DUNKIRK 1 - 1 AYLESTONE PARK

     UNITED COUNTIES FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION 1

       Ron Steel Sports Ground, Lenton Lane, Nottingham, NG7 2SA

                    26th February 2022,   3:00 pm Kick-Off

Today I am being adventurous and heading off to the East Midlands, to Nottingham and to the ground of Dunkirk F.C. who are playing Aylestone Park from Leicester. It's a United Counties League , Div 1 match, a competition I have not covered before plus a new ground and 2 new teams as well.

Dunkirk are in 7th place and looking to get in to the play-off places, while Aylestone are in 5th and looking to secure their own place before the end of the season.

Dunkirk are named after the area which lies in the district of 'Lenton' to the west of the city centre. Maybe this French sounding name was influenced by the French immigrants who came over to work in the Lace industry of the 19th century or even earlier after the building of the Norman castle?

The forecast is excellent and the sun is shining when I make my way by bus to New Street station in Birmingham. Unfortunately the train I catch has only 4 carriages and every seat is taken with many people standing. Also this train seems to be slow but I still am able to catch my connecting train to Nottingham from Burton-on-Trent. I thought you could catch through trains all the way to Nottingham? 

By the time I arrive there, I'm ready for a coffee and find a good place just outside the station, just over the canal bridge. This makes up for the annoying train ride and with the sun still shining, I have a good look around the city.

I go to the Victoria shopping centre, where I have a mooch around the John Lewis store and then have a look at and admire the architecture of the city. The Trent University has some grand old buildings and striking modern ones too! Of course I have a wander down to the Castle (just looking outside) see the Robin Hood statue and also see a nearby pub that's supposed to be the oldest in England (built in 1189) called the 'Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem'!  

I have lunch at a Chinese grocery store that also sells meals, near the impressive looking Theatre Royal.

The time goes quickly and as it's such a nice day, I decide to walk most of the way down to the ground alongside the Beeston Canal. It's certainly a beautiful walk and the canal and path are completely devoid of any litter. Very impressive, especially compared to some of the canals I have seen in Birmingham.

After taking my time for the first 20 minutes, I realise I will have to quicken my pace in order to get to the match on time. I do so with 8 minutes to spare, after I had crossed over Thane Road and found Lenton Lane under the shadow of the raised Clifton Boulevard which crosses the River Trent close by.

I find the ground easily enough and I am glad to get to the toilet in the small clubhouse after my lengthy walk. I pay for my entrance and a programme too and decide to go to the left hand side of the ground where there is some shade from the trees at the far end. 

The 2 teams come out with Dunkirk in red shirts and black shorts and socks while the visitors are in their 2nd strip of all blue.

The first 45 minutes turn out to be quite uneventful with defences on top and both teams mainly cancelling each other out, although you can't fault them for effort.

Aylestone go closest to scoring when their No.5 has a good header saved following a corner and soon after, from another corner sees a header of their's just go over the bar.  

During this half I get talking to a Dunkirk supporter and he tells me that the team had had a difficult start to the season and if they had started with the team they have today, then they could be in a higher position now. He also points out that they usually have a bigger crowd but that's probably been affected by Forest's home game v Bristol City today.

The 1st half ends in what's been a disappointing match so far, so I think it can only get better.

This ground is a pretty neat affair with a fence surrounding the pitch and floodlights in place too. There is a small stand with seats at the end where the entrance is. Also there are 2 stands on the southern side of the pitch, another one with seating and one that is there with cover for standing spectators. Also on the northern side of the pitch, near the entrance is a small building that I first took to be a club shop but it turns out to be a hospitality area, presumably for the club officials of both teams.

During the interval I go to the club house and have a cup of tea, as although it's a sunny day, there is still a chill in the air if you are standing still most of the time. Also I am able to buy a club badge too to add to my collection.

This club house is just outside the fence perimeter of the pitch and alongside it are the changing rooms in the corner, from where a path leads on to the pitch.

Soon after play resumes, the Dunkirk No.7, Greg Tobin unfortunately finds himself just in front of an Aylestone defender who decides to belt the ball and Mr. Tobin is soon doubled up in pain as a result. A bad case of 'crushed nuts' and Tobin has to hobble off the pitch to recover. A few minutes later it's good to see him taking part in the game again.

