Is anyone not glad to see the back of 2020? It's been a hell of a year for everyone and a complete nightmare for many non-league football teams. To be honest, I am not too sure how many have survived. Here at BotP it has been a stop/start year. Work commitments meant that the early part of the year saw a lower than normal number of games and then the first lockdown came into play. Consequently, only 8 games were taken in before Lockdown 1. Since the Summer break 25 games have been covered, meaning that a much lower than average 33 games in total for the year. However, on the plus side, 31 of these 33 grounds have been new ones and the 250 grounds target was passed.
In a change from the normal end of year review I have chosen to do an A to Z of the year. Yes, some of them are a bit tenuous (it's harder than you might think), but here we go:

A is for Alton - Two days before Bonfire Night, BotP was at Anstey Park, home of Alton FC, to witness the Wessex Division One game against Ringwood Town. This was the 250th ground that I have visited to watch non-league football (note that I do not count any of the grounds I previously visited when watching the pro game). Read the match blog here (Look Left).

B is for Belarussian Premier League. Remember those heady days of Lockdown 1 when the only football available came to us love from places such as Borisov, Minsk and, of course, Slutsk? Belarussian football has never been, and probably will never be again, as popular.

C is for Covid-19 or Coronavirus. There could be no other subject for the letter C in this year. It is certainly something that none of us will ever forget (if it ever goes away, of course).

D is for Devon. Well, in particular Stoke Gabriel Football Club. At the time of writing the South West Peninsula East side have the league record of played 17, won 0, drawn 0, lost 17, for 5 against 201, points 0. Yet, despite their dismal record, and conceding double figures on 10 separate occasions, they are still in their fighting week in, week out. You have to respect that.

E is for Eight-Six. Yeah, clutching at straws a little with this one. Since lockdown 1 and the Summer break, 86 is the average number of miles (return) I have travelled to a non-league game. The longest being as round trip of 186 miles, the shortest (two games), a 2 mile return walk. Check out the season stats here.

F is for Fareham Town. The Creeksiders were the last team I managed to visit before Lockdown 1 in March. I couldn't have asked for a better way to shut down the season. Ten goals and the home side coming from 3 goals down with 20 minutes remaining to square it up 5-5 with a minute left. Many thanks to Fareham Town and visitors Baffins Milton Rovers for wonderful entertainment. Read the match blog here.

G is for Goats because C had to be for Covid and there is no way I can leave Caversham United out of an annual review. The Goats may not have played many games in 2020, only 5 league games since the Summer, but their relentless Twitter presence and their fund-raining for Balls to Cancer is a thing of legend. Long may they continue and let's hope we get to see a Caversham derby at some stage this season. Follow Caversham United  on Twitter - @CavershamUnited.

H is for Hallions. This is only the third season that Bicester Hallions have been in existence. Since formation in 2018 they have gained promotion from the Banbury & Lord Jersey League Division Two into the Premier League as well as winning The Jersey Cup and The Mid Oxon Cup. This season, their first in the Oxfordshire Senior League, they currently sit top of Division One having played 10 games, winning 9 and drawing 1 and only conceding 5 goals in the process. YHY. You can read the match blog from their October home victory over Eynsham here.

I is for innovative. Non-League clubs have had to use all sorts of methods to make their grounds safe for supporters to return. The vast majority of grounds I have visited have felt completely safe and, in all honesty, even the ones that did have a couple of problems these were caused by supporters rather than any kind of negligence by the club. One-way systems in clubhouses, limited numbers in queues and snack bars moved outdoors were just some of the measures I have seen. Two of the most innovative were the 2 meter markings on the pitch surrounds at Amesbury Town and the segregated viewing 'pens' at Corsham Town.

J is for jab. As I write this the Oxford vaccine has just been approved. Yesterday my parents got their first dose of the vaccine and my mother-in-law had hers a couple of weeks back. This appears to be the only way that we are ever going to get back to anything resembling normality, although we still have a long way to go.

K is for Key Workers. This year, more than any other year, we have been very reliant on key workers. BotP would like to say a massive thank you to anyone and everyone who has put themselves at risk to keep the country going. We would be lost without you all.

L is for Low Points. I am sure that no one can deny that they have had low points during the year. I know, from my experience, that I often wake very early and then get more anxious the longer I lie awake thinking of all that is wrong in the world. Don't be frightened to talk to people and, likewise, if you know someone who may be feeling low, check on them and/or give them a call.

M is for Miedema. Maybe a little controversial for a non-league football blog but, in my opinion the Arsenal striker is, pound for pound, the best striker in world football at the moment. I have started watching much more women's football this year and, although I tend to focus on the lower tiers, there's just no denying the scoring record of Arsenal's goal machine.

N is for Non-League Finals Day. Fast becoming one of my favourite days of the year. Last season, sadly, the day was cancelled. Rumour has it that there could be a bumper day in 2021 featuring 2 FA Vase and 2 FA Trophy Finals. Of course, this depends very much on what happens in the next few months. As I write this, from Tier 4, things are not looking to good.

O is for Oxfordshire Senior League. One advantage of having to stay closer to home at times in 2020 was the opportunity to take in more OSL games. With four teams within walking distance of my house and most other grounds less than a 30 minute drive away, the OSL is now my go to league when I can't travel.

P is for Pre-season Madness. This Summer, having missed out on football from March, I decided to take in a few pre-season friendlies and am I glad I did? One lovely August evening I headed over to Stadhampton to take in Stadhampton v Berinsfield Reserves which turned out to be one of the most remarkable games I have ever witnessed. It finished 8-4 to Staddie but what makes it such an amazing game is that it was only 1-0 at half-time. Read the match blog here.

Q is for Quarantine. A great score in Scrabble but not what you want to see pop up on your tracing app. Touching a large piece of wood, I have not had the message come through yet but, effectively, being in Tier 4 now I am in quarantine until further notice. With rates still climbing it is not looking as if there will be a lot of football watched by BotP for the remainder of the season. I hope I am wrong.

R is for Referee! Without doubt the most frequent word (well, non-swear word) used on a non-league football pitch these days. It feels like not a single tackle can take place without one, or both, benches and players screaming "referee!" at the man in the middle. 

S is for Stourbridge Ladies. The Glassgirls have been in incredible form for the last few seasons. Last season they wee denied the opportunity to go unbeaten by Covid. This season they started in the same vein throwing in an FA Cup run, which saw them go further than ever before, for added entertainment. If/when I can get to games again, the Glassgirls will be one of the first teams I go to see. Red the match blog from their brilliant 3-0 WFA Cup win over Crusaders here.

T is for Telescopic floodlights. This season Penn & Tylers Green finally got to move back home after years of wrangling about getting floodlights installed at their ground. The solution to the issue was to install telescopic floodlights at their French School Meadows ground. BotP took a look at the new edition in September (Stalemate).

U is for Ulsan. A port city in the South of Korea, just  short ferry ride from the Japanese coast. This is where I was working when the first news of a 'new' flu-like virus which was causing great concern in China. Little did I, or anyone else, realise at the time just what a effect this news would have on all of our lives.

V is for VAR. In my opinion, the final nail in the Premier League coffin. It's no secret that before BotP I was a season ticket holder at West Brom. I started to fall out of love with the top-level game during the first season after West Brom were promoted in the early 2000s. The last two season's, watching the way that VAR enables even more 'big' team bias, has left me realising that the decision to stay away from the Premier League was definitely the correct one.

W is for Women's football. As a coach of a girl's football team I have a personal interest in the women's game. In the coming year(s) I am really hoping to use the BotP platform to help promote women's football especially at the lower levels. In recent months I have set up the Women's Grassroots Football Centre,  subsection of the www.botp.co.uk. Unfortunately the pandemic has temporarily put a stop to the regular features that I hoped to have running by now but as soon as games re-commence, I intend to ramp up the coverage.

