game at Barrow. Fair play to them, two trips to the North-West in 4 days certainly wouldn't be top of the list for travelling fans. My pre-match prediction was for Macc to continue their form and secure a 2-1 victory for me on my Birthday. With Gibraltar international striker Reece Styche having banged in a hat-trick at Gateshead on Good Friday and a further winning goal on Easter Monday against Grimsby, I was confident that we could get one over another top National League side.

The best seats in the house

The first few minutes were tense for the home side, as they came under almost instant pressure from the attacking Iron side. Thankfully, Pilkington and McCombe were able to ride out the early threats and within ten minutes the tide started to turn. Macc started to build up a bit of pressure themselves and with big Jack Sampson proving to be a good target man there was always an emphasis on keeping the ball within the Braintree half and pressing high with Styche, Rowe and Whitehead all chasing down the opposition well. Danny Rowe looked particularly menacing on the left wing and harassed the Braintree defence all day, and just after 20 minutes the first big moment of the game arose. Within a crowded box a Silkmen player was brought down (Styche, I think!) and the ref instantly pointed towards the spot. Macc had been awarded a penalty and it was down to today's captain, Danny Whittaker, to slot home the opening goal. Macc 1-0 Braintree. From then on Macc began to play with the confidence and style which had been evident within the last couple of games. Going forward, the whole team were playing slick football which was greeted with applause from the crowd and at the other end Shwan Jalal made a full-stretch fine save to deny the travelling fans a chance to cheer before half-time. Macc were unlucky not to add a second before the whistle, as Andy Halls swung in a cross which was almost met by a solid finish. Pilkington also had a diving header which was unfortunate not to go in, meaning that when the whistle came we were just hoping the lads could keep it up.

So far so good for the Silkmen, bring on the second half

At half-time we went back to our reserved table to enjoy the half-time refreshments. I also used this time to look at my favourite feature in the Macc Town programme. Entitled "10 things you didn't know about..." and today's section on Braintree wasn't one of the finer readings. In an attempt to find the most interesting thing that I didn't know about Braintree, I ended up being mildly interested by point number 8. "The town of Braintree was recorded in the Domesday Book, it was then known as Branchetreu." Who knew?

Back on the pitch, the second half kicked off

The second-half started in the same way that the first finished, with Macc on top. Danny Rowe ran on to a through ball and broke away down the right-hand side. He lured the defender in before cutting inside him and curling home a smashing second goal for the Silkmen. From within the clubhouse, I was lucky enough to see the goal as most of the others inside missed it! Macc 2-0 Braintree. Following this, we quickly supped up and headed back out to see the remains of the game. Macc continued to dominate and looked likely to add to their lead. When Braintree attacked, they often failed to supply top-scorer Michael Cheek with the quality and often they were hit hard on the counter by the skillful Chris Holroyd, who was having a great game. As we came into the final half an hour of the match, the killer third goal was added by the solid centre-back John McCombe. A header into the top corner of the net was his first for the Silkmen and it sent the home fans into jubilant cheer. Macc 3-0 Braintree. 

3-0 up and loving Ladies Day

At this point things started to get more desperate for the Braintree fans. Having already had Akinola booked for diving, the 40 or so travelling fans could only resort to chants against Macc. "You're not famous any more!" was chorused repeatedly by the away few and if anything it just left everybody looking confused. One fan shouted back "we were never famous!" and in reaction to this chant another fan kept shouting "Ey up, diver!" every time Akinola got the ball. In the end though, he had the last laugh as he powered through the Macc back four to hit home a consolation goal. A rare moment of happiness for the away fans and a goal to remember at least for the long journey home. Macc 3-1 Braintree. The final 10 minutes offered little more- another fine save from Jalal, a debut run out for Macc's new loanee Matty Templeton and a few minutes off the bench for Kristian Dennis, currently having to make do with being in the shadow of Styche and Sampson, were the only other things to note. But as it came to the end the match sponsors for today's game, who were sat behind us and actually came out with the statement of "Aston Villa, doesn't that sound like a place in Spain?" , picked out Danny Rowe as their player of the match. Amazing.