Just when I'm wondering if there will be any goal action today, Aylestone take the lead in the 60th minute when their No.9 Shay Brennan latches on to a flick following a goal kick and shoots past Joel Howes in the Dunkirk goal.

A few minutes later, Dunkirk equalise through their No.11, Jack Oldham,  when he buries the ball in to the left hand corner of the goal.

This half is certainly proving to be a more lively affair as both sides realise that a draw will not be such a good result, especially Dunkirk who are 9 points off the play-off places. 

In the 75th minute, Aylestone's No.10, Aaron Preston heads the ball in to the net only for it to be ruled offside. Soon after this, their No.7 goes on a good run down the left but Howes is able to stop his shot with an outstretched boot.

The competitive nature of the game is underlined in the 80th minute when the oncoming Dunkirk No.8, Ruben Nwadike, leaves in his boot when the Aylestone defender, Dan Marriott clears the ball and who ends up in a heap on the pitch. Nwadike is duly booked for this challenge.

3 minutes later and the compliment is returned by Marriott on Nwadike and he also later on fouls the Dunkirk No.15 too.

In the later stages 'The Boatmen' of Dunkirk go close to winning the match when their No.9, Max Taylor has a shot saved and then in injury time, one of their players connects with a clearance from the visitor's keeper and lobs a shot on to the bar.

The match ends with the teams all-square at 1-1 and this has put a big dent in to Dunkirk's fading play-off aspirations. Aylestone suffer too as Hucknall leap-frog them in to 5th place after their 1-0 win v Belper United.

I make my way out of the ground and after walking up Lenton Lane a few yards, see the path on the right which takes me under the Clifton Boulevard and through to Queens Drive where there is a Park and Ride space. The No.49 bus soon arrives and takes me back in to the city centre where I see plenty of happy Forest supporters coming back after their team's 2-0 victory.

Dunkirk FC are a friendly club worthy of a visit, especially in good weather like today and surprisingly although they lie close to the River Trent, they have good drainage which means they don't get flooded too often. There are plenty of other sports grounds close by too to this club.  

Entrance fee:             £5, (£3 concession)

Match programme:     £1

Entertainment value:  7/10

Match attendance:     44

  

 

   

 

DUDLEY TOWN 4 - 0 CRADLEY TOWN

 

       MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION ONE

       Guardian Warehousing Arena, Noose Lane, Willenhall, WV13 3BB

                         19th February 2022, 3:00 pm Kick-Off

As the recent weather has been so appalling and it's been raining this morning I don't have much choice but to travel to a game being played on an artificial surface. Also as I have not watched a MFL Div 1 game so far this season, it's a good opportunity for me to see Dudley Town play at their current ground where they are the tenants of Sporting Khalsa.

I have never seem them play before and they are currently doing well, occupying 4th place in the league table. They are one of the oldest clubs in the West Midlands area, being formed in 1888! In the 1980's they even reached the Southern League and spent 2 seasons in the Premier League too. They even reached the 1st Round of the FA Cup and played in front of 5,000 spectators against York City, drawing 1-1 and losing the replay 1-4.

Their opponents today, Cradley Town, also hail from the Black Country and their formation happened in more recent times, in the year 1970, following the merger of Albion Rovers and Haden United, being named Albion Haden United and then Cradley Town in 1975. They currently are 13th in the league table.

I go by train to Walsall and then take the 529 bus bound for Wolverhampton. I get off the bus 20 minutes later at Willenhall, which lies halfway between Walsall and Wolverhampton. I'm disappointed that my original choice of my lunch time stop, the splendidly named 'Greedy Pig Cafe' is not open. Instead I soon find 'Sarah's Cafe' in the town centre and my healthy appetite is appeased by ordering their 'Super Breakfast' which proves to be quite filling and I still have time to have a quick look around the town centre. Willenhall's centre is a bit run down but does have some interesting old buildings, like the The Bell Inn (an old Coaching Inn, dating back to 1659), which has been purchased by the Willenhall Heritage Trust, who have plans to restore it.

Also I find some artwork, celebrating the town's old manufacturing industry of lock making.

    I make my way to the ground, (which I have visited twice before) by cutting through the Willenhall Memorial Park and then I'm outside the ground just 12 minutes later.

