​This Tuesday was a bit of a landmark for BotP, a first visit to The Dovecote Stadium, Shepshed Dynamo's home ground. Over recent years The Dovecote has become something of a non-league 'must visit' stadium because of the name of the road that the ground stands on. It was made even more famous, or notorious, when Colin Murray took his show to the ground a couple of years back. Of course, as an amateur blogger, the challenge for this particular blog is to get through it without using any references to the road name, innuendos, double-entendres or general cliched references that, I am sure, have all been used before. 

The Ground
As I said, The Dovecote has become something of a ground-hoppers 'go to' ground because of the road name. However, upon arriving at the ground you soon see that it is well worth a visit in it's own right. This part of the country seems to be blessed with particularly good non-league football ground (see my recent Barrow Town and Quorn blogs). Shepshed weigh into this argument with The Dovecote which, whilst certainly not as neat and tidy as either Quorn or Barrow, has charm and history oozing from every glorious nook and cranny. This is my sort of ground. Nothing is symmetrical. Buildings have been bolted on over the long history of the ground (Shepshed have played their since 1891), there is a slope on the pitch and that wonderful whiff of grassroots football about the place.

​Entrance to the stadium is through a single turnstile which leads you into the corner of the ground. Directly in front of you, running down one side is the clubhouse, snack bar (Dynamo Diner), as well as the players and officials facilities. There is also a small covered seating area, reserved for Directors and officials and, towards the lower end of the ground a covered standing area. To the right of the turnstile is the media centre, club shop and, directly behind one of the goals, a reasonably large covered seating area. On the far side of the ground is another covered seating area which runs about half the length of the ground, centred on the halfway line. The goal at the far end of the ground, opposite to the entrance, is backed by a line of trees (regular readers will know that this is another feature that endears non-league grounds to me).
One key point for new visitors to the ground. It is situated in a residential area and has no spectator parking on site due to the lack of space and tight entrance. There is a school a few hundred yards away from the ground which has ample parking and it's only a couple of minutes walk to the ground.

The Background
Dynamo were coming into the game in 7th place with 25 points from their 15 games. They were also on a run of eight consecutive victories in all competitions and unbeaten since a 2-1 home defeat by Walsall Wood in September.
South Normanton, by contrast, were looking up the table from bottom position with 7 points from their 15 games played. recent results, however, had been starting to show some positivity. A 4-0 home win against Romulus had been followed with a narrow 1-0 defeat at Walsall Wood and, although The Shiners had been struggling to pick up wins, their results show that the majority of recent defeats had been by narrow margins.
Last season both of the league games between these sides finished as away wins. Dynamo winning 4-1 in Derbyshire whilst The Shiners clocked up a 3-0 victory at The Dovecote.

​The Game
The opening encounters of the game were far more even than the respective league positions suggested. In fact, it was the visitors who had the first meaningful attempt at goal when John Guy managed to get a shot away which stung the hands of Brandon Ganley. For Shepshed, the majority of attacking threat was coming down their right-flank, where Sam Moore was proving to be a handful for the Shiners defence. It was Moore who had Dynamo's first significant chance but his effort was blocked by a South Normanton defender.
There was little to choose between the sides until the 33rd minute when Moore latched onto the ball inside the visitor's penalty area and hit a low, angled drive across Hall into the far corner of the net. 1-0
On 41 minutes South Normanton came very close to drawing level when Dylan Garnett cut in from the right and curled an effort past Ganley only for the ball to strike the upright and rebound to safety.

HT Shepshed Dynamo 1 South Normanton Athletic 0. Dynamo edging the first-half but The Shiners are by no means out of it, especially with the slope in their favour for the second period.

As it happened, the second-half in my opinion, was an intriguing and fascinating 45 minutes of football. Sure enough South Normanton invigorated by kicking down the slope and probably heartened by their first-half performance, set about getting themselves level from the off. Shepshed, whether intentionally or not, were being pushed backwards. However, they have the players in their squad to play counter-attacking football very effectively, meaning the the visitors could not completely throw caution to the wind.
The game, which was by no means a dirty game, did have a little undercurrent to it. There were a few running battles going on around the pitch mainly because it was a highly competitive match.
South Normanton continued to press forward, getting the ball into the last third very quickly and trying to force a mistake from the home defence which, to their credit, stood firm for the most part.
Shepshed introduced what would have been the Leicester Nirvana front line a couple of seasons ago when they brought on Matt Melbourne to lead the line and tricky winger Pearson Mwanyongo on the right.

Shepshed continued to soak up the visitors pressure, breaking whenever they could and, in the last minute, they finally sealed the game. Sam Moore once again picked up the ball some 40 yards out. He drifted past a couple of defenders, rode a few more challenges and the slotted the ball past Hall to make it 2-0. A really well taken individual goal.

There was still time, very late on, for South Normanton's frustration to boil over, Evan Cawley seeing red for a nasty looking challenge on Zac Hill. The player had barely had time to walk down the tunnel before the referee blew for full-time.

FT Shepshed Dynamo 2 South Normanton Athletic 0. A hard fought three points for Dynamo who had to battle very hard against a determined Shiners side, especially throughout the second-half. South Normanton certainly could not fault their player's efforts and could easily make a case for deserving something from the game.

Shepshed Dynamo: Ganley, Hill, Acott, Pheasant, Betts(c), Prenderville, Moore, Hurst, WHymark, Patrocino, Thomas. Subs: Mwanyongo, Melbourne, L. Day, S. Day, Phillips
South Normanton Athletic: Hall, Leigh(c), Cawley, Nadine, Cox, Guy, Garnett, Tyson, Fell, Robinson, King. Subs: Crosby, Paul, Butcher, Stryzewski, Mitchell

Att: 
Ground Number: 172
Entrance: £6.00
Programme:  £1.50

If you liked this match blog, or even if you didn't, why not retweet it. The website could always do with a plug (damn, so nearly got through the whole blog without a reference).

​Tuesday evening this week was taken up with the second installment of my FA Coaching badge, so Wednesday became football night. A quick scan of my options revealed the opportunity of taking in a new ground, possibly seeing an ex-West Brom legend play and another possibility of seeing an ex-Glassboy back in action after some time out injured. So, off to Leicestershire it was then. Quorn v Northfield Town in the Smedley Crooke Memorial Cup.

The Ground
There must be something in the air around the Loughborough area. On Non-League Day I was at Quorn's very near neighbours, Barrow Town, and commented on how neat and tidy their ground was kept. Well, just a few miles down the A6 is The Farley Way Stadium, home of Quorn FC, and, I have to say, this stadium is up there with Barrow when it comes to the standard of the facilities. The playing surfaces cannot be compared because unlike Barrow, Quorn have opted for an artificial surface, installed over the Summer break. However, all other aspects of the stadium are pretty much match the immaculate nature of Barrow. There is a reasonably large car park adjacent to the ground and multiple turnstile accesses into the ground (only one was open this evening, but that was to be expected for a midweek cup game). The ground itself features two large covered stands, a stepped standing area behind the car park end goal and a seating area that runs down the majority of the A6 side of the ground. On the Loughborough Road side there is a large club house and the players/officials facilities as well as the dugouts, which are almost at opposite ends of the playing surface.

