WALSALL WOOD 4 - 0 SANDBACH UNITED

                            F.A. VASE  2ND ROUND PROPER

                 Titan Recruitment Stadium, Oak Park, Lichfield Rd,  

         Walsall, WS9 9NP     12th November 2022    3:00 pm kick-off

Today I have decided to watch the renowned cup fighters of Walsall Wood play against the North West Counties Div 1 visitors from Cheshire, Sandbach United. It's in the FA Vase, my favourite cup competition.

Walsall Wood managed to reach the Vase semi-final two seasons ago and no doubt, Wembley will be their target this season. They are going well in the League, topping the Midland Football Premier Division with just one defeat so far.

The weather forecast is a favourable one, with plenty of sunshine.

I have no troubles with my rail journeys to New Street and then Walsall stations and I have a meal in ,The Crossing', the retail section of St. Pauls church and then hop on to the No. 10 bus from the nearby bus station.   

It's only a 15 minute journey to Walsall Wood and the bus stop is in front of the ground. Soon I am paying my entrance fee and buying a match programme, which has a remembrance day cover.

I have plenty of time to get a cup of tea and then I wander over to the other side of the ground so as to have my back to the strong sunshine.

I start up a conversation with a fellow groundhopper who turns out to be an Arsenal fan from Welwyn Garden City and has come to watch this match before going Molyneux to watch Arsenal play in the evening Premiership game against Wolves.  

I spot a few Sandbach United supporters in the ground too.

The 2 teams come out on to the pitch with 'The Wood' in their usual all red strip while Sandbach are in their first team colours of blue & white striped shirts, blue shorts and socks.

There is an announcement about the recent passing of a great club servant called John Sylvester. He had helped the club many times over the years and was responsible for the printing of the teams match day programmes by his printing company and was a long standing club committee member. Then a minutes silence is duly observed to commemorate the fallen of the 2 World Wars and then play commences.

They home side are dictating the play and score the first goal after 9 minutes when Kevin Henagou scores from close in after receiving a pass from the right.

Some argy bargy takes place on the touch line after 18 minutes after a hefty challenge and several bookings are given out.

The home team are well on top and they go close again when Henaglou hits the post with another effort.

Right at the end of this half Walsall are awarded a penalty after their No.7 is brought down in the area by the Sandbach keeper, who then duly makes amends by saving the spot kick.

So it's 1-0 to Walsall Wood in what has been a tough, physical and sometimes feisty match so far. Although Sandbach play at a level below that of their hosts, they are certainly making them fight all the way.

Sandbach United who come from a small market town  of approximately 18,000 people in east Cheshire, were formed in 2004 after the merger of Sanbach Ramblers and Sandbach Albion. Last season saw their best effort in the FA Vase so far, when they reached the 3rd round proper and they currently hold 9th place in their division. 

When play resumes it's 'The Wood' who are pressing to double their lead and they go close when their No. 3 has a shot tipped over the bar.

They have a goal disallowed for offside on the hour before Sandbach have an effort saved by Wood keeper, Callum Smith.

Walsall Wood double their lead when that man Henaglou pounces again to head in a deep cross from the right at the far post. 

Smith makes another good save to deny the visitors getting back into this game before Hayden Purves surely puts this tie to bed with a break away goal, started with a cleared Sandbach corner that was rapidly moved down the pitch.

Sandbach have a header saved by Smith before Kaden May scores with a header just before the full time whistle is blown.

The visitors kept battling to the end but Walsall Wood have come out a worthy winners to get themselves in to the hat for the 3rd round draw for the 6th consecutive season!

This Monday evening I have found out that they have been drawn away to fellow MFL Premier side, Highgate United, who have been showing some good form recently.    

Match Attendance:                        102

Entrance Fee:                                 £6 (£4 concession)

Match Programme:                       £2                       

Match Entertainment:                  7.5/10  

CADBURY ATHLETIC 3 - 1 KNOWLE

 

    MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION TWO

Cadbury Recreation Ground, Bournville Lane, Birmingham, B30 2HP

                 5th November, 2022                 2:00 pm Kick-Off  

So the rail strike has been called off but not in time for most services today to be disrupted. This has helped to make me make a decision to go to a venue that will be easy to reach by local bus and I have plumped for the MFL Div 2, top of the table clash in the 'village' of Bournville, between 3rd placed Cadbury Athletic v 2nd placed and unbeaten Knowle F.C.

