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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ET - HT Didcot Town 0 Hitchin Town 0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

​What to do on a dreary, damp Saturday afternoon? Well, you head over to Headington to take in an Oxfordshire Senior League game, of course. Having interacted with the Cropredy Twitter account for some time, it was a perfect opportunity to see them play in their away league game against Horspath. It was also an opportunity to visit another new ground and, as it was a 2 o'clock kick-off, I would still be home nice and early.

It was a bit of a tough decision about which game to go to, especially as other local sides were in FA Cup action this afternoon, one of which I had to drive past to get to Horspath's ground. However, as I have said before. I mostly go to midweek games and, therefore, don't get too many chances to visit grounds that done't have floodlights. So, a Saturday game is a perfect opportunity to get to a ground that I may not have chance to visit again for some time.

Horspath play that the Horspath Athletics and Sports Ground, although their pitch is actually behind the athletics stadium and adjacent to Oxford Harlequins Rugby Club, who incidentally have a beautiful-looking, white-fenced artificial surface. No such luxury for Horspath. This is Step 7, remember. No covered areas required here. Just a pitch and a couple of dugouts. This is proper grassroots football. There are, however, some trees at the side of the pitch which, seeing as it rained non-stop for the entire game, was lucky if only to keep the rain off my phone's touch-screen.

Last season saw Cropredy rule the roost in both fixtures, winning 7-1 on their own ground and 4-1 at Horspath. With Cropredy going into the game unbeaten in three and Horspath with just one win in five, the omens pointed to an away win. However, you can never be too sure in football.

​Horspath started by far the brighter of the two, with Cropredy seemingly sluggish for the first 10 minutes or so. They paid the price for this after 11 minutes when a long clearance flew over their defence. Cropredy's keeper came a long way out of his area to clear the ball but, unfortunately for him, missed it, leaving Dan Paige with the simple task of rolling the ball over the line. 1-0.

The goal seemed to wake up the visitors and, from that point onwards, they started to get a grip on the game.
After 22 minutes Cropredy's number 10 tried his luck from a free-kick some 25 yards out. Horspath's keeper did well to get a fingertip to it and put it over for a corner. 
This was to be the first of three saves that the keeper would pull off against the same Cropredy player. The second came on 31 minutes when the Cropredy player was fed on the right hand side of the box. The keeper did very well to parry the effort and was then fortunate to see the rebound bundled just wide for a goal-kick.

HT Horspath 1 Cropredy 0. Horspath took advantage of a sluggish start from their opponents and got a little fortunate with the goal. However, since going a goal down it has been all Cropredy and only a couple of good save from the Horspath keeper has kept them in front.
In proper grassroots style, neither team left the pitch at half-time. Both team talks were conducted on the pitch, in the rain.

​Cropredy immediately set about continuing where they had left off in the first-half, on the front foot. Within three minutes they forced Horspath to clear an effort off the line and were practically camped in the home team's half of the pitch. Still, though, they could not find an equaliser.
On the hour mark a Cropredy attack down the left saw the ball fly across the Horspath goal and come back off the upright to safety. Within a minute of coming so close to the equaliser, Cropredy fell foul to the ultimate sucker punch. In what was the home side's first real venture up-field in the second period, they broke down the right side and managed to produce a good cross which Paige was on the end of to slide his, and Horspath's, second goal. 2-0.

Cropredy's response was almost immediate. Two minutes after somehow managing to go two goals down, they hit back. The broke down their left wing and, when the cross was delivered, Jason Tillcock was in the right place to stroke the ball home. 2-1.
Cropredy then almost fell foul to another sucker-punch but this time their Number 15 was on hand to make a superb blocking tackle when it looked like Horspath were going to get a third goal.
From that point onward the pattern of the game resumed. Horspath were pushed backwards and Cropredy launched attack after attack.

