I've lost count of the number of times that I have stated in this blog that I do not count myself as a ground-hopper. However, on Tuesday evening I think the ground-hopping urge finally over-ruled my football-first instinct. I had originally planned a trip a little further afield, either Surrey or Leicestershire, but work commitments scuppered that plan and I was forced to look more local. It boiled down to a couple of choices, either a new ground or the prospect of a really intriguing game at a ground that I have been to many times. I chose the former, not because I thought the match would be better but because it was a ground to tick off. Am I morphing into a ground-hopper?

The game I chose was Chinnor v Bicester Town in the Hellenic Division One East. I had, in fact, been present at the reverse fixture just a month or so ago, a game that saw Bicester go behind twice but eventually edge it 3-2. I was hoping for a similar game this evening. I would be disappointed.

The sides came into the game with Bicester leading the way in the league, sitting pretty at the top with 33 points from their 14 games. Chinnor, having played a game less, were in 10th spot on 12 points. Chinnor had seen something of an improvement in league form recently, winning two and drawing one of the last six. Bicester had dropped just 2 points out of their last 18 available and were unbeaten on their travels - their only defeat this season came in a 3-2 home reversal to Wokingham and Emmbrook. Chinnor were looking to improve on their home record which had seen them win just once in seven outings so far.

Many thanks to the Bicester Town committee members who not only let me take a photo of their team sheet but also let me do the same with the Chinnor team sheet after they had exchanged details before kick-off. I really hope that the club can relocate back into the town at some point soon. 

Chinnor's Station Road ground doesn't have too many features to write about, being pretty much open to the elements on all sides. This fact means that they do not charge an entrance fee to the ground. There is a fairly large car park behind one of the goals, so close that you could watch from the comfort of your car, should you wish. Adjacent to the car park is a large and fairly new club house complex, with a bar, function room etc. This also has an entrance to the players and officials facilities. I must say, it is quite an impressive clubhouse with friendly staff behind the bar.

​The ground itself does not have many features to write about. To the right hand side, looking from the car park, it is completely open to what appears to be a cricket pitch. To the left are the dugouts and the covered area which houses both a seated and standing section. The only issue with the standing area is that the far end of the pitch is partially obscured by the brick dugouts.

As is so often the case these days, the game kicked off a few minutes late with Bicester kicking down the slight slope in the first half. And, it was the away side who started the brighter of the two. In fact the game was only seven minutes old when they breached the Chinnor defence and opened the scoring. A great burst of pace down the left flank got Edwards-Giraud in behind the defence. His low cross was met at the far post by Robert Johnson, who managed to squeeze the ball home from a tight angle. 0-1.
You feared for Chinnor at this point. Bicester were quicker to the ball, sharper in the tackle and looking like they could increase their lead at any minute. However, the Chinnor side re-grouped well, dug in, and weathered what Bicester threw at them. I hesitate to use the word storm to describe Bicester's attempts. Squall would be more apt. Although they were well on top, they didn't seem to have the appetite to go for the jugular.

HT Chinnor 0 Bicester Town 1. The away side were on top for the majority of the half but failed to capitalise on their early lead. Would they live to regret it?

​I don't know if it was something in the half-time tea or just that they were now kicking down the slope, but Chinnor seemed to be reinvigorated in the second half. However, as with Bicester in the first half, you couldn't describe Chinnor's efforts in the second as an onslaught of any kind. More so that they upped their game a little and started to, as the awful saying goes, as questions of the Bicester defence.

Saying that, the first real opportunity of the second half went the way of the visitors in the 58th minute. Awarded a free-kick in a fairly central position, some 20 yards out, Elliott Powell curled a lovely effort over the wall but just a fraction too high from his perspective.

Two minutes later it was Chinnor's turn to come close when a rasping drive struck the foot of the Bicester post and bounced to safety. Chinnor were now having their best period of the game and you felt that they really needed to score now if they wanted to get anything from the match. Shortly after hitting the post they had another decent effort fly just over White's goal and were laying a mini-siege to the visitors box.
After 67 minutes we saw a rare(ish) occurrence. Bicester's Deontai  Stewart, who had come on as a half-time substitute, was substituted himself, presumably due to an injury.
With ten minutes remaining another Chinnor attack saw White beaten but, as the ball rolled towards the goal, Bicester's captain Dean Smith, reacted well to get back and hack the ball off the line. It was as close as Chinnor had come and, as it transpired, as close as they would come.
On the stroke of full-time, with Chinnor still pushing up, Bicester striker Ricaro Benjamin broke free and placed the ball past Plumridge to make it 0-2.
​
FT Chinnor 0 Bicester Town 2. In all truth, this was not a great game. Bicester will be happy to have taken all three points whilst not playing anywhere near their best. Chinnor, to be fair, gave it a shot for a good period of the second half but couldn't get that illusive goal.
For any regular readers, following on from last week's thought about collating some interesting but meaningless facts, no wonky corner flags at this game. 