X is for XBox. If all else fails, at least we can play football online. Over the Summer I have been playing plenty of FIFA with my daughter, trying to use the game to get over some coaching points. Hopefully she will be learning about the game without even noticing. I wonder if I can start shouting control sequences to the girls during my under 11 games? "B", press "B"!!

Y is for YouTube teams. Even during lockdown many of the YouTube teams have still been uploading content, which is great for those of us who need a football fix. The original, and still my personal favourite, Palmers FC have returned with more regular footage. SE Dons do an incredible job both on and off the pitch. Under the Radar put out plenty of good quality videos, as do Kitchener FC over in Ipswich.

Z is for Zero chance of completing the season. It's not looking good at the moment. Many non-league season's have been put on hold and, with rates still rising is some areas, it is hard to see how they will be able to continue in the near future. There have been a number of suggestions, mini-tournaments, shortened fixture list, play the season over 2 years, all of which have Pros and Cons. However, until we have reached tipping point with the vaccine(s), it is hard to see any of the working.

Finally I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy & Healthy New Year. Let's hope that we can all get back to playing and watching as soon as possible.

​This Tuesday I had planned on a trip down towards the South Coast but, as my selected games at Romsey and Laverstock & Ford fell foul to the weather, I still had a very tasty looking Spartan South Midlands game up my sleeve. So it was that I headed down the A41 for a first visit to Colney Heath as they prepared to take on Newport Pagnell Town.

The Ground
Colney Heath is a village just to the South-East of St Albans and South West of Hatfield. The football club plays its home games at the Colney Heath Recreation Ground just off the village High Street, accessed via a long service road which, at the end closest to the ground also provides parking spaces for supporters. There is parking within the ground itself, but this is limited to players and officials. Access is via a single gate in the Southern corner of the ground. Directly in front as you enter is the clubhouse which incorporates the bar, snack bar and changing areas. Running along the front of the clubhouse, separated by a narrow walkway, there is a covered seating area. Just past the clubhouse are the dugouts. There are no further covered areas. The pitch slopes from the car park end downwards. However, depending on where you stand, the slope doesn't appear to be too bad. It looks worse from the higher end for some reason. One little quirk I noticed about Colney's ground is that the home dugout is substantially larger than the away one. Is this a little bit of Wimbledon style psyching out of the opposition?

​The Background
Last season, when the football season was prematurely cut short, Colney Heath were sitting proudly on top of the Spartan South Midlands Premier. Consequently, they began this season as one of the favourites to gain promotion. The season had begun well too. Prior to this Tuesday night game, Heath sat in third spot but only a point shy of the leaders Eynesbury Rovers and second placed Biggleswade United. With Rovers not playing a Heath win combined Biggleswade failing to beat Harpenden, would see The Magpies go top of the league again. However, first of all they had to overcome this evening's visitors from up the M1. Newport Pagnell were in fourth when last season ended, they played Heath once last season, a 1-1 draw at Willen Road. This season the Swans had had a reasonable start, sitting ninth but only six points adrift of Heath in third.

Many thanks to the Colney Heath committee member, scratchcard salesman, and stadium announcer who allowed me to take photos of the team sheets prior to the game.

​The Game
Kicking down the slope, it was the home side who quickly established some dominance in terms of possession. Strike pair, George Device and Jack Woods looked very lively but the Swans defence, marshalled by Adam Pryke was very well drilled and looked capable of dealing with everything being thrown at them.
It wasn't all Colney Heath though, Newport Pagnall did have some threat going forward, especially on the right hand side where Ogawale was seeing quite a lot of the ball. However, as with the visitors defence, the home back-line was also very capable of dealing with everything they were dealt. The consequence of this was that neither goalkeeper was unduly stretched in the opening 40 minutes of the game. However, both goalkeepers had some involvement in the opening goal. A long clearance from home stopper Connor Samson cleared the Swans backline but their keeper, Thomas Wyant, was quick off his line to clear the ball before George Devine could latch on to it. His clearance did not get too far and fell to Jack Woods on the right flank. He must have been tempted to go for goal with the keeper out of position but he cleverly squared for strike partner Devine who steadied himself and finished well past the keeper and a defender on the line. 1-0

HT Colney Heath 1 Newport Pagnell Town 0. Both defences had been dominating the game. Just the one slip-up from the away side and they find themselves a goal down at the break.
​

​Newport Pagnell clearly felt that they had the wherewithal to get themselves back in the game but it was, in fact, the home side who were first to show in the second half. Brett O'Connor must have thought he was going to score after good build-up play left him with a clear shot on goal from 12 yards with the goalkeeper out of position. However, he hadn't counted on the excellent covering of Town defender Christian Smail who made ground to head O'Connor's effort off the line.

That proved to be something of a turning point in the game. Newport Pagnell started to get the ball down and play more, forcing the home side back. Colney were forced into playing more and more long balls and, whilst Devine and Woods were willing runners, Pryke and his defensive mates were finding it relatively easy to repel their advances and start more waves of green attacks.

Unlike in the first half, some raids were starting to break through the Magpies defence and Sansom was called upon a few times to save the day but as the game approached the closing stages it was looking as if the home ide may just hang on.
That was until the 84th minute when Newport Pagnell won a free-kick just outside the right-hand edge of the penalty area. Up stepped Ben Shepherd to place a superb effort over the wall and into Sansom's top right corner. 1-1. A splendid strike and no more than The Swans deserved for their efforts.

FT Colney Heath 1 Newport Pagnell Town 1. In all honesty, a game short of finesse, but not lacking in effort from either side. Both defences were in control for the majority of the game and neither side seemed to be able to find the creativity to break them down. Shepherd's free-kick was the one moment of real quality in the game.

As for the blog title, yes I know Devine is not quite the correct spelling but, seriously, this close to Christmas the scorer's names were just too good to miss the opportunity. Everyone loves a tabloid style headline, don't they?

Colney Heath: Sansom, Knaggs, Clifton, Lovell, Boodhoo, Standan, Griffin, Clarke-Mardel(c), Woods, O'Connor, Devine. Subs: Jewell, Jessop, Mealing, Fitzgerald, Shepherd
Newport Pagnell Town: Wyant, Smith, Sage, Smail, Pryke, Shepherd, Ogawale, Ford, Burnside, Lyon(c), Stronge. Subs: Idiakhoa, Lynch, Wilett


Att: 77
Ground Number: 255
Entrance: £7.00
Programme: N/A

,After spending the morning coaching Bure Park's under 11 girl's team, I could not resist the opportunity to take in our club's senior Men's team as they made the very sort journey to Launton for an Oxfordshire Senior League derby. Whilst a lot of games in regional leagues can be classed as a derbies, this one really is close. As the crow flies it is only 2km from Bure Park's Pingle Field home in Bicester to Launton Sports football ground, on Bicester Road.

The Ground
Launton Sports play their home games at the Launton Sports & Social club on the North-Western edge of Launton village. There is a reasonable sized car park on site along with a large social club which looks out over the ground from behind one of the goals. There are no covered spectator areas around the playing area, just two dugouts on the far side. Unfortuately, due to the current restrictions, the bar area was closed to spectators. However, having been to a couple of functions at the club, I can vouch for it being a good facility, way above the level normally found at Step 7.