3 points for the Silkmen, happy days

Having looked forward to the VIP weekend at Moss Rose it still has to be said that the highlight was the great performance and result from the boys today. No matter how good the meal, or how nice of a job they did on my nails, it was all about the football today and a 3-1 win over a team doing well was a perfect Birthday present. Cheers again to Will for treating us to the Matchday experience, roll on the next one!

28/03/16 Review: Chasetown vs Stafford Rangers

Chasetown 1-0 Stafford Rangers (Evo-Stik First Division South)
The Scholars Ground

Monday 28th March 2016, the morning after Storm Katie had hit Great Britain and left some of the Football League and non-league grounds out of bounds for the traditional Easter Monday fixtures. Locally, Leek Town's game against Newcastle Town was postponed and across the region some of the bigger grounds, like Hednesford Town's Keys Park, were also waterlogged. In an attempt to get to a game, I took to Twitter in the morning to see if anybody was still up for it. In the end, I found myself following updates from Chasetown's page to see that a potential crunch-tie between two Staffordshire rivals as the Chase tried their damnedest to pull together a pitch suitable to host the Evo-Stik First Divison South leaders, Stafford Rangers.

The M6 was doing well- no crashes or broken down vehicles reported for almost 8 minutes

After almost an hour sat in the legendary Bank Holiday M6 Traffic, I pulled off the motorway still in decent time for arrival at a ground in which I had no idea where it actually was. I knew it was in Staffordshire, I knew it was fairly local to Stafford, but I did not know which town it was located in or even if Chasetown was a place. Anyway, as time ticked away I made it to a long narrow street which had ultimately become one-way due to cars parked up for the game. My first indication that I had made it was when a steward popped out from the cars and said to me as I drove past, "it's full." Assuming he meant the car park, I had no option but to carry on until I came across a lucky space between two poorly parked cars which allowed me to park right outside the Scholars Ground. As if by magic, I was here.

Not everybody was as thrilled to be here as I, the crowd was looking decent though

I was happy to be confronted with a queue upon my arrival at the turnstile, mainly because it meant that people had actually bothered to make the journey to what could probably be considered a derby match. Stafford Rangers started the day 10 points clear of their closest rivals, Shaw Lane Aquaforce, who had three games in hand on Boro. The home side, meanwhile, were chasing a play-off spot and were only three points off Lincoln United who occupied the 5th place space in the Evo-Stik. With 17 points out of 24 in their last 8 games, the Chase were going well and with a solid 3-0 victory over Market Drayton in their last outing, they would be hoping to give the leaders a few problems and avenge a narrow 2-1 defeat that they suffered against them on Boxing Day.

6th vs 1st, today promised to be a close encounter

Whilst watching the last few minutes of warm-ups I decided to do my usual scout around the ground and see what was going down at Chasetown. With an average attendance of 187, The Scholars Ground was looking very busy today and in certain parts of the ground there was barely room to manoeuvre. Rangers fans had made the short travel to the game and brought with them hopes of another big win. The Chase would not be a likely side to lay down and take defeat without a fight though, as a side known for much bigger giant-killings than the one that could potentially come forth to them today. In the 2007/08 FA Cup, Chasetown made history as the lowest ranked side ever to reach the Third Round Proper, a feat which included the club's greatest achievement- a 1-0 win against Staffordshire's mighty Port Vale, coming from a replay after a 1-1 draw at Vale Park. The side eventually bowed out to Championship side Cardiff City, despite a 1-0 half-time lead, with a 3-1 home defeat which had memorial photos plastered around the clubhouse.

The fans flocked into the ground in time for kick-off

Continuing my walk around I was impressed by the state of the stands, which were largely seated, and also with the state of the pitch. Considering just up the road Hednesford Town were unable to play their game because of the weather, enough praise cannot be given to all involved with the club for getting the game up and running. As the sun came out to play, so did the players and the officials, which meant it was 3pm and time to get cracking. A couple of minutes of the game had passed before everybody was seated, which meant the away support could begin the afternoon of chants to come. "Staffordshire is wonderful" was sang loud and proud by the Staffordians as they sat over by the home side's goalie. The ground certainly wasn't consistent in style, with one side roofed by a white gazebo-type material over the green seating, another built up with wood and old blue chairs, and then over by the other goal was a metal-sheeted stand.