On 77 minutes the Horspath keeper pulled off his third, and possibly, best stop from Cropredy's unfortunate Number 10. This time getting a fingertip to a drive effort to push it over the bar. Whatever the away side threw at Horspath, they just couldn't find an equaliser.

Then, with only a minute left on the clock, Horspath managed a rare foray into the Cropredy half and won a free-kick out on the right wing. The ball was floated into the box and Charlie Bishop rose highest to power in a header. 3-1, and game over. Cropredy managed to launch a couple more attacks but all to no avail.

FT Horspath 3 Cropredy 1. I spoke to Cropredy's keeper on the way off the pitch and he was as incredulous as I was that they had lost the game. He fully admitted responsibility for the first goal but had then spent much of the game as a distant observer and hadn't had a lot else to do apart from pick the ball out of the net twice more. Still, you have to credit Horspath. They were backed up in their own half for much of the game and yet went on to win 3-1. Their goalkeeper must take a lot of credit for a series of good saves but their defence also worked very hard throughout the game and they took their chances when they were presented. Something that Cropredy didn't seem to be able to do on the day.


Att: 1
Ground Number: 164
Entrance: Free
Programme: Not available

​When Coventry United moved to Butts Park Arena in 2017, it spoiled my record of having been to all CV post-code grounds in Step 6 and above. So, it was high time that I got myself up to Coventry again. That time came  this Tuesday when United were scheduled to take on Romulus in the Midland Premier League. It's been almost three years since I first saw United play, that was a November 2015 home game with Southam United at Sphinx Drive, or The Cage as United liked to call it. I recall that on that evening, as I was on my way to Coventry, it only seemed right to be listening to The Specials in the car. This evening, upon parking at Butts Park, I got out of my car to hear The Specials being blasted out of the PA system. A good start to the evening, enhanced even more by The Buzzcocks being cranked out by the time I got into the ground. 

Butts Park Arena is the home of Coventry Rugby Club who won the National League title last season and now play in the second tier of English Rugby. The local Rugby League side, Coventry Bears, also play at the arena, playing in the third tier of the league. It is also, of course, now home to Coventry United Football Club. There is parking available adjacent to the ground with a small charge of £2. Entrance to the ground is via the ticket office, in the shadow of the main stand, and then via a turnstile. The ground has one large stand, which houses 3,000 of the total 4,000 capacity.

United are blessed with one of the most enthusiastic stadium announcers that I have come across, who also seems to have a very good taste in music. Not only did he keep the crowd informed about happenings on the pitch, he also kept us up to date with the Coventry United Ladies game, a crunch top of the table battle with Loughborough Foxes, being played at the same time, and did his utmost to fire up the crowd (largely to no avail, it has to be said). They also have one of the most unusual programmes I have come across. printed in A6 format (yes, I know I tweeted A5, but I was put straight), it's full colour, got plenty of up to date content and, most importantly, fits perfectly into your pocket without folding or creasing. It certainly gets a big thumbs-up from me.

Coming into the game, United were sitting in eighth spot on 13 points. They held a three point lead on their visitors, who were currently placed 12th in the league. Interestingly, both sides had a goal difference of 0, United having scored and conceded 11 goals while Romulus had scored and conceded one more in both column. With Romulus being relegated from Step 4 last season, this was going to be the first meeting between the sides.

​It was the away side who started the stronger of the two, with their midfield buzzing around quicker than the small bats that were flying around the roof of the main stand.  Within three minutes they forced United keeper Brendon Bunn into a good save as United struggled to get a foothold on the game. This pattern continued for the first ten minutes, Romulus looking sharper and quicker to the ball all across the pitch. However, United gradually started to string a few passes together and were beginning to get to grips with the game.

After 15 minutes, we had an extended stoppage for an injury to Coventry defender Chris Cox. The break in play seemed to affect Romulus more than United and, two minutes after the stoppage Coventry created their first clear effort with McDonald shooting just over the bar.
It turned out to be a warning shot that Romulus did not heed as, on 20 minutes, the home side took the lead. A deep cross was swung over from the left and met by the head of Shaquille McDonald, he directed his header back across goal for Jake Holt to crash the ball home. 1-0.