​The Background
In 2007 Launton joined the Hellenic League structure from the Oxfordshire Senior League. However, after four seasons a Step 6, never rising above 13th position, they dropped back into the Oxfordshire Senior League where they remain to this day.
At the start of this season Bure Park looked invincible. By mid-October their record read played 5, won 5, for 22, against 7. Since the 3-2 win at home to Garsington on October 17th, their record has read played 3, lost 3, for 3, against 13. Quite a change in fortunes. Launton, meanwhile, came into this game on a run of three unbeaten, winning two and drawing one of their last three, also quite a change in fortune since before their 5-2 defeat of Summertown on October 31st, they had not won since the opening day of the season.
This is very much a local derby with just over 2km, as the crow flies, separating Bure Park's Pingle Field ground from Launton's Sports & Social Club. 
​

​The Game
The away side made a very bright start to the game without really troubling the home keeper. However, as Launton settled, they began to look the more dangerous of the two teams. The first big chance of the game came on 11 minutes when Launton won a corner on the right. The ball was played towards the far post where their number 8 managed to swivel and get a shot off only to see if narrowly clear the Bure Park bar. A few minutes later Bure Park's stand-in goalkeeper Gareth Jones had to back-peddle to tip over an effort from the home number 2.
However, just before the half-hour mark, there was nothing Jones could do to prevent Launton taking the lead. The goal came from Bure Park losing possession in midfield, one incisive pass later and Josh Horn was sent clear and he made no mistake with a low, early strike into the far corner. 1-0
Three minutes later it was almost two as Horn cut inside from the right and fired a curling left-foot effort goalwards only to see Jones make a smart save to deflect the ball wide of his right-hand post.
On 36 minutes, with Bure Park seeking an equaliser, a ball was drifted diagonally into the Launton box. Both the Launton keeper and the Bure Park striker were fully focused on the ball resulting in a nasty looking collision. Both players went down but although the Bure Park player was fairly quickly back on his feet, we had quite a long delay as both Launton and Bure Park physios attended to the stricken keeper. He did manage to continue but still looked in some discomfort.

With Launton having to protect their keeper and take goal kicks for him, it looked as if Bure Park may have a way back into the game. Any good effort on target was going to be a problem for the keeper who was clearly not moving too well. However, sometime the best form of defence is attack and that's just what Launton did. With a minute of normal time remaining in the half a long ball saw Josh Horn once again in the clear. This time his speed got him to the ball before the advancing goalkeeper, he took the ball around him and slotted into an empty net. 2-0

HT Launton Sports 2 Bure Park 0. Bure Park looked very lively for the first 10 minutes but then struggled to gain any cohesion as Launton played their way into the game. 

​As soon as the half-time whistle blew, Launton's injured keeper removed his shirt and it was clear that he would not play in the second half. He was replaced by one of the Launton strikers who, having watched him warm up, did not look to be a stranger to playing in goal.

Bure Park improved somewhat in the second half in terms of possession. However, that may have been more down to Launton being happy to protect their lead than to Bure Park stepping up their pace. It just wasn't happening for Bure Park on the day. Their build up play was reasonably good but they lacked any real penetration up front. In fact it was Launton who came closest to increasing their tally. Horn again the on the end of an attack but this time, despite having the ball in the net, he was denied his hat-trick by the assistant's flag.

FT Launton Sports 2 Bure Park 0. Launton make it 10 points from the last 12 available, putting them just two points behind their local rivals. For Bure Park it is now four straight defeats and the heady heights of top spot seem a long time ago. In the last round of games before Christmas, Launton welcome Garsington who are just one place and one point below them. Bure Park face another local derby at home to bottom side Chesterton who have lost all eight of their games so far.

Launton Sports: Clark, Collins, Dineen, Douglas, Horn, Horton, Palmer, Savin(c), Vanderlowen, Walsh, B.Clark. Subs: Bailey, Bauer, L.Clark, Colquhoun, Spittle
Bure Park: G.Jones, Green, Hallam, Bosher, Lloyd, Collins, S.Jones, Blossom, Bateman(c), White, Hornett, Salvatore, Chappell. Subs: Green, Johnson, Lewis, Salvatore

Att: 
Ground Number: 254
Entrance: £0.00
Programme: N/A

​With a number of leagues choosing to restart next week, there were limited options for a Tuesday evening game this week. However, I was very pleased to notice that Pewsey Vale were at home and playing for the first time in six weeks. I've had this ground on my go-to list for a while now, so it was a perfect opportunity to take a trip, especially as a win, combined with Corsham Town Reserves beating Melksham Town Reserves, would see them go to the top of the league. It was also something of a local derby with visitors, Devizes Town Reserves, only having to travel just over 12 miles.

The Ground
Pewsey Vale play at The Recreation Ground just to the South-East of the village centre. The football ground is part of a larger sports complex which also Pewsey Tennis Club and Pewsey Vale Bowls Club. The football ground is accessed via a very narrow lane (Easterton Lane) which is very easy to miss if you haven't visited before. The football pitch has a small access road running behind the Easterton Lane end and partially down the Tennis Club side. There is parking on the grass alongside this access road as well as a small parking area next to the clubhouse. Speaking of which, the clubhouse and changing areas are newly renovated but, unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions the club was not open to the public this evening. There was NHS track & trace QR codes available as well as manual checks in operation.
Pewsey do not currently charge for entry. However, they do collect donations during the game to assist with running costs. With quite a decent crowd there for a very cold Tuesday evening, I certainly hope they collected enough to pay for the floodlight costs, and maybe a new bulb or two.

​The Background
Although these sides are geographically close they were not playing in the same division last season, so there is no recent history to look at between the teams. Pewsey Vale did play in the same division as Devizes Town's first team during the 1999-200 Western League Division One season. Devizes went on to win the league that season, going the entire season unbeaten. Pewsey finished in fourteenth spot. Now Pewsey play in the Wiltshire Senior League. After being placed in the Wessex League for 2019-20, they found the additional travel costs to be too much and resigned from the league in order to preserve the club. This season they made a good start to the campaign winning eight, drawing one and losing one of their opening ten games. The only defeat coming at mid-table Cricklade Town. They have already won 2-1 at leaders Melksham Town Reserves and a win this evening, combined with a Melksham defeat, would send them to the top of the table.
​

​The Game
The first thing I noticed upon arrival was that one of the floodlights was definitely a lot dimmer than the other three. However, the referee was satisfied that there was enough light to let the game go ahead, a view backed up by the Devizes players, who were just keen to play the game.

Looking at the league tables, I was expecting this to be quite a one-sided game. However, it was apparent after just a short while that Devizes were not here to make up the numbers. Maybe the fact that Devizes played on Saturday, even if it was a 5-1 defeat, meant that they had a little more natch sharpness? The opening encounters were very evenly balanced and, although neither side unduly threatened the goalkeepers, the away side were giving as good as they got. That being said, I think it is fair to say that Pewsey Vale edged it in terms of possession and definitely looked a little more dangerous when they attacked.

Teh first half and hour or so of the game seemed to go quite quickly even without a huge amount of goalmouth action. However, in the 38th minute, the deadlock was finally broken. Pewsey forced a corner on their right and when the ball was swung in it dropped nicely for Harry Horeau to react quickest, swivelling and smashing the ball into the roof of the next from six yards. 1-0. The goal seemed to give Vale the injection of belief they needed and the immediately started to pile on more pressure. Just before half-time they saw an effort hacked off the line for a corner. When that was swung in, another effort was again cleared off the line. Devizes must have been quite glad to hear the half-time whistle to put a stop to the head of steam that Vale had built up.

HT Pewsey Vale 1 Devizes Town Reserves 0. Overall Vale deserved to be in front but, considering the teams are at opposite ends of the table, it was a much closer contest than imagined.

