SOUTHAM UNITED 1 - 1 DUNLOP, (3-4 pens)

        Coventry Telegraph Challenge Cup, Quarter-Final

         Bobby Hancocks Park, Saints Drive, Southam, CV47 2UZ

                    29th January 2022,  2:15 pm Kick-Off

Today I will be going to another new ground, and continuing with the Coventry theme of last week, I will be watching a Coventry Telegraph Cup match, between Southam United (Oxfordshire Senior League) and Dunlop (Coventry Football Alliance).

I visited Southam United before, about 11 years ago, when they were playing at their previous ground in Banbury Road which like their new stadium lies on the south side of this small town. Then they were riding high in first place the old Midland Combination, Premier Div before eventually finishing second.

This new ground is named after old club veteran, Bobby Hancocks who played and later served this club altogether for more than 50 years, while also scoring more than 1,000 career goals! Those stats are in the same league as the great Pele of Brazil.

I travel to Leamington by train without any hassle, have an all-day breakfast in a cafe I used to go to last year when I was living in nearby Kenilworth for a while and make my way down the High St to catch the No.63 bus. To my surprise it turns up about 5 minutes early and I jump aboard. A bit later I hear the driver talking to someone on his phone that his bus is 1 hour late due to the heavy traffic, which I admit I could see was really bad when walking for this bus.

So 25 minutes later I am able to get off in the Southam town centre and the weather has unexpectedly taken a turn for the worse, with it getting cloudier and after having a coffee in a local cafe, it starts raining but fortunately only lasts 5 minutes.

I then walk to the ground, which lies just south of an industrial estate and close to some new build houses. The ground is a neat affair, with one big main stand on the western side of the ground, with a smaller seated stand on the opposite side. I have time to have a cup of tea at 'Alfie's' tea bar, which is housed in a parked van next to the stand. There was a table the other side of the stand with a box for people to pay a donation for their entrance fee, something I have never seen at a ground before. I pay £3, which I think is fair for this standard of football.

The teams come out with 'The Saints' of Southam in their usual home strip of yellow shirts, blue shorts and socks while the visitors of Dunlop, are in a smart kit of light blue and white striped shirts and light blue shorts and socks.

Dunlop are currently in top spot of the Coventry Alliance, Premier Division and after 9 minutes their No.8 hits a long range shot that rattles the cross bar.

  Dunlop do take the lead when after 17 minutes the ball is played across to the left of the Southam goal and is put in the net by Callum Davies.

The home side have some attacks of their own and one of their best moves sees their No.20 Mauritson go down the left to swing over a cross, (see below) for a Southam player to head down to a waiting colleague to hit a shot just wide of the left hand post.

Half time arrives with Dunlop still ahead but there has not been much between the 2 sides. The windy conditions have certainly not helped play though and I hope that it will affect the teams less in the next half. During this half I saw 3 balls come over in my direction in the space of about 20 minutes and every time they bounced over me and the wire fence in to the field, much to everyone's amusement. I'm just too old to be a goalkeeper now, ha ha! 

I go over to the other side of the ground and talk to a guy who recognised me earlier on as a fellow ground hopper. After we had been talking for a while he realises that we had met before, in fact twice before at games at Droitwich Spa and a Birmingham County FA Vase final. He is called Gordon who is based in Leicester and his good wife lets him out on a Saturday to travel to games in the Midlands. 

We have a good chat about the Non-League scene during the interval and for most of the 2nd half. I certainly have a lot of catching up to do to get close to the number of different grounds that he's visited over the years.

Southam United waste no time in taking the game to Dunlop when play resumes and in the 49th minute, equalise through Mauritson who scores from close in on the visitor's goal.

 Just 5 minutes later and they go close again with a shot coming in from the right that goes across the goal.

Dunlop although rocked back on their heels are not about to give in so easily and their No.16 has a good shot tipped over the bar by Hudson the Southam custodian. In the last 10-15 minutes of this tie they finish the stronger and give the home defence some anxious moments.

There is no more score at full time, so we have the sudden death excitement of a penalty shoot-out.

Southam miss with their first kick and have their next penalty saved while Dunlop score with their first two to leave them in the driving seat. Dunlop do miss their 3rd penalty and it eventually falls to their No.3, Jaydeep Vim to convert the last kick to win this tie.

   He sends Hudson the wrong way and Dunlop now find themselves in the semi-final of this competition.

It's been a good trip to this new ground and Southam will hopefully again reach the standard they had set 10 to 11 years ago. They are currently doing well in the Oxforshire Senior League and are in 5th position with games in hand over the teams above them.