Att. 30

Chinnor: Plumridge, Smith, Folley, White, Bailey, Austin, Nish, McLellan, King, Clarke, Hussain. Subs: Lewis, Morgan, Lonsdale, Mansell
Bicester Town: White, Jamie Prpa, Brock, Kidd, Smith, MacPherson, Edwards-Giraud, Jason Prpa, Benjamin, Johnson, Powell. Subs: Bailley, Harrison, Stewart

Ground Number: 143
Entrance: £0
Programme: N/A

This coming weekend sees the return of the FA Vase and we are down to the last 64 teams in this season's competition. We still have three previous winners surviving as well as one other previous finalist, West Auckland Town. Of the previous winners only Sholing have a home draw in Round 3 but face a tough task against fellow Wessex Premier promotion candidates, Blackfield & Langley. Of the other two, North Shields make the short trip to Newcastle Benfield whilst Whitley Bay travel to the aforementioned West Auckland Town.

Base of the Pyramid's selected side to follow, Step 7 outfit Pinxton, fell at the Second Round stage so the baton passes to their conquerors, Desborough Town. In a strange quirk of the draw, Desborough now take on the only remaining Step 7 team in the competition, Eastwood Community, who had a superb victory over Leicester Nirvana in Round 2.

The 3rd Round draw is full of interesting match-ups, six of which are featured in this weekend's Six of the Best. The great thing about the FA Vase at this stage is that the draw can throw up some intriguing local derbies as well as pitch together two sides that have either never met or haven't played each other for some time.

Here's a quick run-down of the fixtures, excluding our Six of the Best choice.

Northwich 1874 v Ashton Athletic. These two have not met in the Vase before but do play in the same division domestically. Neither are having a particularly good season in the league so far.

West Auckland Town v Whitley Bay. One previous Vase meeting, back in the 2011-12 competition. It was West Auckland who came out on top, winning 2-1 at Whitley Bay.

Pontefract Collieries v Worksop Town. Another match-up where the sides have not met in this competition before. 

Newcastle Benfield v North Shields. No Vase meetings between these two but they have met many times in Northern League action. The grounds are only just over 5 miles apart, so the teams and supporters will know each other well.

Runcorn Linnets v Marske United. A fascinating clash between two sides who have aspirations of promotion from their respective leagues this season. They have met before in the Vase, Markse running out comprehensive 6-2 winners in a 2015-16 clash.

Stourport Swifts v Walsall Wood. An all Midland League clash. Wood have been flying since their relegation last season and will fancy their chances against higher-ranked opposition. A 1990-91 meeting resulted in a 2-1 away win for Wood.

Wolverhampton SC v Shepshed Dynamo. Wolves have already eclipsed their previous best in this competition and will be relishing an opportunity to take on a Shepshed side who's form has been a bit up and down recently.
Highgate United v Coleshill Town. No Vase history between these sides but plenty of recent league meetings including one so far this season when Teh Colemen edged a home game 3-2 in September.

Hinckley AFC v Deeping Rangers. A very interesting match-up between Step 6 Hinckley and Deeping Rangers from Step 5. Both are in the mix for a promotion push this season which, of course, may take precedence over a Vase run.

Racing Club Warwick v Wisbech Town. Two sides in similar league positions, both just bubbling under the main promotion contenders but well within striking distance. They have some Vase previous too, a 2011-12 meeting also at Townsend Meadow, that The Fenmen won by a goal to nil.

Gorleston v Leighton Town. One previous Vase meeting between these two in 2003-04. Leighton will be looking for a repeat performance of a game that they won 7-2 away from home.

Hullbridge Sports v Enfield 1893 No previous FA Vase clashes between but both sides have progressed past this stage in the past. Sports are currently bottom of the Essex Senior League and may well have more focus on survival that a cup run.

Yaxley v Norwich CBS. Norwich, who were promoted up to Step 6 in the summer, had never won an FA Vase match until this season. Yaxley's best run came three years ago when they made the fourth round.

Great Wakering Rovers v Cogenhoe United. Rovers have made the Fifth Round twice in their history whereas Cogenhoe have never made it past Round 4, a stage they have reached three times.

Lordswood v Bracknell Town. Lordswood's best Vase run came in the 2012-13 season when they eventually went out in the 4th Round, 3-1 at Spennymoor. a scoreline that shows just how far National League North Moors have gone in five years. The Robins have reached Round 5 on two occasions but more recently have struggled to get past the qualifiers.

