Gone through a phase: Weekend Matchgoing 18&19 January

[Patrick Thistle]

I saw 12 goals today. Grange Albion beat Garw 3-1. One of the Grange goals was a retaken penalty and they missed a second penalty a few minutes later.

Then Barry beat Carmarthen 7-1. Some really good goals in that, although the first goal came from a Carmarthen shot that hit the bar, bounced downwards and was hooked off the line which turned into a Barry attack and their first goal literally seconds later. Keyne McClaggon scored a brilliant volley and both teams also scored free kicks. It was 5-1 at half time and Barry had a number of missed chances in the second half as well as getting 2 more goals.

I think I've set my future bar for "twofers" really high with this.

[Southport Zeb]

I saw just 11 goals today. Watched Huyton Stanley thrash Liobians Reserves in the Liverpool Old Boys League at a ground near Alder Hey. Somehow it was only 1-0 at half time, with the Liobians keeper pulling off some excellent saves. The second half saw Huyton add another four to get the final score vaguely close to a reflection of the play.

After that I headed to Anfield Sports Centre to watch Lower Breck play Garstang. Breck have had a bit of a stumble over Christmas but still look certain to be promoted and definitely looked back on form with a 5-1 win today. Garstang opened the scoring from the penalty spot but the hosts scored a penalty of their own to equalise and then took the lead before half time. Lower Breck were on top in the second half and secured the win with three late goals. Their fourth goal was a contender for assist of the season as one player took the ball on a Maradona-esque run from the centre circle to the six yard box, where he passed to a teammate for the tap in.

Ended the day watching Liverpool play Thames Valley Cavaliers in the National Basketball League. Liverpool are bottom of the table whilst the visitors lie third, and after an even opening few minutes Thames Valley showed their superiority with a 24-0 run over the end of the first period and start of the second ending any chance of an upset. It eventually ended 111-77 to the visitors, who were better in all aspects.

[Bored Of Education]

To be honest, it looked today like Bath City were going to have what I thought was an inevitable 0-0 up until Ross 'Craig Bellamy of the South West non-league' Stearn came on for his his habitually successful cameo performance. He drew a foul which led to an astonishing free kick from our man of the season Tom Smith and then he did what no-one had done all game, shot on sight and scored. 2-0. 12th game unbeaten. Job done.

An odd event beforehand. I got a call asking if I would represent our Supporters Society at a launch of a Citizen's Advice Bureau we are opening at the call. Basically, there were political reasons for me to be there but it did end up with me sitting with Ken Loach, Dr Phil Hammond and the deputy mayor of Bath.

[longeared]

Parkgate 1-3 Retford

Sunday Morning Gossip; Paddy Kenny was there to watch a player, which he did by going up to some travelling fans to ask which one they were. I don't recall this elite level of scouting research being discussed in Michael Calvin's book on the subject. Anyway I hope his target was Joshua Street who was a pacey presence up front and he'd helped them go three up by half time. There was considerable amusement in the clubhouse at another local game being 0-3 at the break. Grrrrrrrr. Parkgate got sent out early and stepped up a gear, though Retford stuck everyone behind the ball and reduced Gate to trying to shoot on sight. They pulled one back from a corner that bounced around the box but couldn't get the goal that would have made it really interesting. Retford's number six was a tosspot and had an affectionate wrestle on the floor with a home player.

Pretty good crowd for a Saturday there considering the Millers were at home and all the local teams in action, thought it a bit higher than the recorded 92. This figure may not have included the away fans who arrived quarter of an hour late after managing to go to the wrong golf club. I also note that according to a certain app I am now joint number one futbologist for Retford.

A fine day out carried on when I went straight on to a party in the top room of the Dragon's Tap where I drank a phenomenal amount of beer, had my first meeting in ages with a lady friend who I would happily affectionately wrestle on the floor and half a dozen of us concluded the evening all singing Caravan Of Love.

[cantagalo]

Forest 3 Luton 1

Luton were doing ok and leading until Luton keeper Sluga let a shot squirm under him. He must be one of Luton's most disastrous ever signings. Lolley added a much better second and Grabban further flattered Forest's performance with a late penalty.

I spent quite a lot of time enjoying the excellent view from the Brian Clough Stand of the early Sunday afternoon traffic crossing Trent Bridge.

