NORTON CANES 2 - 1 SIKH HUNTERS DEVELOPMENT

 

 WEST MIDLANDS REGIONAL LEAGUE, DIVISION TWO

           Pride Park, Hazel Lane, Great Wyrley, Walsall, WS6 6DL

                            16th April 2022,   3:00 Kick-Off

I was looking to go to a new ground this week and I decided that the Pride Park ground of Wolverhampton Sporting FC would be a good one. Earlier in the season I had intended to see this club play against the runaway leaders of the MFL Div One, Atherstone Town but that fell through for a reason I can't recall now.

Wolves Sporting are not at home today, so it's a good opportunity to see a new team as well, in the shape of Norton Canes, who are playing their first season in the West Midlands Regional League and ground share at Pride Park.  They were formed in 2001 and had previously been playing in the Birmingham & District League. Norton Canes is a nearby former mining village, located in the old and now defunct Cannock coal field.

Again like last week the forecast is a good one and I make my way to Walsall by train, have time to look in a few shops and then have a fish & chips at the local Tesco Cafe. I then take the train again to Landywood, which is just 3 stops away and it's just a 15-20 minutes walk to Hazel Lane where Pride Park is located.   

I am greeted just outside the entrance by the father of Ryan Horton, who is the Secretary and 1st Team Manager too. I had emailed Ryan on Thursday about my impending trip and he said I was most welcome to come and take photos for my Blog and that I could watch the match for free! A very nice gesture. Ryan had briefed his father so he let me straight through.

Pride Park is certainly a nice little ground, with a Club House and bar upstairs in the building behind the nearest end of the pitch. Underneath are the changing rooms. Either side of the club house are 2 stands for seated spectators, with the one nearest the entrance having benched seating and the other having individual seating. Both at a guess have room for 100 spectators each.

On the northern side of the grass pitch is located another covered area for standing spectators and the opposite side are the team dugouts. There is hard standing and railing on all sides.

After buying a cup of tea from the friendly bar maid upstairs I make my way to the pitch side to get settled and ready for the match. 

The 2 teams duly come out on to the pitch, with both in their first team colours. Norton Canes in orange shirts, blue shorts & socks while 'The Hunters' are in their all royal blue kit.

The Ref seems to start the match about 3 minutes early and it's the visitors who go closest to opening the scoring in the 7th minute when they attack down the right and have a shot that goes across the goal and wide of the left hand post.

Norton Canes look the more dangerous team after this and take the lead after 15 minutes. They are awarded a corner on the right and their No.8 delivers a great cross for their giant No.5, Brad Grice, to nod home at the far post. I think he probably scores a few goals at set pieces!

A good start for the home side and they nearly double their lead a few minutes later, when their No.10, Keenan Powell, is put through but sees his shot blocked by the keeper's legs.

A bit later, the Sikh Hunters keeper seems to get upset by the Ref and has to be told to calm down by the Hunter's No.4 and Captain. He gets booked for this but does not cause any more trouble afterwards.

The visitors go close to equalising when their No.14 hits a post with his shot and then the same player, from a good position in the 40th minute has a shot saved, as it was not hit with enough power.

Just before the interval, Keenan Powell of Norton Canes has a another shot blocked by the keeper's legs but they deserve their lead as they have generally looked the more dangerous side so far.  

The weather is holding up although there are cloudy intervals since the game kicked off.

The second period commences with the home team on the offensive. Their No.2, Sheldon Malcolm, goes on a good run down the left and crosses for one of his team mates to head wide of the right hand post.

Sikh Hunters get back in to the game in the 59th minute when their No.10 comes in from the left to slot home a shot for the equalising goal.

Their lead barely lasts a minute however as Norton Canes re-take the lead with their next attack. 

It's their No.2 who again goes down the left to pass inside for striker, Keenan Powell, to shoot home. 

                 (The build up for Norton Cane's second goal)

That's a good come back from Norton Canes. There is a funny but hairy incident later on when the under pressure No.3 for Sikh Hunters turns to pass back to his keeper but gets it wrong and sees his pass gently hit the right hand post and in to the keeper's grateful arms.

There is still time for the home sides No.11 to go close for goal number 3 after they attack down the right.

So a win for Norton Canes as they look to finish their inaugural season in this league on a high. They also have a Div 2, League Cup semi-final to look forward to too.

Sikh Hunters have contributed to a good contest and it's certainly been a clean game with not many histrionic episodes from the players, which makes a nice change.

When I am leaving the ground, I see one of the guys who have been doing some repair/building work on the entrance side of the ground. I tell him 'I hope they are paying you well?' He replies by telling me ' Pay me, I own the place! then proceeds to tell me that he and his fellow helpers are trying to rectify the damage incurred when Virgin had installed one of their cables in the road just outside. It had badly affected the drainage and as a consequence the car park area has been badly affected by flooding since then. Also Virgin had graciously declined to pay any money towards the repair costs. I'm sure that would break Mr. Branson's bank account.    

I hope the work goes well as the game needs clubs like Wolverhampton Sporting and Norton Canes at the grass roots end of the game! 


Match Attendance:      20

Entrance Fee:             none today 

Match programme:     none available 

Entertainment Value:  7.5/10