Beckenham Town v Eastbourne Town. No previous FA Vase clashes between these two but they have met fairly recently in the FA Cup, a 2015-15 clash which saw Eastbourne triumph by 3-1.

Horley Town v Baffins Milton Rovers. This is Rovers' first FA Vase adventure following on from their Wessex Division One promotion last season. Horley don't have a great Vase having only once before reaching this stage, three seasons ago.

Crowborough Athletic v Westfield. Crowborough have reached Round 5 twice in their history, the most recent being last season when they went out to Coleshill Town, losing 6-3 at home. Westfield have reached the 4th Round once but may be more focused on their league position where they currently lead the Combined Counties Premier.

Whitstable Town v Chichester City. These sides me in the Vase qualifying round just last season. Chichester eventually winning 3-2 in a replay after a 2-2 draw in Kent.

Thatcham Town v Sevenoaks Town. The Kingfishers have a Fifth Round and a Quarter- Final appearance under their belts. However, both were close to 30 years ago now. For Sevenoaks, this is their best ever campaign, beating their previous Second Round appearance in the 2006-7 season.

Christchurch v Newport (IoW). There has been one previous encounter between these two Wessex League rivals, a 2011-12 meeting that saw Christchurch run out 4-1 winners. Of course, both sides were Premier League teams then but these days Christchurch have dropped into Division One.

Sholing v Blackfield & Langley. The Boatmen are one of the remaining winners. They are matched with fellow Wessex Premier promotion rivals Blackfield and Langley. No previous Vase meetings but they have come face to face twice in the FA Cup, with a victory apiece.

Plymouth Parkway v Westfields. Two more sides that have no previous Vase history. Parkway have been breaking league records for fun this season and currently lead the South West Peninsula League. Westfields are just below the real promotion contenders in the Midland Premier but with a couple of games in hand may feel they can still make a mark.

Hamble Club v Horndean. This is Hamble's first venture into the FA Vase world but after already seeing off three Wessex Premier sides a home time against a fourth will hold no fear. Hordean have managed one previous appearance in the Third Round, a 5-0 home defeat to Bemerton Heath in the 2012-13 season.

Bridgwater Town v Melksham Town. This fixture was played out in the 2001-02 campaign with Melksham running out 3-2 winners that day. Both sides are in the top six of the Western Premier but will have their work cut out to catch the leaders now.

Bradford Town v Team Solent. Solent got to the Fifth Round last season, falling 5-2 at home to eventual winners South Shields. Town's recent Vase history is quite impressive having managed a Fifth Round and two Fourth Round appearances in the last three seasons.

These days it is rare to go to a non-league game without spotting at least one ground-hopper. Whilst sitting in the rather comfortable, bar at Wellingborough Whitworth(s) (note that I have given the option to use the S here) I happened to notice someone asking exactly the same question as I had a few minutes earlier, "Are the team sheets available anywhere?". It is the mantra of ground-hoppers across non-league, especially once you get down to Step 5 and below. More of my fellow hopper to come later in this blog, but am I really calling myself a hopper now? I still don't really think I qualify. I will go to games for their significance in preference to visiting a new ground, so I think that nullifies my true hopper membership card. I was once told by a club official that I clearly wasn't a ground-hopper because I didn't have a rucksack with me. That's like saying all trainspotters wear anoraks. To be honest,in my experience, you are more likely to spot a hopper carrying a small notepad than a rucksack.

I digress. So, to my first visit to Whitworth or is it Whitworths? I'm still not sure. The team was formed as Whitworths FC but is now known as Wellingborough Whitworth. Their website says Wellingborough Whitworth, as does their Wikipedia entry. However, their Facebook page says Whitworths and their badge just says Whitworths. An S or not an S, I suppose ultimately, it matters not.

​A few words about the Victoria Mill Ground first of all. As I think I mentioned in my match blog from my visit to Wellingborough Town, Whitworth's ground is just a long hoof from Town's Dog & Duck Stadium. It is a smaller stadium than that of their local rivals but is, nonetheless, a very good setup. There is a smallish car park (manned by a friendly attendant) from which you access the ground through a single gate. This brings you into the ground behind one the goals. Immediately to your left is the fairly new clubhouse and just behind that, in a separate building, the players and officials facilities. The club, as I said, is fairly new. This is because, I believe, it was rebuilt after a fire in November 2011.
Quite unusually, for a ground at this level, there is some sort of covered area on all four sides of the pitch. At the car park end, between the goal and the clubhouse, there is a small covered seating area. To the left, as well as the dugouts, there is a covered standing area. There is also a covered stand behind the far goal and a perspex shelter running along the touchline opposite the dugouts. All in all, a nice, tidy ground with a decent atmosphere.