The Background
The game matched up two teams from the Midland League structure, albeit with two divisions between the sides. Quorn, currently 10th in the Premier League, came into the game with a very symmetrical league record won 5, drawn 5, lost 5. Their form has been a little up and down recently and they have exited both the FA Vase and FA Cup at home to lower league opposition, Eastwood CFC (1-2) and Atherstone Town (0-1) respectively.
Northfield, who won this competition in 1989-90, were coming into the game in good form. Sitting third in Division Two, they were on a run of 7 unbeaten in the league, 6 wins and a draw and had only lost twice in the league all season.

Despite former Baggies stopper Russell Hoult not being in the Quorn side, I was very interested to see that both Sean Geddes (Quorn) and Liam Spink (Northfield) were in their team's starting line-ups. Both players were on the road back to match fitness after long term injuries, and it was good to see them both back on the pitch.

​The Game
It's fair to say that Northfield got into the game much quicker than Quorn. For the first ten minutes or so, it was the Division Two side who looked the more lively and were on top of play. However, after a settling in period, Quorn started to get themselves settled and began to knock the ball around with some confidence. The majority of their build-up play was going through captain Geddes, who was dropping deep to receive the ball and then linking the play up the field.
It took until the 19th minute for Quorn to open the scoring.Big striker Stephen Hart saw his effort come back off the underside of the bar and out. It was not properly cleared by the Northfield defence allowing Omar Haughton to latch onto the loose ball and bury his effort past Walker. 1-0
Within five minutes it was two. Again, the unlucky Hart, saw an effort strike the angle of post and bar before the ball was picked up Geddes who drove his shot into the far corner. 2-0 and two quite similar goals. It appeared that Quorn's game plan was for Hart to ping efforts against the woodwork for his team-mates to pick up and score.
Two quick goals could easily have signalled a collapse from Northfield but, to give them credit, they dug in and stemmed the flow of the Quorn attacks and started to try getting forward themselves again, with the Impressive Josh Westwood being a constant threat on the left flank.

After 41 minutes Northfield got some reward for their endeavours. Sam Wills got in behind the Quorn back line and, from a tight angle, produced a delightful clip over Charlie Doherty into the far corner of the net. 2-1.
However, just as Northfield thought they would go into the break only a goal behind, thorn in their side Hart came up with another assist, this time without the aid of the woodwork. His deep cross from the left was met at the far post by right-back Mitchell Tomlinson who volleyed the ball back past Walker to make it 3-1.

HT Quorn 3 Northfield Town 1. Quorn took a while to settle but once Sean Geddes got into his stride he began to make the team tick. Northfield are certainly not out of it yet though and do not look out of place despite the two division gap between the teams.

​The way Northfield came out for the second-half made me wonder how much confidence they would have had if they had held the score to 2-1 before the break. They came out all guns blazing, in search of getting goal back and, like the first half, catching Quorn a little flat-footed. However, Town couldn't find that final ball or finish and, consequently, could not fashion a goal. That brief spell at the start of the second period proved to be their last hurrah in the game.

It's not often i use the word sumptuous. In fact, I don't believe I have ever used it in the context of football. However, that is just how I described Quorn's fourth and Haughton's second goal of the night. The winger drove at the Quorn defence, out wide on the right, stepped inside and then curled the ball beyond the reach of Walker. 4-1 and most definitely a sumptuous finish. I was directly behind the strike and it's fair to say that it was in from the moment it left his boot. The game was now effectively over. 

Northfield had battled hard and, for the first few minutes of the second half, looked like they were really going to make a fist of it. However, the fourth goal finished them off.
Just before the hour mark Hart got the goal that he deserved. Driving in from the left, he saw his first effort saved but, when the ball wan't properly cleared, it fell back to the Quorn striker who had a simple tap-in for his goal. 5-1.

Northfield never let their heads drop, even at 5-1 down, and can be proud of the game that they gave to their higher placed opponents. Quorn, at times put some good moves together. It was noticeable after the fifth goal went in that, with Geddes starting to tire and not making himself available to link play, they created far fewer opportunities.

FT Quorn 5 Northfield Town 1. A spirited effort from the Division Two outfit but, in the end, a comfortable victory for Quorn. 


Quorn: Doherty, Tomlinson, Andrews, O'Neill, Gorman, Morris, Haughton, Geddes(c), Williams, Hart, Darkin. Subs: Rydquist, Dale, Moseley, Howard, Richmond

Northfield Town: Walker, Williams, Judd(c), Boazman, Walton, Douglas, Wills, McGinley, Skerrett, L.Spink, Westwood. Subs: Behan, McGinn, Pierpoint, Alexander


Att: 59
Ground Number: 171
Entrance: £6.00
Programme:  £1.00

​The Ground
Cranfield's Crawley Road ground is situated on the outskirts of the village of Cranfield, almost on the end of the runaway for Cranfield Airport. There is a reasonable sized car park behind one of the goals at the same end as the clubhouse and facilities block. There is also car parking available on grass alongside the Crawley Road side of the ground. On the opposite side to this is the main stand and dugouts. It's a very nicely kept ground, especially considering the clubs current Step 7 status. The pitch was in very good condition. Maybe Chris Sutton needs to visit Cranfield?
Entry to the ground was free of charge on the evening that I visited.

The Background
The fare on Tuesday was a Bedfordshire FA Senior Trophy clash between the hosts Cranfield United and Langford, from the Spartan South Midlands Division One. I couldn't find out too much information about the history of the competition but, it appears that Cranfield made it to the Final last season only to be beaten 2-0 by Tottenhoe.
Cranfield's progress this season had seen them win 2-1 at Ickwell & Old Warden in Round 1. Langford had crusied past Marston Shelton Rovers by 6-2
In the league Cranfield, who play in the Bedfordshire County Premier, sit third but have two ganes in hand on both Crawley Green Reserves (a point above Cranfield) and Shefford Town & Campton, who are six points clear. United are unbeaten in the league so far, winning five and drawing two, scoring 18 and conceding 7. Captain Courtney Boughton is also their top scorer with 6 goals in 10 games.

Langford, who play at a Step above their opponents, are currently 11th in the South Midlands Division One. They have a very uniform record in the league, played 12, won 6, lost 6. Their top scorers this season are Jack Worbey with 8 and Lewis Osborne with 6.

The Game
The game was only 6 minutes old when Langford's Nugent was hauled down just outside the area. After lengthy treatment the player was not able to continue and was substituted. Tony Rome stepped up and crashed the free-kick past Roggero into the bottom corner of the net. 0-1
A good start from Langford but Cranfield were not downhearted and picked themselves up well, getting themselves well and truly into the game.
After 24 minutes they almost grabbed an equaliser when left-back Aaron Chaplin somehow wriggled his way into the box, breaking a number of tackles in the way. His low drive, however, was brilliantly turned away by Ben Watson, diving to his right and getting a hand to the goal-bound effort.

HT Cranfield United 0 Langford 1. A fairly even first half after the early goal.

