DUNKIRK 1 - 1 AYLESTONE PARK

     UNITED COUNTIES FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION 1

       Ron Steel Sports Ground, Lenton Lane, Nottingham, NG7 2SA

                    26th February 2022,   3:00 pm Kick-Off

Today I am being adventurous and heading off to the East Midlands, to Nottingham and to the ground of Dunkirk F.C. who are playing Aylestone Park from Leicester. It's a United Counties League , Div 1 match, a competition I have not covered before plus a new ground and 2 new teams as well.

Dunkirk are in 7th place and looking to get in to the play-off places, while Aylestone are in 5th and looking to secure their own place before the end of the season.

Dunkirk are named after the area which lies in the district of 'Lenton' to the west of the city centre. Maybe this French sounding name was influenced by the French immigrants who came over to work in the Lace industry of the 19th century or even earlier after the building of the Norman castle?

The forecast is excellent and the sun is shining when I make my way by bus to New Street station in Birmingham. Unfortunately the train I catch has only 4 carriages and every seat is taken with many people standing. Also this train seems to be slow but I still am able to catch my connecting train to Nottingham from Burton-on-Trent. I thought you could catch through trains all the way to Nottingham? 

By the time I arrive there, I'm ready for a coffee and find a good place just outside the station, just over the canal bridge. This makes up for the annoying train ride and with the sun still shining, I have a good look around the city.

I go to the Victoria shopping centre, where I have a mooch around the John Lewis store and then have a look at and admire the architecture of the city. The Trent University has some grand old buildings and striking modern ones too! Of course I have a wander down to the Castle (just looking outside) see the Robin Hood statue and also see a nearby pub that's supposed to be the oldest in England (built in 1189) called the 'Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem'!  

I have lunch at a Chinese grocery store that also sells meals, near the impressive looking Theatre Royal.

The time goes quickly and as it's such a nice day, I decide to walk most of the way down to the ground alongside the Beeston Canal. It's certainly a beautiful walk and the canal and path are completely devoid of any litter. Very impressive, especially compared to some of the canals I have seen in Birmingham.

After taking my time for the first 20 minutes, I realise I will have to quicken my pace in order to get to the match on time. I do so with 8 minutes to spare, after I had crossed over Thane Road and found Lenton Lane under the shadow of the raised Clifton Boulevard which crosses the River Trent close by.

I find the ground easily enough and I am glad to get to the toilet in the small clubhouse after my lengthy walk. I pay for my entrance and a programme too and decide to go to the left hand side of the ground where there is some shade from the trees at the far end. 

The 2 teams come out with Dunkirk in red shirts and black shorts and socks while the visitors are in their 2nd strip of all blue.

The first 45 minutes turn out to be quite uneventful with defences on top and both teams mainly cancelling each other out, although you can't fault them for effort.

Aylestone go closest to scoring when their No.5 has a good header saved following a corner and soon after, from another corner sees a header of their's just go over the bar.  

During this half I get talking to a Dunkirk supporter and he tells me that the team had had a difficult start to the season and if they had started with the team they have today, then they could be in a higher position now. He also points out that they usually have a bigger crowd but that's probably been affected by Forest's home game v Bristol City today.

The 1st half ends in what's been a disappointing match so far, so I think it can only get better.

This ground is a pretty neat affair with a fence surrounding the pitch and floodlights in place too. There is a small stand with seats at the end where the entrance is. Also there are 2 stands on the southern side of the pitch, another one with seating and one that is there with cover for standing spectators. Also on the northern side of the pitch, near the entrance is a small building that I first took to be a club shop but it turns out to be a hospitality area, presumably for the club officials of both teams.

During the interval I go to the club house and have a cup of tea, as although it's a sunny day, there is still a chill in the air if you are standing still most of the time. Also I am able to buy a club badge too to add to my collection.

This club house is just outside the fence perimeter of the pitch and alongside it are the changing rooms in the corner, from where a path leads on to the pitch.

Soon after play resumes, the Dunkirk No.7, Greg Tobin unfortunately finds himself just in front of an Aylestone defender who decides to belt the ball and Mr. Tobin is soon doubled up in pain as a result. A bad case of 'crushed nuts' and Tobin has to hobble off the pitch to recover. A few minutes later it's good to see him taking part in the game again.

Just when I'm wondering if there will be any goal action today, Aylestone take the lead in the 60th minute when their No.9 Shay Brennan latches on to a flick following a goal kick and shoots past Joel Howes in the Dunkirk goal.

A few minutes later, Dunkirk equalise through their No.11, Jack Oldham,  when he buries the ball in to the left hand corner of the goal.

This half is certainly proving to be a more lively affair as both sides realise that a draw will not be such a good result, especially Dunkirk who are 9 points off the play-off places. 

In the 75th minute, Aylestone's No.10, Aaron Preston heads the ball in to the net only for it to be ruled offside. Soon after this, their No.7 goes on a good run down the left but Howes is able to stop his shot with an outstretched boot.

