I made a special effort to get to this game after reading that Axminster's Sector Lane ground would only be used for their first four games of the season. This was the first of those four games, a season opener against Exmouth Town.
I caught the train down to Axminster and walked through the centre and part way up a hill, finding the ground on the left hand side just before a pub on the right. After paying to get in I wandered round to the elevated bank behind the dugouts to read the programme. The plan for the club is to groundshare for the rest of the season and at the start of next season until the new ground is completed.
It was strange to think that this would be the final opening day kick off as the referee blew the whistle. Sadly the game was not one to match the occasion. Exmouth had a goal disallowed after 10 minutes as the referee wasn't happy with a 50/50 challenge between the keeper and an Exmouth player that set up the 'goal'.
It took Axminster most of the half to get going, a shot on the half hour clawed wide by the Exmouth keeper was their first clear chance on goal. In the last 15 minutes a few runs led to corners but there was no cutting edge.
The second half was a bit more exciting to watch as the game stretched out and players started to tire. In the 57th minute Axminster hit a long chip over the Exmouth keeper but it fell just wide. Both teams had players booked for dissent and the referee's efforts to keep control didn't allow the game to flow. The game finished with a couple of long range shots from both teams that didn't trouble either keeper.
After the game finished I walked swiftly back to the station to catch the hourly service back up the line. I just made it in time and had a pleasant chat to another nonleague enthusiast who had been at the game and had an encyclopedic knowledge of the grounds in the area. He pointed out the work to date on the new pitches which are going to be next to the railway line.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Game 2: Brazil 1.2 Mexico (Olympic Mens Final) 11.08.12
I put in a request for tickets to the Olympic Men's Final on the off chance of being successful in the ballot and was lucky enough to get a pair for Amy and I to attend the match.
It's always been an ambition to see Brazil in a competitive final so I was delighted that they made it through. Mexico beat Senegal in extra time and Japan in the semifinal but were seen as the underdogs, even though they had beaten Brazil in Dallas a couple of months earlier.
We made our way along a colourful Wembley Way with the sounds of a Brazilian samba band in the background. There were a lot of hopeful fans looking for tickets but no sellers in sight. It was fantastic to see the Olympic rings on the stadium above the Bobby Moore statue and we took some photos before heading into the ground early to take in the atmosphere.
When we walked out to our seats I was delighted to see that we were on the front row of the section and next to an aisle - a perfect view of the ground. We were lucky, one couple came in to find that one of their seats didn't exist! The customer service team whisked them off to find some replacement seats for them.
There was a lot of press about Brazil not having won this final before and the pressure was building for the young team with celebrities like Pele flying in for the game.
The Teamline ups were:
Brazil: Gabriel, Rafael,Thiago Silva,Juan Jesus, Sandro, Marcelo, Romulo,Leandro Damiao, Oscar, Neymar, Alex Sandro
Subs: Lucas, Hulk, Uvini, Danilo, Ganso, Pato, Nato
Mexico: Corona, Jiminez, Salcido, Mier, Chavez, Herrera, Fabian, Peralta, Aquino, Reyes, Enriquez
Subs: Cortes, Dos Santos, Jiminez, Vidrio, Ponce, Araujo, Rodriguez
As we approached 3 o clock the stadium filled up and soon the teams were on the pitch for the anthems. A huge scrum of photographers in desert coloured jackets scurried around the pitch for a photo opportunity. The teams then seperated and the Brazil team headed towards our end to prepare for kickoff.
Referee Mark Clattenburg blew the whistle but any latecomers would have missed the first shock of the day. Mexico kicked off and passed he ball back to the keeper to launch down the left side. A Mexican player missed the header as the ball bounced over his head and a Brazilian defender picked up the ball before turning to face the touchline. He could have kicked the ball out of play but cut back to slide a shortpass to a team mate, under pressure from a Mexican player. Mexico were quick to challenge and toepoked the ball through to Peralta. He took the ball on the corner of the area in space, took one touch and then fired a low shot. It had enough pace to beat the keeper's dive and enough accuracy to curve into the back of the net after 27 seconds. A stunner of a goal and the quickest that I could recall seeing. It was later confirmed as the quickest goal in Olympic Final history.
Brazil didn't settle after giving the ball away for the goal as Mexico worked hard as a unit to keep possession and frustrate the favourites. The crowd started the first of several Mexican waves to cheer them on. Brazil headed well over the bar from a freekick in the 12th minute and Oscar hit a shot directly at the keeper from short range 8 minutes later.
Despite the samba instruments dotted around the ground, the team had no rhythm. On the half hour Brazil made an early change, Hulk coming on for Alex Sandro. Mexico still looked comfortable as Brazil gave them
too much space, their attacking play leading to one shot fly over and another shot just wide. They had one moment of concern when Hulk let fly with a powerful dipping shot that the keeper managed to keep out before parrying the ball for a corner. This seemed to give Brazil some confidence with a nice pass into the box allowing Leandro to tee up a shot from Marcello into the side netting. Just before halftime Neymar tried a shot from distance but found the side netting as well.
I was expecting Brazil to continue this good period into the second half and Hulk almost delivered a penalty in the first attack, brought down just outside the area. His freekick beat the wall but not the covering defender. On the next attack Neymar hit a rising shot over the bar. Neymar and Hulk created a couple more chances in this five minute spell, more than Brazil had managed in the first half.
The game was delayed for a few minutes after Neymar was beaten to the ball by the Mexican keeper and suffered a blow to the head. He was soon back on his feet and hit another shot over the bar after the ball bounced around the area.
For all the Brazilian possession and improved play in the second half, the final ball or shot wasn't enough to really trouble the Mexican defence. In the 63rd minute Mexico almost added a second at the far end. A defensive clearance was charged down and the Mexican player took it round the keeper. The keeper did enough to push the ball against the striker and up into the air, allowing him to rush back with a couple of defenders. The Mexican player had to improvise to get a shot away and hit a wonderful overhead kick that crashed off the crossbar.
Brazil continued to attack and left space for Mexico to exploit. In the 68th minute a run down the right and a great pass found an unmarked Perelta in the area. His shot from close in beat the keeper but he was adjudged to be offside so the goal didn't stand. Two minutes later and another great chance to extend the lead came from a corner. The Brazilian keeper flapped at the ball and missed it, leaving Fabian with an empty net and a free header that he put onto the roof of the net.
The second goal finally came after a controversial freekick was awarded to Mexico in the 74th minute. It appeared that the Mexican player jumping for the ball had pushed Marcello out of the way but the freekick was given to Mexico. The Brazilian coach was furious with good reason. Ponce put the ball into the area and an unmarked Peralta headed the ball in from the penalty spot to the keeper's left.