The second-half, played in light rain, brought more of the same with Cranfield trying to get themselves back onto level terms whilst not leaving gaps for the Langford strike pairing to exploit. To be fair to the Step 7 side, it was hard to see a difference between the teams.

On 70 minutes came a bizarre event. Langford were attacking and, following a shot which Langford believed had been tipped over by the keeper, the referee awarded a goal-kick. I'm not sure what Ben Watson, the Langford keeper, said from the other end of the pitch but, whatever it was, the referee deemed it worthy of a straight red card. So, with 20 minutes remaining, Langford were forced to sacrifice their right-back Jordan Stuart, in order to bring on a replacement goalkeeper.
The replacement's first job was almost to pick the ball out of the net as a CRanfield effort came back off one of his uprights.
However, Langford managed to hang on a progress through to the Third Round.

FT Cranfield United 0 Langford 1. A hard-fought game between two pretty well matched sides decided by an excellent free-kick.

Cranfield United: Roggero, Harding, Chaplin, Henry-Brown, Newman, Jones, Ricciardi, Gillies, Boughton (c), Philips, McBrien. Subs: Mitri, Webb, Smithson, Simpson, Smith

Langford: B. Watson, Stuart, Green, Ali(c), Dean, Poulton, Edwards, Osborne, Bamfod, Rome, Nugent. Subs: Auburn, Tizard, K. Watson, Bridge, Wells

Att: 50
Ground Number: 170
Entrance: £0.00
Programme:  Not available

​The Second Round of the FA Vase is almost upon us, so here at BotP we have put together our guide to the competition so far. All the teams and all the statistics you need.

128 teams remain in the competition, 90 from Step 5, 35 from Step 6, and 3 Step 7 sides, Blidworth Welfare, Hucknall Town and Saffron Dynamo.
Interestingly, all three of the remaining Step 7 sides are based in the East Midlands area, two playing in the Central Midlands League South and one in the Leicestershire Senior League. All three have received tough away fixtures at Step 5 sides, Shepshed Dynamo, Sporting Khalsa and Leciester Nirvana respectively.

Two previous winners are still in there, Dunston UTS and Sholing. There are also four previous finalists still battling it out, West Auckland, Bedlington Terriers, Southall and last season's beaten finalists, Stockton Town.

The Northern League, where eight of the last ten winners have come from is still well represented this season with eight teams from Division One and one from Division Two still in the hat. However, it is the Midland League that has the largest number of teams left in the competition with 13 from the Premier Division and 5 more from Division One.

​Eight 'Vase Virgins' are still pursuing their dreams. May & Baker Eastbrook Community, Thame Rangers, NKF Burbage, Wolverhampton Sporting Community, Avro, Garstang, Barton Town and Ilkeston Town.
At least one of these teams will make it through to the Third Round, as Wolverhampton Sports have been drawn at home to Ilkeston Town. Of the other six teams, only Thame Rangers and NKF Burbage will have to travel, to Newport Pagnell Town and Stourport respectively.

Nineteen teams in the draw have already surpassed their best Vase efforts (not including newcomers). Whilst there are eleven teams who have matched their best run and will be trying to set new club records by progressing to Round Three.

It's not going to be easy as there is still plenty of FA Vase experience left in the competition apart from the two past winners and four finalists. Sixteen former Quarter-Finalists and seven who have made it into the last four are still in the hat, including last season's beaten semi-finalists 1874 Northwich.

There are 64 cracking ties to choose from, all listed below.

​Full Second Round Fixture List

​
​Previous Winners

The Ground
I don't often get to go to games with my Dad these days. So, it was great this weekend to have an opportunity to get out and watch a game. With Stourbridge away at Guisleley, just that bit too far if I wanted to get home at a reasonable hour, we headed off to the closest game we could find, Dudley Sports v Shifnal Town in the West Midland (Regional) Premier League. Sports play at Hillcrest Avenue in Brierley Hill. Without going into the history of the club too much, this was originally the home of Marsh & Baxter's works team (mentioned in this blog from a couple of year's back). Both my Dad and myself had vague memories of playing at this ground in our younger years and, it's probably fair to say that the ground has not changed too much in the intervening time.
Once parked up, in the reasonably sized car park, access to the ground is through single turnstile. This actually takes you into the ground next to the smaller of two pitches. Sports' first team plays on the pitch to the left of the turnstile, which has covered areas on both sides. The Hillcrest Avenue side of the ground has a small covered seated area. Opposite this are the dugouts and another covered area, which has bench seats at the rear. Just behind this stand is the facilities block and the snack bar. The supporters toilets are in the same block as the changing rooms which, on Saturday at least, led to an unusual situation. I had nipped over to get a couple of teas and popped into the toilet while I was there. Whilst in the toilet the referee called for the teams to make their way to the pitch. So, for the first time since I started this blog, I walked out of the changing rooms with the teams. Although, as they headed off to the pitch, I took a sharp right for the tea bar. Yet another little thing that endears me more to non-league football.

The Background
Coming into the game the home side were, by far, the form team of the two. Unbeaten in their last five, Sports had seen off Cradley Town in their previous game and were looking at pushing closer to rivals Dudley Town. Shifnal, in great contrast, had lost their last five games, scoring four and conceding seventeen. Last season had seen away wins in both meetings between the sides. In October Shifnal had won 2-1 at Hillcrest Avenue whilst, late in the season Sports had won 6-1 in Shropshire.

The Game
​Straight from the first whistle, and against current form, it was Shifnal who looked to take control of the game with Kyle Montague, playing wide right, causing all sorts of problems with his pace.
With just under a quarter of an hour on the clock Montague once again, got clear of his man on the right, latching onto a through ball. He did exceptionally well to dig out a deep cross which was headed in by Lewis Mackenzie. 0-1. 

For a side who had not scored in their previous two matches, Shifnal were looking very dangerous when they attacked. On 22 minutes, they doubled their lead after Sports stopper, Liam O'Dowd, fumbled a cross allowing Sam Wilde to stab the ball home. 0-2. One minute later the Mantague showed his pace again, racing onto a through ball he beat the keeper to it only to see his effort come back off the post.

Suddenly on 26 minutes, completely out of the blue and against the run of play, Sports were back in it when Moraka beat two men before producing a calm finish past Whittaker. 1-2.
The comeback, however, did not transpire and within four minutes, Shifnal had regained their two goal advantage. Sports conceded a free-kick some 35 yards out on the left. The ball was lofted into the penalty area where an unmarked Wilde put his header past O'Dowd for his second and Town's third. 1-3.
Shifnal were not finished there. Six minutes later Jordan Bailey struck a drive, from the left-hand angle of the box, across O'Dowd and into the corner of the net despite the keeper getting a hand to it. 1-4.

HT Dudley Sports 1 Shifnal Town 4. Certainly no shortage of action in this one. Shifnal certainly well worthy of their lead.

​As You may expect when 4-1 down at half-time, Sports made a couple of changes in the break. Goalkeeper O'Dowd, who had apparently picked up a knock in their previous match, was replaced by Ryan Pratt. Left-back Matt Hanson also made way after being given a torrid time by Montague in the first-half.
The changes seemed to have the desired effect early in the second half. At least in as much as the tide was stemmed somewhat. Although, of course, at 4-1 up it could as easily have been a case of Shifnal taking their foot off the pedal a little too.