Entrance Fee:         (Optional) £3

Match Programme:  non available

Match attendance:     40 (approx)

Match Entertainment:        6.5/10

COVENTRIANS 4 - 0 ENVILLE ATHLETIC

     MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION THREE

    Coventry Colliery Sports Ground, Bennetts Road, Coventry, CV7 8HY

                    22nd January 2022,   2:00 pm Kick-Off

Today I have decided to visit the City of Lady Godiva to see a match, as I have planned to visit my brother this evening who lives in the nearby town of Kenilworth. There are 2 teams who have been on my radar recently, AFC Coventry Rangers and Coventrians.

AFC are the runaway leaders of the MFL Div 3 but I have decided not to watch them as they are playing against Sutton United who I saw recently before Christmas. So Coventrians FC it is, a new team and a new ground to investigate.

My train journey to Coventry goes without a hitch and I have enough time to have a look in some shops for some 2nd hand camera gear and then I find a cafe where they do some reasonably priced meals, not far from Coventry Market. After a decent meal of lamb chops, chips and peas I make my way to the bus stop and catch the No.16 for the 15 minute journey to the district of Keresley, which lies north-west of the city centre.

When I get to my stop, I'm a bit bewildered by the amount of people getting off the bus. I'm wondering if they are going to the match as well but I soon find out that they are shift workers in the nearby Prologis Park facility across the road. It's an area where there are mainly huge warehouses for companies like Halfords and also some manufacturing takes place here too. 

I walk a few yards up the road and find the entrance, in between an area of new house building that is taking place at the side of this sports ground.

There is a table at the end of a short drive where 2 friendly club officials/volunteers are standing taking the entrance fees. It's only £2 and they warn me to take care and not go stepping in to the muddy bits on this well used track to the nearby club house. When I step inside I see that this building also houses the changing rooms. I walk straight on in to the small but homely bar area and on the far wall are cabinets full of trophies with plenty of team photos and pictures of individual players adorning the walls.

I'm greeted by the club secretary Jane Connolly and I find out that there are club badges for sale (£3). She also very helpfully writes out a copy of the Coventrians team sheet for me as there are no programmes issued.

I make my way to the waiting pitch just before kick-off and there are only a few spectators here today. Jane had told me their attendances usually suffer a bit when Coventry City are at home, which they are today (v QPR).

There is no hard standing around the pitch which has a rail surrounding 3 sides, apart from the opposite end, which is bordered by an area of scrub land and woodland. There is plenty of space to the west and north of this pitch for other football pitches, where I presume the junior and maybe the ladies teams play.   

Coventrians are in their usual strip of blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts and socks while the village team of visiting Enville Athletic are in their change strip of all red.

For the first 10-15 minutes, it's the mid-table visitors who are mainly on top, going close with a shot after 4 minutes and then one of their players takes a tumble after a challenge on the edge of the penalty area but no action is taken by the Ref.

  Coventrians then proceed to dominate the rest of the first half and take the lead when the ball drops nicely for their No.9, Jacob Dumbleton, from a Enville defender's header, to fire home in to the net after 21 minutes. 

  (Dumbleton on the right taking the congratulations of his team mates)

10 minutes later and from a long throw in from the right, Coventrians No.7 Reid Kearns, neatly glances in a header for goal number two (as shown below).

With Enville still reeling from this blow they concede another goal when the ball is played down the middle for Dumbleton to hit a shot to the left of the Enville keeper.

This is still the score when the sides go off for the half-time break.

Coventrians will be looking to add to their tally and improve their goal difference while Enville will be looking to somehow get back in to this game.

Coventrians FC were formed in 2007 and were associated with the rugby team of the same name but made the split from their ball carrying cousins later on. They currently lie in 3rd place in the Div 3 table and had a great 4-0 away win at close rivals AFC Solihull last Saturday. Their ground is I guess on or close to the actual former Coventry Colliery, which was part of the North Warwickshire coal field. 

After a much needed warming cup of tea I take my place for the second half.

Enville are stepping up the pace now and one of their players fails to take advantage of the Coventrians keeper being out of his area and hits his shot way over the bar.

Although Enville are having more of the play in this half it's still Coventrians who pose the greater goal threat.

Their No.11, Joel Heeley hits a shot on the turn that rattles the underside of the bar but does not cross the line when it comes down.

I am also impressed by the home sides No.14 Kai Gibbs, who shows some good skill with his mazy runs (as shown below) troubling the Enville defence.

Enville have a good shot on goal in the 70th minute but it's straight at keeper, James Connolly, then 9 minutes later their No.6, Ryan Goodman hits a shot from the left of the goal only to see it deflected just wide.

