I drove round the roundabout again and headed towards another possible entrance which to my relief was open. This led into a big car park and I was able to park up with 20 minutes to spare before kickoff. After a quick bite to eat, I wandered towards the entrance to the pitch and managed to snag one of last programmes. I was glad that I didn’t go to Tadley as it would have been a shame to miss out on the programme for my last new Wessex League ground.
There are two pitches at Aldermaston and the nearest pitch to the clubhouse was used for the game. The sun had come out and the sky was a gorgeous bright blue. I spent a bit of time reflecting on the grounds that I had visited in the league and the pleasure I've had from watching football at this level. I'm sure that I will be enjoying revisiting some of those grounds again in the future.
Neither of these teams have enjoyed a good start to the season. Looking at the league table in the programme Aldermaston were bottom having lost all their games while Fleet Spurs were three places higher having won one game.
Fleet opened the scoring in the third minute. They won a freekick near the touchline just in front of me and the ball was floated into the penalty area. As players from both teams ran into the box, one of the Fleet players wasn't picked up by his marker and he headed the ball past the keeper.
Fleet almost doubled their lead ten minutes later from a corner. The ball was played in and hit towards goal. One of the Aldermaston players had stayed on the goalline and managed to get in the way of the shot. The ball span backwards off him and looped up in the air before dropping down, bouncing on the top of the crossbar twice and then falling into the top of the netting behind the crossbar.
Aldermaston created a couple of chances and had a good opportunity to equalise from a freekick that went just wide of the post. An even better opportunity was gifted to them by the Fleet keeper in the 35th minute. He took a goalkick but mishit the ball so it didn't travel far and found an Aldermaston player who took a shot towards the unguarded goal. The keeper scrambled back to try and cover the shot but didn't have to worry as the ball flew well wide of the post.
Fleet Spurs had been the better of the two teams in the first half and it was no surprise that they started the second half well. Within a minute of the restart a well executed pass found a Fleet player running into the box. His chip beat the keeper but rebounded off the crossbar and was cleared away.
In the 48th minute Fleet doubled their lead. They spread the ball well to the left wing but when the ball was crossed in it appeared that the Aldermaston keeper would cut it out. He was challenged in the air for the ball by a Fleet player and both of them missed it. This left an open goal for a Fleet player to aim at from the centre of the six yard box and he didn't miss the ball, tapping it into the back of the net.
Fleet Spurs scored again in the 62nd minute with another cross from the left and another unmarked player in the penalty area. On this occasion the keeper didn't come out for the ball and the cross just needed a controlled header which it got. The ball was glanced to the right and bounced down and then up into the side of the net.
In the 72nd minute the visitors added a fourth goal. Their keeper took a freekick following an Aldermaston offside and punted it forward into the Aldermaston half. The ball was headed forward and straight to a Fleet Spurs striker who ran into the box and struck the ball well into the right of the goal.
Fleet were now totally dominant and Aldermaston were often pinned back into their half although to their credit they still attempted to play the ball to feet and switch play from wing to wing. In the 80th minute Fleet were denied a fifth goal by another goalline clearance and in the 85th minute it was the Aldermaston keeper who kept the scoreline down with a superb double save.
The drive home was more straightforward now I had a better understanding of the route, helped by Radio 1's bank holiday takeover with the Wurzels, Status Quo and the Lemonheads replacing the normal chart fodder.
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