Damage in the Box!: OSSETT TOWN (The Ingfield)

It was a trip to Ossett, West Yorkshire, today though the choice of game today was once again influenced by the Good Beer Guide more than an actual football match. In order to get to Osset, you need to get off at Dewsbury Railway Station, home of the famous West Riding Refreshment Room and once in Ossett, there is also The Tap, home of the Ossett brewing company and just a mere 8 minute walk from Town's ground.

After sampling most of the delights the Tap has to offer in was then a slow stagger up to The Ingfield, now sponsored by local scrap merchant Eric France and known as the Stade France, in a terrible pun. When you enter the ground at street level you are at the back of the main seated stand behind the goal and you have to walk down to the pitch/social club/pie hut (I did, in that order!).

On paper the game between two struggling sides, who lay 18th and 19th in the League at the start of play, didn't offer much to suggest a classic, but when you don't expect a classic, thats what you invariably get and I was fortunate to witness a superb eight goal thriller!

Andy Ring gave Stocksbridge the lead on 19 minutes when a drop ball wasn't challenged strongly enough by the home side and, from the simple pass, he ran through to fire home. Jack Muldoon doubled the advantage five minutes later when he finshed a good move and cross. Osset finally had a attempt on goal and halved the deficit on 36 minutes through a Dave Boardman shot, which perhaps the goalkeeper should've done better with. However the joy didn't last long as Stocksbridge re-established their two goal advantage on 39 minutes when Colin Morrison had a free header from a free kick cross. The Steels added a fourth right on half time, but unfortunately nature was calling and I missed it! I'm led to believe it was Ben Leonard who scored it...oops.

The goals continued to flow in the second half and Ring added his second on 50 minutes with a cross shot that the goalkeeper couldn't get near. After going five up Stocksbridge seemed to take their foot off the gas and on the hour Boardman added his second for Ossett with a simple tap in after good work down the right. Ossett kept going but it wasn't until three minutes from time they added a third goal, Boardman completing his hat-trick, by which time it was too late for the granstand finish. Can't grumble at eight goals though!

Once the game was over, it was time for one last pint in the Tap (and a couple more of "take out" bottles for the train) then a taxi back to Dewsbury and the fantastic West Riding Refreshment rooms. I was in no fit state to remember what I had in there, but it was a superb establishment. As the t-shirts worn by the bar staff suggest, it is very easy to miss the train at Dewsbury, I WILL be back...hic!