The goal immediately seemed to pump up the United players. There was a noticeable increase in their pace and they were starting to win the 50-50 challenges that they were losing in the first 10 minutes.
Holt was almost on target again just before the half-hour mark but this time Belford got down well to his left and turned the striker's low drive around the post.
​
The game was certainly starting to heat up as the half progressed, the temperature being further increased by some interesting refereeing decisions which seemed to be frustrating the players and officials.
Just before the end of the half, McDonald came close to increasing the lead, seeing his low, angled drive fly past Belford's right-hand post.

HT Coventry United 1 Romulus 0. The home side took a while to get going but, on the whole, just about deserve to be in front at the break.
The stadium announcer excelled again over the half-time period with a fine selection of Rolling Stones tracks. As I tweeted at the time, it's almost worth coming to Butts Park just for the music. 

​The first fifteen minutes of the second-half were very even. Both sides showing no lack of effort and Romulus definitely trying to find a way back into the game. Tempers were noticeably starting to fray just a little bit more as the game wore on, possibly because, in such a tight game, there was a lot of midfield action and plenty of opportunity for challenges.
Bunn got down well to his left, turning away a Richards shot and then getting up quickly to block the rebound from a narrow angle. Then, after 65 minutes, Romulus spurned their best opportunity of the game. A free-kick found Piggon clean through but he couldn't get the ball out of his feet and when it was half-cleared Richards' follow-up shot was blocked well by Bunn. Luke Richards then turned sharply in the box but fired just over, as Romulus continued to press for an equaliser.

Coventry were starting to drop deeper and deeper but, to be fair, still looked pretty comfortable at the back despite increased Romulus pressure and United still looked dangerous when they did manage to break. A case in point being a very good stop from Belford to prevent United captain Jamal Clarke from heading in a second goal.

Into added time and with Romulus pushing hard the referee made what looked like a very strange decision, awarding a corner to The Roms when he was a good fifteen yards away and the linesman didn't flag at all. I was almost in line with it and I can honestly say that the ball did not cross the line. Strange decision. As it happens, the corner was cleared but that wasn't the end of the action. Romulus had another sight of goal but still couldn't put a chance away.
​
Then, in the 95th minute of a game that had not had too many stoppages, a tussle developed between a Romulus player, trying to retrieve the ball, and the United bench. Suddenly all hell let loose with all players and both benches involved in what can only be described as an outbreak of handbags. At least one Romulus player was pushed over, I didn't see any punches thrown but there was plenty of pushing and shoving before the referee got it all under control. After consulting with his assistant, United Manager Terry Anderson was shown a red card and there were yellows for at least one player on each side. Shortly after the restart the referee blew the final whistle and, after looking like it was about to kick-off again, the players shook hands and the game was over.

FT Coventry United 1 Romulus 0. A workmanlike performance from United. Romulus pushed the quite hard in the second-half, but they stood firm and, over the 90 minutes, just about deserved the three points. The result leaves United in fifth on 16 points, behind city rivals Sphinx (who have played one game fewer) on goal difference. Romulus sit in twelfth with 10 points from their eight games.
United Ladies made it a double for the night by winning 4-0 against Loughborough Foxes too.

A sad side note to this game. During the game I was alerted to the fact that Bicester Town had resigned from the Hellenic League. I don't know any further details at this point, but it is always sad to see a team go under and even more so when it is your local side. Bicester is far too big a town to not have a senior level football team representing it.