Whitworth's opponents this evening were Oadby Town, currently bottom of the league but showing signs of recovery after a terrible start to the season. In fact, out of the two sides, it was The Poachers who had slightly better current form over the past six games. Oadby had won their first game of the season on Saturday, a 2-1 victory at Boston Town. They had also drawn another three of their previous six. The Flourmen had also won on Saturday, 1-0 at home to St Andrews. However, they had only managed that win and a single draw in their last six outings. So, we were all set for what promised to be a tight and entertaining encounter.

Despite a downpour before the game, the pitch looked in pretty good condition but there was a blustery wind blowing across the ground as the teams took to the pitch, Whitworth in their red & black stripes, Oadby in a change kit of all yellow.

It was the home side who struck the first blow. After five minutes of sparring, Dean Hall collected the ball pretty much on the halfway line. Showing a blistering turn of pace, he left the Oadby midfield and defence trailing in his wake and, as Keenan Tailby in the Yellows goal, came out to meet him, he calmly slipped the ball past the keeper and into the net. 1-0 with only 6 minutes on the clock.

Not the start that The Poachers would have liked. However, they certainly weren't playing like a team bottom of the table and with only one win under their belts all season. In fact, their approach play was neat and tidy. If anything, they were let down by their final ball and finishing. They certainly didn't seem to be lacking in confidence, as you may have expected for a side in their position.

​Around this point the ground-hopper that I had spotted in the bar walked past. I asked him if he had been successful in his quest for a team sheet and we ended up chatting for the rest of the half as well as a fair portion of the second period. It's always a pleasure to meet people at non-league games. Most have a story (or two) to tell and all have a passion for football in general.

As always, my propensity for instantly forgetting names as soon as I am told them kicked in, but I believe and hope that my new found non-league friend's name was Jeremy (if you read this sir, please don't be offended. I forget names constantly), a ground-hopper from the Nottingham area.
Jeremy (and I will continue to call him this name until I get an angry email) not only proved to be an interesting match companion, but also managed to get a photo of both team sheets from the club secretary which he then allowed me to photograph in turn. He also got me thinking about a possible addition to the website. As part of his hopping notes he, and one of his friends, always take note of the number of times the ball leaves the ground (i.e, out of the stadium completely) as well as the number of Portacabins on the ground. It's little bits of trivia like this that make ground-hopping so quirky and interesting.
​So, what should I start to chronicle? Maybe wonky corner flags? There's always one of them. The number of plumber's vans in the car park? Keep an eye on future match blogs and the website. Absolutely pointless trivia could be coming your way.

After 36 minutes Wellingborough got a second goal. Good work from top scorer Cavell Jarvis on the right culminated in the ball being played across the Poachers area to the feet of Nathan Burrows, who had the simplest of tasks to push the ball over the line. 2-0.

HT Wellingborough Whitworth 2 Oadby Town 0

​Even at 2-0 this game was not over. If Oadby could get a goal back you felt that they were still in the game. Just about on the hour mark they came very, very close to doing just that. From the opposite end of the ground it was difficult to tell if Lee Baxter made a great save or of the Oadby striker missed a golden opportunity. Maybe it was a combination of the two. However, from very close range Baxter was able to make a save with his legs when it looked like it was actually easier to score. The ball broke loose, but the follow-up effort went into the side netting. It looked at this point as if it was not going to be Oadby's night.

Half chances came and went at both ends in an open and well-contested second period. Oadby seemed to be getting some traction down their left flank but, as in the first half, the final ball was not quite there. Whitworths were also making some openings at the other end, especially as Oadby tried to push forward more. One move in particular almost reaped a reward but the striker, looking like he was going to get a clean strike at goal from inside the penalty area, was thwarted by a superb tackle from Oadby captain, Hawker.

However, on the 80 minute mark Oadby did get a goal back, when Gurprit Thandi was on hand to finish from close range. 2-1 and game on for the last 10 minutes? Whitworth, to their credit, did not panic and immediately set about trying to regain their two goal lead. They did have the ball in the back of the Oadby net again but this time the effort was, correctly, chalked off because of an offside decision.

FT Wellingborough Whitworth 2 Oadby Town 1. The Poachers' brief revival is halted by The Flourmen. However, on this display, I would expect them to pick up a few more points before too long. 
Whitworth(s) also looked a better side than their league position suggest(s).


