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Battle of the Counties - midweek matchgoing

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    Battle of the Counties - midweek matchgoing

    I mentioned this when I started the away ends thread but Tuesday night I'm off to see Newport County v Notts County.

    Anyone else got any midweek football plans?

    #2
    Wimbledon v Walsall on Tuesday. My first Dons game of the season which should be enough to threaten their unbeaten record. Taking my boy and, hopefully, my younger brother for his first trip to Kingsmeadow.

    I may try and get to the Croydon Derby in the Southern Counties East League Premier on Wednesday night if my schedule allows.
    Last edited by Ray de Galles; 19-08-2018, 19:38.

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      #3
      Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
      I may try and get to the Croydon Derby in the Southern Counties East League Premier on Wednesday night if my schedule allows.
      I'll see you there if you do.

      Also getting in my first Lewisham Borough game of the season tomorrow night, their first home one of the season.

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        #4
        Trencin vs Larnaca in the Europa League play-off this Thursday. They're playing in Zilina. Trencin's recent success has all occurred since they demolished three sides of their ground, so they play all their European games away.

        These are the sides that hammered Feyernoord and Sturm Graz respectively in the last round, so it ought to be a decent tie.

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          #5
          Lewisham Borough 1-4 SC Thamesmead

          Borough's first home game of the season on what passes for a pitch in the middle of Ladywell Arena. Lewisham were, very evidently from the flapping of green-jerseyed arms in their six-yard box, without a recognised 'keeper and found themselves two down inside the first 15 minutes; both goals going straight through the lad in the gloves. After the second goal went in Borough subbed the lad who'd started in goal for an outfield substitute who, though the smallest man in the squad, offered much more solid a barrier than the ghost who'd started in net. It was 0-3 before half-time thanks to a well-taken volley.

          Lewisham had good chances either side of the break, forcing a bit of panic that caused the SC Thamesmead central midfielder to shout the immortal words "Hey! When we clear it, we clear it! Ok?" The visitors grabbed a third with a speculative shot from the wing/overly struck cross before Borough got the late consolation goal that their unwillingness to roll-over deserved. Would've been a much better game had the home side had a 'keeper.

          Good to see a decent-sized crowd down though, as Lewisham came very close to folding in the summer; being the only non-league game on in the city helping to draw a few groundhoppers and officials from other clubs.

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            #6
            I went to Offa Athletic v Llangollen Town in Division One of the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) this evening. Offa play at Gresford Colliery Club, which is a surprisingly attractive venue considering its location between the Wrexham bypass and a memorial to a mining disaster that killed 266.

            Quite possibly the quickest goal I've ever seen as Llangollen took the lead after about four seconds. Despite that presumably not being in their pre-match plans, Offa regrouped well and took advantage of confusion between the Llangollen keeper and defender to equalise. That however was as good as it got. The home keeper did not appear to be the most athletic and was susceptible to shots from long range. Once Llangollen realised this they took charge and eventually ended up winning 7-1.

            Also notable about the Offa keeper was his kit. This had a wide fluorescent yellow sash on it, with a pinky orange background. From a distance the background looked almost flesh coloured, so the effect was as if he was wearing some sort of toga.

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              #7
              Newport County 3 v 2 Notts County

              Newport won with a 95th minute goal.

              In OIHSP news, Jon Stead lasted 73 minutes for County.

              Newport have vastly improved their away end with a nice bar and gender neutral toilets.

              One of their special fans took his shirt off to goad the away fans after Newport went 2-1 ahead. He had his own personal steward afterwards.

              The guy in front of me in the bar queue had a rolled up copy of When Saturday Comes in his back pocket.

              I'm on the train home.

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                #8
                Originally posted by Southport Zeb View Post
                Offa play at Gresford Colliery Club, which is a surprisingly attractive venue considering its location between the Wrexham bypass and a memorial to a mining disaster that killed 266.
                #AccidentalPartridge

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                  #9
                  Last minute addition to my plans, off to see a pre-season friendly between Saracens and Ospreys at the oldest enclosed sports ground in London, the Honourable Artillery Company's Field (below).