I find the entrance and pay my entrance fee and manage to get a programme too for a further £2, which proves to be a good read. I also manage to get a club badge for £4 and it's one celebrating 130 years of existence from the year 2018.

The ground itself has 2 stands on both sides of the pitch, with enough seating for approximately 4-500 spectators, befitting a club of Sporting Khalsa's status (Northern Premier League, Midlands Division).

The teams come out with 'The Robins' of Dudley Town, in their home colours of red shirts, white shorts and black socks, while Cradley are in their change strip of blue shirts and black shorts and socks. Dudley will be looking for revenge as Cradley won the their home league match against them (2-0) earlier in the season.

Dudley certainly make the early running and score after only 6 minutes when the Cradley keeper parries a shot from the Dudley No.9, Matt Gardner but only as far the incoming No.3, Rhys Boswell who sweeps the ball in to the net.

 

A great start for this promotion chasing team!

Cradley are the next to go close when their No.10 has a shot blocked by the home defence.

After 16 minutes, 'The Robins' No.7 is put through on a one on one with the Cradley keeper but has his effort smothered from close range. Dudley aren't to be denied and their No.8, Brad Ward sees his shot take a deflection and then loop over the Cradley No 1.

A bit lucky but it's a fair reflection on how the game is going.

Cradley Town escape further punishment before the interval and will be hoping to get more in to the game in the next period.

There is a good sized crowd today and shows that Dudley Town have a good fan base even though they are playing their home games 10 miles away from Dudley itself. I wonder if they have a plan in place to return to their own borough in the future?

In the 2nd half, Dudley start to take control again and in the 60th minute, Matt Gardner lobs the Cradley keeper from just outside the penalty area for their 3rd goal.

Cradley go close just a minute later but their player wastes the opportunity by blasting well over the bar. This underlines their main problem of scoring goals this season, with a return of just 34 from 28 games.

      (Dudley Town, No.10 Dan Jones, shown here shielding the ball) 

The home team increase their advantage in the 72nd minute when Matt Gardner is nicely played through the middle and places his shot past the advancing keeper.

Cradley are still fighting when they break away soon after this only for their No.15 to shoot across the face of the Dudley goal. 

The Robins are playing with a lot of confidence in the last part of the match and probably should have scored another goal.

They force several corners but are unable to make them count.

So Dudley Town run out convincing winners and look to take their hunt for a promotion place right to the end of the season. They now leapfrog Darlaston Town in to 3rd place (albeit playing one game more) and are now 4 points behind 2nd placed Stapenhill from Derbyshire. Atherstone Town are the runaway leaders, a further 11 points ahead.

Cradley will no doubt be looking to solve their goal scoring problems in the last part of the season and acheive a mid-table position.

Entrance Fee:      £5 (concession)

Match Programme:                 £2

Match Attendance:                156 

Entertainment Value:           8/10

SUTTON COLDFIELD TOWN 2 - 1 RUSHALL OLYMPIC

 

                MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, 

           UNDER 21 (NORTH WEST) DIVISION

           Central Ground, Coles Lane, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1NL

                     5th February, 2022         10:30 Kick Off

Well I had originally planned to make a longer trip than usual this Saturday, Telford in Shropshire, to see Dawley Town play Newport Town in the Salop Leisure League, a competition I had never seen before. 

My change in plan came about at approximately 10 pm on Friday after checking the weather forecast and found out that there was more chance of showers in the afternoon. An early kick off was required and the top of the table clash between Sutton Coldfield (2nd) and Rushall Olympic (3rd) Under 21 sides seems like a good contest.

So I take the train from New Street to Sutton and it gives me just enough time to walk to Coles Lane, buy a cup of tea and take my place at the far end of the ground, where there is shelter from any showers which are threatening but sun is forecast too.

It's my first trip to an Under 21 match this season and I have seen a few in the past. The standard is usually pretty good and they tend to be clean games too! 

The home team come out in their all royal blue strip with white trimmings and Rushall are in their usual colours of gold and black.

It's Rushall who are the team in charge of proceedings at first and they go close when their No.10 hits a shot in to the side netting after 14 minutes. The Sutton Coldfield keeper comes to his sides rescue when he smothers another shot from close range.