Att. 50 (ish)

Wellingborough Whitworth: Lee Baxter, Mallows, Ryan Baxter (c), Archer, Bendon, Harris, Brittain, Hall, Dyson, Pendred, Jarvis. Subs: Liebscher, Burrows, Judge, Marshall
Oadby Town: Tailby, King, Hawker (c), Hefford, Moyo, Walsh, Barber, Parkes, Thandi, Beardmore, Shaw. Subs: Parkinson, Darkwah, Burton, Warren

Ground Number: 142
Entrance: £5
Programme: £1

It's not often that you have to queue to get into a Step 6 stadium, but that was the case on Tuesday evening. However, it was not because of an unexpectedly large crowd, just that the turnstiles had not been unlocked when I, and three other 'punters', turned up. To be fair, we didn't have long to wait before a friendly young lady greeted us, unlocked the gate, and let us into the ground (after paying, of course).
​
This would be my third trip to The ASM Stadium but, on each occasion, I have been watching a different home side. My first visit was for Thame United v Shrivenham, the second a Boxing Day derby between Aylesbury United and Aylesbury, and now for my first look at Thame Rangers as they took on Penn & Tylers Green in an Hellenic League One East match.

​Recent form suggested that this game could be a lot tighter than the league table would seem to indicate. Although Penn & Tylers Green had only suffered one defeat this season, that defeat had come at Bicester just 10 days ago. Rangers had recently been showing some much improved form. In fact, all three of their league wins have arrived in the past month. A 1-0 win at Milton United was followed by a 1-0 home win over Wokingham Sumas and 4-3 victory at Willaingford. They did, however, suffer a reversal to Wallingford in the return match last time out. In fact, home form has been something of an issue for Thame, with just one win, and one draw in six games.

From kick-off, Penn immediately were on the front foot. As early as the second minute they won a free-kick some 25 yards out, slightly to the right-hand side of the Thame penalty area. Up stepped Casey Bocarro to curl a superb effort past Dan Bowker and into the net. 0-1.

​Penn's pace going forward, especially on the left-flank, was causing problems for the Thame defence. Although the home side steadied the ship after conceding so early, they never really looked a threat to their opponents.
Just past the 20 minute mark, Penn doubled their lead. I have to admit that I only saw the ball hit the net for this goal. I normally travel very light to games. Occasionally my small camera, but normally just mobile phone and a pen for marking the programme. This evening I had decided to venture out with my DLSR and a mono-pod. Not too sure why because my camera, whilst very good for still life, is not capable of shooting action very well and, even if it was, my photography skills are limited to say the least. Still, I fancied a adding a few more shots to my website. Big mistake. Whilst fiddling with camera settings, Penn go and score a goal.
So, it appeared that it was a quick break, a great pass from the left-hand side to find  Tripp who finished calmly. Of course, the goal-scorer, knowing that I didn't catch it all, will probably claim that it was a 30-yard volley into the top corner. Either way, after 22 minutes it was 0-2.

Thame made some tactical changes at this point. Player-Manager, Craig Faulconbridge, swapped his centre-half role for a position up front and, to be fair, it did have some effect on the pattern of the game. 
It was 37 minutes, however, before Thame really threatened to get a goal back and, when they did, they really should have scored. First of all an effort came back off the inside of the Penn post before the rebound was blazed over the bar from well inside the box. A real let-off for Penn.

HT Thame Rangers 0 Penn & Tylers Green 2. A well deserved lead for the away side, who dominated the game for the first 30 minutes and have not looked stretched at the back at all so far.

​Five minutes after the hour mark it looked like we would have a game on our hands. Thame were awarded a free-kick some 25 yards out but on the opposite side to the one from which Penn opened the scoring. Captain Daniel Hatton emulated his Penn counterpart by curling a beauty over the wall and into the net. 1-2

Thame had very little time in which to enjoy being back in the game. The Penn left-back, Josh Fox, burst up the line, showing a great turn of pace. He was clipped once in the box and could easily have gone down. To his credit he stayed on his feet and delivered an inch perfect cross for Fred Tripp to roll the ball into the net. 1-3 and now, it looked like game over.

Thame continued to try to get back into the game but, in fairness, rarely troubled the Penn keeper to any great extent.
Into injury time and there was one last piece of drama to unfold. With Thame pushing up, still looking for a consolation, they were caught out by a long ball which saw a striker go clean through. Bowker rushed off his line and took the striker down. Despite protestations from the home side, there really was little option for the referee, he had to produce a red card, even if it was the 91st minute. Nathan Lang, who had been introduced as a substitute, took the gloves ready to face the ensuing free-kick. Once more the taker got the ball past the defensive wall but this time Lang got down well to his right and made a very good save. That was the last action of the game.

FT Thame Rangers 1 Penn & Tylers Green 3. A fairly comfortable win for Thame Rangers who looked a very solid outfit, tight at the back and threatening when pushing forward. Thame's recent good run is temporarily over but they showed enough to indicate that they are quite capable of getting a few more results this season. 