The game, however, was probably over as a contest unless Sports managed to get at least one back early in the second period. This did not happen and, on 64 minutes, it was the visitors who notched again. This time Ryan Bright curled in an absolute beauty from just outside the box. 1-5 and probably the goal of the game.

Sports, to their credit, kept trying to press forward and did start to get a little foothold on the game after going 5-1 down. Despite their increased possession they still could not find a way past Whittaker.
With the game winding down we were then treated to a manic last five minutes. First, on 85 minutes, McKenzie grabbed a second goal from a left-wing corner. 1-6. Three minutes later Wilde was on the spot to poke the ball over the line after a scramble in the area. 1-7 and a hat-trick for the Shifnal player.
Then, just before the full-time whistle, substitute Richard Hanson slotted home a late consolation for the home side. 2-7. 

FT Dudley Sports 2 Shifnal Town 7. A crazy game end to a crazy game. Shifnal really won the game with a very good first-half display.

Dudley Sports: O'Dowd, Bradfield, M. Hanson, Parker (c), Chiwara, Price, Moraka, Ishola, Nicholson, Beyal, Becford. Subs: McGovern, R. Hanson, Woddall, Wooldridge, Pratt

Shifnal Town: Whittaker, Hadley, Tanomjit, Wilde, Vale, Jones, Bailey, Mackenzie, Montague, Bright, Novis. Subs: Gwynne, Udoh, Mountford, Aminu, Sharpe

Att:
Ground Number: 169
Entrance: £5.00
Programme: £1.00

Some shops have had Christmas cards and decorations on the shelves for weeks. Personally, I'm not a fan of starting the festive season too early. However, the blog title for Tuesday evening's game sort of picked itself, so I'm going with it anyway. Before anyone corrects me, I know there are two Ls in holly, but I am told that Holyport is pronounced Hollyport.
​
The Ground
I think it is safe to say that Summerleaze Park is one of the more unusual non-league stadiums that I have visited, not for the ground itself but for the approach to the ground. The ground is very well signposted from Maidenhead, which is probably just as well. The directions point you to a service road protected by an automatic gate. The service road winds around for around half a mile past North Maidenhead Cricket Club before you finally come to a small car park. I noticed that the Ivybridge team coach was parked here, so it looked like the best place to stop. However, there was no sign of floodlights. Luckily a few more cars had pulled up and I saw a gentleman, who looked like he knew where he was going, head off down another service road, so I followed him. After leaving the car park I could now see the floodlights in the distance, probably a further 300 yards away. The service road is unlit so, if you go to an evening game, I suggest a torch would be useful, especially on the way out. To be fair, there is more parking available closer to the ground but I actually quite enjoyed the walk and taking in the quirkiness of the place.
When you finally approach the ground itself, there is a small copse and a building containing the toilet block, boardroom and players facilities to your right, the stadium, under floodlights, glows like a green oasis behind the trees. Note that there is no clubhouse, as far as I could see. Once inside, you find yourself entering the ground behind one of the goals. There is a snack bar immediately to your right and a covered stand immediately to your left (complete with three random chairs. I love non-league grounds). Down the right-hand side of the pitch there is a covered seating area and the the dugouts, which are set back from the pitch creating one of the biggest technical areas I have ever seen.
A note about the pitch at Summerleaze Park. I tweeted when I arrived that it was the second Step 6 ground I had visited in three days and the second immaculate pitch I had seen. It has to be said that the pitch here looked to be close to perfect, as flat and smooth as a billiard table. A great credit to the ground staff at Holyport.

​The Background
Onto the reason that we were all in Berkshire on a Tuesday evening. The game in question was an FA Vase Round 1 Replay between the locals, Holyport FC, and Ivybridge Town, who had made the long trek from Devon. On Saturday the teams had fought out a 0-0 draw, even after extra-time.
Holyport, who play in the Hellenic League Division One East, were looking to equal their best ever FA Vase record, which was set in the 2010-11 season when they eventually went down 8-0 in a Second Round tie at Tunbridge Wells. In this years competition they had already seen off Step 5 Hellenic Premier side Ardley United, winning 4-1 away from home. They followed this with a 2-1 home defeat of Combined Counties Division One side, Fleet Spurs.
​
In the league it's fair to say that form has not been brilliant, with 7 points from 6 games played. Although they can boast an unbeaten home record, with a win and a draw in their two games so far.
Holyport do have a recent FA Vase winner in their ranks though. Not a player but their physio, Natalie Stearn, who was with Thatcham Town when they won the trophy last season. On the down side, they were coming into the game without top scorer Jon Feaver (7 in 10 games) who had aggravated a hamstring injury on Saturday.

Ivybridge Town came into the game hoping to improve on their best FA Vase campaign. Last season they had gone out of the competition at this stage, losing 4-3 at Fareham Town.
​This season they came in at the Second Qualifying Round stage and saw off fellow Devon side Collumpton Rangers, winning 4-0 away from home. They did have the benefit of their top scorer, Sam Stevens (6 in 15) being available as well as fellow striker Kelvin Fyneboy (4 in 14).

As a side note and a little bit of trivia, Ivybridge is also the adopted home of my daughter's godfather. So, a little family connection there.

​The Game
By all accounts Saturday's encounter was quite a tight affair and, from the opening few minutes of the replay, it appeared that this too would be quite close and hard-fought. Ivybridge seemed to settle a little quicker than the home side and the majority of the first ten minutes was played in the top half of the pitch, closer to the goal that Holyport were defending. Having said that, there were no real goal-scoring opportunities. 
In fact, it took a mistake to break the deadlock. Just before the quarter-hour mark an Ivybridge attack looked to have been thwarted when a cross from the left was half-blocked by a defender. The ball looped up in the air towards the Holyport goal but, with no real challenge coming in, seemed to be a fairly simple take for Jake Quelch in the home goal. Unfortunately for the keeper and Holyport, the ball squirmed from his grasp, hit him and bounced over the line. It was a bad mistake from the stopper who had, I believe, dug out a great last gasp save on Saturday to earn the replay. 0-1 (Quelch, og).
Holyport responded to the goal by trying to up the pace a little bit and, to be fair, they did come into the game more although the majority was still being played in the centre of the pitch. An interesting personal battle between Holyport's Alfie Adams and Ivybridge's Scott Pocock was developing in midfield, with a few little off the ball pushes and niggles. However, it didn't turn into anything more, as you would expect in a clash between two sides with one of the best disciplinary records in their respective divisions.