The competitive nature of the game is underlined in the 80th minute when the oncoming Dunkirk No.8, Ruben Nwadike, leaves in his boot when the Aylestone defender, Dan Marriott clears the ball and who ends up in a heap on the pitch. Nwadike is duly booked for this challenge.

3 minutes later and the compliment is returned by Marriott on Nwadike and he also later on fouls the Dunkirk No.15 too.

In the later stages 'The Boatmen' of Dunkirk go close to winning the match when their No.9, Max Taylor has a shot saved and then in injury time, one of their players connects with a clearance from the visitor's keeper and lobs a shot on to the bar.

The match ends with the teams all-square at 1-1 and this has put a big dent in to Dunkirk's fading play-off aspirations. Aylestone suffer too as Hucknall leap-frog them in to 5th place after their 1-0 win v Belper United.

I make my way out of the ground and after walking up Lenton Lane a few yards, see the path on the right which takes me under the Clifton Boulevard and through to Queens Drive where there is a Park and Ride space. The No.49 bus soon arrives and takes me back in to the city centre where I see plenty of happy Forest supporters coming back after their team's 2-0 victory.

Dunkirk FC are a friendly club worthy of a visit, especially in good weather like today and surprisingly although they lie close to the River Trent, they have good drainage which means they don't get flooded too often. There are plenty of other sports grounds close by too to this club.  

Entrance fee:             £5, (£3 concession)

Match programme:     £1

Entertainment value:  7/10

Match attendance:     44

  

 

   

 

DUDLEY TOWN 4 - 0 CRADLEY TOWN

 

       MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION ONE

       Guardian Warehousing Arena, Noose Lane, Willenhall, WV13 3BB

                         19th February 2022, 3:00 pm Kick-Off

As the recent weather has been so appalling and it's been raining this morning I don't have much choice but to travel to a game being played on an artificial surface. Also as I have not watched a MFL Div 1 game so far this season, it's a good opportunity for me to see Dudley Town play at their current ground where they are the tenants of Sporting Khalsa.

I have never seem them play before and they are currently doing well, occupying 4th place in the league table. They are one of the oldest clubs in the West Midlands area, being formed in 1888! In the 1980's they even reached the Southern League and spent 2 seasons in the Premier League too. They even reached the 1st Round of the FA Cup and played in front of 5,000 spectators against York City, drawing 1-1 and losing the replay 1-4.

Their opponents today, Cradley Town, also hail from the Black Country and their formation happened in more recent times, in the year 1970, following the merger of Albion Rovers and Haden United, being named Albion Haden United and then Cradley Town in 1975. They currently are 13th in the league table.

I go by train to Walsall and then take the 529 bus bound for Wolverhampton. I get off the bus 20 minutes later at Willenhall, which lies halfway between Walsall and Wolverhampton. I'm disappointed that my original choice of my lunch time stop, the splendidly named 'Greedy Pig Cafe' is not open. Instead I soon find 'Sarah's Cafe' in the town centre and my healthy appetite is appeased by ordering their 'Super Breakfast' which proves to be quite filling and I still have time to have a quick look around the town centre. Willenhall's centre is a bit run down but does have some interesting old buildings, like the The Bell Inn (an old Coaching Inn, dating back to 1659), which has been purchased by the Willenhall Heritage Trust, who have plans to restore it.

Also I find some artwork, celebrating the town's old manufacturing industry of lock making.

    I make my way to the ground, (which I have visited twice before) by cutting through the Willenhall Memorial Park and then I'm outside the ground just 12 minutes later.

I find the entrance and pay my entrance fee and manage to get a programme too for a further £2, which proves to be a good read. I also manage to get a club badge for £4 and it's one celebrating 130 years of existence from the year 2018.

The ground itself has 2 stands on both sides of the pitch, with enough seating for approximately 4-500 spectators, befitting a club of Sporting Khalsa's status (Northern Premier League, Midlands Division).

The teams come out with 'The Robins' of Dudley Town, in their home colours of red shirts, white shorts and black socks, while Cradley are in their change strip of blue shirts and black shorts and socks. Dudley will be looking for revenge as Cradley won the their home league match against them (2-0) earlier in the season.

Dudley certainly make the early running and score after only 6 minutes when the Cradley keeper parries a shot from the Dudley No.9, Matt Gardner but only as far the incoming No.3, Rhys Boswell who sweeps the ball in to the net.

 

A great start for this promotion chasing team!

Cradley are the next to go close when their No.10 has a shot blocked by the home defence.

After 16 minutes, 'The Robins' No.7 is put through on a one on one with the Cradley keeper but has his effort smothered from close range. Dudley aren't to be denied and their No.8, Brad Ward sees his shot take a deflection and then loop over the Cradley No 1.

A bit lucky but it's a fair reflection on how the game is going.

Cradley Town escape further punishment before the interval and will be hoping to get more in to the game in the next period.

There is a good sized crowd today and shows that Dudley Town have a good fan base even though they are playing their home games 10 miles away from Dudley itself. I wonder if they have a plan in place to return to their own borough in the future?

In the 2nd half, Dudley start to take control again and in the 60th minute, Matt Gardner lobs the Cradley keeper from just outside the penalty area for their 3rd goal.