​Both teams stayed out on the pitch at half-time (presumably enforced by Covid restrictions on the use of the changing facilities) and were ready to go way before the officials reappeared. I had moved over to the tennis club side of the pitch where the shadows caused by the faulty floodlight were more noticeable. Even so, there was no real problem and certainly no complaints from any of the players that I could hear. Still, t's an excuse to use a Stranglers track name as the blog title. Can't refuse that can I?

When they did kick-off it was Devizes who immediately went on the attack. After surviving the late onslaught in the first-half they clearly wanted to ensure that this did not continue after the restart. In fact, the second-half in general was a more entertaining affair than the first, with more shots on target and both goalkeepers having to earn their corn. If Pewsey thought going a goal up would help open the floodgates, they were wrong. Devizes were digging in and proving to be difficult opponents. This feeling was borne out by shouts from the home bench and players that they needed a second goal.

With 22 minutes remaining we were treated to the best move of the game and it led to the second goal for Vale. James Guthrie picked the ball up in midfield, played a neat one-two and then ran on to fire low past the Town keeper's right hand. 2-0

Vale had the second goal they though they needed to secure the game but Devizes ware by no means throwing in the towel. In fact they probably had two or three of their better chances after going two behind. They were indebted to their goalkeeper after 79 minutes however, when he spread himself bravely to block a point-blank range volley from Craig Simmons.

Both sides had late chances, the best of which fell to the home side but the ball was put over from just a few yards out by their number 11.

FT Pewsey Vale 2 Devizes Town Reserves 0. Vale were certainly made to work for their three points but still remain in second place after Melksham drew 2-2 at home to Corsham. Next up for Pewsey is another local derby as they make the short hop North to Marlborough Town. Devizes, who surely must take heart from their performance in this game,  make the longer trip down to Bath as they face Odd Down Reserves

Devizes Town Reserves: Anning, Enderby, Gee, Grant, Lawton, Pirie(c), Sloan, Swann, Taliss, Wildman, Rideout. Subs: Cassidy, Moffat, Webster, Dixon, Tandy

Att: 55
Ground Number: 253
Entrance: £0.00 - Donation
Programme: N/A

After a month away from football it was great to finally have the opportunity to get out and watch a game again. Not only that but this weekend saw the continuation of my favourite competition, the FA Vase. So, the only decision to make was to work out which game to attend. In the end it was a fairly straight-forward one. A visit to Hanworth Villa had been on my list for some time and with last season's semi-finalists Corinthian the visitors, it was a bit of a no-brainer. So, after watching our club's under 11 boy's clock up a 2-1 win, I headed off down the M40, destination Feltham.

The Ground
Hanworth play their home games at Rectory Meadow, known locally a The Ranch. The ground is situated adjacent to the A316, accessed via Park Road and quite a long service road that is easy to miss if you don't know where you are going. I didn't see any signs at the end of the service road pointing to the football club, but maybe I missed them? There is ample parking next to the ground but watch out for the potholes near the entrance. They are big and deep (and full of water on this occasion). The entrance to the ground is via a single turnstile just off the car park although, due to the current restrictions, there was also a Covid check-in station before the turnstile where everyone had their temperature taken and were give a small sticker to signify that they had been checked. There was also QR scanning or manual detail logging available. Nice friendly guys doing the checking too. A warm welcome for a first time visitor.

​The Background
Both of these sides have started the league season very well. Unbeaten Hanworth currently sit fourth in the Combined Counties Premier, six points adrift of Sutton Common Rovers but with two games in hand on the leaders. The Southern Counties East Premier looks even rosier for Corinthian who are second only on goal difference to Chatham Town with both sides having played the same number of games.
In the FA Vase Hanworth have made the Fourth Round twice in their 44 year history. In the 2012-13 campaign they eventually went out 3-2 at Walsall Wood. The following season saw them crash out 7-2 at home to Eastbourne United. Last season they failed to make it out of the qualifying rounds, going down 5-1 to Broadfields United. To get to this stage they have disposed of Rayners Lane (a) 4-2, Deportivo Galicia 4-0 at home and, probably most impressively, hammered Corinthian's league mates Welling Town 6-1 in Round One. Corinthian made it all the way to the Semi-Final least season, eventually going out on penalties to Hebburn Town after a 2-2 draw. This is their first game in the competition this season.

Prior to the game a minute's silence was observed in honour of former Villa manager Bobby Dawson who lost his battel with Leukaemia on the 21st November. Bobby led The Villains to the brink of the FA Cup First Round, when they were narrowly edged out 3-2 at AFC Totton in 2011. He was clearly well respected at the club and will be sorely missed.

​The Game
The first half was a fairly even contest. Initially Corinthian seemed to take the initiative but Hanworth worked their way into the game until possession was pretty much 50/50. Having said that, neither goalkeeper was stretched at any point. Both sides had shots off target but neither managed to sting the hands of the opposition number 1.

Hanworth did cause some issues to the Corinthian defence and from one such raid forced a corner. In the melee that followed the corner, Corinthian midfielder George Snelling picked up an injury, diagnosed by their physio as 'the same ankle he hurt before', presumably indicating an injury picked up in a previous game.
Initially it looked as if Snelling would not continue but he decided to play on. The significance of this showed a little while later when the same player went in late and a little over the top of the ball on Meshach Williams. My first thought was that he could well be walking for the challenge. I don't think there was any malice in it and maybe the after-effects of his injury caused the tackle to be mis-timed, but it didn't look good at all.
The tackle certainly raised the hackles of a Villa fan standing next to me and he launched into a verbal tirade that lasted throughout the referees consultation with his assistant and the treatment of Williams. It was very clearly audible to the players and officials. The more he ranted, the more I found myself hoping it was only a yellow and I do wonder if it had any influence on the fact that the referee did only book Snelling. Shortly after this Snelling's earlier injury forced him to leave the pitch anyway, much to the disgruntlement of the aforementioned fan.
Sometime later, after another tackle in midfield, there was a coming together between a Villa and a Corinthian player. The Hoops player appeared to push the Villa player over. Again, my first thought was a red card because, these days, raising your hands to an opponent is seen as a red card offence. Once again, the Villa fan next to me was apoplectic. Once again the referee, after consulting with his assistant again, gave a yellow. Now, I'm certainly not saying the the referee made his decision purely because of the hectoring from the Villa fan but I will say that I don't think the supporter did his team any favours.

In some ways it is a shame that I find myself talking about this incident rather than the entertaining and highly competitive match on show. Although, it has to be said that the supporter, although loud, did not swear at the referee at any point.

HT Hanworth Villa 0 Cornithian 0. The home side definitely created a few more chances than their visitors. Corinthian, in my opinion, can count themselves lucky to still have a full complement on the pitch. The Villa fan who was next to me really needs to calm down before he gives himself a heart attack. To be fair, we've all been there. I once got threatened with expulsion from Fratton Park after giving Graham Poll the benefit of my knowledge. Sometimes the moment gets the better of all of us and, fair play to the guy, he's clearly passionate about his team.