The shock result was on the cards but Brazil weren't going to give up the game. Corona in the Mexican goal had to act as a sweeper to beat Neymar to one ball and several corners had to be dealt with. In the 90th minute a long crossfield clearance fell for Hulk who outpaced the covering defender and hit a low shot through the keeper's legs to pull a goal back.
Brazil pushed forward to try and put the game into extra time. Hulk took the ball from a pass before putting a cross onto Oscar's head. From 5 yards out and without a defender nearby, he managed to put too much weight on the header and it went over. Oscar slumped to his knees as he knew he could have got Brazil out of jail with that chance. The keeper took the goalkick and as the ball flew into the air the referee blew the whistle to confirm Mexico as the Olympic champions.
We stayed to watch the teams pick up their medals - one of the longest medal ceremonies with the 3 squads picking up a medal each along with the officials. The stadium was half empty as we left to walk up Wembley Way, revelling in a deserved victory for the underdogs.
It's always been an ambition to see Brazil in a competitive final so I was delighted that they made it through. Mexico beat Senegal in extra time and Japan in the semifinal but were seen as the underdogs, even though they had beaten Brazil in Dallas a couple of months earlier.
We made our way along a colourful Wembley Way with the sounds of a Brazilian samba band in the background. There were a lot of hopeful fans looking for tickets but no sellers in sight. It was fantastic to see the Olympic rings on the stadium above the Bobby Moore statue and we took some photos before heading into the ground early to take in the atmosphere.
When we walked out to our seats I was delighted to see that we were on the front row of the section and next to an aisle - a perfect view of the ground. We were lucky, one couple came in to find that one of their seats didn't exist! The customer service team whisked them off to find some replacement seats for them.
There was a lot of press about Brazil not having won this final before and the pressure was building for the young team with celebrities like Pele flying in for the game.
The Teamline ups were:
Brazil: Gabriel, Rafael,Thiago Silva,Juan Jesus, Sandro, Marcelo, Romulo,Leandro Damiao, Oscar, Neymar, Alex Sandro
Subs: Lucas, Hulk, Uvini, Danilo, Ganso, Pato, Nato
Mexico: Corona, Jiminez, Salcido, Mier, Chavez, Herrera, Fabian, Peralta, Aquino, Reyes, Enriquez
Subs: Cortes, Dos Santos, Jiminez, Vidrio, Ponce, Araujo, Rodriguez
As we approached 3 o clock the stadium filled up and soon the teams were on the pitch for the anthems. A huge scrum of photographers in desert coloured jackets scurried around the pitch for a photo opportunity. The teams then seperated and the Brazil team headed towards our end to prepare for kickoff.
Referee Mark Clattenburg blew the whistle but any latecomers would have missed the first shock of the day. Mexico kicked off and passed he ball back to the keeper to launch down the left side. A Mexican player missed the header as the ball bounced over his head and a Brazilian defender picked up the ball before turning to face the touchline. He could have kicked the ball out of play but cut back to slide a shortpass to a team mate, under pressure from a Mexican player. Mexico were quick to challenge and toepoked the ball through to Peralta. He took the ball on the corner of the area in space, took one touch and then fired a low shot. It had enough pace to beat the keeper's dive and enough accuracy to curve into the back of the net after 27 seconds. A stunner of a goal and the quickest that I could recall seeing. It was later confirmed as the quickest goal in Olympic Final history.
Brazil didn't settle after giving the ball away for the goal as Mexico worked hard as a unit to keep possession and frustrate the favourites. The crowd started the first of several Mexican waves to cheer them on. Brazil headed well over the bar from a freekick in the 12th minute and Oscar hit a shot directly at the keeper from short range 8 minutes later.
Despite the samba instruments dotted around the ground, the team had no rhythm. On the half hour Brazil made an early change, Hulk coming on for Alex Sandro. Mexico still looked comfortable as Brazil gave them
too much space, their attacking play leading to one shot fly over and another shot just wide. They had one moment of concern when Hulk let fly with a powerful dipping shot that the keeper managed to keep out before parrying the ball for a corner. This seemed to give Brazil some confidence with a nice pass into the box allowing Leandro to tee up a shot from Marcello into the side netting. Just before halftime Neymar tried a shot from distance but found the side netting as well.
I was expecting Brazil to continue this good period into the second half and Hulk almost delivered a penalty in the first attack, brought down just outside the area. His freekick beat the wall but not the covering defender. On the next attack Neymar hit a rising shot over the bar. Neymar and Hulk created a couple more chances in this five minute spell, more than Brazil had managed in the first half.
The game was delayed for a few minutes after Neymar was beaten to the ball by the Mexican keeper and suffered a blow to the head. He was soon back on his feet and hit another shot over the bar after the ball bounced around the area.
For all the Brazilian possession and improved play in the second half, the final ball or shot wasn't enough to really trouble the Mexican defence. In the 63rd minute Mexico almost added a second at the far end. A defensive clearance was charged down and the Mexican player took it round the keeper. The keeper did enough to push the ball against the striker and up into the air, allowing him to rush back with a couple of defenders. The Mexican player had to improvise to get a shot away and hit a wonderful overhead kick that crashed off the crossbar.
Brazil continued to attack and left space for Mexico to exploit. In the 68th minute a run down the right and a great pass found an unmarked Perelta in the area. His shot from close in beat the keeper but he was adjudged to be offside so the goal didn't stand. Two minutes later and another great chance to extend the lead came from a corner. The Brazilian keeper flapped at the ball and missed it, leaving Fabian with an empty net and a free header that he put onto the roof of the net.
The second goal finally came after a controversial freekick was awarded to Mexico in the 74th minute. It appeared that the Mexican player jumping for the ball had pushed Marcello out of the way but the freekick was given to Mexico. The Brazilian coach was furious with good reason. Ponce put the ball into the area and an unmarked Peralta headed the ball in from the penalty spot to the keeper's left.
The shock result was on the cards but Brazil weren't going to give up the game. Corona in the Mexican goal had to act as a sweeper to beat Neymar to one ball and several corners had to be dealt with. In the 90th minute a long crossfield clearance fell for Hulk who outpaced the covering defender and hit a low shot through the keeper's legs to pull a goal back.
Brazil pushed forward to try and put the game into extra time. Hulk took the ball from a pass before putting a cross onto Oscar's head. From 5 yards out and without a defender nearby, he managed to put too much weight on the header and it went over. Oscar slumped to his knees as he knew he could have got Brazil out of jail with that chance. The keeper took the goalkick and as the ball flew into the air the referee blew the whistle to confirm Mexico as the Olympic champions.