Cradley go close just a minute later but their player wastes the opportunity by blasting well over the bar. This underlines their main problem of scoring goals this season, with a return of just 34 from 28 games.

      (Dudley Town, No.10 Dan Jones, shown here shielding the ball) 

The home team increase their advantage in the 72nd minute when Matt Gardner is nicely played through the middle and places his shot past the advancing keeper.

Cradley are still fighting when they break away soon after this only for their No.15 to shoot across the face of the Dudley goal. 

The Robins are playing with a lot of confidence in the last part of the match and probably should have scored another goal.

They force several corners but are unable to make them count.

So Dudley Town run out convincing winners and look to take their hunt for a promotion place right to the end of the season. They now leapfrog Darlaston Town in to 3rd place (albeit playing one game more) and are now 4 points behind 2nd placed Stapenhill from Derbyshire. Atherstone Town are the runaway leaders, a further 11 points ahead.

Cradley will no doubt be looking to solve their goal scoring problems in the last part of the season and acheive a mid-table position.

Entrance Fee:      £5 (concession)

Match Programme:                 £2

Match Attendance:                156 

Entertainment Value:           8/10

SUTTON COLDFIELD TOWN 2 - 1 RUSHALL OLYMPIC

 

                MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, 

           UNDER 21 (NORTH WEST) DIVISION

           Central Ground, Coles Lane, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1NL

                     5th February, 2022         10:30 Kick Off

Well I had originally planned to make a longer trip than usual this Saturday, Telford in Shropshire, to see Dawley Town play Newport Town in the Salop Leisure League, a competition I had never seen before. 

My change in plan came about at approximately 10 pm on Friday after checking the weather forecast and found out that there was more chance of showers in the afternoon. An early kick off was required and the top of the table clash between Sutton Coldfield (2nd) and Rushall Olympic (3rd) Under 21 sides seems like a good contest.

So I take the train from New Street to Sutton and it gives me just enough time to walk to Coles Lane, buy a cup of tea and take my place at the far end of the ground, where there is shelter from any showers which are threatening but sun is forecast too.

It's my first trip to an Under 21 match this season and I have seen a few in the past. The standard is usually pretty good and they tend to be clean games too! 

The home team come out in their all royal blue strip with white trimmings and Rushall are in their usual colours of gold and black.

It's Rushall who are the team in charge of proceedings at first and they go close when their No.10 hits a shot in to the side netting after 14 minutes. The Sutton Coldfield keeper comes to his sides rescue when he smothers another shot from close range.

30 minutes have gone when 'The Pics' see another effort on goal, this time their No.4 getting in a good position in front of the Sutton goal following a corner but hits his shot disappointingly high over the bar.

Rushall are made to pay dearly for their misses when after 40 minutes Sutton Coldfield break away and open the scoring. Unfortunately yours truly misses it as I had been checking my camera's settings to make sure the shutter speed was still fast enough. Damn!! I did get a shot of the players celebrating though. I think the scorer's name might be Morgan Russell.

So although Rushall Olympic have been on top for long periods of the first-half they have not delivered the goods in front of goal and will need to improve to keep their unbeaten league record intact. Sutton Coldfield are now in the driving seat and if they improve in the next 45 minutes, have a good chance of winning this game.

During the game I get speaking to a man and a woman from Nottingham who turn out to be the mother and grand-father of Sutton's No.10, Benni Wilson. He happens to be at university in the Birmingham area and is taking the chance to play for Sutton Coldfield now. Later I tell them that I will send them some photos of Benni, which they are pleased about.

When play resumes, Sutton Coldfield are upping their game and start this half more brightly.

The Pics though show they are still dangerous, when in the 57th minute their No.14 goes close with an effort from the left.

Sutton double their lead though 10 minutes later when their No.12 slides in a shot in to the left hand side of the Rushall goal. I think his name is Tyrese Cromwell.

The visitors respond with a shot that goes close from the right and just 3 minutes later, do get on the score sheet, when they are awarded a penalty although again I miss why it was given. It's duly slotted home by Dylan Harris and Rushall Olympic have a chance of salvaging their record.

Sutton are the team that go closest to scoring again when they break down the middle through Benni Wilson, who is sent flying from a challenge from the Sutton keeper (shown below) who has rushed out of his area (and get's booked), the ball goes to the Sutton No.7 who was running alongside Wilson but sees his effort cleared by the Rushall No.10 who throws himself in front of the unguarded net. 

A great piece of last ditch defending but his team can't get the equaliser they seek.

Sutton Coldfield have rode their luck a bit in the first half and taken their chances and although Rushall have surrendered their unbeaten record, they have games in hand over both Sutton, leaders Lichfield City and remain favourites to take the title.

I have enjoyed this game, as there was plenty of good football from both sides and the referee had a good game too, allowing the play to flow whenever he could and ignoring several calls for penalties.

Match Attendance:         Approx 30-40

Entrance Fee:                Free

Match Programme:        None available

Match Entertainment:    7.5/10