​The second half certainly started with a bang and, if The Hoops were lucky to have eleven on the pitch at half-time, their luck didn't hold out too long. Just a minute into the second period Meshach Williams was set loose with a lovely pass, Corinthian captian Jack Bath was forced to attempt a last ditch tackle but Williams just got to the ball first, a few inches outside the box. Bath sent Willims tumbling and being the last line of defence also prevented a clear goal-coring opportunity. He had to go. The referee, to give him his due, took a little time to think before pulling out the red card. The resulting free-kick came to nothing, but surely The Villains would now go on to dominate the game?
Well, no. Oddly, Corinthian seemed boosted by going down to ten and, although they were playing deeper, started to look dangerous on the break. Maybe losing a player worked to their favour in a way. They are a direct side anyway, s pulling players behind the ball and then trying to hit their opponent quickly can work effectively with a player fewer. It may also have meant that Hanworth relaxed a little, leaving that little extra space in behind for Corinthian to exploit. 
Just before the hour mark they forced a corner on their left. It was swung into the box and only half-cleared. The ball fell to Jack Mahoney on the edge of the box and his snap-shot beat Buss to give The Hoops the lead. 0-1.
If that was not enough of a warning for Villa, nine minutes later they were caught out again. A long ball downfield was aimed at Luke Tanner but seemed to be easy enough for the home defence to deal with. Unfortunately the defender (I couldn't see who) slipped at the most inopportune moment leaving Tanner to drill the ball past Buss to make it 0-2.​

​That's the way it stayed for the next 10 minutes and you could hear one or two fans starting to say that it just wasn't going to be Hanworth's day. However, that all changed in an incredible few minutes of play which got me thinking about the title for this match blog. It's very easy for match blogs to become the same every week, so I am always looking for an 'angle' as much for my own entertainment as anyone else's. The Siege of Corinth is a Byron poem written in 1816, it was inspired by the Ottoman massacre of the Venetian garrison at Acrocorinth in 1715. Now, the Hanworth siege of the Corinthian's goal didn't last as long as the Ottoman's siege, nor was it as bloody. However, for a few minutes in this cup tie, it was probably almost as intense. It was almost as if someone flicked the switch on the Villa attacking machine. After 77 minutes the home side were piling players forward into the Hoops penalty area and during something a scramble were awarded a penalty. As Byron would have described it:
The walls grew weak; and fast and hot
Against them pour'd the ceaseless shot,
With unabating fury sent,
From battery to battlement
Sam Merson stepped up and fired the home side back into contention. 1-2.

Two minutes later, amidst constant home pressure they won a corner on the Villa right. The ball was played into the box where Ben Merson rose highest to power his header past Prall for 2-2.
The clouds beneath him seem'd so dun
Their smoke assail'd his startled beak,
And made him higher soar and shriek --
Thus was Corinth lost and won!

The Hanworth faithful, including a full size cut out of Marilyn Monroe in Villa kit which I am told even goes to away games, were now in full voice in the covered standing area just a few yards from where I was standing for the second half. I have to say though, as a former West Brom season ticket holder, standing so close to a group of supporters singing the praises of 'Villa' did make me feel uncomfortable. Thank god Hanworth don't play in claret & blue. To give credit to Corinthian they did not crumble where a lot of teams probably would have done. In fact, they pulled themselves together and even managed to muster a couple of attacks themselves before the referee blew for an end to proceedings and we were heading straight to a penalty shootout.

The first five penalties from both teams gave the goalkeepers no chance whatsoever. Then Hanworth made it 6-5 before Buss in the Villa goal made himself the hero by saving the sixth Corinthian effort low to his right (at least I think he saved it. I know it didn't go in but I didn't see if it was saved, hit the post or went wide). Whatever happened, Hanworth progressed.

FT Hanworth Villa 2 Corinthian 2. (Hanworth win 6-5 on penalties). From a neutral's perspective this was a very good game to watch. Two evenly matched sides with contrasting styles of play. It felt good to be back out watching games, even if it was a bit on the chilly side and it's not often you get the chance to quote Byron in a non-league football blog. Good luck to both sides for the rest of the season. Let's just hope we get to see it completed.

Hanworth Villa: Buss, Ansah-Palmer, Akono-Bilongo, Kamara, Tanner, Thoroughgood(c), Barzey, Simpson, S.Merson, Walker, Williams. Subs: Taylor, Dack, B.Merson, Jjie, Wiredu

Corinthian: Prall, Holland, Trueman, Snelling, Billings, Bath(c), Oloyede, Mahoney, Tanner, Housego, Morgan. Subs: Tobon, Dembele, O'Neill, Sawyer, Stirman, Miller, Clarke

Att: 
Ground Number: 252
Entrance: £7.00
Programme: £1.50

​In a football equivalent of panic-buying in preparation for Lockdown 2, I set out on Wednesday evening for my third game in four days. Keeping relatively close to home for this one, I was heading North to Warwickshire and the Hellenic Division Two North clash between Southam United and Thame United Reserves. It's great to see Southam playing senior football again. The first team folded in 2017 after finishing bottom of the Midland League Division One. They reformed last season, joining the Hellenic League in Division Two. Not only that, but during this period they have also moved grounds, not very far admittedly, but a new ground for me nevertheless. I visited the old Banbury Road ground on two occasions. In fact it as one of the very early BotP hops, in October 2013 when Southam entertained Studley in the old Midland Combination. The second visit was in January 2017 when Littleton were the visitors. On both occasions Southam lost the game without scoring, conceding three to Studley and four to Littleton. Probably just as well that I didn't tweet that fact before I left the house, they may not have let me in.
Just for a change, this blog is featuring monochrome photos for no other reason than that I quite liked them.

​The Ground
Southam's new ground is literally a long goal-kick away from their old Banbury Road home. The new facility includes a large two story building which incorporates the clubhouse, snack bar and changing facilities as well as ample car parking facilities. The club wants to use the new stadium as a focal point to create a very much community focused facility, developing football from junior to senior levels. I also noticed a Wildcats poster at the ground. As a girl's football coach myself, this is great to see. The more clubs do to promote the girl's game, the better in my eyes. The new stadium will be known as Bobby Hancocks Park in memory of the club's most prolific player and servant. Mr Hancocks, or Mr Southam as he is fondly known, served the club for over 50 years in pretty much every capacity you could think if. He is the club's record appearance holder and the club's record scorer. The exact number of goals he scored is not recorded but it is acknowledged that the total is well above 1,000. He also once scored 85 in a season. An incredible servant to Southam United and non-league football. Sadly Mr Hancocks passed away in 2017 but his name will live on at the new ground.
As I have seen at every ground I have been to since the resumption of play, Covid measures were in place. Track & trace was either manual or through the app and QR code. There was hand sanitiser available and signs on the toilets to ensure only one person entered at any time.
Entrance to the ground was via a gate at the rear of the clubhouse. Southam do not currently charge for entry but they did have a donation box set up at the track & trace station. It was good to see a decent sized crowd and what appeared to be a fairly sizeable donation in the pot.

​The Background
Both sides were coming into the game on the back of good starts to the season. Thame were sitting in second place, two points behind leaders Heyford Athletic but having played a game more. Southam were a number of places lower in the table but, after only playing two games, were boasting a 100% record after recording 4-3 wins in both of their opening games. Clearly the team were continuing from their form prior to last season's untimely end when they headed the table and had won 16 of their 17 league games before Lockdown 1.
​

​The Game
The game started off at a frantic pace with both sides seemingly anxious to make their mark on the match and we didn't have to wait too long for the opening goal. It was the visitors who took the initiative when Dan West controlled the ball, turned sharply and rifled an effort past Edward Cox in the Southam goal. 0-1.
The goal served to increase the confidence of Thame and with Southam struggling to get a grip on the game, the home side were thankful to their keeper on a couple of occasions with one flying save, in particular, drawing applause from the local support.
At the other end debutant Thame keeper George Collingwood did not have many saves to make, although he was very sharply off his line to block the home side's best chance of the half when Steele threatened.
It was Collingwood's long kicks that were launching a number of the visitors' attacks too. Each time he kicked the ball out of his hands he was getting very close to the edge of his box, so much so that a group of home supporters, who had already had some light-hearted banter with the keeper, told the referee to keep an eye on him. The referee duly obliged but, to be fair, he was still easily reaching well inside the Southam half with his kicks even without the extra step outside the box.