It was kind of the home-side to put the roof on for the travelling fans

The shouting continued to come from this side and even 10 minutes into the match there was still fans arriving. One senior fan expressed that he had tried to sneak over the turnstile, but couldn't get his leg over. Whilst another, stood behind me, kept asking his mate how Walsall were doing. I was lucky enough to get a good seat by the half-way line and had a decent view of the game on display. Both sides looked decent whilst defending, not something which had always been the case at this level, and seemed happy to play the ball in a tactical and structured manner. Kevin Hemagou had endless running in him throughout the opening section of the match and looked capable of taking on the Stafford defence if given half a chance.

The home fans seemed hopeful

Going forward appeared to be where the strength lied for the Chase, and as they pressed forward the only answer for the away side was to take a chunk out of the midfielder's legs. A chap and his wife had already started to vocalise their opinion on the way Rangers were playing, and he expressed fairly early on that the game was likely to turn nasty. As the fouls did start to come thick and fast, he then turned to his wife and told her the oppositions tactics "they take it in turns to foul, this lot. They do it to avoid the bookings." I'm sure that were this a suitable method of play, that most teams would be trying it out! Just after the 15 minute mark the first real chance fell to the home side. The ball bobbled and bounced around, was flicked up, flapped out and bumbled back in again, before the ball eventually fell kindly on the volley for Paul Sullivan and was powered high over the bar. This was a signal of intent for the Chase though, who were largely on top of the supposed top side in the league. Ahmed Obeng looked to be the Rangers best hope, as he paced up and down the flanks and looked to latch on to clearances and start a counter. The ball never really stayed up there long enough for them though in the first-half and Chasetown continued to seek out the first goal. After a free-kick was give on the side of the box, there was an interesting exchange between the two teams as the away side appeared to refuse to construct their wall at a suitable distance away from the ball. After being warned twice by the ref, ex-Rangers player James Dance had a word with his former team mates and the message was eventually received. In the end the free-kick was headed out for a corner and nothing came of it, but it did leave the crowd wondering why the wall were continuously disobeying the officials.

This guy was fuming!

As the first-half drew to a close the phones began to appear in the hands of some fans, obviously to check how the teams around the grounds were doing. I overheard murmurs of fans talking about Walsall, the Baggies and Hednesford, whilst one Rangers fan made comment on the fact that Shaw Lane had taken a lead in their fixture and at this point reduced the leaders advantage to 8 points. Surely enough the ref blew and the fans piled into the clubhouse to grab a much needed pint. The game was decent enough and showed the feisty nature of any good derby, but with a win needed for both side, there was still an element of frustration amongst the fans that nobody had taken the game by the scruff of the neck to get the opener.

The joy of being able to take your pint out to pitch side 

The two sets of fans swapped sides just like the players, and the second-half was under way. It was clear to see that the Stafford team-talk had kicked the side into action, as they began to show some sign of why they were the top dogs. For at least the first 15 minutes of the second-half it was all Stafford and had it not been for the tank at the back for Chasetown, Henry Eze, it seemed likely that the goal was just around the corner. "We're gonna score in a minute, score in a minute" was a constant chant given out by the away fans as corner followed corner and free kick followed free kick. James Dance, Chasetown's Gareth Bale lookalike, was starting to feel the wrath of his former employers and he was often reprimanded by the referee for persistent fouls.

