LEIGH GENESIS (Leigh Sports Village)

Another 2009 Saturday, another Saturday fixture list decimated by the weather. I was supposed to be heading to Clarence Road, the home of St. Albans for their game versus Wimbledon, and a trip which had been planned since November last year. There is no accounting for the bloody snow!

Anyhow, because of said snow, it meant the choice was rather limited but there was one fixture that stood out and that was Leigh Genesis at home to Hednesford in their new Sports Village Stadium. This was purpose built to be shared with Leigh Centurians Rugby League Club, but if the rumours are true the costs are so high that the football club will not be able to afford to share there for any length of time, so it was a case of visit while you can!

The new ground was dead easy to find, with it being just off the main A579 Bolton road, so there was plenty of time to spare on arrival in Leigh, so that meant a chance to nip into town and go and take one last look at the old ground before it goes and joins the great housing development in the sky! Luckily some local vandals had wedged open a gate which even I could squeeze through...so here are the photo's I took of the gem that was Hilton Park....

It was then onto the new ground. There is not a lot I can say about new grounds. Yes, they are clean, Yes, they are comfortable BUT they are soulless and to me they make watching football a similar experience to going down the cinema. Unfortunately this seems to be the way forward and sadly most grounds will be like this in the future. If your team currently plays in what is deemed a rickety old stadium then don't listen to the heathens, they must be treasured and protected!!!

I was lucky that I managed to get some snaps of the ground, as the over zealous stewards clamped down on anyone with a camera.

Anyhow, onto the game itself and it wasn't that bad. Leigh had the better of the opening exchanges and should have been a couple of goals up but against the run of play Hednesford took the lead on the half hour though a Ross Dyer penalty (see below). This was after a needless foul in the area by a Leigh defender.

After this a rather young-ish Leigh folded like a pack of cards, Dyer scored his second with a powerful header on 36 minutes and then completed his hat-trick with a cool finish just after Half -time. It wasn't until the hour mark that Leigh got a goal back, a good finish by Phil Marsh, this lifted their confidence and they started to make a fight of it, however they could not force any more goals and Hednesford seen out the game to the delight of their travelling army of supporters.

Saturday 7th February 2009

Northern Premier League

Leigh Genesis 1-3 Hednesford Town

Attendance: 344

GOYTRE UNITED (Plough Road)

A bonus of some Sunday 'action' as Goytre took on Caldicot in a weather delayed Gwent cup tie. On a bitterly cold afternoon at Plough Road, 120 minutes of football couldn't seperate these teams. The game was by no means a classic, as both sides were playing their second game in 24 hours, but what the game lacked in inspiration was made up with perspiration as both sides were fully committed to the cause. What football there was was mainly played by Caldicot, defending the trophy they won last season, but they came up against a superb and stubborn Goytre backline.

It was Goytre who took the lead on 27 minutes when a free kick from the left was launched into the box and not dealt with convincingly, it fell to Adam Roberts who smacked it home from 12 yards. Caldicot equalised on 58 minutes with a speculative 30 yard lob over the 'keeper by Mark Williams. It looked as if the 'keeper thought it was going to drop over the bar and seemed to leave it, but was soon red-faced as it nestled in the back of net!

Both teams hit the post and both 'keepers made some great saves, but chances throughout the game were at a premium. There was no surprise when it went to the lottery of penalties and it was Caldicot who held their nerve to take the shoot out 4-2.

The ground is a typical welsh lower league ground with basic facillites. The pitch is simply railed off and the only cover from the elements is the extended roof on the clubhouse.



Sunday 1st February 2009
Gwent Senior Cup
Goytre United 1-1 Caldicot Town
(Caldicot won 4-2 on Penalties)
Attendance: 48 (h/c)

HARROGATE TOWN (Wetherby Road)

Saturday 24th January 2009

Conference North

Harrogate Town 3-3 Stafford Rangers

Attendance: 338

Cracking match played on a very heavy Wetherby Road pitch.

Harrogate went in at half time 2-0 up, courtesy of two stunning strikes, the first a 20 yard dipping volley from Danny Holland on 27 minutes and the second on 40 minutes, a shot from just inside the penalty area which was curled beyond the keeper into the bottom corner by James Dean. There were numerous other chances for Harrogate as they dominated possession and Stafford rarely got out of their own half.

The second half started as if it was going to be a continuation of where the first half left off, but on 56 minutes Stafford won a free kick on the edge of the box, which was curled over the wall and into the top corner by Chris Flynn. Stafford then seem to have the edge for a few minutes and missed a good opportunity to level, but the Harrogate keeper saved well.

Harrogate stepped it up again and it looked like they were going to extend their lead and kill the game off, but failed to do so. Then would you believe in the 85th minute Stafford won another free kick on the edge of the box and Flynn only went and repeated the trick! Even more unbelievable was a minute later when Stafford got themselves in front. A defender failed to control the ball 35 yards from goal and knocked it straight to Dorryl Proffatt, who, on seeing the keeper off his line, proceed to lob to ball over him and into the net to give Stafford what looked like an unlikely three points.

However in the third minute off stoppage time Stafford conceded a free kick on the edge of their box and it was Nathan Peat who fired it home, via a big deflection, to salvage a point, which was the very least Harrogate deserved.

I suspect that both teams will reflect on this game afterwards and think, how the hell did we draw that? but for entirely differing reasons, but for the neutral a fantastic afternoons entertainment.



ST IVES TOWN (Westwood Drive)

Saturday 17th January 2009

FA Vase 4th Round

St Ives Town 0-0 Stanway Rovers

Attendance: 598

The choice of tie today was a no-brainer for me. Having had a great visit to Stanway in the last round, I simply had to go and see them take on St Ives in their quest for Wembley glory.

There is no way I can do this cup tie justice in a few words but I will try my best.

An absolutely cracking cup tie which somehow ended goalless. There were loads of clear cut chances but a combination of poor finishing, great saves and the woodwork meant both teams have to do it all again next week.

After a pretty even first 20 minutes in which both teams had opportunities, St Ives upped their game and had the better of play missing a hatful of chances, including a one-on one with the keeper.

In the second half Stanway came back into it and looked dangerous on the break, they had the better chances but once again poor finishing and great saves kept St Ives in the game but again they too were without chances, with best one forcing the Stanway keeper into a great save at his near post.

In extra time Stanway looked the stronger and should really have wrapped up the game. A one-on-one beat the keeper but came back off the post, another one-on-one was put wide when it was easier to score and in the last minute the St Ives keeper pulled off a fantastic save to take the game to a replay.

It's anyone's guess as to who will win the replay but after such an enthralling match it's a shame one of these sides will have to go out.