                  It's a venue I've long wanted to go to and both sides are fielding surprisingly strong sides with a fair amount of internationals and Lions.


                  Last edited by Ray de Galles; 23-08-2018, 17:50.

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                    #10
                    Saracens played the US there in 2009 or so. I missed being in London by a few weeks.

                    Do they play rugby on the Royal Hospital grounds, or is that cricket only?

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                      #11
                      Last night I watched Burton Thistle v Grange in the North Lancashire League. Burton play in a field just outside in Burton-in-Kendal with no facilities of any kind. This includes changing rooms - the ground directions do say there is somewhere to change behind a pub in the village but both sides changed in the open last night - possibly because the pub is now closed or because it was an evening game.

                      The match was a lot more competitive than Tuesdays. Grange were better in the first half and took a deserved two goal lead into the break. However Burton were level a few minutes into the second half but then fell behind again around the hour. T finished 3-3 after Burton got a late equaliser.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                        Saracens played the US there in 2009 or so. I missed being in London by a few weeks.

                        Do they play rugby on the Royal Hospital grounds, or is that cricket only?
                        Yes, I think the USA match may have been the first of what is now an annual fixture. This must be the third or fourth time the Ospreys have been the opposition but I’ve never managed to blag tickets before (it is very much aimed at the high end City hospitality crowd).

                        Not aware of any rugby on the Old Hospital Ground.

                        21-7 at half time. Tipuric, George North and Scott Williams trying to impose themselves but Saracens (predictably) grinding it out via their pack.
                        Last edited by Ray de Galles; 23-08-2018, 18:22.

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                          #13
                          Carlton 0-1 Wisbech.

                          Thoroughly enjoyed it, even though the new look Millers (featuring seven new boys mainly signed from two divisions below the Evostik East) look keen but limited. A relegation struggle was predicted, but the 2-0 win at Tadcaster on opening day augured well. They are away at Worksop in the FA Cup on Sunday, which faffs around with the Bank Holiday Monday game at Loughborough I was looking forward to. I think I can make Worksop while Lboro will be off, we suspect, which is a shame as I like a BHM match.

                          One of Carlton's stalwarts of the last two seasons, volatile striker Aaron Hooton, was sent down for eight years in July for a spree of armed (knife) robbery attempts in April. This was around the time he was sent off in disgrace for Carlton in one of their many games in that month's fixture pile-up. Bloke must have been dealing with some issues, cos he did the crimes a few days later.

                          Previous season he'd had a lengthy injury with a knee problem caused by an awful tackle in a game I was at. Maybe that contributed to his problems - surely you don't go trying to rib a small local shop unless you are desperate for money? I didn't know the guy apart from watching him on the pitch and witnessing him in the bar afterwards a few times, where he seemed a very popular and affable guy, rather cheeky and cocky. He played like that on the pitch, always winding up the opposition, but in those last few games he seemed more interested in being aggressive and playing for fouls than concentrating on the round thing that the other players were kicking towards him.

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                            #14
                            Trencin 1 Larnaca 1 (Europa League Play-Off)

                            The big wins these sides achieved in the previous round seemed to have made them wary of each other. The stifling heat also meant the pace was lower than that Trencin usually play at.

                            Still, it was a decent enough game. Trencin scored after 56 wingers when Dutch winger Joey Sleegers rounded off a nice cross-field move. Larnaca equalised just four minutes later, one veteran Spaniard (Jorge Larena) lofting a ball over the Trencin defence for another (Acoran) to finish. That moment was the clearest demonstration of Trencin's main weakness ; as their coach said afterwards, they missed the height and presence of James Lawrence, their injured English centre-back.

                            Larnaca will be favourites to go through now, but Trencin rarely fail to score, so they're not out of it.

                            6,107 present, including perhaps 50 visitors from Cyprus. In their yellow and green, they looked like fans of host club MSK Zilina.

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