LYE TOWN 3 - 2 PERSHORE TOWN

 

SMEDLEY CROOKE MEMORIAL CHARITY CUP 

FINAL 

Trico Stadium, Sallie Swan Street, Redditch, B97 4AU

27th May 2023,   1:00 pm Kick-Off

I'm going to my final game of the season and like the season before, I'm heading to Redditch United's ground for this charity cup final. Again the current holders, Pershore Town are involved. They are proving to be a great cup winning team, as they already have the Hellenic League cup under their belts this season, as well as achieving promotion to the Premier Division of their league competition, by winning the 1st Division championship.

Their opponents today, Lye Town, are also having a great season after achieving promotion to Step 4 in the Non-League pyramid for the first time ever. They did this via the play-off's, after finishing 2nd in the league. This game is shaping up on paper to be a very good one.

I have made the journey to Redditch on the train and get here just after midday. As it's a 1:00 pm Kick-Off I need to get my lunch soon. Luckily I notice a cafe, just along from the toilets at the foot of the entrance to the Kingfisher Shopping Centre and get a meal of omelette & chips. Just the job!

The stadium is located just a few hundred yards up the Bromsgrove Road and soon I am turning right down to the ground.

It's certainly good weather today and there should be a decent sized crowd for it. I pay my entrance fee and receive a free programme too before making my way to the cafe for my usual pre-match cup of tea.

When I go to find a position at the southern end of the ground to take photos, I am disappointed to find that no-one is allowed to stand directly behind the goal but have to make their way back on to the terracing behind this area. As it's a bit too far from the pitch for photography, I make my way to the western side of the ground where the main stand is located. I take a position half-way between the stand and the corner flag, with the sun behind me over my right hand shoulder.

Maybe it's a better position but it makes me wonder if there has been any crowd trouble this season, for there to be a clear space behind that goal?

Soon the teams come out on to the pitch, with Lye Town (The Eagles) in their usual all navy blue strip while Pershore Town (The Plums) are in their 2nd strip of all red.  

When play commences, Lye Town apply some early pressure, win 3 corners but without reward.

Pershore go close with an effort saved by keeper Ben Newey and then Lye's midfield maestro, Ben Billingham, in the 14th minute spots Pershore keeper, Scott Loader off his line but his effort goes wide of the left hand post.

Pershore Town are looking more dangerous now, especially down the left hand side with good runs by their No.3 Sean Cooke and with the trickery of No.11 James Baldwin and twice go close on the 20 minute mark.

Lye Town make good with one of their chances on the half hour to take the lead, when their No.9, Zidan Sutherland, is neatly played through for a one on one with Loader in the Pershore goal. He cooly slots the ball home in to the left hand corner.

Pershore show they are not out of this contest when their No.4, Steve Webb, smashes in a shot on goal but it's well held by Newey.

Ben Billingham then goes through on the right and just about manages to push the ball across the goal but it's cleared by a Plums defender. He's not to be denied though and doubles The Eagles lead when Sutherland's shot comes back off the keeper and Sutherland taps the ball across to Billingham to smash home a great shot at the near post.

Pershore Town go close twice before the half-time whistle and are still looking dangerous despite their higher ranked opponents 2 goal advantage.

During this half I have been chatting occasionally to a photographer who turns out to be another groundhopper, called Paul, who hails from Castle Bromwich in Birmingham. It turns out that he posts some of his photos on Twitter (to be found @groundhopper174) and I check them out later that evening. Not surprisingly some of his photos are similar to mine.

There are also 2 official photographers in attendance too today, with their more expensive looking gear. Not that I'm jealous of course, ha ha!

Yes, it's been a feast of attacking football so far, even better than last years final and it's going to be interesting to see what unfolds next. 

When play resumes it's Pershore who threaten first when the marauding Sean Cooke, following neat build up play on the left, cuts inside to shoot past the right hand post.

Then Pershore close the gap when the ball is passed inside to Baldwin who slides the ball past Newey.

That's what 'The Plums' desperately needed to keep themselves in the game.

Lye go close with a long range shot going just wide of the right hand post but it's Pershore who equalise through the irrepressible Baldwin. He's put through by Jordan Jones and cuts inside to slot home inside the right hand post. A quality goal!

'The Eagles' come back with a shot from danger man Sutherland and Baldwin gets through again only to be denied by Newey.

In the 70th minute, Lye's captain Sam Tye scores his sides 3rd goal, when he heads in a cross in to the opposite side of the net.

5 minutes later and a good shot from Pershore's Sean Cooke is well saved by Newey, who also later on saves Steve Webb's header.

That's how the scoreline stays for a narrow victory for 'The Eagles' in a great advertisement for West Midlands Non-League football.

The cup is presented to the Lye Town captain and the players celebrate in front of their fans with another trophy in a great season and they have the Northern Premier League to look forward to in August.

'The Plums' have played their part in an entertaining match and have their next season in the top flight of the Hellenic League to look forward to, albeit without the services of outgoing manager Danny Janes.

Match Attendance:                200

Entrance Fee:                         £5 (£3 concessions)

Match Programme:               Free  

Match Entertainment:          9.5/10     

 

 

  

LYE TOWN 8 - 0 NORTHAMPTON SILEBY RANGERS

 

                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