Coventry United: Bunn, Barnett, Vallance, Mussa, Cox, Clarke (c), Carey, Holt, Palmer, McDonald, Downes. Suns: Hendricks, Caswell, Nicholson, Hammond, Ellis

Romulus: Belford, Cross, Hirst, Rowe, Taylor, Cooper, Halil, Williams, Dunkley, Piggon, Richards. Subs: 

Att: 165
Ground Number: 163
Entrance: £6.00
Programme: £.50

Tuesday evening's game this week posed a problem. There were plenty of choices. League games, FA Cup Replays and an FA Vase game to choose from. The question was, should I go to a new ground or return to Second Meadow to take in the FA Vase game that I had originally intended to watch on Friday. That game was abandoned before kick-off when the Wormley Rovers goalkeeper, Allan Buck, was taken ill during the warm-up. The sight of paramedics and ambulances on a a football pitch is not one that any of us want to see. I'm very pleased to say that Allan has since tweeted that he is on the road to recovery, although he has decided to call time on his football career. I and, I'm sure everyone at both Biggleswade United and Wormley Rovers, wish Allan all the best for the future.

So, pushing that inner groundhopper aside, I decided that a return to Second Meadow was the order of the day. Although the game was technically a home tie for Wormley Rovers, the match had been switched to Biggleswade because Wormley's ground was not available.

The game was to be Wormley's first venture into the FA Vase. Last season saw the club finish 5th in the Herts Senior League but they managed to secure a place in the Eastern Counties League Division One (Step 6) following the league re-organisation. So, having been a Step 7 side last season, a draw against an established Step 5 outfit like Biggleswade United, was always going to be a tough propostiion for Rovers.

United, who finished 8th in the SSML Premier last season, have reached the 2nd Round of the Vase five times, but only made the 1st Round last season, going down 1-0 at home to Yaxley. Interestingly, back in the 1984-85 season the clubs were both part of the Herts Senior County League set-up, with Division One Wormley being the higher-placed of the teams. United, in those days, were a Division two outfit.

Did anyone get into the re-arranged game for free based upon their confirmed attendance on Friday? Personally, I was happy to pay again (every little helps), but I did wonder if I had missed an announcement on Friday before I left.

Second Meadow has not changed since my last visit in August 2015, a game in which a newly-promoted Welwyn Garden City side ran out 5-1 winners. Of course, The Citizens have since gone on to gain a further promotion and now play in the Southern league. Suffice to say that Second Meadow remains a decent and friendly place to watch football. There is plenty of seating and cover available for those who require it and the pitch still look sin pretty good condition.

So, on an evening noticeably cooler than last Friday, the teams took to the pitch with Wormley in red shirts and Biggleswade in their change kit of blue and black.

​From the first minute, it was clear to see that the underdogs were a very well organised side. Marshalled by their coaches in the technical area, they pressed the ball when necessary but fell back into their formation, keeping their shape well when Biggleswade had the ball in their own half. Biggleswade play a very appealing style of football. They get the ball down, pass and move, making the ball do the work for them wherever possible. This meant that Wormley were having to work very hard to stay in their shape. Having said that Rovers were, in the main, keeping United away from the last third of the park, letting them play the ball around and only engaging after the ball crossed the halfway line. When they won the ball back, however, they immediately tried to get it up to striker Mitchell Linger, who was a more than willing target and hold-up man.

It was, however, Biggleswade who got the first meaningful strike towards goal when, after 16 minutes, left-back Kane Farrell let fly from 25 yards out, only to see his effort go wide of Betts-Cooper's left-hand post.
The Rovers response to this effort was immediate though and almost saw them take the lead. First of all Oliver Finch came close before Biggleswade's keeper, Ollie Leslie, just about tipped a second effort onto the bar and out for a corner.
Two minutes later Leslie was called into action again, parrying a free-kick from just outside the box and then seeing the follow up go just wide as both an attacker and defender challenged for the loose ball.
Just before the half-hour mark it was Biggleswade's turn to go close to breaking the deadlock when Taz Andrews chested down a ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a thunderous volley which beat Betts-Cooper but rebounded to safety from the underside of the crossbar. A superb strike from Andrews which probably deserved better.
Rovers then went straight back down the other end and forced a corner. United cleared the corner and broke with incredible speed. A couple of passes and the ball was played into the path of Sam Holmes who saw his shot, in my opinion, brilliantly tipped over the bar by Betts-Cooper. I say in my opinion because the referee and his assistant gave a goal kick.