30 minutes have gone when 'The Pics' see another effort on goal, this time their No.4 getting in a good position in front of the Sutton goal following a corner but hits his shot disappointingly high over the bar.

Rushall are made to pay dearly for their misses when after 40 minutes Sutton Coldfield break away and open the scoring. Unfortunately yours truly misses it as I had been checking my camera's settings to make sure the shutter speed was still fast enough. Damn!! I did get a shot of the players celebrating though. I think the scorer's name might be Morgan Russell.

So although Rushall Olympic have been on top for long periods of the first-half they have not delivered the goods in front of goal and will need to improve to keep their unbeaten league record intact. Sutton Coldfield are now in the driving seat and if they improve in the next 45 minutes, have a good chance of winning this game.

During the game I get speaking to a man and a woman from Nottingham who turn out to be the mother and grand-father of Sutton's No.10, Benni Wilson. He happens to be at university in the Birmingham area and is taking the chance to play for Sutton Coldfield now. Later I tell them that I will send them some photos of Benni, which they are pleased about.

When play resumes, Sutton Coldfield are upping their game and start this half more brightly.

The Pics though show they are still dangerous, when in the 57th minute their No.14 goes close with an effort from the left.

Sutton double their lead though 10 minutes later when their No.12 slides in a shot in to the left hand side of the Rushall goal. I think his name is Tyrese Cromwell.

The visitors respond with a shot that goes close from the right and just 3 minutes later, do get on the score sheet, when they are awarded a penalty although again I miss why it was given. It's duly slotted home by Dylan Harris and Rushall Olympic have a chance of salvaging their record.

Sutton are the team that go closest to scoring again when they break down the middle through Benni Wilson, who is sent flying from a challenge from the Sutton keeper (shown below) who has rushed out of his area (and get's booked), the ball goes to the Sutton No.7 who was running alongside Wilson but sees his effort cleared by the Rushall No.10 who throws himself in front of the unguarded net. 

A great piece of last ditch defending but his team can't get the equaliser they seek.

Sutton Coldfield have rode their luck a bit in the first half and taken their chances and although Rushall have surrendered their unbeaten record, they have games in hand over both Sutton, leaders Lichfield City and remain favourites to take the title.

I have enjoyed this game, as there was plenty of good football from both sides and the referee had a good game too, allowing the play to flow whenever he could and ignoring several calls for penalties.

Match Attendance:         Approx 30-40

Entrance Fee:                Free

Match Programme:        None available

Match Entertainment:    7.5/10

 

    

                        

SOUTHAM UNITED 1 - 1 DUNLOP, (3-4 pens)

        Coventry Telegraph Challenge Cup, Quarter-Final

         Bobby Hancocks Park, Saints Drive, Southam, CV47 2UZ

                    29th January 2022,  2:15 pm Kick-Off

Today I will be going to another new ground, and continuing with the Coventry theme of last week, I will be watching a Coventry Telegraph Cup match, between Southam United (Oxfordshire Senior League) and Dunlop (Coventry Football Alliance).

I visited Southam United before, about 11 years ago, when they were playing at their previous ground in Banbury Road which like their new stadium lies on the south side of this small town. Then they were riding high in first place the old Midland Combination, Premier Div before eventually finishing second.

This new ground is named after old club veteran, Bobby Hancocks who played and later served this club altogether for more than 50 years, while also scoring more than 1,000 career goals! Those stats are in the same league as the great Pele of Brazil.

I travel to Leamington by train without any hassle, have an all-day breakfast in a cafe I used to go to last year when I was living in nearby Kenilworth for a while and make my way down the High St to catch the No.63 bus. To my surprise it turns up about 5 minutes early and I jump aboard. A bit later I hear the driver talking to someone on his phone that his bus is 1 hour late due to the heavy traffic, which I admit I could see was really bad when walking for this bus.

So 25 minutes later I am able to get off in the Southam town centre and the weather has unexpectedly taken a turn for the worse, with it getting cloudier and after having a coffee in a local cafe, it starts raining but fortunately only lasts 5 minutes.