Att. ?

Thame Rangers: Bowker, Attwell, Lynn, Deste, Davis, Faulconbridge, Johnston, Budziszewski, Buston, Hatton (c), Farah
Penn & Tylers Green: Cannings, Gumbs, Holland, Lofthouse-Smith, Fox, Blatchford, Weller, Davies, Bocarro, West, Tripp. Subs: O’Meally-Newell , Harman, Jordan, Bradley, Pritchard

Ground Number: A return visit
Entrance: £4
Programme: £1

​It's been a very busy week here at BotP Towers. A match last Saturday and another on Tuesday evening, followed by a trip out to Vienna (non-football related unfortunately) and, as Twitter followers might have noticed, the formation of an exciting partnership with Sports Shots.

As the team at Sports Shots pointed out in their Friday announcement, there is a great synergy between the ethos of the two sites. Both have a focus on promoting sports whilst trying to raise awareness of, and fund-raise for, their chosen charities. In the case of Sports Shots this is both Macmillan Cancer Support and Vasculitis UK. Figures up to September of this year show that they have raised a fantastic £5,991.24 split evenly between their two causes. Their website and Facebook page both have over 1,000 followers and fans and their website has had over 11 million hits from around the world. 

​I love the model that they have applied to their venture, allowing free use of their reports and images for club websites, Facebook pages, and programmes as well as supplying local newspapers with images free of charge. All of this is a great asset to the local sporting community. Sports Shots does not aim to gain from any of these services, just an accrediation for their media with an aim to boosting awareness of their charities.

Take a look at the web site here, http://sportsshots.org.uk/ follow on Twitter - @sportsshotsnews and check out Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportsShots/

If you would like to donate to either of the Sports Shots causes, the links are below, or click on any of the images on this page.

Macmillan Cancer Support - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sportsshotsorguk
Vasculitis UK - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/andy-bone-sports-shots

​ll in all, these are exciting times for Base of the Pyramid. This season has seen Twitter follower numbers climb above the 1600 mark and the website page views topping 3,000 per week at times. The addition of Charlie Marriott - @thecharliem - as an additional match blogger has also been a great boost to the site and his blogs have added some good numbers to the footfall on the site.

Keep an eye on this site and the Sports Shots site for news of future collaborations.

​One look at the weather on Tuesday evening was more than enough to persuade me to keep it local again, just in case the game happened to be called off. So, I decided on a long overdue return to Stratford Fields, home of Spartan South Midlands Division One side Buckingham Athletic. The game also promised to be an interesting clash. Visitors Baldock Town, sitting just one place above their hosts but having played three fewer games, were unbeaten in their nine league games so far. Both sides would certainly consider themselves still part of the promotion race despite Southall's large lead at the top.

It's almost three years since my first, and only, trip to Stratford Fields, a 2-0 defeat to Bedford back in December 2014. The only discernible change to the ground, as far as I could make out, is the welcome addition of a refreshment hut adjacent to the main stand. On my previous visit, drinks were only available back in the clubhouse, which is outside of the stadium confines and on the opposite side to the main, and only, covered area. Speaking of which, the covered stand was by far the most popular part of the ground this evening with the rain hammering down.

Baldock started the game on the front foot and immediately looked to take the game to their opponents. Within two minutes the pace of Josh Coley left the Athletic back-line treading water but his effort was thwarted by a a good save from Nick Bennion in the home goal.
The away side's momentum was halted somewhat by an injury to The Swans Tom McElroy on nine minutes which, after some lengthy treatment, unfortunately ended the midfielder's evening. Buckingham took the opportunity of the break in play to re-group and shortly afterwards had their first real chance of the game, with Chris Stapleton shooting wide.
Two minutes later the entire ground was plunged into darkness as, presumably, the torrential rain temporarily got the better of the electrics. The referee took the players off the pitch and we waited to see what would happen.

​It was at this point that Dale James (@mrjamesest1970), who I know from his previous incarnation as Ardley United media man, came over to say hello and have a chat. Dale was at the game in his capacity as photographer for Sports Shots, a local, not for profit, news and image service that supports sports in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire area whilst raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support and Vasculitis UK. To find out more, take a look at their website http://sportsshots.org.uk/
I also managed to have a chat with, what may well have been, the only two Baldock supporters at the game. I hope they enjoyed their curry afterwards.