The Stafford fans could feel a goal coming

A change had to be made by Chasetown and in the end they sacrificed Hemagou to change the attacking line-up. This choice was not met with a good reception from the Chase's right-back, Mike Williams, who shouted out "don't fuckin' take him off!" This didn't seem to do much for the home side though, as Rangers continued to press. On 75 minutes an acrobatic volley was sent wide by Boro and a host of other chances were blocked. An irate fan looked at me and said "did you see that? 52 chances, all blocked!" With not long left, it was seeming that the Chase would settle for a point- so much so, that the Keeper picked up a yellow card for time-wasting. On the counter, a chance did come for the home side and it was only a block from a team-mate lying down in the box which prevented a shot on target. Williams began to get forward well in the latter stages and had a mazy run which resulted in a booking for a dive, which was dubious, but then as the clock hit 85 minutes he made the decisive cross to settle the game. A good counter attack and ball into the danger area was met by a bloke off the bench, Stan Mugisha, who smashed it home with confidence. Chase 1-0 Rangers. A cruel blow for the away side and absolute jubilation for Chasetown Football Club. With 5 minute to go the wind was truly taken from the Rangers sails, who failed to show the grit and determination I'd previously seen them show against Rugby Town back in October, and in injury time it was almost 2-0. Mugisha forced a stunning save from Adam Whitehouse and despite four minutes of added time, there was nothing else to follow on the goals front. Full time and a great victory for the Chase.

The lads in the Press Box must have been chuffed

I quickly headed back to my car, knowing the madness which would follow if I didn't get out quickly, and set off home. A good game which based on the first-half and the last 10 minutes of the second-half was probably a fair one. I'm sure that Rangers will argue that they didn't deserve to lose, but the sad truth for them was that they weren't as clinical as they had been throughout the season and that cost them on a tough away trip.

Onwards and upwards for Chasetown

19/03/16 Review: Harrogate Railway Athletic vs Clitheroe

Harrogate Railway Athletic 1-3 Clitheroe (Evo-Stik First Division North)
Station View

A match that was originally scheduled for the 28th December last year, this was a game in the North Yorkshire town of Harrogate which allowed me to catch yet another afternoon of non-league football. Marking my 24th ground visited, Station View was one that took my fancy as it was a place I could make a detour to on my travel home to Stoke-on-Trent after visiting family in Bridlington. With my favoured Conference North side Harrogate Town playing away at Aggborough, a ground I'd visited earlier in the season, I was still looking forward to watching the Rail instead.

Station View, hopefully a sight for more goals than trains

My need to grab a bacon, sausage and egg butty prior to setting off to Harrogate proved to be a costly mistake, as we arrived at Station View at 3:05pm and therefore missed the opening five minutes of the game. By the time we had parked up and headed for the ground it was 3:10pm and upon approaching the turnstile we heard the announcer read out that the home side were 1-0 down after Louis Mayers scored what has since been called "Goal of the season". Typical! Rail 0-1 Clitheroe.

Missing the opening goal is not cool

Nevertheless, we entered the ground and hoped that more goals would follow. The last two matches I had attended with my girlfriend had both finished 0-0, so the temptation to ask her to wait in the car was always in the back of my mind. Even though we had missed ten minutes and a goal, I couldn't help but take a look around the ground before taking a seat to watch the game. Station View is a small stadium, even for this level, and compared to Queensgate Park and Cantilever Park it certainly looked to need a little bit of love. The Rail sit 21st in the League, with only New Mills (still with only one point all season!) below them. With a goal difference of -53 and time running out to pick up the points HRA were within touching distance of survival, but they would have to get a win to leapfrog Ossett Town who are two points clear of them and the relegation zone. Despite this level of football being the highest the Rail have ever played at, it must be noted that they have twice made it to the FA Cup Second Round Proper. In the 2002/03 season they incredibly beat eight teams to make it to the stage which is still one short of Premiership and Championship entry to the competition, which is where they would eventually come to the end of the line at home to Bristol City. And as if that wasn't exciting enough, they repeated this feat in the 2007/08 season as they yet again made it to the Second Round. Their reward for the success in this campaign saw them face Mansfield Town live on TV and they were this time unlucky to lose 3-2. Within this run, it is also worth noting that Railway Athletic played and won the Harrogate derby against Town!

The FA Cup tie with Bristol City was a proud day for the Rail

Back to reality though, and after popping into the club shop to buy a scarf we took our seat by the Clitheroe goal. It was at this point that I spotted a feature of the ground- a pitch that slanted catastrophically from right-to-left. The first half, what we saw of it, was okay and in fairness was also pretty even. History of Evo-Stik matches wasn't in my favour, with a 0-0 bore draw between Scarborough Athletic and Glossop North End and a 1-0 match at usually exciting Warrington Town being my other experiences of this level. 

