Getting used to Village Green football

Saturday 19 December 2020, Scole United 2 Mundford 1 - Anglian Combination, Premier Division, Ransome Avenue

With Boris producing new tiers as quick as Liverpool scoring goals against Palace, it seems any football we watch for a while will be local, so today instead of Step 5 or 6, we found ourselves watching Step 7 football close to the Suffolk/Norfolk border.

Scole started the better team and dominated the first half and went in two up at the break. Mundford did not play badly but were too quick to blame the ref or others when it did not go right.

Second half started and it seemed Mundford were going to let their football do the talking and they soon got a goal back. Scole then took back control and Mundford went back to arguing. In the end a deserved win for the home team. 

9 months away, and the football is still poor.

 Saturday 12 December 2020, Ipswich Town 0 Portsmouth 2 - League One, Portman Road

But it was still good to be back!

We start again

 Saturday 5 December 2020, North Greenford United 2 Walsham-Le-Willows 1 - FA Vase 2nd Round, Berkeley Fields

Arrived to find a very narrow entrance to the car park, so decided to park in the road, seems a car can get through but the club have no one on gate all time so second gate is padlocked shut- narrow gates would be mentioned again!

Basic ground, but a good crowd in attendance with a few from Suffolk. Very evn first 7 minutes then a Walsham player went to ground, seemed he may have broke his collar bone and was in a bad way - they decided not to put him on a stretcher and instead wait for an ambulance.

After about 25 minutes the ambulance arrived, but could not get through the gates to the ground as they were too narrow for the ambulance!!

Player left for hospital and the first half re-started with 40 minutes injury time!

Walsham were caught cold and Northwood put the pressure on and took the lead, this did walk the visitors up and they got back on terms after missing a few other chances to get level.

Second half was even with both teams playing good football - it was the home team who scored with not long left on the clock, but long enough for the home keeper to have to make a great save from a direct free kick.

North Greenford go into the 3rd Round, but neither team really deserved to lose.

Maybe not Brechin, but nice hedges!

Saturday 31 October 2020, Northampton Sileby Rangers 2 Burton Park Wanderers 2 ( 4-5 pn penalties) - FA Vase, Fernie Fields 

Brechin City has a famous hedge, but the one in Northampton may not be as famous but is certainly well kept. In fact the whole ground is well looked after, neat, tidy and a joy to visit. 

Football wise, the away team started the better and soon took the lead with the home team equalising from a corner just before the break. They then took the lead with a fantastic goal and it seemed that would be the match winner but then well into injury time Burton got the goal that would take the match to penalties. 

It was the visitors who would then triumph 5-4 after the shoot out.

No Twin Towers or an Arch, but plenty to enjoy

Tuesday 27 October 2020, Wembley 1 Tring Athletic 4 - SSM Premier, Vale Farm

Heavy traffic once off M1 but arrived on time only to find the game kicked off 5 minutes late. Game was a bottom of the table match up with Tring bottom.

Tring went ahead early on with a bit of a fluke but their next two goals were crackers with the last goal the best of the bunch.

Wembley had a better second half but Tring just sat back and soaked the pressure up, Wembley got one back and kept pushing forward without ever really challenging the keeper, Tring then hit them on the break and got 4th goal after 86 minutes,

Tring were the better team but they were helped by the ref who seemed quite lenient when dealing with some perstemt Tring fouling.

Liked the ground with an odd mixtures of stands, terracing, seats and bits of cover, maybe no twin towers or a large arch but plenty of cover to keep you dry and one stand even had seats with tables!

Hoppers day out

Saturday 24 October 2020, Boxted Lodgers 1  Belle Vue Social Club 2 - Essex and Suffolk Border league, Division One, King George Playing Field

The number of hoppers present made double figures and they saw a good game, Belle Vue are top of the league but they made hard work of this game and as it stayed close, tempers frayed in the second half- with a 20 player punch up and not great to see some from the sidelines join in.

The referee only booked one player after the fracas, both teams lucky not to lose players.

But some good football, a cracking opening goal plus a cracking header, pity that was an own goal! 

Left it late

Saturday 17 October 2020, Ampthill Town 2 London Lions 1 - Ampthill Park, Spartan South Midlands League, Division One

Small basic ground, but the visit was made worthwhile by a cracking stand plus the surrounding area- a country park, a cricket ground and across the road the rugby ground plus another football ground.

The game was all action- with plenty of chances at boths ends - London Lions had most of the play in the first half but after 8 minutes the hosts took the lead and for the rest of the half, looked dangerous on the break.

It did not take the Lions long to get back on terms in the second half but they could not go on to win the game as the second half was more of an even contest.

Ampthill came the closes to getting back in front when a free kick hit the bar, however with just 3 minutes left on the clock, Ampthill got the winner. Good game, plenty to entertain.