We stayed to watch the teams pick up their medals - one of the longest medal ceremonies with the 3 squads picking up a medal each along with the officials. The stadium was half empty as we left to walk up Wembley Way, revelling in a deserved victory for the underdogs.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Monday, May 07, 2012
2011-2012 Season Summary
Games seen: 30
Goals scored: 108
Highest Scoring Game: 9 Andover New Street 3.6 Bridport
Lowest Scoring Game:0 Downton 0.0 Amesbury Town, Chickerell United 0.0 Weymouth Reserves, Salisbury City 0.0 Weston super Mare
Goal Average: 3.6
Grounds Visited: 20
New Grounds Visited: 13
Goals scored: 108
Highest Scoring Game: 9 Andover New Street 3.6 Bridport
Lowest Scoring Game:0 Downton 0.0 Amesbury Town, Chickerell United 0.0 Weymouth Reserves, Salisbury City 0.0 Weston super Mare
Goal Average: 3.6
Grounds Visited: 20
New Grounds Visited: 13
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Saturday, April 07, 2012
Friday, April 06, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Game 25: Sturminster Marshall 1.0 Parley Sports (Dorset Premier) 24.03.12
After spending a glorious sunny morning in Swanage, I drove up to Sturminster Marshall for their match against Parley Sports. The ground was easy to find as it was in the middle of a housing estate, the main pitch behind railings and the players warming up on the outside pitches. In the far corner was a playpark with the clubhouse set behind it. After driving around the perimeter of the pitch I spotted a gap in the clubhouse carpark and decided to leave the car there - well out of range of any off-target shots.
The teams made their way onto the pitch and the match kicked off at 3.05. Both teams were putting together some good passing moves in the first period of play but goal attempts were rare. Parley had the clearest opportunity when a player intercepted a stray pass but his shot went well over the bar with just the keeper to beat.
I was enjoying the end to end play in the sunshine and was joined by one of the club officials for a short while for a friendly chat. Most of the play was at the other end as Parley pressed for a goal but their shooting let them down. Sturminster got into their stride toward the end of the half - a well worked move from a throw in found a man in space but his shot was just wide of the post.
In the 40th minute Parley won a free kick and the subsequent shot was spilled by the home keeper. Several players tried to force the ball over the line but it wouldn't quite go. In the final minute of the half a Sturminster cross was missed by a defender and allowed a close range shot from Sturminster. This time the effort was on target but the Parley keeper pulled off a great reaction save to tip the ball wide for a corner.
While the kick off for the first half was later than expected, the second half took even longer and play didn't resume until 4.10. The laid back attitude to time keeping seemed to extend to the pitch. While the football was entertaining to watch, I got the impression that the shooting boots had been left at home with the number of shots that ended up over the bar or wide.
In the 80th minute the deadlock was finally broken as Sturminster broke down the right wing and a good cross found an unmarked player on the left edge of the box. His shot managed to elude the keeper's dive and squeezed in by the near post. This seemed to spark the game into life as both teams suddenly came close to scoring - Parley were denied by a quick thinking keeper just beating their striker to the ball and an offside flag. In between those chances a low Sturminster shot from the edge of the area went just wide of the post with the keeper well beaten. The referee finally blew his whistle at 5pm and the teams went off, followed soon after by a tractor that dragged the two wooden wheeled dugouts off down the road.
The teams made their way onto the pitch and the match kicked off at 3.05. Both teams were putting together some good passing moves in the first period of play but goal attempts were rare. Parley had the clearest opportunity when a player intercepted a stray pass but his shot went well over the bar with just the keeper to beat.
I was enjoying the end to end play in the sunshine and was joined by one of the club officials for a short while for a friendly chat. Most of the play was at the other end as Parley pressed for a goal but their shooting let them down. Sturminster got into their stride toward the end of the half - a well worked move from a throw in found a man in space but his shot was just wide of the post.
In the 40th minute Parley won a free kick and the subsequent shot was spilled by the home keeper. Several players tried to force the ball over the line but it wouldn't quite go. In the final minute of the half a Sturminster cross was missed by a defender and allowed a close range shot from Sturminster. This time the effort was on target but the Parley keeper pulled off a great reaction save to tip the ball wide for a corner.
While the kick off for the first half was later than expected, the second half took even longer and play didn't resume until 4.10. The laid back attitude to time keeping seemed to extend to the pitch. While the football was entertaining to watch, I got the impression that the shooting boots had been left at home with the number of shots that ended up over the bar or wide.
In the 80th minute the deadlock was finally broken as Sturminster broke down the right wing and a good cross found an unmarked player on the left edge of the box. His shot managed to elude the keeper's dive and squeezed in by the near post. This seemed to spark the game into life as both teams suddenly came close to scoring - Parley were denied by a quick thinking keeper just beating their striker to the ball and an offside flag. In between those chances a low Sturminster shot from the edge of the area went just wide of the post with the keeper well beaten. The referee finally blew his whistle at 5pm and the teams went off, followed soon after by a tractor that dragged the two wooden wheeled dugouts off down the road.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Game 24: Elmore 1.2 Calne Town (Western 1) 10.03.12
I hadn't made any particular plans for this weekend so when Paul called and suggested a trip down to Tiverton to watch his local team on an away day it was great timing. We took the train down to the Parkway station and watched the steam special come through at the expense of missing the hourly bus into town.
As there wasn't much to do at the station we opted to take a cab to Tiverton and met a friendly cabbie called Fossil who drove us into town. Turned out that he used to run a pub for former Pompey and Saints striker Colin Clarke at the same time that I was living in Pompey in the early 90's and he told us some stories of some days out at the races with a few of the team that I used to watch on the terraces. Sometimes the world's a small place and today was one of those days. Fossil dropped us off in town after pointing out Elmore's ground and pointed us in the direction of the pub where we spent a bit of time for lunch.
Elmore's ground was just outside the centre of Tiverton so we didn't have far to walk back. When we arrived I was surprised to see a large green eagle above the clubhouse. We walked round the pitch to have a look at the Adam Stansfield stand, named after their former striker who sadly passed away from cancer a couple of years ago while playing at Exeter City, before heading round to the other side of the ground to watch the game.
Calne took an early lead in the match, a 4th minute goal that saw the Elmore keeper's attempt to clear a backpass charged down, leaving an empty net for the Calne player to pass the ball into. Calne almost added a second a couple of minutes later from a freekick but the ball eluded everyone when it just needed a touch to knock it in.
The rest of the half was poor, neither team creating much until Elmore's second attempt on goal just before halftime. The Calne keeper had to be alert to push an ontarget shot up and away from danger. The referee seemed rather whistle happy in the sense that a quick blast wasn't enough - we saw incidents with multiple whistling that seemed out of place given the nature of the offences.
The second half didn't have much to write home about until the 66th minute when an Elmore player was sent off for a second yellow card. The numerical advantage helped the visitors as four minutes later a Calne midfielder took the ball in space, dribbled it around several players and then hit a low shot into the bottom corner of the net. An excellent finish.
