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