It's also a good excuse to visit this unusual ground set in beautiful surroundings.

I initially have trouble getting a No.1 bus from Acocks Green as the one I wanted doesn't show up, so I have to wait another 15 minutes for the next one. I then get off opposite the Edgbaston Cricket Ground, walk round the corner on to the Pershore Road and catch the No.5 to Stirchley, where I find my planned meal stop at the Bournville Cafe is not possible as this establishment is not open, or even closed for good?

As I'm pushed for time, I grab a coffee at another cafe, (which doesn't serve food) and then walk in to Bournville, buy some cheap chicken sandwiches at a local corner shop and eat them on the way to the ground.

I make it to the ground with 20 minutes before kick-off, pay my entrance fee and buy a programme, which is quite unusual and welcome for this level. I'm even able to buy a welcome cheese roll at the tea bar at the bottom of the magnificent Pavilion building, which is the headquarters of the football and cricket teams.

I take up a position at the opposite end to the pavilion, with the factory building and team dug-outs on my left and the rest of the playing fields to my right.

Unfortunately the kick-off is delayed to 2:15 pm due to the match officials for some reason arriving late to the ground.    

Cadbury troop out on to the turf, in their usual purple shirts, white shorts and purple socks while Knowle are also in their first team colours of red shirts, black shorts and socks.

I had made a mental pre-match prediction of a 1-1 draw, given that Knowle have the meanest defence in this division and they take an early lead, when they are awarded a free kick on the right, the shot hits the right hand post, comes out to the Knowle No.6 who hits a goal bound shot and is deflected off a Cadbury defender in to the right hand corner of the net.

After this set back, the 'Chocolate Men' begin to take control of the game. After mounting pressure, a cross comes in from the right and is headed in by their lively No.11 after 21 minutes.

It's no surprise when goal number number 2 arrives when the Knowle keeper, Craig Johnson, is beaten by a shot across the goal from the left.

Johnson then does well to make a save from an incoming header but it proves to be a short reprieve, when in the 32nd minute he comes out to block the Cadbury N0.9, Tom Craine, only to see the ball rebound off him to the oncoming Jeson Dinanga to slot the ball home.

So my pre-match prediction has been destroyed by a 'purple patch' of 12 minutes play by last seasons champions, Cadbury Athletic, who take this 2 goal lead into at the interval. 

I have a cup of Cadbury's hot chocolate and wonder if there will be any more goals in the second period?

I think this ground is a haven for ground hoppers as I have met 3 today. I get talking to one guy who has managed to travel by train from Coventry. He originally comes from Barnet in North London and we reminisce about grounds we have visited in the past and also music concerts. It turns out that he is going to watch the old 70's punk band 'The Damned' this evening.

Also there is a guy from Leicester, taking photos for a website (called 'Football Grounds In Focus') about football grounds around the country and abroad too, which is worth checking out.

The second half of this game sees Cadbury Athletic largely content to keep the visitors at bay. 

Knowle's stand out player today is undoubtedly their No.10, Reece Hewitt, who has shown great skill and energy in his efforts to rally his team (as shown below).

 Knowle do go close late on in the game to getting a second goal when a header hits the base of a post and out.

The match ends in a well deserved win for the home team, who by courtesy of a surprising slip-up at home by the league leaders, Sutton United (1-2 losers v Inkberrow), duly take over Knowle in second place and 2 points behind Sutton. 

Knowle drop to 4th place on goal difference from Alcester Town. The top 7 teams are only seperated by 7 points, so this bodes well for a possible tight title race this season.

It's been good to visit this ground (one of my favourites) again and I might make another visit, possibly for a cup match, in the next few months.

Match Attendance:                     75

Entrance Fee:                              £5 (£3 concession)

Match Programme:                    £ 1.50

Entertainment Value:                7.5/10  

  

 

   

WOLVERHAMPTON SPORTING 2 - 3 HINCKLEY AFC

 

     MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION ONE

                 Pride Park, Hazel Lane, Great Wyrley, WS6 6AA

                     29th October 2022         3:00 pm Kick-Off

Today is the last day of British Summer Time and to make the most of this I am going to a 3pm kick-off. I had toyed with the idea of going to see the FA Trophy match at Hednesford who are playing Stourbridge but instead I am saving a bit of money by going to watch Wolves Sporting who are at home against Hinckley AFC.