I then walk to the ground, which lies just south of an industrial estate and close to some new build houses. The ground is a neat affair, with one big main stand on the western side of the ground, with a smaller seated stand on the opposite side. I have time to have a cup of tea at 'Alfie's' tea bar, which is housed in a parked van next to the stand. There was a table the other side of the stand with a box for people to pay a donation for their entrance fee, something I have never seen at a ground before. I pay £3, which I think is fair for this standard of football.

The teams come out with 'The Saints' of Southam in their usual home strip of yellow shirts, blue shorts and socks while the visitors of Dunlop, are in a smart kit of light blue and white striped shirts and light blue shorts and socks.

Dunlop are currently in top spot of the Coventry Alliance, Premier Division and after 9 minutes their No.8 hits a long range shot that rattles the cross bar.

  Dunlop do take the lead when after 17 minutes the ball is played across to the left of the Southam goal and is put in the net by Callum Davies.

The home side have some attacks of their own and one of their best moves sees their No.20 Mauritson go down the left to swing over a cross, (see below) for a Southam player to head down to a waiting colleague to hit a shot just wide of the left hand post.

Half time arrives with Dunlop still ahead but there has not been much between the 2 sides. The windy conditions have certainly not helped play though and I hope that it will affect the teams less in the next half. During this half I saw 3 balls come over in my direction in the space of about 20 minutes and every time they bounced over me and the wire fence in to the field, much to everyone's amusement. I'm just too old to be a goalkeeper now, ha ha! 

I go over to the other side of the ground and talk to a guy who recognised me earlier on as a fellow ground hopper. After we had been talking for a while he realises that we had met before, in fact twice before at games at Droitwich Spa and a Birmingham County FA Vase final. He is called Gordon who is based in Leicester and his good wife lets him out on a Saturday to travel to games in the Midlands. 

We have a good chat about the Non-League scene during the interval and for most of the 2nd half. I certainly have a lot of catching up to do to get close to the number of different grounds that he's visited over the years.

Southam United waste no time in taking the game to Dunlop when play resumes and in the 49th minute, equalise through Mauritson who scores from close in on the visitor's goal.

 Just 5 minutes later and they go close again with a shot coming in from the right that goes across the goal.

Dunlop although rocked back on their heels are not about to give in so easily and their No.16 has a good shot tipped over the bar by Hudson the Southam custodian. In the last 10-15 minutes of this tie they finish the stronger and give the home defence some anxious moments.

There is no more score at full time, so we have the sudden death excitement of a penalty shoot-out.

Southam miss with their first kick and have their next penalty saved while Dunlop score with their first two to leave them in the driving seat. Dunlop do miss their 3rd penalty and it eventually falls to their No.3, Jaydeep Vim to convert the last kick to win this tie.

   He sends Hudson the wrong way and Dunlop now find themselves in the semi-final of this competition.

It's been a good trip to this new ground and Southam will hopefully again reach the standard they had set 10 to 11 years ago. They are currently doing well in the Oxforshire Senior League and are in 5th position with games in hand over the teams above them.

Entrance Fee:         (Optional) £3

Match Programme:  non available

Match attendance:     40 (approx)

Match Entertainment:        6.5/10

COVENTRIANS 4 - 0 ENVILLE ATHLETIC

     MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION THREE

    Coventry Colliery Sports Ground, Bennetts Road, Coventry, CV7 8HY

                    22nd January 2022,   2:00 pm Kick-Off

Today I have decided to visit the City of Lady Godiva to see a match, as I have planned to visit my brother this evening who lives in the nearby town of Kenilworth. There are 2 teams who have been on my radar recently, AFC Coventry Rangers and Coventrians.

AFC are the runaway leaders of the MFL Div 3 but I have decided not to watch them as they are playing against Sutton United who I saw recently before Christmas. So Coventrians FC it is, a new team and a new ground to investigate.

My train journey to Coventry goes without a hitch and I have enough time to have a look in some shops for some 2nd hand camera gear and then I find a cafe where they do some reasonably priced meals, not far from Coventry Market. After a decent meal of lamb chops, chips and peas I make my way to the bus stop and catch the No.16 for the 15 minute journey to the district of Keresley, which lies north-west of the city centre.

When I get to my stop, I'm a bit bewildered by the amount of people getting off the bus. I'm wondering if they are going to the match as well but I soon find out that they are shift workers in the nearby Prologis Park facility across the road. It's an area where there are mainly huge warehouses for companies like Halfords and also some manufacturing takes place here too. 

