RUGBY TOWN 0 - 1 NEWPORT PAGNELL TOWN

 

UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE, PREMIER DIV SOUTH

                    Butlin Road, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 3SD

                        25th March 2023,       3:00 pm Kick-Off

It's Non-League Day and I will be celebrating this occasion with a visit to Rugby Town FC, who are entertaining the current F.A. Vase holders of Newport Pagnell Town, in a top of the table clash. The hosts currently hold top spot while the visitors lie in 4th place but with games in hand. Iv'e a feeling it's going to be a tight game today.

I have been to this ground twice before but the last time was eight years ago. Butlin Road is a ground that I admire and have often thought that (hopefully in the not too distant future) it would be great if my home town club, Worcester City, had a stadium along these lines, maybe with a bigger capacity (8-10,000) rather than Rugby Town's 6,000. Wishful thinking at the moment.

Also it's good to see Rugby Town are doing so well this season and scoring plenty of goals too!

The weather forecast is promising after all the recent rainy weather and I without too much bother I arrive in Rugby at about 12:30 pm, with time to have a look around this town again.

It takes me about 15 minutes to walk into the town centre and I find a nice Italian themed cafe for a breakfast wrap and chips. Unusual but tasty. I then make my way to the town's Art Gallery and there are 2 small exhibitions on show which are quite good but only take 20 minutes of my time. It's a nice facility and is situated above the Library.

Afterwards I have a quick look around the town centre and the local market stalls and then it's time to make my way to the ground. I walk more slowly than usual as I have plenty of time to get there. 20-25 minutes later I turn off the main road and in to Butlin Road. There is a park on my right and a row of houses on my left before I get to the ground 5 minutes later.

I make my way through the car park, pay my entrance fee, buy a programme and walk through the turnstile. There seems to be a good sized crowd here today and I'm already seeing some visiting supporters wandering around. I buy a cup of tea at the kiosk at the other side of this impressive main stand (500 seater),  near where the club house is situated too. The team dug-outs are situated on this side too, while on the opposite side there is a smaller stand with seating available, which has 2 areas of covered standing areas either side of it.

I walk down to the covered terraced area on the western side of the pitch and walk to the other side of the goal and will start to take photos from here. At the other end of the pitch there is also some terracing with a covered area behind the goal. Behind that end are 2 state of the art artificial playing and training pitches. 

The teams come out on to the pitch soon after I get settled, with Rugby Town in their usual all sky blue kit while the visitors are decked out in all green.

From the first 10 minutes of play I can tell that there won't be many goals being scored today as both defences are covering their goals very well.

It's the visitors who are the more threatening at first with the home keeper, Matt Hill saving a shot from the right in the 9th minute and then 6 minutes later, he eventually gathers the ball following a scramble in the penalty area.

Rugby Town do mount some attacks of their own and it's usually prompted by the tricky footwork of their No.7, Tom Fielding. 

( Tom Fielding looking to get free from his markers )

         Their best chance of this half sees him make a good cross from the right, which is met with a glancing header from their No.10, Jordan Wilson which hits the far post and out. Very unlucky!

Rugby Town's experienced No.9, David Kolodynski, was playing for the club the last time I saw them in 2015. I think he has been on the playing staff here 2 or 3 times altogether. He is full of running as usual and will always cause defenders problems.

( Kolodynski hooks in an effort on goal )

Despite the efforts of both sides, the game remains goalless by the time half-time arrives. There's been plenty of effort but defences have been generally on top so far. During the interval, it's announced that Rugby Town's closest and also local rivals, Coventry Sphinx, are losing 0-1 at home to Histon. So that's some good news for the home fans and maybe inspiration for their team to try harder for a win today?

When play resumes, it's Newport Pagnell who take the lead in the 57th minute. Rugby defender Keenah Rosser, loses possession and lunges in for a tackle to dispossess striker, Jake Watkinson but only succeeds in bringing him crashing down inside the penalty area.

Fellow striker, Albie Hall steps up to take the resulting spot kick and successfully fires the ball past Tom Hill.

This sparks the Newport Pagnell fans on the terraces behind to celebrate this breakthrough.

Although Rugby Town step up their efforts in search of an equaliser, the visitors defence is proving to be resolute and 10 minutes later, their manager is throwing on 3 substitutes to shake things up. I later find out that an ex-Worcester City striker called Michael Taylor (who replaced Kolodynski) was called upon. He has recently been signed up to strengthen their championship bid. He is 35 years old now and in the veteran stage of his career but he is one of those players who always has an infectious enthusiasm for the game.

Rugby Town are not able to carve out any clear cut chances for the rest of the game and it's the visitors who are looking the more dangerous side.

    Newport Pagnell are able to keep out the home side and come away with a deserved and hard fought victory. This enables them to keep up the pressure on Rugby and more importantly enables Coventry Sphinx ( who have come back to win 2-1) to shorten Rugby Town's lead to just 2 points, with a game in hand.