I couldn't see Elmore getting back into the game but with 5 minutes to go they broke away and pulled a goal back with a low finish into the left corner that beat the keeper's scramble. Elmore now started to press for an equaliser but it all went sour in injury time. After a late tackle in the centre circle the players started to brawl and it took a while for the officials to reassert their authority. The outcome was 2 more red cards (one for each team) but there was still more to follow. One of the Calne players had the red mist descend and he continued to abuse the officials. The referee had enough and before the game could restart sent him off, leaving both teams with 9 men.
It was no surprise that he blew the final whistle soon after before it all kicked off again. The Calne manager was not happy and came onto the pitch to put his views across to the officials before being ushered off. We wandered back to the bus stop and took the bus back to the station, passing an interesting looking ground and a pub that Paul was keen to visit once he realised how close it was to the station. Sadly our train times didn't work out to allow us to retrace our steps so there may be another trip to Tiverton in the future.
As there wasn't much to do at the station we opted to take a cab to Tiverton and met a friendly cabbie called Fossil who drove us into town. Turned out that he used to run a pub for former Pompey and Saints striker Colin Clarke at the same time that I was living in Pompey in the early 90's and he told us some stories of some days out at the races with a few of the team that I used to watch on the terraces. Sometimes the world's a small place and today was one of those days. Fossil dropped us off in town after pointing out Elmore's ground and pointed us in the direction of the pub where we spent a bit of time for lunch.
Elmore's ground was just outside the centre of Tiverton so we didn't have far to walk back. When we arrived I was surprised to see a large green eagle above the clubhouse. We walked round the pitch to have a look at the Adam Stansfield stand, named after their former striker who sadly passed away from cancer a couple of years ago while playing at Exeter City, before heading round to the other side of the ground to watch the game.
Calne took an early lead in the match, a 4th minute goal that saw the Elmore keeper's attempt to clear a backpass charged down, leaving an empty net for the Calne player to pass the ball into. Calne almost added a second a couple of minutes later from a freekick but the ball eluded everyone when it just needed a touch to knock it in.
The rest of the half was poor, neither team creating much until Elmore's second attempt on goal just before halftime. The Calne keeper had to be alert to push an ontarget shot up and away from danger. The referee seemed rather whistle happy in the sense that a quick blast wasn't enough - we saw incidents with multiple whistling that seemed out of place given the nature of the offences.
The second half didn't have much to write home about until the 66th minute when an Elmore player was sent off for a second yellow card. The numerical advantage helped the visitors as four minutes later a Calne midfielder took the ball in space, dribbled it around several players and then hit a low shot into the bottom corner of the net. An excellent finish.
I couldn't see Elmore getting back into the game but with 5 minutes to go they broke away and pulled a goal back with a low finish into the left corner that beat the keeper's scramble. Elmore now started to press for an equaliser but it all went sour in injury time. After a late tackle in the centre circle the players started to brawl and it took a while for the officials to reassert their authority. The outcome was 2 more red cards (one for each team) but there was still more to follow. One of the Calne players had the red mist descend and he continued to abuse the officials. The referee had enough and before the game could restart sent him off, leaving both teams with 9 men.
It was no surprise that he blew the final whistle soon after before it all kicked off again. The Calne manager was not happy and came onto the pitch to put his views across to the officials before being ushered off. We wandered back to the bus stop and took the bus back to the station, passing an interesting looking ground and a pub that Paul was keen to visit once he realised how close it was to the station. Sadly our train times didn't work out to allow us to retrace our steps so there may be another trip to Tiverton in the future.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sunday, January 08, 2012
Monday, January 02, 2012
Game 20: Hengrove Athletic 2.1 Almondsbury UWE (Western 1) 02.01.12
After missing out on a Western League double on Boxing Day when both games were postponed (Larkhall and Oldland) I was keen to see if I could get a couple of games in today. My plan was to take in the 12 o clock kick off at Hengrove then head down the A37 and A368 to Bishop Sutton for the 3 o clock kick off. Before I left home I had spotted a pitch inspection was due at Bishop Sutton but hadn't heard anything about Hengrove so decided to take a gamble and head north.
Driving through Wiltshire in bright sunshine made it a pleasant trip but once I hit the outskirts of Bath, the clouds drew in and soon heavy rain was lashing down on to the windscreen. As I approached Whitchurch the sun came out again and I arrived at Hengrove in the dry. After paying £5 to get in (no programmes due to Christmas), I parked up and wandered round to the ground.
The pitch was set back next to the social club with a couple of pitches behind it and a cricket scoreboard indicating this open area serves more than one sport in the area. The main pitch was fully railed with the far goal next to the fence of a local garden centre. There was one main terraced stand with a regular 50 seater stand next to it. I was pleased to see there was some cover as the clouds in the distance were ominously dark grey and heading this way.
The pitch itself looked a bit heavy in places with sand in the nearest goalmouth to help soak up some of the water. The teams came out and the match kicked off on time in bright sunshine. Both teams had a couple of half chances in the first period and Almondsbury managed to get the ball in the back of the net after 23 minutes but the assistant had a flag up for offside and the goal was disallowed. By this time I had wandered round from the far touchline to take shelter in the terraced stand as the rain started to pour down.
In the 25th minute Almondsbury did take the lead with a good move down the right side. A defender slid in to try and win the ball (ideal conditions for lunging at the ball) but missed it. The winger lost his feet for a moment on the slippery surface before regaining his balance and getting a cross over to the far side of the six yard box. His teammate controlled the ball before whacking it in off the left post. The conditions got worse and both teams struggled to adapt to the physics of playing on this slippery muddy surface. It wasn’t until the 40th minute when the sun had reappeared before we saw another goal.
This one seemed to come from nowhere. The ball was on the left side of the Almondsbury half before being knocked into the six yard box, finding a Hengrove player in space. He turned and popped a shot against the post, beating the keeper’s dive. The ball then span out and presented a team mate with an open goal and an equaliser.
I was a little concerned that the game may not reach it’s conclusion as when the teams came out again for the second half, they were greeted with another monsoon like downpour which lasted for most of the next 45 minutes. The officials allowed the game to continue and to be fair, it wasn’t until the last 5 minutes or so that tackles got a bit reckless as the players tired on the heavy surface.
Both teams worked out that running with the ball on this surface was a better option than passing but Hengrove reacted better to the way the ball would stick to the surface on a tackle and created a number of openings that way. They were denied a clear shooting chance by a last ditch sliding tackle that deflected the ball out for a throw early on. Almondsbury won a couple of corners with shots from distance but were unable to capitalise on these set plays.