Just on the half-hour mark, the game sprang into life. First of all, on 29 minutes, Holyport's Daniel Rapley found the ball at his feet in the box, but Ivy goalkeeper Kane Gregory was quick to spread himself and block the effort. Two minutes later a deep cross from the right found Rapley unmarked at the far post. His diving header looked like it was going in before Gregory flew across his goal and tipped the ball away for a corner. An excellent save from the keeper. The resulting corner also almost produced a goal but Holyport stabbed the ball just wide of the goal.
The game was really livening up now and, after 34 minutes, it was Ivybridge who launched an attack with Elliot Cunnigham unleashing a vicious drive from the edge of the box. Quelch brilliantly made up for his previous error with an acrobatic save.
Two minutes later Quelch was in the thick of it again, after a corner was floated in from the right, the initial Ivybridge header was cleared off the line before Quelch made  a good stop with his legs to prevent a second goal. Five minutes later the Holyport goalie was called into action again, this time tipping over a Bromhead header from a left-wing corner.

HT Holyport 0 Ivybridge Town 1. Despite his error for the goal, it is fair to say that Jake Quelch kept his team in it with a string of top saves. Not to be outdone, Ivybridge stopper Gregory also pulled off a brilliant save from Rapley. A relatively slow start to the game but a rousing end to the half.

​The second half started in a similar fashion to the end of the first, with Quelch making a superb one-handed save to deny a dipping Truelove volley.

At the other end, on 56 minutes, there was a big shout from the Holyport players for a penalty. The incident was at the opposite end of the ground from me and, with a crowd of players in between me and the ball, I didn't have a clear sight of the potential handball. The referee and assistant had clearer views and neither was moved. To be fair to Holyport, despite the initial call being vociferous, there was no crowding of the referee or complaining, they just got on with the game. Credit to them for that.

With Holyport trying to press for the illusive equaliser, just after the hour mark, Gregory had to be sharp at his near post to block a stinging  shot but, try as they might, Holyport could not seem to fashion that big opportunity that they needed.
With 12 minutes to go, Ivybridge scored the goal that probably sank Holyport and it was a cracker. A ball in from the right was expertly chested down by Sam Stevens and, although the striker had his back to goal, he swivelled quickly and showed why he is top scorer by lashing a volley past Quelch into the far corner.
A tremendous piece of skill and a clinical finish. 0-2.

Holyport tried desperately to respond but the feeling from myself and, I think, most of the assembled crowd, was that it was game over. In fact Ivybridge almost sewed it up on 85 minutes when they struck Quelch's bar with an effort from outside of the box. Two minutes after that, they did hammer in the final nail when Kelvin Fyneboy produced a deft finish to make it 0-3.

FT Holyport 0 Ivybridge Town 3. A scoreline reflective of the game. Holyport never really got going in the game after conceding the fairly early goal. I'm sure Ivybridge's fellow South West Peninsula Premier rivals, Saltash United, will be pleased that they have the relatively short trip to Devon to make rather than a 500 mile round trip to Berkshire.
It was great to see and hear a mutual respect between the clubs. I heard plenty of Holyport supporters saying how welcome they had been made in Devon and I see from Tweets that the welcome was reciprocal. That's great to see and great respect to both clubs for conducting themselves in the right way. A credit to their leagues. Best of luck to both for the rest of the season.

Holyport: Quelch, Ensby, Masters, Adams, Sharp, De Franco (c), Deverall, Akerman, Driffill, Evans, Rapley. Subs: Drake, Bradley, Lowther, ?, ?

Ivybridge Town: Gregory, Eseleghe, Lane, Cunningham, Bell, Bromhead (c), Pocock, Rowe, Fyneboy, Stevens, Truelove. Subs: Esson, Beza, Conway

Att: 92
Ground Number: 168
Entrance: £5.00
Programme: £1.00

Non-League Day 2018 just happened to coincide with Round One of the FA Vase. The only question was, which FA Vase game would I attend? There were so many to choose from but, eventually, I decided on a fairly short (75 mile) hop up the M1 to Barrow Upon Soar, for a clash between East Midland County Premier side Barrow Town and Northern Counties East Division One outfit, Dronfield Town.The last time that I headed up to North Leicestershire for a game I had a wasted journey when, after arriving, I discovered that the Quorn v Lye game had been called off. There was no such chance this afternoon, despite Storm Callum giving us some high winds, it was very mild for the time of year and no sign of rain.

​Both sides were doing quite well in their respective leagues. Barrow currently sitting in fourth spot with 21 points from their 10 league outings. They were also on a run of seven wins on the bounce in all competitions. In the previous round of the Vase they had seen off Dronfield's divisional rivals, Shirebrook Town by 4-1. In the past they have made it through to Round Two three times, the last time in 2005-06 when they went out to neighbours Quorn. They have not made it out of the Qualifying Rounds since.

Dronfield Town, in their current guise, have only been around for twenty years. In that time they have entered the FA Vase four times, reaching Round 1 on three occasions including last season when thy went down 7-0 at City of Liverpool. In the last round they created a little cup upset by seeing off United Counties Premier side Harborough Town, 3-1.
In the league they are currently in 8th spot with 19 points for 9 games and are unbeaten on the road.

Arriving at Riverside Park 30 minutes before kick-off I managed to find one of the last remaining parking spots and made my way through the single turnstile into the ground. The first thing that you notice, not just upon entering the ground, but even from turning off the main road up the short service road that leads to the car park, is that the ground and the surroundings are well kept, neat and very tidy. When you get into the ground this image is further enhanced. The fencing around the pitch is white and gleaming, there is no peeling paintwork. The walkway looks freshly swept and almost clean enough to eat your dinner off. Turning right from the turnstile you see the facilities block, set back a little from the pitch. This too is clean and very well presented and is fronted by a patio area, compete with picnic style benches and well manicured grass. The pitch itself resembles a bowling green and is obviously tended by a talented groundsman. I may sound like I am going a little over the top here but, believe me (and if you don't, go and visit yourself), this is one of the best kept grounds I have ever seen. It's a great credit to the club, the East Midland Counties League, and Step 6 football in general.

​Barrow Town advert over, time to take a look at what happened on that pristine playing surface.

I took up a position on the far side of the ground for the first half were  a hedge behind the standing area provided some protection from the gusts of wind. It was clear that playing conditions were going to be quite tricky. It was at this point that I first noticed the small group standing on the footbridge that runs behind one of the goals at Riverside Park. A great vantage point to watch the game, no doubt, but a bit exposed on such a windy day. 
It was also apparent from very early on that the sides were quite evenly matched. The opening salvos from both sides were pretty much restricted to the centre of the park, with both keepers being spectators for the first 10 minutes or so. The first chance of any great note fell to the home side on 12 minutes when right-wing cross was headed over the bar by striker James Parker.

​More midfield battling was followed ten minutes later by Barrow having a second opportunity. This time, after breaking up a Dronfield attack, they broke quickly down the left culminating in Ginvert getting on the end of the final pass before shooting just wide of Naylor's right-hand post. A few minutes later Barrow, who were definitely enjoying  period of some dominance, broke down the left again with Parker once more heading the cross narrowly over the bar.
Dronfield tried to hit back and, on the half-hour mark, they got their first effort on target when Chappell hit a shot from the edge of the box that failed to unduly worry Dillon.
More sparring follow but neither keeper was made to get his knees dirty.

HT Barrow Town 0 Dronfield Town 0. As the scoreline suggests there's not a lot between the sides. Barrow certainly had a short period where they were on top and probably feel they should be in front at the break. The gusty wind is not helping the game.

