Damage in the Box!

CARTERTON, WITNEY TOWN & KIDLINGTON

Another weekend, another Groundhop!

This time destination was Oxfordshire for an Hellenic League treble...

12pm, Saturday 8th October 2011

Hellenic League Division One West

Carterton 2-2 Lydney Town

Attendance: 102

The day kicked off at Kilkenny Lane the home of Carterton, who were playing host to their Gloucestershire counterparts Lydney Town.

The weather was a bit chilly in the wind but at least it wasn't as bad as the last time I saw Lydney play, when the game was abandoned after 28 minutes due to a waterlogged pitch. Luckily, there was no danger of that happening today!

From my previous experiences of the Hellenic League, I approached today with no sense of expectation whatsoever, but I was pleasantly surprised as the game was good, as indeed were the other games today if truth be told.

A James MacDonagh brace (10 & 17) gave the homesters the lead, both as a result a goalkeeping blunders and Carterton took control of the early play. Lydney should have had a route back into the game when they were denied a stonewall penalty, but just before half time Ricky Elliott handed them a lifeline when he fired home.

Lydney were level virtually from the the kick off when Jarred Liddington scored and the visitors went on to dominate the second period but they couldn't find a winner. As the cliche goes, a game of two halves so perhaps a draw was a fair outcome.

Lydney on the attack

Gianfranco Zola now Reffing in the Hellenic?

3.30pm, Saturday 8th October 2011

Hellenic Premier League

Witney Town 0-4 Reading Town

Attendance: 117

It was a very brief journey along the A40 for the next game, allowing plenty of time to nip into Witney town centre itself and pay a visit to the GBG recommended Eagle Vaults, which is a Hook Norton pub, and sample the seasonal Flagship ale.

Witney have had a colourful recent history to say the least, the original club Witney Town having folded, then revived again as Witney United in 2001, before folding again this summer and reverting once again to Witney Town, but still managing to keep their place at step 5 when normally re-formed teams get demoted at least 2 leagues. David Cameron MP is club patron.

Today's game at the Marriotts Stadium saw Witney host Reading Town. After a delayed kick off due to a kit clash (Reading had their kit stolen in the week so turned up with their away kit which was yellow, so they ended up having to play in Witney's delightful purple away colours) the game was decent enough, with the big difference between the sides being the pace of the Reading attack. Every time Reading got the ball they were always looking for the quick counter and it worked a treat.

Phil John helped himself to a hat-trick with two goals before the break (30 & 38) before completing his treble in the 75th minute. Ray Spence added a late fourth goal after 88 minutes. The Blanketmen did have a couple of golden chances to get back into the game, but these were wasted and their fate was sealed around the hour mark when Stott received a straight red for a professional foul.

Must give a "shout out" to the Reading supporters, all three of them, who made quite a bit of noise behind the goal and kept supporting the team throughout the game!

The very vocal, very loud Reading Town away support. All 3 of them!

6.30pm, Saturday 8th October 2011

Hellenic Premier League
Kidlington 3-4 Ardley United

Attendance: 158

After a quick refreshment stop at the GBG listed Kings Arms, for a taste of the Box Steam Brewery's 'De-rail Ale' the final stop of the day was Yarnton Avenue, the home of Kidlington.

The opponents today were Ardley United, managed by a famous name in the history of Everton, despite never actually playing for the Blues. It is generally accepted by most fans that Kevin Brock's backpass (in a Milk Cup Quarter Final in January 1984, which was intercepted by Adrian Heath who subsequently equalised) was the turning point for a struggling side who then, after winning the replay, went to Wembley for the final and then on to further glory for the next few years. If he hadn't of made that backpass and Everton crashed out to Oxford then Howard Kendall may well have been sacked and, perhaps, the course of history altered.

Anyhow, back to this evening and what a fantastic match both sides produced. Easily the game of the day. Ardley were deservedly leading 3-1 at the break thanks to goals from Darren Beckett (5 pen) Nick Thorne (23) and Troy Bryan (43). Lewis Coyle replied for the homesters.

Ardley were in cruise control against their lowly hosts but Kidlington refused to be beaten. Ryan Curtin made it 3-2 before he grabbed his second to make it all square. The momentum was certainly with the homesters and the Atcost stand behind the goal was rocking. However, Kidlington seemed to take their foot off the gas and this allowed Beckett (84) to score his second of the game and, ultimately, the winner for visitors.

Darren Beckett gives Ardley the lead from the penalty spot after 5 minutes

A great way to end another great day's hopping, as usual spent in very good company. As all the grounds today had been 'hopped' before by many of the usual crowd, that meant it was a rather low-key relaxed affair and that made it all the better. There didn't seem to be the usual chaos and panic that goes with a larger hop crowd! All that was left was for another "pit stop" to tick off another GBG, this time the White Lion in Fewcott and it was home sweet home and in my pit for 12.30am. Happy Days!

After a Saturday sabbatical last weekend to celebrate the marriage of two of my good friends, congratulations once again to Mr & Mrs B, it was back to the hopping and back on the road to Wembley.

Destination this week was Market Deeping on the Lincolnshire/Cambridgeshire border. Like the last time, I had the pleasure of being chauffeured so I was able to partake in a couple of pints of the Woodforde's Wherry that was on sale in the clubhouse.

The tie pitted United Counties League (step 5) side Deeping Rangers against Northern Premier Division One South (step 4) side Leek Town. This was the first time ever Deeping had made it this far in the cup and had knocked out higher ranked opposition, Belper Town and New Mills, in doing so.

It was therefore well within the realms of possibility that an upset could be on the cards, but Leek Town have made a decent start to their campaign, having lost just once so far. Something had to give today.

Rangers had most of the play but once Matt Haddrell had tapped in Leek's opener after 13 minutes, following a goalkeeping blunder, the result was never in doubt. Deeping kept Danny Roberts busy, but the majority of it was bread and butter for the Leek custodian. The homesters two best efforts came from Matt Heron and Mark Jones, but Roberts made two fine saves.

The tie was eventually put to bed after 77 minutes when Devon Gibson scored with a looping header. Deeping could consider themselves unfortunate but The Blues did a professional job to go into the hat for the next round. It was nice to see a game with a fair referee, tackling allowed and no diving players!

The ground was neat and tidy, as befitting this part of the world and, as the plaque said on the wall outside, the turnstiles came from the old Wembley. Perhaps they were the ones I walked through in 1995? Today was spent in the company of two well known groundhoppers, one of whom also does his own blog. It would be remiss of me not to give it a plug... http://laurencereade.wordpress.com/