[Third rate Leszno]

Oldham 1-1 Carlisle

Began the day with a train/bus combo to get to Liverpool Lime Street (Merseyrail engineering works), grabbed a Maccy's breakfast and then hopped onto one of TransPennine Express's rather nice loco-hauled sets for the short journey to Manchester Victoria. A short walk took us to the Marble Arch pub, where we joined some postal workers and Palace fans in waiting for it to open up. Several very nice beers later, we walked back to the Angel for a couple more, musing that this part of town would've been completely off-limits to us when we first started drinking there as students in the mid-80s.

Back to Victoria to get a tram to Westwood (Oldham), arriving at Boundary Park in time to grab a couple of steak pies (more like mince, which meant their structural rigidity was questionable). Felt weird being in the Chaddy End, having been used to that being home territory. The game was fairly even, both teams showing their relegation credentials by being shit at the back and far from clinical in the final ball and finishing department. Carlisle took the lead with a solid header from Byron Webster, before his latest partner at centre back, Max Hunt, got his head to a tame shot at the other end and deflected it past a stranded keeper for the equaliser.

There was a brief period in the second half when it felt like we were on top and could press for a winner, but barring a well-saved shot from Hallam Hope we failed to take the opportunity and the game ground to a disappointing finish at 1-1. Had a close encounter with a rat on the walk back to the tram stop, then nipped to the Turk's Head at Shudehill for a couple before getting the TPE back to the coast and grabbing a chippy tea on the way home.

[ale]

What to say. Apart from Leicester winning away at SJP is becoming a hard task. Arsenal did it first game when a substitution confused matters enough to give away a goal. Everton got the new manager bounce. But we have come back against Southampton Bournemouth Watford & Man City. Scored the one that matters against Man Utd Palace & now Chelsea. Mostly without having the ball.

[Uros Predic]

Kent Football United 0-1 Lewisham Borough

Kent Football United, in name and crest, are effectively a Pro Evolution Soccer Gillingham. Their ground in Dartford is slowly being hauled up to the SCEFL's admittedly lax standards, so you can only stand down one touchline, and only down about 65% of that. Inexplicably they'd chosen to stick a couple of errant smaller goals in front of the fence on this same side when they could've gone literally anywhere else, so standing beyond halfway was pointless anyway.

As expected this wasn't a classic. Lewisham have lost a lot of players since topping the league early season and had only won one in six before this. Whereas one of the KFU players was wearing a completely different kit to that of his team-mates. I did however see one of the best goals I've seen live; Lewisham's 'lively' number 9 chesting the ball up for a twenty yard over-head kick that flew perfectly under the bar... only to be ruled offside. "His chest was off as he turned" explained the bloody spoilsport of a linesman. In the end Borough won it with a late header from the same player. Though the club officials were all friendly enough, I won't be rushing back to watch KFU until they've done a bit more work on the place.

[longeared]

I went to dear old Kent Football United a couple of seasons back and honestly, it was the most incredible ground I've ever been to, it made Dronfield Town look like the San Siro. Have they installed any hard standing / floodlights / cover / seating yet?

[Uros Predic]

I went to dear old Kent Football United a couple of seasons back and honestly, it was the most incredible ground I've ever been to, it made Dronfield Town look like the San Siro. Have they installed any hard standing / floodlights / cover / seating yet?

Hard-standing; yes down the aforementioned single side. They'd made a start on adding more by digging up the turf behind the goal by the entrance, but hadn't got any further.
Floodlights; yes, four pylons each with three lights on, though one of them only had one working light, so one corner of the field was much darker than the others
Cover/Seating; Sort of in that they've built a small stand - a weird brick, concrete, wooden mix with the steps forming the seats currently. There was a big stack of seats next to this stand, that I believe are from the London Olympics Aquatic stadium. They seem to have more of them than there is room for in the stand, and they look too big to fit the structure they've built, so who knows where they'll go.

[Ray de Galles]

I like the fact that KFU were originally called Dartford Town but then merged with Erith Town to form Erith & Dartford Town one close season. Erith Town thought better of it after a matter of weeks that summer and went solo again but Erith & Dartford Town kept the new name for a couple of seasons anyway.