It doesn't look so bad if you tilt your head slightly

This match offered much more attacking intent though, and I was certain that I wouldn't have missed the only goal. On my way to the match I had studied the table and made a prediction that high-flying play-off chasers Clitheroe would win 2-1. And as half-time drew close, we were treated to some action. A good run from the Rail had originally had me and many of the fans frustrated, with a player showing great skill to run into a great position. A lack of willing to shoot had led to me shouting out "have a dig!" before he was eventually brought down for a penalty. In fairness, it was a great run and the lad showed excellent skill- still, it would have been so annoying had he not at least had a shot on goal. Alas, he won the penalty and up stepped Amar Purewal, labelled as "the Goal Machine" by the announcer, to slot it home. Rail 1-1 Clitheroe. A much needed goal for the home side saw them go in level at the break, meaning we could continue to check out the ground and grab a brew in the process. The announcer spent the first few minutes going through various random score lines from the other games, naming just a couple from each of the top leagues, before concluding his speech by reminding everybody that they could grab "a glass of your favourite tipple" at the end of the game. Very fancy.

Decent little Club Shop and Refreshment stall

Half-time soon passed us by and even the odd train. We took our seat and had a scout of the Clitheroe subs having some shooting practice and then the two sides rejoined the pitch. I actually have to admit that the Rail's kit colours, Red and Green, really took my fancy and even reminded me of Christmas slightly. The away side played in all Blue and started the match on the front foot. They pressed forward from kick-off and within a couple of minutes the ball found its way into the host's goal. A cross came in and a messy interaction in the box eventually ended with Mayers floating the ball into the net for his second of the day, despite a failed attempt at an 'off the line' bicycle kick clearance from the opposition defence. Rail 1-2 Clitheroe. From then on the game became very open, as both sides looked to get an important goal. Harrogate pushed down the left wing and a decent ball into the area was met by a volleyball punch clearance from the keeper. With a poor home record, the Rail have had a few heavy defeats this term and have been frustrated with three 3-1 defeats before this match already. Surely enough a fourth was on the way as a second penalty of the day was awarded, this time to the away team, just after the hour mark. In search of his hat-trick, Louis Mayers slotted the ball into the net and won the match ball and the game for the Blues. "E I E I E I O, up the Evo-Stik we go!" was belted out by half a dozen of the away followers who were all but guaranteed a fourth league win on the spin. Rail 1-3 Clitheroe.

Harrogate Railway Athletic will need to dig deep to stay in the division

With more doom and gloom for the home fans this afternoon, I wondered how many of them would be back again in two days time to watch their side take on another promotion chasing side in the form of Burscough. Frustration in the crowd started to kick in, with one player being verbally ushered off as he was subbed off to a fans plea of "Come on we're losing, get off the pitch". Following this, the anger turned towards the typically bad officials and at one point the linesman was hit with the repetitive slur "Lino, your guessing!" every time he called an offside. 

Same again on Monday?

With ten minutes left there was a long stoppage as Clitheroe's keeper bravely ran out to an on rushing challenge which ended his afternoon. The away side had no more subs to use which meant that the most dreaded thought in a footballer's career was about to become reality for someone. The manager shouted out from the touchline "what are you like?" to his players as he hoped to gain a response from anyone to stand between the sticks for the last part of the match. Eventually the begrudging left-back James Walker walked over to try on the gloves and shirt before planting himself in the goal. Unfortunately the home side couldn't really test him and even when Harrogate had a chance from a free-kick they opted to cross unsuccessfully rather than have a pop at the stand-in. A few counter attacks from the undermanned away side could have added more goals but as the ref called for full-time there was to be no more.

Not the result that the home team needed

A good game, the best I'd seen in the Evo-Stik on my third outing, meant that I could continue my trip back to Stoke with another ground checked off my list and another match stored in my memory. The hat-trick hero was by far the stand out player for me, and I can only say that I was gutted to miss his opening strike. On my way out of Station View I popped in to see the clubhouse and I was nothing other than impressed at the quality facility that unfolded as I entered the upstairs bar. If I was to rank the ground on the whole as being small and undernourished, I would have to say that the clubhouse was spacious, well decorated and well above the standard of others I'd visited at this level. Well done lads, a shame I couldn't stay for a pint!