I walk a few yards up the road and find the entrance, in between an area of new house building that is taking place at the side of this sports ground.

There is a table at the end of a short drive where 2 friendly club officials/volunteers are standing taking the entrance fees. It's only £2 and they warn me to take care and not go stepping in to the muddy bits on this well used track to the nearby club house. When I step inside I see that this building also houses the changing rooms. I walk straight on in to the small but homely bar area and on the far wall are cabinets full of trophies with plenty of team photos and pictures of individual players adorning the walls.

I'm greeted by the club secretary Jane Connolly and I find out that there are club badges for sale (£3). She also very helpfully writes out a copy of the Coventrians team sheet for me as there are no programmes issued.

I make my way to the waiting pitch just before kick-off and there are only a few spectators here today. Jane had told me their attendances usually suffer a bit when Coventry City are at home, which they are today (v QPR).

There is no hard standing around the pitch which has a rail surrounding 3 sides, apart from the opposite end, which is bordered by an area of scrub land and woodland. There is plenty of space to the west and north of this pitch for other football pitches, where I presume the junior and maybe the ladies teams play.   

Coventrians are in their usual strip of blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts and socks while the village team of visiting Enville Athletic are in their change strip of all red.

For the first 10-15 minutes, it's the mid-table visitors who are mainly on top, going close with a shot after 4 minutes and then one of their players takes a tumble after a challenge on the edge of the penalty area but no action is taken by the Ref.

  Coventrians then proceed to dominate the rest of the first half and take the lead when the ball drops nicely for their No.9, Jacob Dumbleton, from a Enville defender's header, to fire home in to the net after 21 minutes. 

  (Dumbleton on the right taking the congratulations of his team mates)

10 minutes later and from a long throw in from the right, Coventrians No.7 Reid Kearns, neatly glances in a header for goal number two (as shown below).

With Enville still reeling from this blow they concede another goal when the ball is played down the middle for Dumbleton to hit a shot to the left of the Enville keeper.

This is still the score when the sides go off for the half-time break.

Coventrians will be looking to add to their tally and improve their goal difference while Enville will be looking to somehow get back in to this game.

Coventrians FC were formed in 2007 and were associated with the rugby team of the same name but made the split from their ball carrying cousins later on. They currently lie in 3rd place in the Div 3 table and had a great 4-0 away win at close rivals AFC Solihull last Saturday. Their ground is I guess on or close to the actual former Coventry Colliery, which was part of the North Warwickshire coal field. 

After a much needed warming cup of tea I take my place for the second half.

Enville are stepping up the pace now and one of their players fails to take advantage of the Coventrians keeper being out of his area and hits his shot way over the bar.

Although Enville are having more of the play in this half it's still Coventrians who pose the greater goal threat.

Their No.11, Joel Heeley hits a shot on the turn that rattles the underside of the bar but does not cross the line when it comes down.

I am also impressed by the home sides No.14 Kai Gibbs, who shows some good skill with his mazy runs (as shown below) troubling the Enville defence.

Enville have a good shot on goal in the 70th minute but it's straight at keeper, James Connolly, then 9 minutes later their No.6, Ryan Goodman hits a shot from the left of the goal only to see it deflected just wide.

It's Coventrians who have the last say in this match when Dumbleton completes his hat-trick when he hits in a shot from a rebound that comes out to him, in the 3rd minute of stoppage time.

So Coventrians move on to the same points tally with Sutton United who lost 1-3 at AFC Coventry Rangers but stay 2nd due to a better goal difference.

I have enjoyed my visit to this friendly club, even on this cold grey day and I hope that they can secure 2nd spot by the end of this season.

Match Attendance:     Approx 15-20

Entrance Fee:                            £2

Match Programme:    none available

Match Entertainment:           7.5/10            

 
 

HAMPTON 2 - 1 KNOWLE

 

      MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION TWO

                   The Boggery, Field Lane, Solihull, B93 0NX   

                        15th January 2022,  2pm Kick-Off

So I am keeping my 2nd visit to a match of this new year strictly local today and I will be seeing the MFL 2nd Division local derby at Hampton F.C. who are hosting 2nd placed Knowle.