​The second period started with a bang. Barrow, almost from the restart, were presented with an opportunity by some very slack Dronfield defending. Ginvert side-stepped the keeper but couldn't beat the man on the line and the ball was hacked clear. It was a massive let-off for Dronfield but they responded within a minute with left winger Matty Ord shooting wide of Dillon's right-hand post.

Just before the hour mark Barrow were almost in again when Kirk was slipped in clear of the Dronfield defence. However, Naylor was off his line quickly to smother the chance.
Two minutes later the home side were made to regret their missed chances. Gibson played a lovely pass inside the full-back for Dan Wood to run onto. The striker calmly side-footed the ball past the advancing Dillon to make it 0-1.

The response from Barrow was to press forward in search of an equaliser which, without the agility of Naylor, they would have got just 5 minutes after going behind. The visiting keeper going full stretch to turn a goal-bound shot away.
Dronfield were dropping deeper and deeper. Relying heavily on the wind to carry long balls over the top for Gibson and Wood to run onto. The two did their best to keep the home side occupied but Barrow kept knocking on the door.
After 74 minutes they came within a whisker of getting back on level terms. The ball was pin-balling around the visitors six-yard area but no Barrow player could get a killer blow to it and, somehow, Dronfield managed to scramble it clear.
Even with four minutes of added time, growing urgency and frustration, the home side could not find an equaliser.

FT Barrow Town 0 Dronfield Town 1. A good game of football played in extremely difficult conditions. It was always going to be a tight encounter, and it turned out that way. Dan Wood's goal takes Dronfield into the Second Round for the first time in their history. Barrow will look to extend their unbeaten league run and make a push for promotion, starting with a trip to Borrowash who getting hammered 12-1 at Clifton All Whites while this game was happening.
Thanks to both sides for putting on a show even with the conditions and a special mention to the Dronfield contingent, of which their were quite a few, who made the trip down from  North Derbyshire.

Barrow Town: Dillon, Finnemore (c), Solomons, Wells, Hawker, Davies, Page, Marriott, Parker, Ginvert, Kirk. Subs: Sheehan, Law, Shaw, Skinner, Brown

Dronfield Town: Naylor, Bebbington, Hill (c), Gladwin, Mintoft, Fairweather, Chappell, Fereday, Gibson, Wood, Ord. Subs: Savage, Fereday, Flower, Siddons

Att: 114
Ground Number: 167
Entrance: £6.00
Programme: Included

There was plenty of match choices on offer for my Tuesday evening sojourn, especially with a couple of tasty looking FA Cup replays to choose from. However, I found myself looking to the Combined Counties League and a showdown between two of Division One's form teams, unbeaten Frimley Green in sixth and third-placed Sheerwater.
This would be the second time that I had seen Frimley Green play this season, having previously witnessed their 1-1 draw at Ash United in August, although it would be my first visit to their home ground. I had not seen Sheerwater play at all before.
Frimley Green play at The Frimley Green Recreation Ground, close to the Lakeside International Hotel famous for hosting World Professional Darts Championships. Aside from the main stadium, there are four other pitches, a kids play area and a couple of tennis courts as well as a decent sized car park adjacent to the football stadium. Access into the ground is through a single gate just off the car park. The ground itself is quite an unusual set-up, probably because of limited space within the perimeter fence. When you enter there is a small sheltered standing area directly in front. Next to this is the main building which houses changing facilities and clubhouse, which also incorporates the snack bar. To get to the other covered standing area you either have to pass along a narrow passage behind the clubhouse or, as most people seemed to do, walk through the bar and club to the far exit, which leads onto the covered terrace. Directly opposite this, on the far side of the ground, is a covered seating stand.

​As I said, one of the attractions of this game was the fact that these are two of the form sides in what is looking like a very competitive and exciting Combined Counties Division One this year. Sheerwater had lost just once in 10 league games and that was on the opening day against current league leaders, Farnham Town. Since then, in all competitions, their record was played 12, won 10, drawn 2. As impressive record but one that could, in the league at least, be bettered by Frimley Green. Aside from exiting both the 

FA Vase and FA Cup to Lymington and Binfield respectively, The Green had not lost at all in the league. So, a head to head between a team unbeaten at home and a team unbeaten away from home. Too good to miss.

Frimley Green were going into the game without top scorer Leo Medrado, who had the more important matter of welcoming his baby daughter into the world to attend to. Congratulations to him and his partner.

​The game started very much as expected. It was a fast pace with both sides looking to establish themselves early on and it was obvious from the first minute that this was going to be a tight encounter.
The first piece of real action came when Frimley's right-back, Ben Dearlove curled in a delightful cross which narrowly evaded everyone and went out for a goal-kick. It was a fantastic ball into the box which really deserved to have lead to something.

After that the game became a fast-paced, entertaining, end to end battle with chances at a premium. Both sides were fighting hard in midfield but neither could find that final ball to open up the opposing defence, with the consequence that neither keeper was stretched in the opening half hour.

That changed right on 30 minutes when, after being slightly more on the back foot, Sheerwater launched an attack down their left. The fleet footed Timmy Taylor slipped past his man and unleashed an effort which Dan Bone did well to get a fingertip to, pushing the ball against the post and out for a corner. Although nothing came directly from the dead-ball, Frimley failed to clear properly and ended up giving away a free-kick on the edge of the box. George Dore stepped up, trying his luck from 22 yards, but was also denied by the fingertips of Bone.
Two good saves from the home keeper but just before the half-time whistle he was just about outshone by his counterpart in the Sheers goal, Andy Rider. A great cross from the Frimley left was met by Calum Nimmo's firm header only for Rider to throw himself across the goal and push the effort away. A superb save.

HT Frimley Green 0 Sheerwater 0. Despite the lack of goals this was a very lively half of football. The home side just about shaded the first 30 minutes but then Sheerwater had their two good chances and maybe felt that they could have been in front. Having said that, without the excellent stop from Rider, Frimley would have gone in a goal up at the break. So overall, nothing between the sides.

​Frimley Green had tweeted their line-up before kick off but I hadn't been able to get a copy of the Sheers team. However, at half-time I managed to track down a Sheerwater official - I'm guessing this was Trevor Wenden (all round Mr Sheerwater judging by their website) - who kindly let me take a quick photo of their team sheet.

Six minutes into the second half Frimley Green made the breakthrough. Great work from Eddie McKinlay down the left and this time the final ball matched the build up play, a low, driven cross which was met by George Bowerman to make it 1-0. A Deserved goal for the Frimley striker who had worked very hard all game, leading the line really well and generally being a nuisance to the Sheerwater defence.

The pattern of the game then continued. Plenty of endeavour from both sides with Sheerwater now possibly having slightly more possession as they pressed for an equaliser. The tension was rising on both sides and there were a few tackles flying in but, thankfully, it never spilled over into anything more.

As with the last time that I saw Frimley Green, they were hit by a late equaliser. With two minutes of normal time remaining, Sheerwater won the ball back inside the Green half and attacked down the left. The ball was driven across goal with at least three Sheerwater players making strides to get on the end of it. The ball evaded a couple of players but sliding in at the far post was substitute Shane Rideout who got a boot on the ball and diverted it past Bone to level it. 1-1.
Sheerwater pressed for a winner in the last few minutes, earning a corner deep in added time but it came to nothing and the referee drew a very close encounter to a close.