"I need a jar or two after that" said one fan on his way up to the bar

05/03/16 Review: Altrincham vs Macclesfield Town

Altrincham 0-0 Macclesfield Town (National League)

Moss Lane

In memory of my Dad, David Knapton, who passed away on Tuesday 2nd March, 2016. An avid Liverpool fan and a believer in all things Stevie G, my Dad loved football and it was one of the things that made us so close. I remember watching some great games with him and some terrible ones too. The David Beckham free-kick vs Greece in 2001, the 2005 Champions League Final in Istanbul and Portugal knocking England out of the 2006 World Cup on penalties were just some of the highs and lows we witnessed together. From the emergence of true Liverpool characters such as Peter Crouch, Djibril Cisse and Emile Heskey, to some unforgettable moments like the infamous Djimi Traore own-goal and of course Jerzy Dudek's penalty heroics in 2005, we witnessed them all together. R.I.P Dad.

A rare weekend off from work usually has an unfortunately clash with a Macclesfield away match that I am unable to attend, so I was pleasantly surprised this Saturday to see that the game was a local derby against fellow Cheshire side Altrincham. A team hovering above the relegation zone partnered against an away team that have just one win so far in 2016 would probably be enough of a sign to most people to stay inside in the warmth. Not me, my friend Will or our girlfriends though, who made the drive from Stoke-on-Trent to the Greater Manchester town in search of a classic. The last time my girlfriend watched a football match was a 7-1 pre-season victory for the Silkmen, but that was always going to be a big ask of two out of form teams. My pre-match prediction was a bore 1-1 draw which wouldn't particularly help either side at this crucial stage of the season.

Moss Lane, home of Altrincham FC

As the match was a local derby, I was expecting a decent crowd, a rowdy atmosphere and hopefully 3-points for the Silkmen as they aim to put to bed a poor run which has seen them fall from the play-off places into mid-table oblivion, as well as being knocked out of the FA Trophy by Torquay United and the Cheshire Senior Cup by Cammell Laird. Altrincham on the other hand would love to swap places with their local rivals to prevent the agony of relegation, but they have found it tough this season and a host of loan signings throughout the campaign have not been enough to prevent them from finding themselves at the wrong end of the table. As we arrived at Moss Lane, not to be confused with the Silkmen's Moss Rose, I instantly noticed a larger than normal amount of police presence. Later on whilst browsing through the programme, I learnt that in the past this fixture had provided trouble amongst the two sets of fans. I must admit that I was slightly surprised to read this, as I hadn't honestly come across a bitter rivalry at this level. And perhaps more surprisingly upon my arrival to the turnstile was that the seating wasn't segregated. When I asked the question to the chap in the booth about where away fans should go, he just said "it's mixed seating, you can sit wherever." which I can't say was a disappointment to me as it meant I could get a decent seat in the main stand rather than standing by the goal in the freezing gusts and stop-start rain.

The Silkmen clan who made the short journey across Cheshire

As I stepped into the ground my first thought was the poor pitch conditions, which was summed-up by Will as being "worse than Brid Town's pitch". In the goal-mouth the away Keeper Shwan Jalal was already blathered in mud and it brought back many memories of playing on similar levels of pitches as a youngster. My second thought was that the main stand was made with wooden panel flooring and it gave a very old-fashioned look to a presumably old-fashioned ground. With over 200 meetings between the Robins and the Silkmen since 1903, Macc had managed to win the reverse fixture back in November by a clear score of 3-0, and as we entered the bar before the game we were just in time to catch the end of another local derby on the big screen. Spurs and the Gunners played out a 2-2 draw which brought a lot of business to the bar pre-match, and also the Macc players who had travelled with the team but weren't playing today. After joining the queue for a pint, we took a seat by the Silkmen lads who were stuffing their faces and enjoying a bottle of water. I was tempted to ask if they were allowed to have a pint if they weren't playing, but I didn't want to be 'that guy' who asks stupid questions to the players. That role would fall to my friend Will after the match and a couple of beers!