Just before half-time, United did manage to get the ball into the Rovers net but the assistant had already raised his flag for offside before Cooper's effort went in.

HT Wormley Rovers 0 Biggleswade United 0. Some nice passing play from United and, overall a fairly even game, but the work-rate of Rovers was the stand-out impression from the first half. I've not seen a team chase and harry this much for a long time. Credit to their coaching staff for instilling such discipline in the team too. An intriguing game for a neutral.

​Maybe it was having the slight slope in their favour or maybe it was the effects of Jimmy Martin's half-time talk, but Biggleswade certainly looked more lively at the start of the second-half. Wormley continued where they left off, organised and sharp in the tackle but now United were matching their opponents for work rate.
Just before the hour mark Biggleswade, once more, had the ball in the Rovers net but, once again, the whistle had already gone for an infringement before the ball had crossed the line. United, tough, were getting closer. A minute or two later, captain George Brinkman hammered an effort just wide of the target before, on 63 minutes, they finally broke the deadlock. There was a slight element of luck about the goal. A corner was cleared to the edge of the box where it was returned towards the Rovers goal. Jamie Smith managed to get a deflection on it, sending the ball past Betts-Cooper and into the net. 0-1.

The goal wobbled Wormley, no doubt about that. However, if anyone was expecting them to collapse, then they were sorely mistaken. The work-rate, which may have been expected to drop off, was showing no real sign of abating. True they had their keeper to thank for keeping them in it on 69 minutes, when he superbly turned a Farrell shot around the post with an acrobatic one-handed save, but there was no sign of the floodgates opening.

After 80 minutes Biggleswade once again though they had got the game sewn up but this time a timely goal-line clearance kept the score at 0-1. It was to prove to be the catalyst to a barn-storming finish from Rovers.
With under five minutes remaining a little bit of pinball, and a fortuitous ricochet, gave Rovers a clear site of goal but the ball was fired over the bar and into the car park. The warning bell had been rung though.
With a minute left on the clock Rovers forced a corner on their right side. The ball was played in towards the near post where it was met by the tireless Linger, who headed the ball past Leslie and took the game into extra-time. 1-1.

FT Wormley Rovers 1 Biggleswade United 1. A fascinating game of football. Despite always trying to remain neutral, I have to say I was pleased when Rovers equalised for two reasons. One, their effort deserved some reward. Two, I didn't want the game to end.

During the first half of Extra-Time, the efforts of the first 90 minutes seemed to finally be taking their toll on Wormley. Biggleswade were certainly starting to get on top on the game and the threat from Rovers was getting less and less as the game progressed now. Twice United forward Dave Parkinson made progress on the right but neither chance was converted and we were heading into the last 15 minutes still all-square. 
Into the second period of extra-time and the tension was beginning to show. Neither side wanted to make a mistake at this point. Going behind again now would almost certainly be the end of the FA Vase adventure for either team.
With four minutes to go, and both coaches probably thinking of penalties, Wormley were reduced to ten men when one of their players (sorry, I missed who it was), was shown a second yellow. That, possibly, proved to be the turning point. That little bit of extra space allowed Biggleswade to put together one final, one-touch passing move which culminated in substitute Joe Hankin playing a one-two and then slipping the ball under Betts-Cooper. 1-2.

FT ET. Wormley Rovers 1 Biggleswade United 2. Late heartbreak for Rovers. Their players looked out on their feet when the winning goal went in. Great credit to Biggleswade for continuing to plug away even though they clearly weren't at their best. 
Massive, massive credit to Wormley Rovers. I can honestly say that I have not seen a side work so hard all across the pitch. Every player, when they are feeling the aches and pains for the next few days, should be proud of their performance. 
United go on to face London Lions in the next round. Rovers can now look to consolidate their Step 6 position. Good luck to both sides for the rest of the season.