On paper, it looks to be a fairly easy task for the high riding visitors but I have a feeling it will be a tight, hard fought game.

I make my way to Solihull on the No.4 bus, have a quick wander round the town, have a meal of scampi and chips before going to the bus stop that I need opposite the Solihull Rail Station. I have left it a bit late and have to run some of the way, jump on to the wrong bus (X2 instead of the X12) and when informed by the driver, jump off again and catch a taxi from the town centre.  

I get to the ground 20 minutes before kick off but £7 lighter. This cheap local trip is turning out to be more expensive than planned.

  I have time to get a cup of tea in the club house, buy an impressive club badge (a black griffin (?) on a red background) and settle down to watch the Premier Division early kick off game between Man City and Chelsea, which is scoreless so far.

When I go out to get to the pitch later on, the guy who is taking the gate money informs me that the game is taking place on another pitch as the usual one has not thawed out properly. Also there are no programmes available as the Editor is on holiday. Well at least the game is being played!

The teams come out with Hampton in their home colours of red and white shirts, black shorts and red and white socks. Knowle are in a change strip of all light blue.

Hampton are the team to be making the early running and in the 5th minute, their No.10 makes an impressive run in to the Knowle half, sees his shot rebound to team mate and No.11, Hamza Siddique to slot home in to the left hand corner of the net.

First blood to the underdogs and this promises to be more interesting than I had first thought.

Knowle come back with some attacks of their own and when their No.10 bears down on goal, a Hampton defender makes a great tackle before he can get in a shot from a promising position.

In the 21st minute, the home team increase their lead when Knowle are unable to properly clear the ball after a Hampton free kick and Hampton's No.8, Will Simmons shoots in to the net.

Knowle come back strongly with their No.3 shooting just over the bar and their No.11 shooting in to the side netting after a good attack down the right.

Hampton show they are still dangerous on the break and Will Simmons takes a shot before he can steady himself properly and slices his shot wildly to the right of the goal.

When Knowle are thrown a lifeline, with the award of a penalty in the 41st minute, their No.7 sees his effort easily saved by Matt Allely in the Hampton goal. 

So the first half ends with Knowle facing an uphill task to get any points from this game in their quest to make some ground on runaway leaders, Cadbury Athletic, who are in cup action today.

It's certainly a cold day and my hands are feeling a bit numb, even with gloves on. It reminds me a little when I came here before, nine years ago, when it was cold but it was also windy then too. At least the sun has been showing his face a little today.

I notice that the Knowle programme editor, Ronald Craine, is in attendance today, busy with his match report and I make my re-acquaintance with him after first meeting him at Knowle a few months ago. He has been disappointed with his sides performance so far and reckons they don't fancy the pitch they have had to play on. Hampton's first choice pitch certainly looks in good nick.

I'm sure they will make a greater effort in the next period and so it proves to be when play starts again. They are putting in a lot more effort and they quickly reduce arrears when their forward, Nathan Corry scores with a great shot from just outside the penalty area in the 50 minute.

 After 16 minutes, the Hampton keeper makes a good save and the shot from the rebound goes just wide of the goal.

Hampton are defending well, albeit desperately at times. It's certainly a hard fought and physical game as you would expect from a local derby.

Their cause is not helped when their No.9, Tom Parnaby, is sent off after being booked a second time in the 79th minute.

Knowle are awarded plenty of corners from their attacking efforts in the second period but are not able to make it count and go close again in the 87th minute when their No.3 shoots across the goal but just wide.

Although there is about 9 minutes of injury time played, Knowle are unable to find an equaliser. They have certainly played much better in this half but the luck has not been with them today. They will no doubt be hoping on some slip ups in the coming weeks by Cadbury Athletic to aid their championship bid.

Hampton on the other hand can take credit from their performance today and will be looking to get in to the top half of the Division 2 table.  

Entrance Fee:                   £3

Programme:    none available

Match Attendance:            72

Match Entertainment:    8/10

     

     

LANE HEAD 1 - 2 CADBURY ATHLETIC

 

      MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE, DIVISION TWO

      Red Lion Ground, Somerfield Road, Bloxwich, Walsall,  WS3 2EJ 

                  3rd January, 2022      2:00 pm Kick-Off

So here we all are in the spanking new year of 2022 and let's hope it will truly be a better experience than 2021 and worse still 2020!