In the 73rd minute we finally saw a breakthrough. The Hengrove 11 won the ball on the right wing then dribbled his way through several players before setting up a shot on the edge of the box. The ball seemed to be covered by the keeper’s dive but it managed to slide under him and headed to the net, only to be caught in the mud/sand mix on the goal line. Two Hengrove players reacted ahead of the defence and one put his boot behind the ball and whacked it into the open goal.
Almondsbury got into some good positions but time after time they wasted them with shots flying well wide or over. In the last few minutes some of the sliding tackles were unnecessary and late, leading to a booking for a home player who protested his innocence even after the referee pointed out they were for an accumulation of fouls. By now I’m sure most of the players would rather have been inside rather than being pelted by hail and it was a relief when the referee brought the game to an end.
By the time I got back to the car and checked the phone, all my 3pm options for new grounds had gone and an accident on the Shepton Mallet road meant a decision to divert for home rather than wait in the traffic and hope to make kick off there. Still, it was good to get a game in today and I enjoyed the friendly welcome at the club.
Driving through Wiltshire in bright sunshine made it a pleasant trip but once I hit the outskirts of Bath, the clouds drew in and soon heavy rain was lashing down on to the windscreen. As I approached Whitchurch the sun came out again and I arrived at Hengrove in the dry. After paying £5 to get in (no programmes due to Christmas), I parked up and wandered round to the ground.
The pitch was set back next to the social club with a couple of pitches behind it and a cricket scoreboard indicating this open area serves more than one sport in the area. The main pitch was fully railed with the far goal next to the fence of a local garden centre. There was one main terraced stand with a regular 50 seater stand next to it. I was pleased to see there was some cover as the clouds in the distance were ominously dark grey and heading this way.
The pitch itself looked a bit heavy in places with sand in the nearest goalmouth to help soak up some of the water. The teams came out and the match kicked off on time in bright sunshine. Both teams had a couple of half chances in the first period and Almondsbury managed to get the ball in the back of the net after 23 minutes but the assistant had a flag up for offside and the goal was disallowed. By this time I had wandered round from the far touchline to take shelter in the terraced stand as the rain started to pour down.
In the 25th minute Almondsbury did take the lead with a good move down the right side. A defender slid in to try and win the ball (ideal conditions for lunging at the ball) but missed it. The winger lost his feet for a moment on the slippery surface before regaining his balance and getting a cross over to the far side of the six yard box. His teammate controlled the ball before whacking it in off the left post. The conditions got worse and both teams struggled to adapt to the physics of playing on this slippery muddy surface. It wasn’t until the 40th minute when the sun had reappeared before we saw another goal.
This one seemed to come from nowhere. The ball was on the left side of the Almondsbury half before being knocked into the six yard box, finding a Hengrove player in space. He turned and popped a shot against the post, beating the keeper’s dive. The ball then span out and presented a team mate with an open goal and an equaliser.
I was a little concerned that the game may not reach it’s conclusion as when the teams came out again for the second half, they were greeted with another monsoon like downpour which lasted for most of the next 45 minutes. The officials allowed the game to continue and to be fair, it wasn’t until the last 5 minutes or so that tackles got a bit reckless as the players tired on the heavy surface.
Both teams worked out that running with the ball on this surface was a better option than passing but Hengrove reacted better to the way the ball would stick to the surface on a tackle and created a number of openings that way. They were denied a clear shooting chance by a last ditch sliding tackle that deflected the ball out for a throw early on. Almondsbury won a couple of corners with shots from distance but were unable to capitalise on these set plays.
In the 73rd minute we finally saw a breakthrough. The Hengrove 11 won the ball on the right wing then dribbled his way through several players before setting up a shot on the edge of the box. The ball seemed to be covered by the keeper’s dive but it managed to slide under him and headed to the net, only to be caught in the mud/sand mix on the goal line. Two Hengrove players reacted ahead of the defence and one put his boot behind the ball and whacked it into the open goal.
Almondsbury got into some good positions but time after time they wasted them with shots flying well wide or over. In the last few minutes some of the sliding tackles were unnecessary and late, leading to a booking for a home player who protested his innocence even after the referee pointed out they were for an accumulation of fouls. By now I’m sure most of the players would rather have been inside rather than being pelted by hail and it was a relief when the referee brought the game to an end.
By the time I got back to the car and checked the phone, all my 3pm options for new grounds had gone and an accident on the Shepton Mallet road meant a decision to divert for home rather than wait in the traffic and hope to make kick off there. Still, it was good to get a game in today and I enjoyed the friendly welcome at the club.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Game 16: Bemerton Heath Harlequins 3.1 AFC Totton (Friendly) 28.11.11
Browsing the Sport4Salisbury website on Sunday I discovered that AFC Totton had arranged a friendly at Bemerton Heath Harlequins ahead of their big FA Cup match against Bristol Rovers next weekend. Seemed like a good excuse to watch some football so after preparing for a cold night on the terraces I stepped out of the house to discover it was warm and wet! The rain was quite heavy when I arrived at the ground and I was grateful for cover in the darkened ground. I was charged £2 for admission to go towards the cost of the officials which was a bargain.
The match was due to kick off at 7.30 but the teams didn't enter the pitch on time and kick off was a couple of minutes later than scheduled. The game started at a great pace, both teams having an attack in the first minute. I recognised a few of the AFC Totton team as first teamers, noticeably Jon Davies who started his career at Salisbury and Grant Porter who was with Bemerton a couple of seasons ago. Bemerton's keeper had to be careful when sliding into a tackle outside the area in the wet conditions, conceding a corner in the process. The first was cleared, the second a few moments later was wasted when Davies slipped when taking the kick and limped away having tackled himself. The visitors came close again with another corner on 5 minutes, the ball bouncing down and wide from a header.
Despite the near constant pressure on the Bemerton goal, the wet conditions seemed to favour the home team as Totton didn't produce the ball control necessary to break down the defence. When they did, shots were either hit wide or directly at the keeper to make some straightforward saves. Bemerton didn't have a clear chance until the 35th minute when Sanger broke through but his shot was deflected over the bar for a corner. The next chance fell to Young a couple of minutes later after he flew down the left wing from a Sanger flick on and put a shot past the keeper but narrowly wide of the far post. It looked like the half would finish goalless but in the 43rd minute a Totton player went down in the box near the goaline and the referee awarded a penalty kick. The ball was hit hard past the Bemerton keeper to give Totton the lead their earlier play had deserved. There was still time for a nasty challenge on a Bemerton defender which drew blood and he had to limp off as the referee blew for half time. If this had been a competitive league or cup game then a card probably would have been shown but the referee was content to talk to the player instead and exercise a bit of common sense.