Newport Pagnell now have their FA Vase semi-final at Congleton Town next Saturday to look forward to and Rugby will be looking to bounce back to winning ways, albeit with a tough looking fixture at Milton Keynes Irish.

It's certainly shaping up to be an entertaining title race now. 

Rugby Town is a good ground to visit and their facilities deserve a higher level of football.

      Entrance Fee:                      £8  (£4 concessions)

      Match Attendance:             405

      Match Programme:            £2

     Entertainment Value:         7/10

               

  

 

  

   

WRENS NEST 1 - 0 ALLSCOTT HEATH

 

WEST MIDLANDS LEAGUE , DIV ONE LEAGUE CUP

QUARTER-FINAL

Dudley Sports F.C., Hillcrest Avenue, Brierley Hill, DY5 3QJ

4th March, 2023       3:00 pm Kick-Off

I have plans to visit Coleshill Town today, as they are pushing for a play-off place in the Northern Premier League, Central Division this season. Also they have not been on my radar at all since I moved back to the West Midlands 17 months ago. The only time I went to their ground at Packwood Lane, was 10 years ago.

Unfortunately when I get to Acocks Green rail station I can see on the information screen that my train to New Street station has been cancelled, which means that I will miss my bus connection to Coleshill. Rats!! I decide to get a coffee and a breakfast sandwich at a nearby cafe and while I'm there I check which games I can get to by travelling on the Black Country rail line. At first I think about going to see OJM Black Country Rangers v Ashby Ivanhoe at Lye Town but then decide to go to Stourbridge from where I can easily reach Brierley Hill by bus and go and see Wrens Nest v Allscott Heath in their League Cup quarter-final game.

When I finally get the train, the journey goes without a hitch and I also straight away catch the shuttle service to Stourbridge Town, after reaching the Stourbridge Junction station. In the town centre I have another coffee at a cafe I have never noticed before and then after browsing in a few shops, catch the No.6, Dudley bound bus and get off just before it reaches Brierley Hill centre and walk to the nearby Dudley Sports football ground.

This is a ground that Wrens Nest currently share with the hosts, a ground where I saw Dudley Sports beat Shawbury United 3-2 in a very entertaining match some 9-10 years ago.

I walk though the car park and turn left to the entrance where a friendly lady is taking the entrance fees. She tells me, pointing to the buildings on the other side of the pitch that I can ask permission to take my match photos from one of the officials there. When reaching the said building, which also houses Kate's Snack Bar, I ask the Club Secretary, Malcolm Guy, about the photos and he says that it will be no problem.

I make my way to the nearby pitch and decide to start taking photos from this side of the ground that sits opposite the Joe Forrest stand, which looks like it has room for about 40 seated spectators.

The teams soon make their way on to the pitch with Wrens Nest in their orange shirts, blue shorts & blue socks. Allscott Heath (from near Telford), are decked out in green & black striped shirts, green shorts & socks. 

This match is looking to be a free flowing one with both teams looking to attack at every opportunity. After 15 minutes the visitors go close with an in-swinging corner from the right, which the Wrens keeper, Ryan Lees manages to punch away to safety.

A few minutes later the visitors are exerting some considerable pressure on the home defence, with their No.9 Armando Wood proving to be a real handful, with his ability to go past defenders.

The Wrens Nest defence manage to keep the visitors at bay with some stout defending from a series of corners.

The visitors best chance later falls to Armando Wood who mishits his shot from a good position and it goes wide.

For the remainder of this half it's the home side who fashion the best chances, with their No.11 hitting the bar with a shot from close in.

After 40 minutes Ryan Lees nearly gives away a goal when his mistake allows the Allscott Heath No.11 to get the ball but his hurried shot is blazed over the bar.

Half-time arrives which somehow sees the game still goalless. It's certainly been an entertaining one so far though!   

Wrens Nest who currently sit in 6th place in the West Midlands Div 1 have not been overawed by their free scoring title chasing opponents today. Allscott Heath who have games in hand on the 2 teams above them in this division have also just this week, booked their place in the Final of the Shropshire County Challenge Cup after defeating Dawley Town.

When play resumes it's the visitors who are looking the more dangerous and Ryan Lees is well placed to make a save following a corner to keep them out.

After both sides go close it's the home team who finally open the scoring when their N0.10, Alex Pinches drills the ball home into the right hand corner of the net in the 68th minute. A few minutes before and I'd been thinking that this game would probably end up being scoreless!

Wrens Nest have the best scoring chances in the last part of the match even though Allscott Heath do exert some pressure, with their  No.19 giant substitute, being a threat both in the air and with his long throw-ins.

The match ends with the home side deservedly going through to the semi-final of this competition after this gutsy display. The Allscott Heath dangerman, Armando Wood, was kept relatively quiet in the 2nd half and Wrens Nest could have doubled their score before the end.

Allscott Heath still have the league title to go for plus that County Cup final too.

Match Attendance:          30 approximately

Entrance Fee:                   £5  (£3 concessions) 

Match Programme:         none available 

Match Entertainment:    8/10