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Smells Like Team Spirit

26/11/2014

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Picture
So, another Tuesday evening and another venture into the depths of Northamptonshire. After recent visits to Spencer, Chenecks and Cogenhoe, the A43 and A45 are beginning to be very familiar roads.
The move of Stourbridge FC into the NPL and out of my range for a midweek game, has, in some ways been a godsend. Although I now rarely get to see my team play, I have had the opportunity to explore new leagues and new teams. Last season was all about the Southern League but this year I have 'discovered' the United Counties League and what a discovery it has been. So far, this season, I have seen some really good football, played by competitive teams, talented individuals, and all for reasonable entrance fees at welcoming stadia. The UCL should be proud of it's product which, in my opinion, offers fantastic value for money. My only grouse would be that, Rushden & Diamonds aside, not enough people are witnessing these matches. They really don't know what they are missing.
Enough trumpet blowing for the UCL and on to Tuesday night's game. This was my first visit to Fernie Fields but the stadium is easy enough to find and, when you do arrive, you are left in no doubt that you have come to the correct place with Sileby Rangers FC emblazoned across the back of the main stand in large red letters. There is a reasonable sized parking area on the Talavera Way entrance, certainly for a standard league crowd, and I was able to park almost next to the single turnstile. This was a bonus because it was raining pretty heavily when I arrived. The entrance fee was, a standard, £6 plus £1 for the programme. One thing you may notice if attending a night game is that they don't turn the full floodlighting on until very close to kick-off time. This is quite unusual but, I suppose, makes perfect sense. It's not cheap to run those lights and every second counts. It was, however, very unusual to see the officials out warming up in the dark. The players, I believe, have a warm-up area on the other side the stadium boundary where there appeared to be some lighting.
The stadium itself has covered areas all along the car park side of the ground. In the centre there is a seating area with covered standing on either side. The rest of the ground is surrounded by hard standing and the dug outs are opposite the main stand. Behind the right-hand goal, as you enter the ground, is the clubhouse, tea bar and toilet block. The far side, behind the dugouts, and the left hand goal are backed by quite large hedgerows. The playing surface, once the floodlights had come on, looked in very good condition and almost perfectly flat. Ideal for the passing game which, as will become apparent, was just as well.
Sileby were coming into the game having taken only 4 points from the last 7 league games. Nirvana, in contrast, had taken 13 points in the same number of games and had only narrowly lost, 2-1, to Northern Premier side Barwell in the Westerby Cup.
It became apparent very early in the game that this was not going to be as one-sided as current form suggested. Both sides got into their strides very quickly and proceeded to knock the ball around well, creating chances at both ends within the first 5 minutes. The willingness of both teams to play a passing game was very noticeable and the playing surface was certainly aiding the style of play.
It was the home side who eventually made the breakthrough. A run down the right flank was pulled back for Jake Gillingwater to fire in from 12 yards out. A very accomplished finish to the move giving the Nirvana keeper no chance.
Three minutes later it was 2-0. This time, Simon King cut in from the right flank and hammered an unstoppable shot into the top right corner. So, despite edging possession, the away side found themselves two behind. However, they continued to play their passing game and, as the half progressed, they got closer and closer to pulling one back. Testament to the style of football played by both sides came on 35 minutes. The home keeper kicked the ball long, downfield, out of his hands. As I looked up to follow the ball it occurred to me that this was the first time that I had had to take my eyes away from pitch level.
With five minutes to go until half-time Nirvana got a goal back. Another run down their right side (a favourite tactic) and a far-post cross which was turned in by Matt Melbourne. No less than they deserved and the perfect set-up for the second half.

So at half-time, after a thoroughly entertaining 45 minutes the score was Sileby Rangers 2 Thurnby Nirvana 1.

