F.A. VASE, FIRST ROUND PROPER
Sports Ground, Stourbridge Road, Lye, DY9 7DH
22nd October 2022 3:00 pm Kick-Off
I have decided to go to a FA Vase cup tie today and the one that I am going to is taking place at a club that I last visited in October 2014. Again it was a match in the FA Vase and it was between the Black Country team of Lye Town v Pegasus Juniors (now Hereford Pegasus), which ended in a 2-1 victory for the visitors.
The weather forecast is a good one with mainly sunny spells and little chance of rain.
I take the train from my local station at Acocks Green in Birmingham whose destination is Kidderminster but I get off at the penultimate stop at Stourbridge. I have time for a meal and a quick look round some of the shops before catching the No.9 bus from the nearby bus station and then a few minutes later I get off the bus near Lye town centre.
I walk up the road to Lye Cross and turning left at the traffic lights I come across a memorial (in the shape of a film-strip) commemorating Lye's most famous son, the star of stage, movies and later television, Sir Cedric Hardwicke.
Some of his most famous Hollywood films were ' The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1939) and 'The Ghost of Frankenstein' (1942).
Lye is a small Black Country town of approximately 12,000 people and it grew in size from a village during the Industrial Revolution with the manufacturing of goods such as nails, anvils, chains etc.
I passed the entrance of Lye Town's ground on my way up here and I just have to re-trace my steps and cross the road to get there.
As you can see, the same sports ground is shared by the local cricket club, a similar situation to that of nearby Stourbridge. I walk through the car park the club house is to my right and the turnstile entrance is in front. I had emailed the Club Secretary, Paul Roberts, yesterday about my impending visit and taking photos for my blog and he got back to me a bit later, informing me that yes it's OK for me to take photos and that I would be allowed to get in free!
What an unexpected and nice gesture. Unfortunately there are no programmes for sale.
I get myself a cuppa, buy some raffle tickets and take my place at the side of the seated stand, which takes up a third of the side of the ground opposite the side which borders the cricket ground. At the one end of the ground nearest the entrance, there is another stand for standing spectators and the opposite end has a grass bank behind. A few younger spectators are going to be watching the game from there.
The teams come out and Lye Town are in their usual all-blue strip while the visitors of Northampton Sileby Rangers are in their first team strip of red and black striped shirts, black shorts and socks. They play in the 1st division of the Spartan South Midlands League (Step 6) while Lye Town are a Step 5 side from the MFL Premier Division.
It's the home side who come rushing out of the blocks and virtually have this tie sealed in the first 10 minutes! Firstly, Northampton don't clear their lines properly and the ball falls nicely for Lye's No.9, Josh Hessom to hit the ball straight in to the left hand corner of the net.
Next, Lye Town are awarded a free kick for a needless push in the back of one of their forwards and Ben Billingham, the captain and former Stourbridge player, steps up to score with a great free kick which arcs over the wall and nestles in to the bottom right hand corner, despite the scrambling efforts of the keeper.
Just a minute later and it's goal number 3 after Lye's No.5 Matt Aston scores with a flicked header.
This is most unexpected and before 'The Rangers' can get back in to this game, Hessom scores a beauty from a shot with the outside of his boot after 24 minutes.
Ben Billingham next turns provider with a flighted ball for No.8, Joe Palmer to run on to and shoot past the Rangers keeper, Dan Smith and the same player scores the sixth and final goal of this half after 34 minutes.
So the first half comes to an end and 'The Flyers' of Lye Town are certainly living up to their nickname, with this flying start. Northampton must be wondering what's hit them and it's certainly a damage limitation job for them now.
I get talking to a groundhopper from Newcastle-Under-Lyme and it's the first time he's been to this ground. He tells me that he even goes abroad to watch games, especially in Spain.
Before this game started I had talked to a guy who turns out to be Ben Billingham's dad and he said he's been watching him play since he was 8 years old. He must be feeling a proud father today.
In the second half, to their credit the shell shocked visitors try their best to get in to the game but without really testing Ben Newey in the Lye Town goal.
After 15 minutes, the home side add to their tally when their No.6, Sam Hall, heads in from a corner.
Josh Heesom gets his hat-trick goal when his shot is parried by the keeper but not enough to keep it going in to the net.
In the last minute they 'The Flyers' have a good chance to make it 9 following a good move down the left but when the ball is played inside to the advancing No. 3, Jason Chilton, he slices his shot wide.
The final whistle blows and the visitors escape any further punishment. They were unlucky to find Lye Town in such fine form and have kept trying to play good football.
It will be interesting to see who Lye Town draw in the 2nd Round and they will also want to improve their current league position of 14th place. Their opponents today though currently lie in 3rd position in their league competition and will be mainly concentrating on promotion.
Match Attendance: 94
Entrance Fee: Free
Match Programme: none available
Match Entertainment: 7.5/10
No comments:
Post a Comment