After a ten minute delay, someone had worked some magic and we were able to get the game back under way and it was the home side who were now having a slight edge in the play. On 25 minutes they won a free-kick just outside the box. Home number 8 Jack Menday struck the dead-ball well, but it went just over Jack Farmer's bar. This was a cue for Baldock to get back into their stride. Three minutes later it was their number 8, Lewis Barker, who curled an effort just wide as Baldock began to take a grip on the game.
with 35 minutes gone there was an almighty scramble in the Buckingham penalty area. Twice Baldock managed to get shots off and twice Athletic defenders managed to get their bodies in the way, with some really good defending.
Baldock winder Josh Coley was, time and again, causing havoc down the left. On 39 minutes he got past his marker again but was, once more, stopped by a good save from Bennion.

HT Buckingham Athletic 0 Baldock Town 0. The away side certainly edged the game as far as clear cut chances went. However, Buckingham had a period in the middle of the half where they were the dominant force. A really competitive game which could go either way in the second half.

​Shortly after the break Baldock had a glorious opportunity to open the scoring. A mix up between the Buckingham defence and goalkeeper allowed Owen Robertson a clear sight of goal from the edge of the box but, much to the relief of the home side, he pushed the chance wide of the post.
The Swans, possibly jolted by this let-off, went on the offence themselves. Just before the hour Jack Menday go clear of his marker and hit a shot from the corner of the box which went narrowly wide. Two minutes later, after a bad clearance from Farmer, the keeper had a defender to thank as a Buckingham effort was hacked off the line for a corner.
Not to be outdone, Baldock then set Coley free again. When it looked like he had been pushed slightly wide he managed to square the ball for Robertson but Bennion made another good save to keep it level. This signalled a ten minute period in which Baldock again looked the more likely to get a winner.

Buckingham responded in the 77th minute when Ben Acyuaye cut inside from the right and tried his luck. His initial shot was well blocked by a defender but the ball came straight back to him and his second effort flew just wide. Baldock went straight down the other end and came very close to scoring themselves, being denied by another good Bennion save and a well placed defender being able to clear the rebound off the line.
Inside the last five minutes. Athletic again pressed for a winner and it was Acquaye again, cutting in from the right and trying his luck only to be denied by a save from Farmer. This was followed by another scramble in the Baldock box, culminating in Menday firing wide of the mark.

FT Buckingham Athletic 0 Baldock Town 0. Both sides went went for the win and played some good football in atrocious conditions. In the end a draw was probably a fair result.
​All this leads to the blog title, 180. It's not a darts reference. Instead it points to the longest goal-less streak I have had since I started this blog, 180 minutes. Saturday's (non-blogged) 0-0 draw between Stourbridge and Witton Albion, followed by this evening's game. That's put my cost per goal ratio up a bit.


Att. 52

Buckingham Athletic: Bennion (c), Pike, Kelsey, Hassell, Marsden, Oye, Acquaye, Menday, Stapleton, McElroy, Josh Hooper. Subs: Busby, Skelton, Patrick Hooper, Chew
Baldock Town: Farmer (c), Furness, Coppin, Lee, Kenna, Mordecai, Coley, Lewis Barker, Holland, Alfie Barker, Robertson. Subs: Decker, Gregson, Gilbert, Foley, Bull

Ground Number: A return visit
Entrance: £4
Programme: Free

​It's never a good sign when the referee provides the majority of the talking points in a match but that was the case on Tuesday when Clanfield 85 took on Tuffey Rovers in the Perpetua Press Floodlit Cup Second Round.

With it being Halloween, I had told my daughter that I would be home for a while to help her welcome the trick or treaters. So, I was very happy to find that there was a game on that was a) was close enough for me to have a bit of daddy/daughter time before I needed to leave the house and b) a new ground for me to visit. So, Clanfield it was.

Clanfield's ground is situated on the Southern edge of the village. There is a fairly large car park right next to the stadium which is accessed from the car park through a single entrance gate. All of the facilities at Radcot Road or The UK Building Plastics Direct Arena, to give it it's full sponsored name, are situated on the village side of the ground, the side on which you enter. There is a single building which house the clubhouse and toilets as well as providing the the covered seating area.

This evening's game was a Floodlit Cup Second Round tie against Premier League side Tuffley Rovers. The teams last met in the league during Rovers Division One West promotion season of 2014-15. There was a 2-1 win for Rovers in Gloucestershire with the return game resulting in a 0-0 draw. Since then Tuffley have plied their trade in the top flight with Clanfield remaining in Division One West.