After 55 minutes both teams made changes to their strikeforces with both Totton strikers being replaced and Slade coming off for Bemerton. The change seemed to work to Bemerton's advantage. They won a corner a couple of minutes later when a defender misjudged a long ball and put it out of play. The ball was crossed into the centre with pace and while a defender blocked Mankin from getting a header, the deflection fell to Gallacher who controlled the ball and hit a shot past Porter. It took Bemerton a minute to win a corner, putting pressure on 3 different defenders to keep the ball in the Totton box before it went out. The corner was sliced and span towards the near post where it bounced off a defender's shin and out. He made no attempt to clear the ball, which allowed Mankin to smash the ball into the top of the net. An unlikely lead!
The Totton players weren't happy to be behind and it required a world class save to keep the score at 2.1 in the 69th minute. The ball was whipped into the box from the right and a Totton striker curved a first time shot towards the post at close range. The Bemerton keeper dived low and his reflexes were quick enough for him to get a hand to the ball and put it wide for a corner. Things got worse from Totton in the 75th minute as Bemerton carved open their defence with some quick passing. Sanger burst forward into the box and crossed it low for Eves to slam the ball past Porter. Despite further pressure from the visitors, the home defence kept the ball out of the net to give Bemerton a good win against a strong side.
The match was due to kick off at 7.30 but the teams didn't enter the pitch on time and kick off was a couple of minutes later than scheduled. The game started at a great pace, both teams having an attack in the first minute. I recognised a few of the AFC Totton team as first teamers, noticeably Jon Davies who started his career at Salisbury and Grant Porter who was with Bemerton a couple of seasons ago. Bemerton's keeper had to be careful when sliding into a tackle outside the area in the wet conditions, conceding a corner in the process. The first was cleared, the second a few moments later was wasted when Davies slipped when taking the kick and limped away having tackled himself. The visitors came close again with another corner on 5 minutes, the ball bouncing down and wide from a header.
Despite the near constant pressure on the Bemerton goal, the wet conditions seemed to favour the home team as Totton didn't produce the ball control necessary to break down the defence. When they did, shots were either hit wide or directly at the keeper to make some straightforward saves. Bemerton didn't have a clear chance until the 35th minute when Sanger broke through but his shot was deflected over the bar for a corner. The next chance fell to Young a couple of minutes later after he flew down the left wing from a Sanger flick on and put a shot past the keeper but narrowly wide of the far post. It looked like the half would finish goalless but in the 43rd minute a Totton player went down in the box near the goaline and the referee awarded a penalty kick. The ball was hit hard past the Bemerton keeper to give Totton the lead their earlier play had deserved. There was still time for a nasty challenge on a Bemerton defender which drew blood and he had to limp off as the referee blew for half time. If this had been a competitive league or cup game then a card probably would have been shown but the referee was content to talk to the player instead and exercise a bit of common sense.
After 55 minutes both teams made changes to their strikeforces with both Totton strikers being replaced and Slade coming off for Bemerton. The change seemed to work to Bemerton's advantage. They won a corner a couple of minutes later when a defender misjudged a long ball and put it out of play. The ball was crossed into the centre with pace and while a defender blocked Mankin from getting a header, the deflection fell to Gallacher who controlled the ball and hit a shot past Porter. It took Bemerton a minute to win a corner, putting pressure on 3 different defenders to keep the ball in the Totton box before it went out. The corner was sliced and span towards the near post where it bounced off a defender's shin and out. He made no attempt to clear the ball, which allowed Mankin to smash the ball into the top of the net. An unlikely lead!
The Totton players weren't happy to be behind and it required a world class save to keep the score at 2.1 in the 69th minute. The ball was whipped into the box from the right and a Totton striker curved a first time shot towards the post at close range. The Bemerton keeper dived low and his reflexes were quick enough for him to get a hand to the ball and put it wide for a corner. Things got worse from Totton in the 75th minute as Bemerton carved open their defence with some quick passing. Sanger burst forward into the box and crossed it low for Eves to slam the ball past Porter. Despite further pressure from the visitors, the home defence kept the ball out of the net to give Bemerton a good win against a strong side.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Game 15: Bemerton Heath Harlequins 3.1 Saltash United (FA Vase) 19.11.11
This was my first visit to Bemerton this season, partly due to the number of away games they've had to play in a row. The FA Vase draw had been kind and thrown up a home tie against Cornish side Saltash United from the South West Peninsula league.
Bemerton have been in good form, top of the Wessex League and on a 16 game unbeaten run (5 home, 11 away) but the form book was thrown out of the window in the early minutes of the game. In the 2nd minute they put a free header past the far post from a corner. In the 4th minute they took the lead with a break down the right and a cross from the touchline. The keeper was guarding the near post but couldn't prevent the ball going across the box and to a player at the far post to tap past the defender's challenge.
Both teams had opportunities to score and it was defensive blocks and clearances off the line that saved the day. Saltash were playing some tidy football and it took a special move from Sanger to equalise. He twisted his way though the defence before burying a shot from distance past the keeper. Three minutes later and Bemerton took the lead from a corner. The Saltash keeper pulled off a great double save from close range shots but the ball fell kindly for Mankin to bundle home. Slade came close to a third with an unmarked header at the far post that went wide. In the last minute of the half, Bemerton appealed for a penalty when Slade was taken out by the visiting keeper but it wasn't given.
Bemerton killed the game off in the 48th minute with their third goal of the afternoon. Williams gambled on winning the ball on the left wing and took the ball forward before placing an excellent cross past the keeper to Sanger on the far post who knocked the ball into the empty net. Slade came close to adding a fourth after 55 minutes when his shot came off the inside of the post, hit the bar and then was cleared for a corner. In the 68th minute it took an unconventional save to deny Williams. He walloped the ball from outside the area and the keeper saved it by chesting the ball out in mid-air, the follow up shot striking the post and going wide.
Both teams suffered as the referee got very picky and started to dish out yellow cards alongside some strange decisions. Saltash didn't give up hope and came close with a couple of late efforts. In the 85th minute a long cross dropped over the Bemerton keeper's head but landed in the top netting by the crossbar. In injury time a good pass to the backpost saw the ball flicked up into the air but the Bemerton keeper was alert and pushed it away before anyone else could make contact. A good win for the home team to keep them unbeaten for 17 games.
Bemerton have been in good form, top of the Wessex League and on a 16 game unbeaten run (5 home, 11 away) but the form book was thrown out of the window in the early minutes of the game. In the 2nd minute they put a free header past the far post from a corner. In the 4th minute they took the lead with a break down the right and a cross from the touchline. The keeper was guarding the near post but couldn't prevent the ball going across the box and to a player at the far post to tap past the defender's challenge.