This will be my 2nd visit to Pride Park, after having watched a West Midlands League match last season when Norton Canes FC were ground sharing there. I'm not sure what's happened to that club now? Folded maybe?

After some early rain, the forecast is a good one. Cloudy with sunny intervals with the temperature possibly hitting 18 degrees C.

I make my way by train to Walsall, have a good value meal of fish & chips at the Tesco cafe and then take the train to Landywood, which is the station before Cannock.   

It takes me a leisurely 20 minutes walk to get to the ground and this gives me time to buy a cup of tea at 'Wolfies Bar' which lies at the top of a flight of steps in the building which houses the changing rooms below. 

Unfortunately there are no programmes for sale, just like when I saw Paget Rangers a few weeks ago. The trouble is for clubs with usually low attendances, it's probably not worth their while and expensive to print too. I later find the team line-ups on a print out and pinned up near the entrance.

When the teams venture out on to the pitch they are both in their first team colours, Wolves Sporting in orange shirts, black shorts and socks while Hinckley AFC are decked out in red shirts, blue shorts and red socks.

It's the home team that start the brighter, with their No.11, Luke Francis put through on the left and he has his close range shot blocked by keeper, Brandon Bache.

The warning signs are not heeded though by the AFC defence as the same player is put through again a few minutes later and this time he makes no mistake with a placed shot going just inside the right hand post.

Hinckley are trying to get in to the game but their attacking efforts are generally being snuffed out by the Sporting defence before they can get close to their goal. 

Disaster strikes for the visitors when a calamitous defensive error leaves the Wolves Sporting No.9, Arman Khoshkoo with the simple task of placing the ball into an empty net after Brandon Bache had raced out of his goal after 30 minutes.

Unfortunately the visitors suffered some more bad luck just before the end of this half when their No.3, Jeremie Agholor is clattered by Sporting's Callum Wood at the other end of the pitch to me and so I don't have a good view of the incident. I only know that the Hinckley fans are displeased by this.

He is escorted limping gingerly off the pitch at half-time, a sad sight indeed! 

So Wolves Sporting are very much in the driving seat and what will Hinckley do to shake things up?

I see that there is still work being done to this ground. When I came here last season I was told that drainage work had been done and I can see that the labour is being carried out by a few volunteers on an ongoing basis.

I had seen 2 photos on the club website yesterday of the ground in 2014, presumably when it was bought. It was a sorry sight and has been well renovated since then.

The second half gets under way and Hinckley are putting more effort in to their game. The pep talk by the manager seems to have lifted them and just 7 minutes in their No.9, Chandler Pegg, has scored. I think that he previously played for the MFL Premier outfit, Lichfield City. A good acquisition!

8 minutes later and the visitors have equalised, courtesy of a penalty scored by their No.8, Lewis Collins, after Pegg is brought down in the area by Sporting defender, Ellis Jones.

  We have a real game on our hands now and both teams are going for the 3 points although the momentum seems to be in Hinckley's favour, courtesy of their vocal loyal band of supporters.

Both teams fashion chances and it's the visitors who score the next goal, when following good work by that man Pegg on the left of the Sporting goal, the ball is played in to Jack Edwards who shoots past home keeper Ben Wood. You could almost feel the ball being sucked into the net by the Hinckley supporters standing behind that goal!

    This sparks a big celebration with the some of the players and jubilant supporters.

This proves to be the winning goal despite some late pressure by Wolverhampton Sporting. A fitting finale for a memorable fight back by the visitors and the match has been a great showcase for Non-League football, a testament to both the competing teams today.

I had a feeling that this match would be a good one to watch with both sides having similar league positions. Hinckley are now in the play-off places and later I find out that the top 3 teams all lost today.

Wolves Sporting are in 9th spot and no doubt will be looking to build up a good run of results to get further up the table.

Entrance Fee:                   £6 (£4 concession)

Match Attendance:          38 (0fficial figure)  Approx 50 (head count)

Match Programme:         none available

Entertainment Value:     8.5/10