Wormley Rovers: Betts-Cooper, Head, L. Robinson, Welch (c), Thomas, Tourlamain, Offer, Finch, Montella, Linger, Quarrington-Carter. Subs: King, Archer, M. Robinson, Maybury

Biggleswade United: Leslie, Cooper, Farrell, Lewis, Smith, L. Andrews, Holmes, Irish, Parkinson, Brinkman (c), T. Andrews. Subs: Gauge, Howard-Dobson, Goodman, Drakulic, Hankins


Att: 59
Ground Number: Visited before.
Entrance: £6.00
Programme: Free with entry (Tuesday)

My normal football match experience these days is a one of solitude. Nine times out of ten, I'll be trekking around the country, on my own, on dark, rainy, midweek evenings to stand in a field watching 22 men kick a ball around for 90 minutes. It doesn't sound that appealing, but I love it. Sunday, however, was far removed from all of that. On a glorious late-Summer day, I found myself setting out for a match in Hertfordshire with my wife and daughter in the car and a pair of shorts in the boot (just in case the weather held out). 

The occasion? The inaugural Edie Wilson Memorial Cup, a game that we were, on one hand looking forward to immensely, but on the other, wishing that there was no need for it to take place at all. Those of you who follow me on social media or read my blogs will know what I mean by that. For those who don't, please take a few minutes to follow this link http://www.ediesbutterflyappeal.com/

After a very pleasant brunch with Cate (Edie's mum), Scott (Edie's dad) and Jacob (Edie's brother), not to mention Lily Pickle (Edie's dog), we headed off to Silver Leys, home of Bishops Stortford Swifts FC in plenty of time to prepare for the 2pm kick-off. Not long after arriving at the ground I was very thankful that I had had the foresight to pack those shorts.

The game was to be played between Bishops Stortford Swifts (u16), Jacob's team, and St Nicholas School (u16), Jacob and Edie's school. Jacob, after much thought, had decided to play for Swifts.

The setting could not have been any better as kick-off approached. The weather was wonderful, the pitch was looking good, the cup was gleaming in the bright sunlight, the bar was open, and it was becoming very clear that a there was going to be a sizeable turnout for the game (well into 3 figures).

​The two teams took to the field led by Jacob and, after the usual coin toss, we had an impeccably observed minute's silence, followed by a rousing minute's clapping, in honour of Edie. 

The game started with Swifts, in red and white stripes, kicking towards the rugby club end of the ground and they quickly had St Nicholas, in all blue, on the back-foot. Swifts passing and pace, especially down the flanks, was causing a few problems for the St Nicholas defenders. It looked as though we may have an early goal as the Blues found it difficult to muster and real possession. However, boosted by the organisation of their two centre-halves, the school team did gradually start to steady their ship and play their way into the game a little.
That was until midway through the 40 minute half when Swifts number 13 opened the scoring with a jinking run and low drive just inside the keeper's right-hand post. 1-0.
Just a minute later and Swifts almost made it 2-0 when Number 18 beat the keeper with a looping volley that came back off the underside of the St Nicholas bar and rebounded to safety, in an incident reminiscent of the infamous 1966 World Cup 'goal'. Given the fact that a boot signed by Geoff Hurst was one of the fund-raising items, if we had had an Azerbijani linesman, it may well have been signalled as a goal.

Only the linesman's flag prevented us from having a goal from Edie's brother as well. When a clearance landed at Jacob's feet, he immediately fired it back into the St Nicholas net only to find that the assistant had already flagged for offside.