HT Southam United 0 Thame United Reserves 1. Thame the more fluent of the two sides. Southam struggled to get any rhythm in their game.

​We weren't too far into the second half when Southam's stopper Cox was getting pats on the back for, once gain, keeping his side in the game, this time flying to his left to push a stinging effort wide for a corner.
Southam were still struggling to get into the game. Way too many passes were missing their target and Collingwood wasn't having to do too much at all. Although he did have to turn one long range effort over the bar. It was a decent enough save but definitely one for the cameras.

Just when it was beginning to look as if the early Thame goal was going to be enough to win it, Southam snatched an equaliser out of the blue. A long ball up the middle seemed to be misjudged by the defender allowing Levi Steele to run onto it and calmly slot past Collingwood. 1-1. Within a minute of the restart Thame almost it straight back when Davis intercepted a Southam pass, looked up and tried his luck from near on the halfway line. Cox was beaten but the audacious effort just cleared the bar. It would have been a wonderful goal, Beckhamesque was the word I used on Twitter.

The equaliser certainly stirred Southam and, as we approached the final minutes, and for a while they did start to offer quite a bit more than they had earlier in the game. Unfortunately, after Brandon Hallmark was sin binned for, I think comments made to the referee, they had to hang on for the final few minutes. Even so, neither side could find a winner before the referee blew for the end of the game.

FT Southam United 1 Thame United Reserves 1. A good point for both teams in the end. Thame will no doubt feel they should have won the game, especially as the home keeper was undoubtedly man of the match. Overall though, they were two fairly evenly matched sides, both of which will be closer to the top than the bottom of the table come May, in my opinion.
​
Southam United: Cox, Lenihan, Tennent, Harris, Hallmark, Locklin, Ethan Champkins, Ellis Champkins, Steele, S.Barby, Okolo. Subs: Long, Otunji, Trinoi, Hartwell, Knights, R.Barby

Thame United Reserves: Collingwood, Hurley, Russeu, M.West, Johnston, Sturgess, Lynch, Davis, D.West, Pykett, Casey

Att: 60
Ground Number: 251
Entrance: Donation
Programme: N/A

​Where to go for my 250th new ground. That was the main question on my mind this week. Well, apart from what am I going to do for the next month? and why did I spend so much time researching possible games in November? I had really been looking forward to the Dudley derby next week and doing a whole piece on my home town. Oh well, I'll just file the notes and wait for the re-schedule.
Time to get in some live football before Lockdown 2 takes effect. With that in mind, I headed South on the A34, destination Alton Hampshire, former home of Jane Austen and current home of Wessex Division One side, Alton FC who were scheduled to take on Ringwood Town in a league game.

The Ground
This was my first visit to Anstey Park which has been the home of Alton, originally as Alton Town, since 2015. The ground was refurbished when they moved in, including the laying of an artificial surface, and then again in 2017 when a new stand was opened. It is situated on the North-Eastern edge of the town, adjacent to the rugby club. There is a large car park right outside the main entrance to the ground, so barring a very large attendance, here should not be any need for a long walk. Entrance is through a single turnstile which leads in between the clubhouse and the main stand. Directly opposite this is a covered and raised standing area which straddles the halfway line and covers approximately a third of the length of the pitch. There is also a piece of uncovered terracing on the far side of the ground which looks to be much older than the stands or the pitch, presumably a leftover piece of history? Generally, I tend to find new or refurbished stadiums a little sterile at times. However, the club has added club badges, flags and banners around the enclosure which add to the atmosphere of Anstey Park. A good touch which gives the place a little more character.

The Background
The sides came into the game on very differing runs of form. Alton, sitting in third spot, had won their lats three in the league and were unbeaten since a 5-1 defeat at Laverstock & Ford back in September. Ringwood were in 14th spot on the back of 4 consecutive league defeats in which they had conceded 18 goals. They had, however, managed a 5-1 win at Romsey in the FA Vase in the middle of this run. Last season they only met twice, a 3-0 away for Alton. In the last full season honours were shared with Ringwood winning 3-2 at home and Alton winning this corresponding fixture 2-0 with two goals inside the first 22 minutes.
​

​The Game
As you would expect given the relative form and league positions, it was the home side who settled into their rhythm first and it didn't take them too long to convert that into a goal. On 8 minutes Liam Knight, who would be a constant threat all night, used his pace and skill to breeze past his marker on the left. His low, hard, driven cross was met by George Bowerman and it was 1-0 to Alton.
Alton continued to be the better side in terms of possession but despite the early goal the expected onslaught never materialised. Their build up play was neat, tidy and sharp but they didn't manage to seriously test Liam Harris in the Ringwood goal.
Then on 34 minutes, as often happens in games like this, completely out of the blue, Ringwood grabbed an equaliser. It was a bustling run from midfield that set the goal up. Greene did well to block the initial effort but Shaun Prentice was on hand to snap up the rebound. 1-1

HT Alton 1 Ringwood Town 1. Alton were well in control of the game without really threatening to run riot. Then, out of the blue, Ringwood levelled it up. After the equaliser the game was very open and end to end stuff.

​Now here's a sight that you don't see often at a Step 6 game in Hampshire. As I was sipping my half-time cup of tea I happened to notice a man walk past wearing a Dunfermline Athletic beanie. I was disappointed that I wasn't wearing my Albion Rovers scarf.

The second half started in a very similar manner to the first. The only slight difference was that it took the home side a couple of extra minutes to score. This time it was  a corner from the left but. once again, it was George Bowerman who applied the final touch, getting in front of his marker to nod the ball home. 2-1
The response from Ringwood was pretty good this time. They were certainly posing more of a threat than they did in the first half. Sam Brown went on a couple of jinking runs but could not find an end product. They were finally undone when, once again, Liam Knight went on a run down the left. His cross was met by Bowerman who need little persuasion to complete his hat-trick. 3-2

All three Alton goals came from their left-hand side where Knight had proved a real handful to Ringwood's right-back Luke Carter. To be fair to the defender, despite it being apparent early on that Alton were using their left side as their out ball, he never really got the cover he needed from his team-mates.

Ringwood continued to plug away and did manage to get a very late consolation goal in the 90th minute through Adam Riley to make it 3-2, but it was all too little, too late.

FT Alton 3 Ringwood Town 2. The win leaves Alton in third spot but they have two games in hand on leaders Laverstock & Ford who are seven points better off.

Alton: Greene, Phillips, M.Graham, Dryden, Moore, O.Graham, Fowler, Black, Sanderson, Bowerman, Knight. Subs: Hunter, Covey, Wright, Benham, Hardcastle
Ringwood Town: Harris, Carter, Evans, C.Harrison, Horton, Osman(c), Taylor, F.Harrison, Hamm, Prentice, Brown. Subs: Cole, Petty, Porterfield, Williams, Riley

Att: 133
Ground Number: 250
Entrance: £5.00
Programme: £1.00

​With the announcement of lockdown 2 still ringing in my ears, I set out for the Midlands on Sunday with my daughter. We were going to visit Nana & Gramps (my parents), get some shopping in, and get a visit in before Tuesday's revelations. As always, my daughter was keen for me to leave her with her grandparents, presumably so that she could ensure they knew exactly what she wanted for Christmas. So, I decided to take the opportunity to nip down to Stourbridge and sample some Women's FA Cup action between Stourbridge Ladies and Crusaders Ladies, a team from the Bournville area of Birmingham. A little strange that I was going to watch a Third Qualifying Round game on the same day that Manchester City and Everton would be contesting last season's Final at an empty Wembley Stadium.