The lads enjoying their first big derby of the day

As was the Altrincham mascot

With only a minute or so until the kick-off we approached the main stand to take our seats for the game, reluctantly leaving the comfy surroundings of the bar. We got sat down just in time for kick-off and had a decent view of the game. It was fairly high-up towards the back of the main stand, meaning that we had a good view of the footy but not good enough to see the poor quality of the pitch. The match started off as expected, with some sloppy moves from both sides and very few chances falling to either side. Players struggled to string decent passes together and the heavy showers that came and went ensured that there would be an overall unsettled feel to the game throughout. The Macc players who weren't playing today were sat close-by and I couldn't help but wonder if having them on the field may have made a difference. Danny Whittaker and Theo Bayley-Jones are both players that I'm a fan of and on a day where there wasn't much happening, they were the sort of lads you want on the pitch rather than sat in the stands. The first real chance fell to the Silkmen just after the half-hour mark as the away side won a free-kick about 20-yards out. Top-scorer Kristian Dennis and captain Paul Turnbull both stood over the ball and when Turnbull eventually struck the ball it rattled against the crossbar and prevented the first goal from coming. To say that the game was scrappy was an understatement, with gritty challenges and minor injuries coming thick and fast all over the pitch. Macc played for 10 minutes without a left-back, as Fitzpatrick went off bleeding from his head. The ref did his best to keep the game playing, but after a scuffle between two of the players being brought to his attention by the linesman, he couldn't help but stop the game and call for a drop-ball. Just before half-time I overheard one guy say to his mate, "look over there, someone's having an allotment fire". Clearly the action on the pitch wasn't the highlight for some.

It's getting a bit feisty on the pitch 

With the score level at 0-0 and the rain coming down again I retreated to the bar to join Will, who had already gone to grab a beer and take a seat inside. The football was pretty drab and if there was going to be a goal in the second-half it would be likely to come from a mistake rather than decent football. Josh Ginnelly had been the only decent player on the pitch in the first-half and I sensed that he was the only one who had the potential to break the deadlock. The winger outpaced Andy Halls throughout and he was the heartbeat of all of the Altrincham attacks. The main issue with the play was that he was too quick for his team-mates, meaning that all of his delightful crosses and dangerous runs were unanswered by the strikers as they headed into Jalal's penalty area. An attendance of just over 2,000 Cheshire folk took their seats again for the second-half and we followed suit.

The home fans seem much happier to be having a half-time pint

Despite what appeared to be a slight change in tactic from the home side, the second-half started in the same way and Ginnelly, who was now on the right-hand side, was still the only bright spark amongst the dull display. The Robins target man Michael Rankine was winning his fair share of headers against the Macc defence but he couldn't quite work himself into the goal-scoring positions. The same could be said about the league's top-scorer Kristian Dennis as he also struggled to continue his prolific goalscoring form. Both sides made changes and as the game drew to a close the game livened us slightly. A corner here, a shot there, with a couple of free-kicks thrown in, however, weren't enough to give either side a last-minute winner and as Mr. Barratt blew for full-time the ground made a mass-groan of derby-day disappointment and headed for the exit. The news that Halifax had won meant that the Robins would fall into the relegation zone despite gaining a point. With 5 draws in the last 6 games and only 1 win in 10, it will almost certainly prove to be a tough final 12 games for the home side. Full-time, Robins 0-0 Macc.

The classic we'd hoped for was nowhere to be seen at Moss Lane

We briskly left the wooden stand and the equally wooden performance behind us to return to the bar, where we at least managed to get a picture with Kristian Dennis to remember an otherwise unexciting afternoon by. At this point Will became 'that guy', as his parting words to Dennis were "make sure you get top goalscorer". Between a mouth-full of his curry and chips, he simply replied with "I'll try". With that, we supped up and shipped out of Altrincham after a fairly anti-climactic away day where the Silkmen couldn't quite break their poor run against a struggling Robins side. A draw was fair, albeit a result that neither side wanted.

No goals today for the Stockport loanee