​With the score still at 1-0, Swifts have their goalkeeper to thank for keeping them in front. In the 25th minute he was quick off his line to smother a St Nicholas attempt when one of their players was clean through, then 10 minutes later he was down well to his left to stop a low drive that was sneaking in at the far post.
Almost immediately after this stop, the St Nicholas keeper was called into action again, acting quickly to thwart a very quick Swifts break down the left. Unfortunately for the stopper, the loose ball fell to Swifts number 10 who immediately returned the ball into the unguarded net from outside the box. 2-0.

HT Swifts 2 St Nicholas 0. Those few minutes towards the end of the half were to prove very important and showed how the game can change in an instant. First the Swifts keeper saves well and sees the ball run to safety. Then the St Nicholas keeper does the same but, unluckily, sees the loose ball go straight to an opponent who, it has to be said, finished very well.

At 2-0 down, St Nicholas went into break knowing that they were still in the game. However, two quick-fire strikes from Swifts early in the second-half put a massive dent in their hopes of getting back into the game. First of all, on 43 minutes, Swifts Number 7 broke clear on the right and fired the ball past the keeper. 3-0. Then, so quickly that I was still trying to tweet the previous goal, the same player (at least I think it was), popped up to score again and make it 4-0.

On 50 minutes it was five when the ball was bundled over the St Nicholas line following a right-wing corner. It was hard to see who got the last touch, but I am going to credit it to their Number 10. 5-0

Maybe, at this point, Swifts took their foot off the pedal? Maybe St Nicholas found a second wind? Whatever the case, they pulled a goal back on 56 minutes, 5-1, and then a minute later made it 5-2. (Note: St Nicholas did not have numbers on their shirts, so I can't even point to the goal-scorers identity.)

Could the comback be on after all?

No, Swifts were having none of that and, before the hour mark was up, they scored again. This time Number 6 volleying in from the edge of the box. 6-2.

On 70 minutes Swifts rapid winger, Number 7, broke down the right and squared for Number 18 to make it 7-2. Then, a few minutes later the scoring was wrapped up when Number 18 offered up a lovely strike to make it 8-2.

FT Bishops Stortford Swifts 8 St Nicholas School 2. Swifts take the inaugural Edie Wilson Memorial Cup after a thoroughly entertaining game at Silver Leys. Speaking to Scott after the game, it is very possible that this could become  an annual event. Let's hope so. It was a smashing event and a lovely tribute to Edie, with so many people  coming out to support the game.

The last Bank Holiday of the year is over. This is where the football season really starts to take shape. A few game sin, teams are starting to settle and the tables are starting to sort themselves out. So, with the Number 9 Derby out of reach (one of the perils of working down South), I needed to find a more local game to attend. The prospect of a local derby drew me towards Ash United versus Frimley Green in the Combined Counties League Division One. Two sides that I hadn't seen before and a new ground to visit. Perfect.

As I said, this is very much a local derby, with just over 4 miles separating the grounds. Ash United were going into the game unbeaten, sitting fourth with ten points from four games. Visitors Frimley Green were ten places below their hosts, having taken five points from three games.

Since Frimley were relegated from the Premier Division at the end of the 2014-15 season the sides had met six times in the league, with Ash yet to lose an encounter. There have been three Ash victories and three draws. Last season, despite Frimly finishing eleven points and two places above their neighbours, United did the double, winning 3-1 at home and 2-1 at Frimley's Recreation Ground.

Ash's Shawfield Stadium is wedged between the village of Ash and the A331, which divides Ash from Aldershot. There is a decent sized car park at the ground, which appears to have slightly too many allocated spaces for the size of the plot, making it quite difficult to manoeuvre around. There is also ample parking on the adjacent Youngs Drive (although this is a residential area, so please be courteous to the clubs neighbours).
The ground, accessed through a single turnstile off the car park, is a very good example of a stadium for this level of the game. The majority of the facilities are at the car park end, Club house, snack bar and players/officials block. There is a covered standing area (the Paddock) that runs behind the car park end goal. To the right of the entrance is the main stand, a covered seating area that holds just over 150 people. The dugouts are also on this side of the ground. All in all, very good facilities.