Both teams had opportunities to score and it was defensive blocks and clearances off the line that saved the day. Saltash were playing some tidy football and it took a special move from Sanger to equalise. He twisted his way though the defence before burying a shot from distance past the keeper. Three minutes later and Bemerton took the lead from a corner. The Saltash keeper pulled off a great double save from close range shots but the ball fell kindly for Mankin to bundle home. Slade came close to a third with an unmarked header at the far post that went wide. In the last minute of the half, Bemerton appealed for a penalty when Slade was taken out by the visiting keeper but it wasn't given.
Bemerton killed the game off in the 48th minute with their third goal of the afternoon. Williams gambled on winning the ball on the left wing and took the ball forward before placing an excellent cross past the keeper to Sanger on the far post who knocked the ball into the empty net. Slade came close to adding a fourth after 55 minutes when his shot came off the inside of the post, hit the bar and then was cleared for a corner. In the 68th minute it took an unconventional save to deny Williams. He walloped the ball from outside the area and the keeper saved it by chesting the ball out in mid-air, the follow up shot striking the post and going wide.
Both teams suffered as the referee got very picky and started to dish out yellow cards alongside some strange decisions. Saltash didn't give up hope and came close with a couple of late efforts. In the 85th minute a long cross dropped over the Bemerton keeper's head but landed in the top netting by the crossbar. In injury time a good pass to the backpost saw the ball flicked up into the air but the Bemerton keeper was alert and pushed it away before anyone else could make contact. A good win for the home team to keep them unbeaten for 17 games.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Game 14: Salisbury City 3.1 Arlesey Town (FA Cup) 12.11.11
After sitting through a nerve wracking draw waiting for Salisbury's ball to appear, it was great to see a home tie but perhaps a little disappointing not to see a Football League club preparing to head to the Ray Mac. However the visit of Arlesey Town of the Southern Premier league did give the Whites an opportunity to progress to the second round of the FA Cup for only the second time in my lifetime. Arlesey had beaten Forest Green from the Conference Premier in the last round and a couple of Conference South sides in earlier rounds so not a team to be underestimated.
I walked over to the ground at 2.15 and got through the turnstiles in a couple of minutes. The ground seemed fairly empty and didn't start to fill up until 2.45 when I had finished reading the programme. That reading time was slightly spoilt by the realisation that I wouldn't be able to make the next round unless Salisbury were lucky enough to get a Friday or Sunday TV game. An announcement came over the tannoy that due to big queues outside the turnstiles, the kick off would be delayed until 3.15. With the England friendly against Spain due to kick off at 5.15 there were a few groans as people realised that they wouldn't have much time to get back home. I could still see cars coming up to the ground at 3 and the terrace behind the goal was much busier by the time the teams came out. The final attendance was later confirmed as 1298. As it was the nearest game to Remembrance Sunday, two serving soldiers led the teams out with a couple of poppy wreaths that were laid in the centre circle for the minute's silence.
As Salisbury were kicking towards the Portway end for the first half I decided to wander round and took up a spot near the goal. A number of Arlesey supporters had stayed down this end and it was nice to have the unsegregated freedom to wander around the ground. Arlesey looked well organised and I recognised David Perpetuni from his time in the league at Watford.
The first goalscoring opportunity fell to Salisbury in the 10th minute from a corner. As a couple of players ran forward towards the corner taker, the ball was played to the back post where Salisbury's number 3 headed it just over the bar. In the 12th minute Salisbury took a throw on the left side and a pass was played to Fitchett in the area. His first touch looked a little strong but it took the ball past the covering defender. From an acute angle he placed a high shot away from a defender's sliding leg, over the keeper and under the crossbar at the near post- a fantastic finish!
There weren't many chances after that, the closest to a goal came in the 26th minute when Reid overran the ball and it went out of play before his cross to Adlesbury. His shot found the back of the net and many supporters further away thought that Salisbury had extended their lead. It was a shame that the low drive was disallowed as it was a great controlled finish but the assistant called it right. Salisbury came close to adding a second when Knight flicked a shot from outside the area over the keeper's dive, only to see the ball crash down off the crossbar. Quick reactions saw a Salisbury player reach the bouncing ball ahead of the defence but the header was straight to the goalkeeper.
Arlesey had forced a couple of corners early on but didn't have a clear goal attempt until the 35th minute when Smith had to be alert to tip a dipping shot over the crossbar. From the corner, the next shot cleared the top of the stand and flew out of the ground but the intent from the visitors to get back into the game was clear. In the 40th minute a good run down the right wing saw the ball cleared to the edge of the Salisbury area. Some good passing then found a fullback in space on the left side and he put a dangerous cross to the far post. An Arlesey player hit his shot straight onto a Salisbury player's boot and the ball cannoned up into the air. A Salisbury player got a head to it but his header was weak and didn't clear the ball away from danger. Instead it went back to an Arlesey player who hooked a shot over Smith and in. It later turned out to be Dean Sinclair, brother of ex-Salisbury player Rob Sinclair. In the final moments of injury time Arlesey won a corner which was flicked on at the near side of the area and flew across goal and off the top of the crossbar with Smith stranded. From looking down and out, the visitors were back in the game and unfortunate not to be in the lead at the interval.
For the second half I decided to wander around to the touchline and watch from the opposite side to the main stand. The earlier warm weather had me wondering whether I just needed a shirt on but I was glad that I had opted for the fleece jacket as it started to get cold once the sun went down. The half didn't kick off until 4.21 at a time when most of the other ties were three quarters of the way through. There were a couple of potential upsets I noted, including Maidenhead United leading Aldershot by a goal to nil.
The first chance of the half fell to Salisbury, a lucky bounce of the ball after Reid lost it in the box fell to Fitchett and his shot looked in from my angle but went just past the post. Two minutes after this Arlesey had a great counter-attacking move as they played a long ball down the right side for a player to chase. He beat a defender then played the ball to a team mate who ran onto the ball in the area. With one touch he played it back to the first man who continued his run into the area. He dummied a shot to take the covering man away from the ball, then hit a shot that Smith had covered.
Smith threw the ball out to Adlesbury who had plenty of space to run forward. As he approached the halfway line he played a long ball up towards Reid and Fitchett who were on the edge of the area. Fitchett ran across to the left side and behind the defender who mistimed his header and allowed the ball to fall behind him. Fitchett ran onto the ball while the defender recovered and ran back towards the touchline. Fitchett dropped his shoulder and tried to get the ball round the defender. His second touch put the ball past the defender's foot before leg's made contact. Although the keeper had grabbed the ball, the referee had already blown and was pointing to the spot for a penalty. He booked the defender for the challenge and after a few protests, Reid stepped up and blasted the ball low to the right, just beating the keeper's dive.
It summed up the drama of the FA Cup - moments before the underdogs had come close to scoring and now they found themselves behind. They didn't let their heads drop and took the game to Salisbury. In the 56th minute they came close again to equalising. Another good move saw the ball played into the area and the striker managed to get the ball round Smith only for the keeper to use his leg to tap the ball away to a team mate to clear.