It was at this point, during the half time kick around by the subs, that I noticed a David Luiz lookalike warming up on the Nirvana side. I was informed by their official twitter feed that this was, none other, than joint divisional leading scorer Liam Canavan (not sure about any relationship to the Glassboy Drew), rather than a loan signing from PSG.
The second half continued where the first half left off. Nice passing sequences fromm both teams and chances created at either end of the pitch. On the hour mark, though, the home side restored their two goal advantage when a though ball beat the offside trap, allowing Jake Gillngwater to run on and finish tidily for his second and Sileby's third.
Even at 3-1 there was never a feeling that this game was over. Canavan was duly introduced to the fray and Thurnby started to pick up the pace of the game. No heads went down. The passing game continued and bit by bit they started to dominate the game. Don't get me wrong, Sileby were still dangerous when they had the ball but they were starting to see less of it than they had done previously.
It was the aforementioned Canavan who started the comeback for Nirvana. Losing his marker in the box he took the ball around the keeper and slotted home to make it 3-2. A couple of minutes later and the away side had a penalty. No complaints from Sileby about the decision. Ash Day put the spot kick away and we were all square again.
Despite being in front for the majority of the game, or maybe because of it and now being pegged back, the equaliser seemed to knock the stuffing out of Sileby somewhat. All of the urgency was coming from the away team whereas the home side looked like they would settle for a point at this stage. It was not to be. With two minutes remaining a jinking run down the left was followed by a tempting cross along the six-yard line and the onrushing Jouel Potter smashed it in off the underside of the bar. The comeback was complete and Nirvana were in front for the first time in the game.
They played out the last couple of minutes without any incident and the match finished Sileby Rangers 3 Thurnby Nirvana 4. A superb advert for the game at this level.
Although I thought that Thurnby deserved the win in the end, some sympathy had to go to Sileby who played the game as it should be played and certainly did not look like a team at the wrong end of the table. There was some real talent on display this evening and both teams should be commended on their style of play. Wonderful entertainment.

Sileby Rangers - @silebyrangers
Thurnby Nirvana - @thurnbyvirvana


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Cooks and Diamonds

20/11/2014

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Picture
Cogenhoe is a small village just outside Northampton, population 1,436 according to the 2011 census. On Tuesday night that population was boosted considerably by the travelling fans of AFC Rushden & Diamonds. When I say fans I actually mean owners because the club is completely owned by the supporters, having risen from the ashes of the defunct former football league team in 2011. Cogenhoe United, meanwhile, are also a relatively new team having been re-founded in 1967, around nine years after the demise of the original club.
It has to be said that Cogenhoe, the club and the village, is not really geared up for football crowds. The car park at the stadium is, I am sure, more than adequate for their average home attendance (somewhere in the 50-60 region I believe) but when a couple of hundred away fans turn up, it is soon full. As Brafield Road is, in effect, a small country lane leading through the village, the grass verges and any other potential parking spots soon get taken. The locals, certainly the ones that don't follow football, must find it a little annoying to have their village blocked by all of this traffic. I am sure that if the club progresses up the leagues then a parking solution would need to be found.
Having said all of that, I found a spot a little way down the road and walked back to the stadium in plenty of time to see the teams emerge.
Compton Park is what can only be described as a typical stadium at this level of the game. As you enter through the single turnstile the club house and changing block is immediately to your left. To your right, behind the car park end goal, is a small covered standing area. Down the left hand side of the pitch is the main covered seating area with the dugouts opposite this main stand. The rest of the stadium is surrounded by uncovered hard standing. The pitch itself, although not the most even that I have ever seen, looked to be in pretty good condition. One unusual feature of Compton Park is the camber on the far side of the ground. The grassed area slopes slightly from the touchline down to the hard-standing giving the impression that you are slightly below pitch level. This is not a bad thing and actually makes you feel closer to the action.
On to the game itself. It became apparent quite early on that no quarter was going to be given by either team in this contest. Heavy, but not necessarily unfair, challenges were the order of the day from the first minute. Clear cut chances were at a premium throughout the first half with both sides marshalling their defences well. Cogenhoe, it has to be said, looked slightly the more dangerous as, judging by the comments from Diamonds fans, the away side struggled to find their best form. Nevertheless, the first half ended goalless and it was plain to see why these two were both at the top end of the table. Neither looked like they were easy teams to beat.
What the game was calling out for, in my eyes, was someone in midfield to slow it down, look for the runs and play that killer pass. Easier said than done with the closing down that both sides were employing in the idle of the park.
Just 4 minutes into the second half I was proved entirely wrong. Instead of a piece of midfield genius leading to a goal it was in fact a hurried clearance. A Diamonds attack was broken up in the Cogenhoe half and the ball smashed upfield. For once the ball cleared the away defensive line and fell perfectly for Luke Emery to run onto. The Cooks forward calmly stroked the ball past the advancing keeper to give the home side the lead.
This setback sparked some life into Diamonds and they visibly picked up the tempo in search of an equaliser. Cogenhoe continued to defend staunchly, throwing themselves into challenges and blocking shots.
When it did come the equaliser was worth waiting for. Elliott Lamb-Johnson, whose direct running had caused problems for Cogenhoe throughout the game, picked the ball up near the halfway line and ran at the heart of the Cooks defence. As they, for once, backed off he took aim from 25 yards and unleashed a shot that flew past Urqhart in the home goal.
At 1-1 both teams seemed to take a little breather, maybe happy with a point apiece. However, after a couple of substitutions each, both sides started to look for a winner.  With around 10 minutes remaining, the home side were reduced to ten when Daniel Chilton received a second yellow for a cynical challenge. This, effectively, ended Cogenhoe's hopes of winning the game. Rushden pushed them back for the final 10 minutes of the match but a combination of strong defence, good goalkeeping and wayward finishing kept the scoreline level.
On the balance of play I felt that a draw was a fair result. If analysed by pundits on the TV I am sure they would have labelled this as 'not one for the purists'. However, I found it to be an intriguing contest between two fully committed sides who will both feature prominently at the top of this division come the end of the season.
Overall, this season, I have found the UCL to be a revelation. Good games of football, welcoming stadia and outstanding value for money. It's fast becoming my favourite league.