For my first game of the year I have settled on seeing a new team, Lane Head FC, who play at a ground that I have visited 4 or 5 times in the past.

Later after I had watched the game I did a bit of research and found that 'Lane Head' is a district of the nearby town of Willenhall. In the Industrial Revolution era, it was where a colliery and a iron works were situated. The colliery supplied the iron works with the coal and the Wyrley & Essington canal was also close at hand to transport the finished goods. Willenhall is mainly known as a centre for lock making and to underline how important the Industrial Revolution was to this area, the population increased from 3,143 in 1801 to 18,515 one hundred years later!

I believe that Lane Head are a new club to this level of football and it will be interesting to see how they fare against the Div 2 leaders of Cadbury Athletic.

The weather today is a great improvement to when I last ventured out to watch Sutton United, as there is plenty of sunshine and it's not too cold either.

I travel to Walsall by train with no problems and after having a snack in the Saddlers Shopping Centre, I catch the No.32 bus for a 15 minute journey that takes me close to the ground.

I go in to the club house and there is a friendly lady waiting to take the entrance fee off me. There are no programmes available (not that unexpected) and no badges for sale. It's good to see though that the tea bar outside is still in use and I have a nice warming cuppa.

When the 2 sides come out on to the pitch, the home side are in an all blue strip while Cadbury are more like the 'White Chocolate Men' today in their all white change strip.

For the first 10 minutes, the visitors are on top and after 6 minutes their lively No.11, Emile Beckford goes on a good run down the left and crosses the ball just in front of the goal line and the Lane Head keeper, manages to claw the ball away from the waiting Cadbury striker, Tom Craine, (as shown below).

After 26 minutes, the Cadbury No.3 passes through the middle for their No.9 to hit a shot past the right hand post.

Lane Head have been getting in to the game more as this half progresses and their No.6 scores following a free kick awarded on the left hand side. So the home side have rocked their opponents and what will happen now?

They come back strongly in the last few minutes and Beckford sees his fierce shot turned over for a corner. In the 41st minute, their dangerman, Tom Craine manages to bundle the ball home for the equaliser following a free kick on the left.

So it's even-stevens at the end of this half and it looks as if Cadbury will have to dig deep to get the victory they so desire.

Before I arrived I at this ground today, I had been worried in what shape it might be in, as on my last visit here nearly 5 years ago (when Bloxwich United were the hosts), the ground had been experiencing a steady decline and looked quite shoddy. Although there is still work to be done, the general appearance of the ground has definitely improved. The end where the seating is situated appears to be out of bounds for now but hopefully will be repaired in the future. 

When play resumes, Cadbury are the first to go close to scoring when Craine shoots across the goal from the left.

Lane Head though go close themselves when the ball is chipped neatly in from the right and their No.7 shoots just over the bar.

Cadbury Athletic though are stepping up the pressure on their hosts and it comes as no surprise when their No.14 slots home in to the right hand side of the net after 64 minutes.

  Although Cadbury do look the more dangerous side, Lane Head are definitely not out of it and they are handed a lifeline when they are awarded a penalty, when I think the Chocolate Men's No.3 is adjudged to have handled the ball in the area. 

The Lane End No.5 eventually steps up to take the kick, after some heated discussions between some of the Cadbury players and the ref. He decides to go for power down the middle of the goal and the keeper, Sam Smith is able to block this attempt.

There is further disappointment for 'The Lane' when their No.12 is shown a second yellow card for his rash and robust challenge on the Cadbury No.6, Stuart Cooke.

Right in front of the Ref too! So as he trudges of the pitch, so too do Lane End's hopes of salvaging a point as there is only 1 minute of normal time to go and so the match ends in a valuable 3 points gained by the league leaders. To their credit, Lane Head have pushed them all the way today and will be looking to improve on their current 9th place.

Cadbury Athletic will host promotion rivals Fairfield Villa (4th) next Saturday while 2nd placed Knowle (4 points behind) will be at home to 3rd placed Coton Green.

Entrance Fee:                 £4

Match Attendance:          Approx 50 (guesstimate)

Match Programme:          None Available

Entertainment Value:       7/10