We were being treated to an end to end game as both teams decided to attack. Reid saw a shot from a tight angle tipped over the bar, Adlesbury had a trademark thump at a freekick punched out by the keeper and substitute Kelly saw a clearance balloon off him towards goal, only for the keeper to push it over the bar. In between those Salisbury chances Arlesey thought they had an equaliser but the goal was disallowed for a foul on Kelly in the buildup to the disappointment of the away support. Both teams looked to have one more goal in them and it finally came in the 89th minute. Reid took the ball down the left wing before passing to Anderson. He looked to be about to shoot only to roll the ball across the edge of the penalty area to an unmarked Kelly in space. He hit an exquisite high curling shot that bounced into the net via the post to kill the game off. It could have gone either way but the Whites were into round 2, 90 minutes and 1 win away from joining the Premier League superstars in the hat.
I walked over to the ground at 2.15 and got through the turnstiles in a couple of minutes. The ground seemed fairly empty and didn't start to fill up until 2.45 when I had finished reading the programme. That reading time was slightly spoilt by the realisation that I wouldn't be able to make the next round unless Salisbury were lucky enough to get a Friday or Sunday TV game. An announcement came over the tannoy that due to big queues outside the turnstiles, the kick off would be delayed until 3.15. With the England friendly against Spain due to kick off at 5.15 there were a few groans as people realised that they wouldn't have much time to get back home. I could still see cars coming up to the ground at 3 and the terrace behind the goal was much busier by the time the teams came out. The final attendance was later confirmed as 1298. As it was the nearest game to Remembrance Sunday, two serving soldiers led the teams out with a couple of poppy wreaths that were laid in the centre circle for the minute's silence.
As Salisbury were kicking towards the Portway end for the first half I decided to wander round and took up a spot near the goal. A number of Arlesey supporters had stayed down this end and it was nice to have the unsegregated freedom to wander around the ground. Arlesey looked well organised and I recognised David Perpetuni from his time in the league at Watford.
The first goalscoring opportunity fell to Salisbury in the 10th minute from a corner. As a couple of players ran forward towards the corner taker, the ball was played to the back post where Salisbury's number 3 headed it just over the bar. In the 12th minute Salisbury took a throw on the left side and a pass was played to Fitchett in the area. His first touch looked a little strong but it took the ball past the covering defender. From an acute angle he placed a high shot away from a defender's sliding leg, over the keeper and under the crossbar at the near post- a fantastic finish!
There weren't many chances after that, the closest to a goal came in the 26th minute when Reid overran the ball and it went out of play before his cross to Adlesbury. His shot found the back of the net and many supporters further away thought that Salisbury had extended their lead. It was a shame that the low drive was disallowed as it was a great controlled finish but the assistant called it right. Salisbury came close to adding a second when Knight flicked a shot from outside the area over the keeper's dive, only to see the ball crash down off the crossbar. Quick reactions saw a Salisbury player reach the bouncing ball ahead of the defence but the header was straight to the goalkeeper.
Arlesey had forced a couple of corners early on but didn't have a clear goal attempt until the 35th minute when Smith had to be alert to tip a dipping shot over the crossbar. From the corner, the next shot cleared the top of the stand and flew out of the ground but the intent from the visitors to get back into the game was clear. In the 40th minute a good run down the right wing saw the ball cleared to the edge of the Salisbury area. Some good passing then found a fullback in space on the left side and he put a dangerous cross to the far post. An Arlesey player hit his shot straight onto a Salisbury player's boot and the ball cannoned up into the air. A Salisbury player got a head to it but his header was weak and didn't clear the ball away from danger. Instead it went back to an Arlesey player who hooked a shot over Smith and in. It later turned out to be Dean Sinclair, brother of ex-Salisbury player Rob Sinclair. In the final moments of injury time Arlesey won a corner which was flicked on at the near side of the area and flew across goal and off the top of the crossbar with Smith stranded. From looking down and out, the visitors were back in the game and unfortunate not to be in the lead at the interval.
For the second half I decided to wander around to the touchline and watch from the opposite side to the main stand. The earlier warm weather had me wondering whether I just needed a shirt on but I was glad that I had opted for the fleece jacket as it started to get cold once the sun went down. The half didn't kick off until 4.21 at a time when most of the other ties were three quarters of the way through. There were a couple of potential upsets I noted, including Maidenhead United leading Aldershot by a goal to nil.
The first chance of the half fell to Salisbury, a lucky bounce of the ball after Reid lost it in the box fell to Fitchett and his shot looked in from my angle but went just past the post. Two minutes after this Arlesey had a great counter-attacking move as they played a long ball down the right side for a player to chase. He beat a defender then played the ball to a team mate who ran onto the ball in the area. With one touch he played it back to the first man who continued his run into the area. He dummied a shot to take the covering man away from the ball, then hit a shot that Smith had covered.
Smith threw the ball out to Adlesbury who had plenty of space to run forward. As he approached the halfway line he played a long ball up towards Reid and Fitchett who were on the edge of the area. Fitchett ran across to the left side and behind the defender who mistimed his header and allowed the ball to fall behind him. Fitchett ran onto the ball while the defender recovered and ran back towards the touchline. Fitchett dropped his shoulder and tried to get the ball round the defender. His second touch put the ball past the defender's foot before leg's made contact. Although the keeper had grabbed the ball, the referee had already blown and was pointing to the spot for a penalty. He booked the defender for the challenge and after a few protests, Reid stepped up and blasted the ball low to the right, just beating the keeper's dive.
It summed up the drama of the FA Cup - moments before the underdogs had come close to scoring and now they found themselves behind. They didn't let their heads drop and took the game to Salisbury. In the 56th minute they came close again to equalising. Another good move saw the ball played into the area and the striker managed to get the ball round Smith only for the keeper to use his leg to tap the ball away to a team mate to clear.
We were being treated to an end to end game as both teams decided to attack. Reid saw a shot from a tight angle tipped over the bar, Adlesbury had a trademark thump at a freekick punched out by the keeper and substitute Kelly saw a clearance balloon off him towards goal, only for the keeper to push it over the bar. In between those Salisbury chances Arlesey thought they had an equaliser but the goal was disallowed for a foul on Kelly in the buildup to the disappointment of the away support. Both teams looked to have one more goal in them and it finally came in the 89th minute. Reid took the ball down the left wing before passing to Anderson. He looked to be about to shoot only to roll the ball across the edge of the penalty area to an unmarked Kelly in space. He hit an exquisite high curling shot that bounced into the net via the post to kill the game off. It could have gone either way but the Whites were into round 2, 90 minutes and 1 win away from joining the Premier League superstars in the hat.
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