Cogenhoe United - @cogenhoeunited
AFC Rushden & Diamonds - @afcrd


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Chenecks to the rescue

12/11/2014

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PictureBilling Road
Another Tuesday night, another trek to one of the footballing outposts of central England. This week I had chosen the United Counties Division 1 promotion battle between Rothwell Corinthians and Northampton Spencer as my midweek game. Not only was I intending to attend the game but I had also featured it in the Six of the Best article for the week. So, imagine my disappointment when, after a journey of over an hour in the rain, I arrived in Rothwell to find the place in darkness. I was surprised because, although it had been raining most of the day, it was not torrential and I had fully expected to find the game on.  However, it was clear that nothing was happening in Rothwell and, with only 5 minutes until kick-off, there was a distinct possibility of no midweek game this week. Then I remembered that Northampton ON Chenecks were also at home and, as I had to pass Northampton to get home myself, it was worth a look. A quick check of their location on my phone and I hurried off back towards Northampton.
It was around 8:15 as I pulled into the car park of Old Northamptonians Sports Club but I could clearly see that a match was in progress. I quickly found the entrance and paid my £4 fee. As I only had a tenner this caused some consternation and the man on the gate had to run into the rugby club to get some change. Unfortunately for him, as he disappeared around the corner the away side took the lead with a powerful header from Sam O'Neill. Perfect timing for me though.
Chenecks Billing Road ground is part of the rugby club and is completely open on two sides. The car park end, where I had entered the ground, has the club house and tea bar. On the Billing Road side of the ground there is a small covered seating area, the dugouts and what looks like an old Anderson shelter (I'm sure that it isn't).
The unusual name of the club, Chenecks, is apparently derived from the school house names of Northampton Grammar School. The club was founded to give the boys of the rugby playing Grammar School the opportunity to play football.
The rain wasn't too bad now, so I tool up a position on the sidelines to watch the remainder of the first half. The game was very evenly matched. Olney looked to be slightly the more organised, in my opinion, but the Chenecks forward line movement was causing a few problems for their defence. Two minutes before half-time the home side drew themselves level with a strike from Montel Dore and that is how it stayed until the whistle.
The second half began with the rain steadily falling. Again, there was little to choose between the sides. The front two for Chenecks were still causing problems but the away defence and goalkeeper always seemed to be there when it mattered. Olney were also fashioning chances of their own forcing the home side into a couple of last ditch tackles.
Just after the hour mark a right-wing dross was very nicely volleyed home by Ben Lewington to give Chenecks a 2-1 advantage. A few minutes later it really should have been 3-1 when first the away keeper made a great save and then, when the defence gave the ball away too easily, a shot was cleared off the line. Two great pieces of defending but both chances should really have been buried.
Chenecks were made to rue those misses when a lovely through ball saw Christian Smail go through one on one and finish sweetly to level the scores.
With 15 minutes remaining both sides were looking to find a winner but it was not to be. In all honesty, a draw was a fair result. There was so little to choose between the teams throughout the match that any winning goal would have been harsh on the other team.
It remains for me to say a big thank you to the ground staff at Chenecks for getting the game on. Without their work I would have had a fruitless two and a half hour round trip.