It's Coventrians who have the last say in this match when Dumbleton completes his hat-trick when he hits in a shot from a rebound that comes out to him, in the 3rd minute of stoppage time.

So Coventrians move on to the same points tally with Sutton United who lost 1-3 at AFC Coventry Rangers but stay 2nd due to a better goal difference.

I have enjoyed my visit to this friendly club, even on this cold grey day and I hope that they can secure 2nd spot by the end of this season.

Match Attendance:     Approx 15-20

Entrance Fee:                            £2

Match Programme:    none available

Match Entertainment:           7.5/10            

 
 

HAMPTON 2 - 1 KNOWLE

 

      MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION TWO

                   The Boggery, Field Lane, Solihull, B93 0NX   

                        15th January 2022,  2pm Kick-Off

So I am keeping my 2nd visit to a match of this new year strictly local today and I will be seeing the MFL 2nd Division local derby at Hampton F.C. who are hosting 2nd placed Knowle.

On paper, it looks to be a fairly easy task for the high riding visitors but I have a feeling it will be a tight, hard fought game.

I make my way to Solihull on the No.4 bus, have a quick wander round the town, have a meal of scampi and chips before going to the bus stop that I need opposite the Solihull Rail Station. I have left it a bit late and have to run some of the way, jump on to the wrong bus (X2 instead of the X12) and when informed by the driver, jump off again and catch a taxi from the town centre.  

I get to the ground 20 minutes before kick off but £7 lighter. This cheap local trip is turning out to be more expensive than planned.

  I have time to get a cup of tea in the club house, buy an impressive club badge (a black griffin (?) on a red background) and settle down to watch the Premier Division early kick off game between Man City and Chelsea, which is scoreless so far.

When I go out to get to the pitch later on, the guy who is taking the gate money informs me that the game is taking place on another pitch as the usual one has not thawed out properly. Also there are no programmes available as the Editor is on holiday. Well at least the game is being played!

The teams come out with Hampton in their home colours of red and white shirts, black shorts and red and white socks. Knowle are in a change strip of all light blue.

Hampton are the team to be making the early running and in the 5th minute, their No.10 makes an impressive run in to the Knowle half, sees his shot rebound to team mate and No.11, Hamza Siddique to slot home in to the left hand corner of the net.

First blood to the underdogs and this promises to be more interesting than I had first thought.

Knowle come back with some attacks of their own and when their No.10 bears down on goal, a Hampton defender makes a great tackle before he can get in a shot from a promising position.

In the 21st minute, the home team increase their lead when Knowle are unable to properly clear the ball after a Hampton free kick and Hampton's No.8, Will Simmons shoots in to the net.

Knowle come back strongly with their No.3 shooting just over the bar and their No.11 shooting in to the side netting after a good attack down the right.

Hampton show they are still dangerous on the break and Will Simmons takes a shot before he can steady himself properly and slices his shot wildly to the right of the goal.

When Knowle are thrown a lifeline, with the award of a penalty in the 41st minute, their No.7 sees his effort easily saved by Matt Allely in the Hampton goal. 

So the first half ends with Knowle facing an uphill task to get any points from this game in their quest to make some ground on runaway leaders, Cadbury Athletic, who are in cup action today.

It's certainly a cold day and my hands are feeling a bit numb, even with gloves on. It reminds me a little when I came here before, nine years ago, when it was cold but it was also windy then too. At least the sun has been showing his face a little today.

I notice that the Knowle programme editor, Ronald Craine, is in attendance today, busy with his match report and I make my re-acquaintance with him after first meeting him at Knowle a few months ago. He has been disappointed with his sides performance so far and reckons they don't fancy the pitch they have had to play on. Hampton's first choice pitch certainly looks in good nick.

I'm sure they will make a greater effort in the next period and so it proves to be when play starts again. They are putting in a lot more effort and they quickly reduce arrears when their forward, Nathan Corry scores with a great shot from just outside the penalty area in the 50 minute.

 After 16 minutes, the Hampton keeper makes a good save and the shot from the rebound goes just wide of the goal.

Hampton are defending well, albeit desperately at times. It's certainly a hard fought and physical game as you would expect from a local derby.

Their cause is not helped when their No.9, Tom Parnaby, is sent off after being booked a second time in the 79th minute.

Knowle are awarded plenty of corners from their attacking efforts in the second period but are not able to make it count and go close again in the 87th minute when their No.3 shoots across the goal but just wide.

Although there is about 9 minutes of injury time played, Knowle are unable to find an equaliser. They have certainly played much better in this half but the luck has not been with them today. They will no doubt be hoping on some slip ups in the coming weeks by Cadbury Athletic to aid their championship bid.

Hampton on the other hand can take credit from their performance today and will be looking to get in to the top half of the Division 2 table.  