​Two further points to make. Firstly, the programme. Last season it was voted the best one in the league and you can see why. Plenty of 
content and statistics for £1. A great effort. The second point is that Ash are one of the clubs that actually put the team lists up on a board before kick-off. For neutrals, visitors, and locals alike, this is an absolute god-send. As someone who travels to a lot of new grounds, I spend a lot of my time trying to find out the teams. If there was one thing that I would wish for, it is that all clubs make the team sheets available or pin them up somewhere in the ground.

Onto the game and, I have to say, this could be a very short part of the blog. It wasn't the most action-packed 90 minutes that I have ever witnessed, although there was an interesting moment just before kick-off. Shawfield Stadium is, as I said, in a residential area. 

Consequently, there are restrictions on the use of floodlights, meaning that evening games kick-off at 7:30pm in order, presumably, to have the lights off by 10pm. It seems that everyone apart from the Frimley Green manager, was aware of this fact. When the 5 minute warning bell sounded in the changing rooms, the Frimley Green squad was still out on the pitch warming up. They had to beat a hasty retreat only to, almost immediately, re-appear for kick-off. To be fair to them, the game only started 2 minutes late.

Maybe the the rush affected the visitors because, within two minutes, Ash should have been ahead. A break down the right and low cross, led to confusion amongst the Frimley back-line and goalkeeper, the ball broke loose in the six-yard box but Fitzgerald and Williams got in each other's way and allowed the defence to recover and clear. It was to be as close as Ash came in the first half though, as 

Frimley quite quickly regained some composure and started to take control of the game.
Twenty minutes in, the away side came closest to breaking the deadlock when Vanterpool got in on the right, but home keeper Jamie Cunningham was quick to come off his line a block the attempt. Two minutes later, Frimley had another good opportunity. This time Dearlove, again in on the right, dragged his shot wide when he probably should have at least hit the target.

Two warnings for Ash, which they didn't heed because, two minutes later, they conceded a corner. The ball was driven into the near post where Zak Horkan was on hand to turn the ball into the net. 0-1.

The expected Ash response to going a goal down never really happened and, although they didn't really look like conceding a second goal, they also didn't really make Harvey Stevens, in Frimley's goal, work either.

HT Ash United 0 Frimley Green 1. Not too much between the sides but Frimley just about deserve to be in front.

​Frimley, presumably to make up for their first-half tardiness, appeared for the second-half well before the bell went off. Maybe, expecting an Ash backlash after a lacklustre first-half showing, they wanted to be prepared for the onslaught. They need not have worried, if so. It didn't happen. In fact, despite plenty of huffing and puffing, not a lot happened in the second-half. Certainly chances, at both ends, were at a premium and Frimley's defence seemed to be coping quite comfortably with anything Ash could throw at them.

That was until the 85th minute when Ash's left-flanker, Kieran Wiliams, burst into the Frimley box and was felled for his troubles. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Jack Fitzgerlad stepped up and beat Stevens, just about. 1-1.

FT Ash United 1 Frimley Green 1. Frimley are still waiting for their first derby win since relegation, a run that extends to seven games. They must have thought that it was coming this evening, until the late penalty undid them. Still, at least we will all remember where we were the night that Saido Berahino finally scored for Stoke.

Ash United: Cunningham, Kipping, Bale, Hamill, Devanney, Passfield, Nwaubani (c), Whitehouse, Wilson, Fitzgerald, Williams. Subs: Chilton, Holmes, Robertson, Charlton, Cairns

Frimley Green: Stevens, Primett, Rayhan, Trinder, Ward (c), Hamer, Dearlove, Horkan, Jermain, Vanterpool, McKinlry. Subs: Cumner, Mepham, Kemp, Bolstrode
Att: 
Ground Number: 162
Entrance: £5.00
Programme: £1.00