Northampton ON Chenecks - @onchenecksfc1
Olney Town - @olneytownfc

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Rain Doesn't De-rail Diddy

6/11/2014

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PictureA very damp Loop
This was my second visit to the Loop or The Draycott Engineering Loop Meadow Stadium, to give it it's full name. On my last trip, just over a year ago, I was surprised that the game survived because the rain was so heavy. This evening it was also raining, not quite as bad as last year, but raining nevertheless. The Loop is a relatively modern stadium. opened in 1999. There is ample parking, although this is shared with the leisure centre, within a short distance of the turnstiles. As it always rains when I go, this is a relief. I like The Loop as a stadium. Unlike many new, purpose-built, grounds it has managed to retain some character. My only gripe would be the lack of covered standing areas. When the weather is bad and you don't want to sit in the main stand, there are limited amounts of shelter. This is being rectified somewhat by the stand at the railway end. However, this is still under construction (as it was last year). As I said, for people wishing to remain seated, there are many options. The main stand holds around about 150 and there are also two small seating areas at the railway end, either side of the under-construction stand. The rest of the stadium is hard standing. The dugouts, of course, are on the opposite side of the stadium to the main stand.
This evening saw the visit of Bideford AFC of the Southern League Premier Division (one Division above the home side) in an FA Trophy replay. Didcot had managed to come from 3-1 down in Devon to force a draw and were obviously looking for something of a cup shock. Having said that, Diddy are riding high in Division 1 whilst Bideford have not managed to match last season's results and remain in the bottom half of the Premier. So, there really isn't too many places separating the teams.
The kick-off was delayed 10 minutes due to traffic congestion. Oddly, I also saw that the game at Stourbridge was delayed due to the late arrival of Carlton to Amblecote and Kettering was delayed due to floodlight failure. It was one of those nights.
When we did get under way. the weather had improved slightly and I was able to take up a position on the sideline to get a good view of the action.
It became apparent very early on that there really wasn't much to choose between these two teams. The game was developing into a midfield battle. Neither side made any clear cut chances in the first 30 minutes but that didn't detract from the game. When a chance finally came it fell to Didcot but the final shot was tame and straight at the away keeper. As half-time approached I had Didcot ahead on points but overall it had been a fairly even encounter.
Initially, the second half was more of the same except it was even more difficult to separate the sides. Bideford had definitely stepped up a little but Didcot were still matching them. Then, on the hour mark, Didcot won the ball back in the Bideford half and strung together a quick-fire passing move which completely opened up the away defence for Jack Longford to put the Railwaymen in front. It was the best move of the game and deserved to be marked with a  goal. To their credit, Bideford's heads did not drop and they equalised within a minute when Graham Mercieca fired home.
This was beginning to look like the end of the normal time goal-scoring. Both sides made chances but extra-time was looming when a long clearance beat the Bideford back-line and Pablo Haysham ran on to finish clinically. With less than five minutes remaining, Bideford couldn't find another equaliser.
Dicot, on the balance of play, deserved their win. At no point in the game did they look like a team from a lower division than their opponents. They now look forward to a trip to fellow Division 1 (albeit Central) side Uxbridge.

Didcot Town - @didcottownfc
Bideford AFC - @bidefordafc

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