FT Frimley Green 1 Sheerwater 1. I felt that this was a fair result on the balance of play. A really good game to watch as a neutral with both sides wanting to win the game. Frimley Green retain their unbeaten record and move up a place to fifth in the table. Sheerwater stay third. Thanks to both sides for a great game of football and best of luck for the rest of the season. I think this division is going to be quite tight. A number of teams have title winning credentials, but I would put money on both of these sides being in the mix come next April.

Frimley Green: Bone, M. Ward, Horkan, Nimmo, J Ward (c), Hamer, Dearlove, Vasquez-Rosario, Bowerman, Vanterpool, McKinlay. Subs: Jermain, Daltry, Kemp, Primett, Rayhan

Sheerwater: Rider, Cheeseman, Scannella, Dore, Mills, Roisetter, Letch, Hegarty (c), Wilson, Machay, T. Taylor. Subs: Rothwell, L. Taylor, O'Connor, Rideout, Ruggles

Att: 90
Ground Number: 166
Entrance: £6.00
Programme: £1.00

Tuesday night saw me in very unfamiliar territory this week. A two day business meeting in Rochdale gave me the opportunity to honour a promise of getting to a 1874 Northwich game this season. After seeing the team play, and win, at Leighton Town in the FA Vase last January, a visit to the North West had been on my to do list. Unfortunately, Andy Oakes the Northwich programme editor, was also working away and couldn't get to the game. Don't you just hate it when work gets in the way of football?

So, after battling the M62 and M6 traffic for the second time in a day, I headed past Northwich and on to Winsford and, more specifically, the St Luke's Barton Stadium, home of Winsford United and, currently home of 1874 Northwich. There were a couple of firsts for me this evening. Not only was this a new stadium for me, it was also a new league. My first ever chance to catch a glimpse of the North West Counties League.

There is plenty of parking available adjacent to the ground. You enter through a turnstile which brings you into the stadium directly behind one of the goals. The first impression that you get of the ground is that it is a large oval bowl. Think Maracana without most of the stands. It also put me in mind of a speedway stadium. Both ends of the ground feature grass banks that form the ends of the oval and lead up to a hard-standing walkway. To the left of the car park entrance is a fairly large stand that features a covered seating area, the media centre, the club house and the cafe. To the right is a low covered standing area that runs for about two-thirds of the length of the pitch. My first thoughts were 'this is a real non-league ground'.

Although 1874 are tenants at the ground, they have certainly put in a lot of effort to make it feel like their home on match days. As you enter you first come across a gazebo in club green colours. This is where you can pick up a copy of the excellent 'Ever Glorious' match day programme. I know I have said this before but, seriously, you need to visit 1874 even if it is just to get a copy of the programme. Every edition is crafted superbly, full of information and articles. I can only guess at the amount of effort that goes into it. This evening's copy featured Ashton's Taffy Roberts on the cover. The Yellows Secretary sadly passing away last week. 
There are flags and banners on the fence as you enter, more to the right and even more to your left. Also to your left is the 1874 club shop, also green, which has plenty of club merchandise. Judging by the number of shirts, jackets and hats on show, it seems they do a decent trade in there too. So, it may not be in Northwich, or be a permanent home, but apart from the Winsford United signs on both stands, you wouldn't really know.

​So, tonight's fare. Northwich were coming into the game in eleventh spot with 12 points from 10 games played. Ashton were rock-bottom having played seven, lost six and drawn one. It had home win written all over it, but I had noticed on social media that Northwich were approaching the game with an air of caution and were certainly not under-estimating their opponents. Athletic have also showed some good form in cup competitions this season. Last season's league meetings had both gone the way of the home team. Ashton winning 2-1 at Brocstedes Park, whilst 1874 won the reverse fixture 2-0.

The game began with the home side kicking up the slight slope towards the car park end and  Tweet from Andy extolling the virtues of the local Birtwistle pies. 
I think it's fair to say that the game didn't exactly ignite. It rather coughed and spluttered. Northwich, to their credit, were always looking to play out from the back but, often as not, a pass would go astray and they would find themselves on the back foot defending against an Ashton side that were growing into the game.
Although neither team managed to create any real opportunities in the opening half hour, Ashton really did not look like a team that had failed to win a league game all season. They started the half sitting quite deep, although they had two up front. However, as they half progressed they started to look to push forward more and more and were certainly the more dangerous of the two.

One of the highlights from the early part of the game was Ashton's Luke Holden managing to stop a through ball with his head despite slipping and being on the floor at the time. 
Northwich did manage to get the ball into the Ashton net after 28 minutes. However the assistant's flag had gone up well before the ball was poked home.

With three minutes to go until half-time it was the away side who took the lead. A cross from the right was cleared by the Northwich defence but only as far as their opposite flank. The ball was fizzed back into the penalty area where Luke Holden managed to get a glancing header (from a standing position this time) on it, planting the ball past Coates and into the net. 0-1

HT 1874 Northwich 0 Ashton Athletic 1. On the overall balance of play, the away side were deservedly in front. Northwich, to a certain extent, had been the architects of their own downfall. Giving the ball away way too often allowing a team, who should have been very low on confidence, to grow into the game.

​I, and the majority of the assembled Northwich support, fully expected the home side to come out with all guns blazing in the second-half. Kicking down the slope and having been lacklustre in the first half, they had to be better in the second period.
To be fair, there did seem to be a renewed urgency about the home side in the opening few minutes of the second period, but they still weren't able to really worry Martin Pearson in the Athletic goal. Add to that the fact that a few refereeing decisions weren't going their way and the locals were increasingly becoming restless.
After about 10 minutes of the second half, I started to get the feeling that it just wasn't going to be a good night for Northwich. They were losing the midfield battle and Ashton looked pretty comfortable at the back.

The first time I saw 1874 play at Leighton Town I praised them for the way they managed the game. They spent quite a bit of that game on the back foot, but managed to stay in control of the game. This evening Ashton played that game with 1874. They seemed quite content and confident to concede possession and soak up the Northwich attacks. Backed by a small but vociferous following (good effort for a midweek game), they had the air of a team full of confidence. Extraordinary when you consider their league position.

On 70 minutes Ashton applied the killer blow and, as with the first goal, aerial power was the key. A deep corner from the Ashton left was headed back across the six yard box where big striker Marcus Cusani headed it past Coates. 0-2. Cusani had become the villain of the piece earlier in the game after a couple of dubious challenges, one of which had finally earned a yellow card. However, I have to say that he has lead the line well for Athletic, constantly bullying the Northwich defence even if once or twice he had been a little too exuberant.