The Ground
I have been to the War Memorial Ground more times than I care to remember, but I was quite shocked to find that this was my first visit since Stourbridge's 0-0 draw with Witton Albion in the 2017-18 season. After a quick visit to the club shop to get a club mask for my Dad (and one for me), I followed the new one-way system around the back of the clubhouse into the ground. Not that much has changed since my last visit. The ground has been spruced up, as you would expect, but my main thought, as I made my way towards the Shed End, was just how much I like the ground and how much I had missed being there. Maybe a bit of nostalgia, given the current world circumstances, but it's close to half a century since I first watched Stourbridge play there and I certainly hope I'll be back there many more times yet.

​The Background
This game was a match-up between two clubs boating a 100% record this season. Crusaders, who play in the West Midlands Regional Women's Premier League one division above Stourbridge, had played two league games, beating Redditch United 3-0 at home and following up with a 3-2 defeat of City of Stoke in the Potteries. In the FA Cup they saw off Kidderminster Harriers 1-0 in the Preliminary Round, then defeated Stourbridge's league-mates Cookley Sports 4-0 before beating Oadby & Wigston 3-2 in Leicestershire. 
Stourbridge, three for three in the league with a goal difference of 25-0, started in the FA Cup with an 8-0 defeat of Port Vale, they then conceded the only goal of this season so far in defeating Wryley 8-1 at home. Following that they won 6-0 at Knowle and 5-0 at Worcester City. 

​The Game
The game was well-contested from the first minute with both sides probing to find gaps in what looked to be two tight defensive units. Both right flanks seemed to be the focus with Carly Aldred for Stourbridge and Jessica Tsapparelli for Crusaders looking very lively. Despite this neither team managed to test the opposing goalkeepers early on.
That was until the 21st minute when Glassgirls captain Courtney Murphy decided to try her luck from outside the box. She struck her shot well but Crusaders keeper Justine Lewis was equal to it, tipping the ball over the bar. The respite was sort-lived however. From the resultant corner, taken by Amber Lawrence, Ruby Meeson was on hand to force the ball over the line. 1-0

Despite a mini rally from the away side after going behind, it was Stourbridge who continued to look the more menacing of the two sides. Lil-Beth Bown's willingness to make runs almost saw her set free and Carly Aldred's pace prompted by Amber Lawrence's passing was a constant threat. Not that the Glassgirls' defence could relax though. Crusaders continued to look a very capable side, with Tsapparelli and Kisty Spencer both testing Amie Summers in the home goal.
Five minutes before half-time Stourbridge once again broke down their right-flank through Aldred. She beat her defender and drove into the box before appearing to be felled by a clumsy looking challenge. From my vantage point it was as clear a penalty as you could wish to see. However, neither the assistant or referee, who both appeared to have good views, indicated a spot kick much to the amazement of Stourbridge players and supporters.

HT Stourbridge 1 Crusaders 0. The Glassgirls edged the half in terms of possession and chances, but were made to work very hard by a competitive and industrious Crusaders team who continued to look a threat throughout.
​

Crusaders looked even more fired up as the second half started and immediately had Stourbridge on the back foot. It was time for the Glassgirls to show why they had only conceded one goal in seven games. They did this admirably. The entire defensive line stood firm, supported well by a midfield that was being pushed deeper by the Crusaders onslaught. However, as the half progressed and Crusaders pushed more players forward looking for an equaliser, it left space for Stourbridge to use their pace in behind the visitors defence. Hollie Somers was brought on giving them width on both sides, with Aldred and the over-lapping runs of Thacker on the left and Somers on the right. Somers almost got on the scoresheet but once again Crusaders keeper Justine Lewis saved very well to deny her. Aldred also burst through only to be denied by Lewis who, it has to be said, was having a very good game. At the other end Lilley put an effort just over Preston's crossbar before Stourbridge hit their visitors twice to sew the game up.  First of all in the 86th minute substitute Alex Nicklin slipped a superb pass inside the left-back from Somers to run onto. Her low cross was controlled and finished superbly by Amber Lawrence for 2-0. Lawrence was then booked by the referee for celebrating too much. Crazy decision.
Then, with Crusaders still battling to get back into the game, Courtney Murphy lined up another long-range effort, giving Lewis no hope with a perfectly placed shot into the top corner. 3-0

FT Stourbridge 3 Crusaders 0. A superb result for The Glassgirls who progress into the First Round for the first time in their history. However, the final score line is harsh on Crusaders who were well in the game until the final few minutes. Two very good footballing teams who served up one of the most entertaining games I have seen this season. Stourbridge will now face an away trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers in Rouinds One.
Stourbridge: Preston, Thacker, Bate, Heaselgrave, Turvey, Lawrence, Moran, Bown, Murphy(c), Meeson, Aldred. Subs: Allen, Plimmer, Coleman, Nicklin, Somers

Att: 252
Ground Number: Re-Visit
Entrance: £4.00
Programme: £2.00

​No new ground for me this midweek. I was planning on a trip to Romsey Town v Petersfield Town but when that got called off due to waterlogging, the lure of a local derby less than 30 minutes drive away proved to be too much to resist. So the magical 250  figure will just have to wait a little longer.

The Ground
Stratford Fields has not changed much since my last visit, a very wet evening in November 2017 (180 - Athletic v Baldock Town). That evening we had no goals but there was a ten minute power failure. The biggest difference at the ground now is, of course, the Covid-19 rules. There were two ways to sign in, manually or via the NHS app as well as hand gel at the entrance to the ground. The perimeter of the ground was labelled all the way around in 2 metre intervals. Spectators were asked to select a block and ensure that there were no more than 6 in each area. This seemed to work very well, with more than enough space for everyone to get a good view of the game, even with a larger than average attendance. The clubhouse was also running a one-way system, masks mandatory, and arrows on the floor within the building. All in all, again, all possible precautions had been taken by the club. I have to say that, across the board, so far in my experience all clubs are handling the regulations and restrictions very well indeed.

​The Background
This game is still a local derby but, 10 years ago, it was even more local than it is today. In those days Milton Keynes Irish were still known as Buckingham Town and still played in the town at Ford Meadow. Nowadays, after three name changes and a period playing in Winslow, they have settled at Manor Fields in Bletchley, some 14 miles from Buckingham. The league positions of the two clubs was going to add to the occasion too. Irish started the evening in second spot, 3 points shy of leaders Shefford Town & Campion, level on points with third-placed Athletic who had played a game more than Irish.
Last season saw both games finish in 3-2 away wins. The game at Bletchley saw MK Robins, as they then were known, reduced to 9 players. The reverse fixture saw Athletic reduced to 10. In the previous season, the first after MK returned to Division One, there was again a 3-2 win for Athletic away from home with MK once again having a player sent off. The fixture at Stratford Fields finished 2-2 with yet another red for a Milton Keynes player. So, 19 goals and 5 red cards in the previous four games. With all that in mind, this one had 0-0 bore draw written all over it.

​The Game
The best thing to be said about the first half of this game is that there was no shortage of effort from either side. The game was punctuated by stoppages and fouls with neither side managing to get any real coherence into their play. Both sets of defences looked solid and well marshalled, with the result that we had to wait until the 41st minute until either goalkeeper was called into meaningful action, Buckingham's Nick Bennion saving well with his feet to stave off a low, hard drive from Keelan Shand.

HT Buckingham Athletic 0 Milton Keynes Irish 0. Not a lot to choose between the teams and very little goalmouth action at either end. Some invention and creativity from midfield could be the key and one goal looks like it may well win the game.