The cheers of a small band of Rovers supporters signified the teams entering the field of play, Clanfield in their red kit and Tuffley in a change kit of all white with a claret and blue diagonal sash.
The Premier league outfit were into their stride first and were to, pretty much, dominate the first 30 minutes of the half with home keeper Jamie Zoldan being called into action a numeber of times while his opposite number was left to keep himself warm on a chilly evening.
Despite their dominance though, Tuffley were finding it hard to get any clear cut opportunities against a stubborn home defence. They came close in the 16th minutes when a right-footed cross form the left, curling in towards the far post, evaded the home keeper but was hacked off the line by a Clanny defender.​

​Just before the half-hour mark came Rovers' best chance so far. Some nice build-up play gave Alder a clear view of the target from just inside the penalty area. However, under pressure from a defender, he was not able to get his shot on target and the ball sailed harmlessly out for a goal kick. Shortly afterwards Zoldan pulled off a very acrobatic one-handed save to tip a close range header over for a corner as the Tuffley pressure grew on the home goal.
To their credit, Clanfield were defending doggedly and, after being under the cosh for much of the half, did start to get into the game more as the half wore on. However, they still could not fashion any chances to trouble Eric Edge between the Rovers' sticks, a free-kick from the edge that flew over the bar being their best effort.

The stop /start nature of the match was not helping the game as a spectacle. The referee seemed to be applying the letter of the law to the nth degree which meant that play was punctuated by his whistle. As a neutral I could see exactly what the referee was doing and, to be fair to him, he got very few decisions wrong. The problem was that he was not allowing the game to flow and this was just serving to rile players on both sides more and more. The consequence of this was that they were more inclined to make bad tackles, argue with decisions and, in one case, kick the ball away, which just caused more stoppages. It's a difficult one to call really. We often hear requests for referees to be more consistent. 
Well, this one was consistent but his insistence on adhering to the book did cause play to be broken way too much.

It looked like Clanfield were going to hang on to the 0-0 scoreline into the break but, with four minutes remaining in the half, they finally made the breakthrough. A left wing corner evaded everyone in the centre of the box before dropping to White at the back post. His effort was not cleared properly and the ball fell kindly for Brett James to fire home from inside the six yard box. 0-1.

There was still time for the referee to generate another talking point. After a tussle in the Clanfield box, Tuffley captain Warren Mann, whilst on the ground, appeared to kick out at a defender. The referee obviously saw the offence because he stopped the game, awarded a free-kick and showed a yellow card to Mann. The question was, and one that the Clanfield bench vociferously raised as the teams left the field for half-time, should it have been red? Not wanting to come across all Wenger-like, but there were players between me and the incident so I really couldn't see it clearly. I don't think Mann made contact with the player but the intent was there. 

HT Clanfield 85 0 Tuffley Rovers 1. The away side deserve to be in front but Clanfield have fought hard and are still in it despite not really troubling the visiting keeper. Excellent cup of tea in the club in the interval. A shame that the Cuppa League has shuffled off to the great tea urn in the sky. This would have been a contender this season.

​Clanfield noticeably stepped their game up at the start of the second-half but still could not force Edge into any serious action.
Twenty minutes into the second period Tuffley had an opportunity to put the game to bed. The officials ignored what looked like a very good penalty shout for the visitors but as the ball broke to another Tuffley player, he was also tripped and this time the referee pointed to the 
spot.
Up stepped Warren Mann but Zoldan guessed the right way and made a very good stop to keep his team in it. However, as Bob Hale would say (only someone with a seven year old would reference Horrible Histories in a non-league footbal blog) 'but not for long'. Only 5 more minutes had passed before Tuffley did grab a second goal. Alder's cross-shot fell nicely into the path of James who diverted the ball past Zoldan and into the bottom corner of the net for his, and Tuffley's, second. 0-2.

FT Clanfield 85 0 Tuffley Rovers 2. As I tweeted at full-time, not a classic by any means. Tuffley did what they needed to do to win the game. 

Clanny battled hard with a couple of first-teamers out but never really looked like scoring if I'm honest. 
The game never really got going. there was no flow to play because of the constant stopping and starting. To be fair to the referee, I really didn't think he did a lot wrong. Yes, he played it very much to the book but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. Neither team really helped him out with constant niggling at him throughout the match. Again, I understand that this is part and parcel of the modern game, it's accepted as 'the norm', but it's not something that I, personally, like to see. Refereeing games is a hard job and, I have said it before, a job that not many of would volunteer to take on. To balance these comments out though, both sets of players never let any 50/50 challenges boil over and escalate. There were one or two incidents that could have turned into flash points but didn't. The players should all be commended for their conduct in this respect.

Att. 15

Clanfield 85: Zoldan, Roberts, Moore, Miller, Pendell (c), Cooper, Oliver, Cormack, Hiscock, Tinsley, Cato. Subs: Fullerton, Cross, Heffernan, Evans, Butt
Tuffley Rovers: Edge, Hill, Wright, Pritchett, White, Hamilton, James, Alder, Bird, Ford, Mann (c). Subs: Herbert, O'Leary, Bradley

Ground Number: 141
Entrance: £4
Programme: £1.00