Entrance Fee:                   £3

Programme:    none available

Match Attendance:            72

Match Entertainment:    8/10

     

     

LANE HEAD 1 - 2 CADBURY ATHLETIC

 

      MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION TWO

      Red Lion Ground, Somerfield Road, Bloxwich, Walsall,  WS3 2EJ 

                  3rd January, 2022      2:00 pm Kick-Off

So here we all are in the spanking new year of 2022 and let's hope it will truly be a better experience than 2021 and worse still 2020!

For my first game of the year I have settled on seeing a new team, Lane Head FC, who play at a ground that I have visited 4 or 5 times in the past.

Later after I had watched the game I did a bit of research and found that 'Lane Head' is a district of the nearby town of Willenhall. In the Industrial Revolution era, it was where a colliery and a iron works were situated. The colliery supplied the iron works with the coal and the Wyrley & Essington canal was also close at hand to transport the finished goods. Willenhall is mainly known as a centre for lock making and to underline how important the Industrial Revolution was to this area, the population increased from 3,143 in 1801 to 18,515 one hundred years later!

I believe that Lane Head are a new club to this level of football and it will be interesting to see how they fare against the Div 2 leaders of Cadbury Athletic.

The weather today is a great improvement to when I last ventured out to watch Sutton United, as there is plenty of sunshine and it's not too cold either.

I travel to Walsall by train with no problems and after having a snack in the Saddlers Shopping Centre, I catch the No.32 bus for a 15 minute journey that takes me close to the ground.

I go in to the club house and there is a friendly lady waiting to take the entrance fee off me. There are no programmes available (not that unexpected) and no badges for sale. It's good to see though that the tea bar outside is still in use and I have a nice warming cuppa.

When the 2 sides come out on to the pitch, the home side are in an all blue strip while Cadbury are more like the 'White Chocolate Men' today in their all white change strip.

For the first 10 minutes, the visitors are on top and after 6 minutes their lively No.11, Emile Beckford goes on a good run down the left and crosses the ball just in front of the goal line and the Lane Head keeper, manages to claw the ball away from the waiting Cadbury striker, Tom Craine, (as shown below).

After 26 minutes, the Cadbury No.3 passes through the middle for their No.9 to hit a shot past the right hand post.

Lane Head have been getting in to the game more as this half progresses and their No.6 scores following a free kick awarded on the left hand side. So the home side have rocked their opponents and what will happen now?

They come back strongly in the last few minutes and Beckford sees his fierce shot turned over for a corner. In the 41st minute, their dangerman, Tom Craine manages to bundle the ball home for the equaliser following a free kick on the left.

So it's even-stevens at the end of this half and it looks as if Cadbury will have to dig deep to get the victory they so desire.

Before I arrived I at this ground today, I had been worried in what shape it might be in, as on my last visit here nearly 5 years ago (when Bloxwich United were the hosts), the ground had been experiencing a steady decline and looked quite shoddy. Although there is still work to be done, the general appearance of the ground has definitely improved. The end where the seating is situated appears to be out of bounds for now but hopefully will be repaired in the future. 

When play resumes, Cadbury are the first to go close to scoring when Craine shoots across the goal from the left.

Lane Head though go close themselves when the ball is chipped neatly in from the right and their No.7 shoots just over the bar.

Cadbury Athletic though are stepping up the pressure on their hosts and it comes as no surprise when their No.14 slots home in to the right hand side of the net after 64 minutes.

  Although Cadbury do look the more dangerous side, Lane Head are definitely not out of it and they are handed a lifeline when they are awarded a penalty, when I think the Chocolate Men's No.3 is adjudged to have handled the ball in the area. 

The Lane End No.5 eventually steps up to take the kick, after some heated discussions between some of the Cadbury players and the ref. He decides to go for power down the middle of the goal and the keeper, Sam Smith is able to block this attempt.

There is further disappointment for 'The Lane' when their No.12 is shown a second yellow card for his rash and robust challenge on the Cadbury No.6, Stuart Cooke.

Right in front of the Ref too! So as he trudges of the pitch, so too do Lane End's hopes of salvaging a point as there is only 1 minute of normal time to go and so the match ends in a valuable 3 points gained by the league leaders. To their credit, Lane Head have pushed them all the way today and will be looking to improve on their current 9th place.

Cadbury Athletic will host promotion rivals Fairfield Villa (4th) next Saturday while 2nd placed Knowle (4 points behind) will be at home to 3rd placed Coton Green.

Entrance Fee:                 £4

Match Attendance:          Approx 50 (guesstimate)

Match Programme:          None Available

Entertainment Value:       7/10