​The deadlock was broken very early in the second-half, the 49th minute to be exact, but it was not a piece of midfield genius or a defence-splitting through ball that did the trick. Instead, when a left-wing Irish corner was headed against Bennion's bar, it was the quick reactions of Mason Spence, heading the rebound into the net, that gave the away side the lead. 0-1

From the minute that they took the lead Irish also took control of the game. Athletic tried to get themselves back into it, but continually found themselves penned into their own half. Whilst Irish didn't pose any serious threats of extending their lead, they also never looked as if they would concede a goal. However, as the half wore on Athletic did start to progress up field a little more. In the 74th minute they came mightily close to an equaliser when a free-kick out on the right was met by the head of Jeremiah Adams. His effort struck the inside of the far post and ran across the goal-line before being hacked clear by Jack Clarkson. Claims of the ball crossing the line from the home side were soon waved away by the assistant.
Into the last 5 minutes, Irish had started to drop deeper in an effort to defend their lead. Buckingham tried to mount one last charge and, in fairness, came close again in the very last seconds of added time when Owen James fired wide.

FT Buckingham Athletic 0 Milton Keynes Irish 1. Not the most entertaining local derby I've ever seen. Great credit to MK Irish for the way in which they managed the game after going a goal ahead. Any potential backlash from the home side was very quickly extinguished as Irish controlled the play for the majority of the second period. The biggest surprise, given the game's history, is that we ended with all 22 players still on the pitch.

Buckingham Athletic: Bennion, Spencer, Ironmonger, Sare, Marsden, Tappin(c), Brazier, Menday, James, Adams, Faulkner. Subs: Mombele, Kalugin, Franklin, Mupfururirwa, Roggero

Milton Keyn Milton Keynes Irish es Irish: Kyeremeateng, Coyle, Shand, Smyth, Dumnett, Beaupierre, McDonald(c), Gardner, Clarkson, Uings, Spence. Subs: Shrieves, Coleman, Beecher, Scholte

Att: 131
Ground Number: Re-Visit
Entrance: £6.00
Programme: Included

​After not managing to get to a midweek fixture last week, it was good to be back out on the road this Tuesday. It was another trek down the A420 into Wiltshire for a new ground, Southbank, home of Corsham Town of the Western League Division One. They were scheduled to take on Oldland Abbotonians, a team that I visited just over a year ago (Go West).

The Ground
Corsham's ground, Southbank, is situated to the east of the town centre, on Lacock Road, and is next to the town's rugby club.  It is one of those grounds that you can drive right into, with a lot of parking available around the perimeter of the pitch (if you get a prime spot you could even watch the match from the comfort and warmth of your car. I didn't, of course). The consequences of this are that, if driving, you can pay your entrance fee, get your programme and sign the track & trace form without leaving your car. Facilities are all on the town side of the ground. The clubhouse, snack bar and changing facilities are all part of a building block that takes up one half length of the ground. Just to the side of this, straddling the halfway line, is the main (and currently only) stand which provides covered seating. There is also a small gantry next to the stand, which I presume could be used for media coverage (Corsham currently film their games), although with the threat of rain this evening I noticed that the videographer was set up in the main stand.
It is very clear that the club have taken Covid restrictions very seriously. On both sides of the ground there were areas set aside and cordoned off so that pods of six people can watch the game separately from other pods. The clubhouse had a a one-way system in place and there were frequent reminders over the tannoy about social distancing and groups of six. Excellent work by the club, all making for a very safe environment.
It's also worth mentioning the matchday programme, Southbank Review, which is a very professional looking, excellent read that puts many professional club's programmes to shame and is way above the standard of the average Step 6 club.

​The Background
​Coming into the game it was a case of all fives for Corsham. They had played five games, winning all five. This meant that they ere sitting in fifth position (due to other sides having played more games). even their goals scored and conceded columns reflected the number five, scored 20, conceded 5.
For Oldland the season had not started anywhere near as well. Having played a game more than Corsham, they were down in 17th position with just a single win, 2-1 at home to Bristol Telephones on the opening day, to their credit.
So, current season statistics were well in favour of the home side. However, taking a look back over the past five seasons shows a different story. Last season, as we know, was voided but in the previous eight meetings in the league Oldland have won five to Corsham's three. 

​The Game
The game started at a terrific pace, mainly driven by the home side who seemed very keen to make it six in six. For the first 20 minutes the game was played, pretty much, in the Oldland half of the pitch but, despite all of the pressure, the home side failed to take advantage.
As we got to the halfway point of the opening 45 minutes it seemed that Oldland had weathered the Corsham storm and were beginning to gain a toe-hold on the game. Either Corsham's tempo had dropped a little or Oldland had managed to raise their game. However, if they thought they had quietened the home side, Oldland were in for a rude awakening on 27 minutes. They conceded a free-kick outside the box and to the right of central from a Corsham perspective. Chris Allen stepped up and curled a beauty around the wall and into the top corner (well worth a look on the official highlights. I know that the camera was right behind the shot). 1-0.
Four minutes later Allen almost repeated his trick, this time from a more central position. However, he was matched by Ben Carter in the O's goal this time. The remainder of the half was very much the same pattern, Corsham pushing forward, Oldland holding firm at the back and looking to break when they could, although not really making too much of an impression on the home defence. Just before the half-time whistle went Carter was again called into action, pulling off a superb save to keep his side in the game.

HT Corsham Town 1 Oldland Abbotonians 0. Corsham have been well on top for the majority of the first half but will be wary of only being a goal to the good.

​Any hopes that Oldland may have had about getting themselves back on level terms all but evaporated within four minutes of the restart. On 48 minutes James Vincent, running from left to right across the box, took a ball in his stride and then hooked it back across the keeper into the far corner. Superb technique. 2-0. It then went from bad to worse for the visitors when, a minute after the goal, they were reduced to ten men when Liam Towler picked up a second yellow for a foul in the centre circle.
Strangely, going two goals down and losing a player seemed to stir Oldland into action. For a while they even had the home side on the back foot, finally posing some serious threat to Thomson's goal. Maybe Corsham had taken their foot off the pedal a little after the second goal, but the intensity certainly seemed to slip for a short period.
That was until Oldland, once again, hit the self-destruct button. Cash Vinall, chasing a through ball, lunged at the ball but only managed to completely take out Sam Thomson. It was a terrible looking challenger and the the referee wasted no time at all in pulling out the red card. Luckily Thomson was fairly soon back on his feet but it left Oldland down to nine men for the remaining half-hour or so.

Despite having the numerical and possessional advantage it still took Corsham a further 22 minutes to hammer the nail into the Oldland coffin. Once again it was a very good finish. Will Stead this time firing low into the keeper's left-hand corner. 3-0

Five minutes later, after a surging (or should I say Serging?) run from Oldland's left-back and Manchester City striker look-a-like, Harry Pruett, Corsham won the ball back and hit the tiring Abbotts on the break. The ball was fed to James Vincent who slotted home very neatly too make it 4-0.

FT Corsham Town 4 Oldland Abbotonians 0. The Quarrymen continue their 100% start to the season. In all fairness that record never looked to be under any threat in this game. Oldland showed, for a short spell, that they are probably better than their league record currently suggests. On Saturday Oldland travel to mid-table Wells City whilst Corsham welcome Almondsbury to Southbank. A final note about the attendance. A total of 142 for a midweek Step 6 game. Very impressive.


Corsham Town: S.Thomson, Cooper(c), B.Thomson, Allen, D.Shanley, Jones, Vincent, Rogers, Higdon, Stead, Powell. Subs: A.Shanley, Hopper, Chevolleau, King, Sharp

Oldland Abbotonians: Carter, Kendall, Pruett, Mills, Woodman, Boughton, Towler, Vinall, Fudgell, Dempsey(c), Taylor-Fox. Subs: Symonds, Newton, Nash, McCallum, Bebbington

Att: 142
Ground Number: 249
Entrance: £5.00
Programme: £1.00