At one goal down, Northwich must have been hopeful to get back into the game. Once they were two goals down, they looked to be a beaten team. Six minutes later the result was well and truly confirmed when Athletic conjured the best goal of the evening when Joshua Nicholson picked up the ball in midfield, weaved around half of the Northwich team before slotting the ball past Coates and into the net, despite the despairing attempted clearance from Paul Connor. 0-3

FT 1874 Northwich 0 Ashton Athletic 3. A first league win of the season for Athletic. Fully deserved on the night and, as the blog title says, maybe this was One For Taffy. Although Northwich did not play well, The Yellows looked much better than their league position suggested.
Good luck to both teams for the rest of the season. I thoroughly enjoyed my first taste of the North West Counties League. I'll be back for more soon, I hope. Not least because I never got to try the Birtwistle pie.

1874 Northwich: Coates, Tucker, Russell, Pritchard, Thomas, Clayton, Connor, Irlam, McGowan, Waite-Jackson, Kennerley. Subs: Riley, Gardner, Lever, Winthrop, Green

Att: 167
Ground Number: 165
Entrance: £6.00
Programme: £2.00

It was back to the FA Cup and a return visit to Loop Meadow for me on Tuesday evening. Half expecting to see local FA Cup guru @FACupFactFile at the game, I was then pleasantly surprised to finally meet another Oxfordshire football blogger, @OxonFootball. Our Twitter paths cross frequently, but we have not knowingly been at the same game before.

Loop Meadow is a fairly frequent destination for me and, as far as I could make out, nothing has changes since my last visit. The ground remains a firm favourite of mine. There is plenty of cover in case of inclement weather, you can get a decent cup of tea for a £1 and usually get to see a good game of football for a reasonable price. Add to that the proximity to home, less than 30 miles, it makes for a good evening out.

This midweek was all about the FA Cup. I could easily have made a trip to a new ground but the lure of the cup and, perhaps more specifically, the possibility of something of a giant-killing, was too much too ignore.

This, of course, was a replay after Didcot had come from a goal down at Top Field on Saturday. The Canaries have been struggling a little in the league this season, only one win so far, so you would expect confidence to be a little low. A trip to Oxfordshire for this replay was probably not top of their current agenda.

The opening 15 minutes were played at breakneck speed but there was vert little actual football being played. Neither team was stringing any passes together. We were seeing a good many aimless punts from both sides as both defences sought to clear their lines as quickly as possible, leaving no chance of a mistake. No-one was putting their foot on the ball or slowing the game down.

It was 17 minutes before we saw the first effort of target. When it did come, it was Didcot's centre-half Luke Carnell who got his head to a cross, looping his header towards goal where it was collected just under the bar by Michael Johnson in the Hitchin goal.
Two minutes later, Morgan Williams turned his defender this way and that out on the left flank, before crashing a shot wide. Didcot were definitely starting to get on top. Their next opportunity came when Seth Humphries burst into the box on 24 minutes. He possibly should have got a shot off but dallied a little and was closed down. The loose ball fell to Aaron Woodley, but his effort was well blocked by a Yellows defender.

We had to wait almost until the half-hour mark before Hitchin mustered a meaningful effort. Front-man Charlie Thake dragging a shot wide of Leigh Bedwell's left-hand post. A few minutes later Treymayne Charles tried his luck from way outside the box. His effort was on target but was comfortably taken by Bedwell.

HT Didcot Town 0 Hitchin Town 0. The Railwaymen were on top for most of the half but couldn't turn their possession into a goal. Hitchin need to find another gear if they intend to stay in this season's competition.

​It didn't take too long for The Canaries to signal their second-half intent. From the off they looked more up for the contest than in the entire first half. On 54 minutes Thake did well to hold off a challenge, turned sharply and rifled a fizzing drive just over from a very Narrow angle. It was Hitchin's turn to step up.

However, depsite having more of thr ball than in the first half, like their opponents in the first period, there was no end product from the away side. In fact it was Didcot who, on 75 minutes, produced the best effort. Humphries once more got free inside the box on the right hand side and unleashed a stinging shot which Johnson did well to stand up to, saving smartly at his near post.
This seemed to spark Hitchin back into life again. Six minutes later they were denied what, from my angle looked like a very clear penalty when Didcot's Cameron McNeil appeared to control the ball with his hand before clearing. The referee, to be fair, was completely unsighted. However, his asistant was looking right at the incident and insisted that a hand was not used.
Back down the other end Didcot got the ball into the Hitchin net but the other assistant had alreayd flagged for an offence before Learoyd's header crossed the line. No goal.

FT Didcot Town 0 Hitch Town 0. The second half was more Hitchin's but Didcot still managed a few decent chances.

Into Extra-time and on 92 minutes we were treated to the best move of the game when Didcot engineered an opportunity down their left. After a nice passing movement, the ball was fe d wide before being cut back across the box, but the on-rushing McNish could only blast his effort wide. A big chance for the home side.

Didcot then had Bedwell to thank as the stopper was called into action to parry an effort from Fraser, who had run from inside his own half. When the ball ran loose only a great saving tackle from a defender prevented Hitchin going 1-0 up.

ET - HT Didcot Town 0 Hitchin Town 0

Four minutes into the second period of extra-time, one of the Hitchin players threw himself to the floor in the Didcot penalty area. The Dicot defenders took exception to his antics and we had some pushing and shoving leading to a small outbreak of 'handbags at dawn'. However, it was soon under control and the Hitchin player got a yellow card for simulation.

The last real action of the extra-time period came when Fraser tried his luck from way, way out on the right. Was it a shot or was it a miscued cross? Whatever the case, the ball came back of Bradwell's bar, the keeper may have got a fingertip to it, before Thake hammered the rebound well over.

ET - FT Didcot Town 0 Hitchin Town 0. Penalty kicks required to separate the teams.

The penalty shoot-out turned into a real rollercoaster ride. Hitchin were to take the first penalty:

Bickerstaff hits the bar. 0-0
McNish scores for Didcot. 0-1
Webb for Hitchin. 1-1
Woodley for Didcot. Saved by Johnson. 1-1
Thake scores for Hitchin. 2-1
Johnson saves from Williams. 2-1
Galliford for Hitchin. 3-1
Barder has to score for Didcot. He does. 3-2
Fraser to in it for Hitchin but Bedwell saves. 3-2
Carnell for Didcot. Saved by Johnson.
Hitchin go through 3-2 on penalties

A somewhat harsh result for the underdogs but they really needed to score when they were on top in the first-half. Hitchin's central defensive pairing of captain Dan Webb and Lewis Farrell, in my opinion, were the difference in the end. They held the Yellows back-line togetehr throughotu a difficult first-half. This allowed them to go in still level at half-time, regroup and, just about, get through the tie. In Didcot's favour, although there is a step difference between the sides, this was certainly not apparent on the night.

​Didcot Town: Bedwell, Barder, McNeill, Hayden, Carnell, Learoyd(c), Gardner, McNish, A. Woodley, Humphries, Williams. Subs: Cattell, Thomas, M. Woodley, Isaac, Reid, Crowther

Hitchin Town: Johnson, Fraser, Anderson, Spring, Webb(c), Ferrell, Charles, Bickerstaff, Thake, Belgrove, Green. Subs: Forde, Millinson, Galliford, Talbot, Burns

Att: 151
Ground Number: Not a new ground
Entrance: £9.00
Programme: £2.00