Damage in the Box!

HITCHIN TOWN (Top Field)

The hopping gods certainly smiled on me today.

After Wembley I was planning to go and watch Hemel Hempstead v Oxford City but a waterlogged pitch put paid to that. I need a back up plan. I remembered being 'tipped off' about Hitchin Town's ground by another hopper, so I thought i'd go and see what the fuss was about.

I wasn't disappointed!

Hitchin were playing local rivals Arlesey, which is always a spicy game, and last year, with both teams going for promotion, there was a crowd of over 1,500 present. Today it was a little more modest, around the 500 mark, which was still Hitchin's second best of the season.

Both teams were not mathematically safe from relegation, but a win for either would certainly ease any lingering worries.

Arlesey were quickest out of the traps and had the best of the early chances.

They had a gilt edged chance to take the lead after 24 minutes when Goalkeeper Martin Bennett brought down Chris Dillon in the box. Dillon got up to take the penalty kick, but the ball came crashing back off the foot of the post.

After being let off the hook so to speak, Hitchin played themselves back into game and once Callum Donnelly headed them into the lead after 39 minutes, they never looked in danger of surrendering the points.

The second half was more or less dominated by Hitchin, as Arlesey faded, but it wasn't until the 71st minute the points were actually sealed, when The Canaries were awarded a (dubious) penalty. John Frendo made no mistake from the spot.

Top Field is another absolute gem of a ground (I seem to be on a run of them at the moment) and is characterised by it's vast wooden terracing. I'll comment no further and let the pictures (below) do the talking.

Another enjoyable days hopping!

Arlesey's Chris Dillon sees his spot kick come back off the foot of the post

John Frendo makes no mistake with his penalty to give Hitchin a 2-0 lead

3.00pm, Monday 9th April 2012
Southern Premier League
Hitchin Town 2-0 Arlesey Town
Attendance: 514

WEMBLEY FC (Vale Farm)

I started the week where I will be finishing the week...at Wembley!

Ok, it's wasn't Wembley stadium itself but at the nearby Vale Farm, home of the Wembley football club.

Wembley, who are mid table in the Combined Counties League, recently hit the headlines when they began being sponsored by Budweiser, with the aim of having a good FA Cup run next season (because they sponsor the FA Cup too), who then brought in Terry Venables as a technical advisor.

El Tel wasn't here today, but there were plenty of camera's filming the proceedings (for a documentary I believe) and Martin Keown and (I think) Michel Salgado (if it wasn't him then his was a dead ringer) were in the home 'dugout' I assume as advisors in Mr Venables absence.

They would have their work cut on this evidence as the visitors from Hanworth Villa picked Wembley apart at will in a classic display of counter attacking football. In fairness though it was Wembley's first defeat in eight matches.

After early Wembley pressure, Hanworth took the lead after 15 minutes when Lawrie Shennan ran onto a defence splitting pass to give the visitors the lead. Wembley carried plenty of attacking threat but rarely troubled the Villa goalkeeper. Indeed it was Hanowrth who looked more likely to extend their lead.

It was still only 0-1 at the break but it soon became 0-2 when Levi King started and finished a move after 49 minutes. On the hour mark King had his second goal when he flicked home from a corner kick.

Wembley pulled a goal back, through Daryl Atkins, with 15 minutes remaining to give themselves hope but, just moments later, Shennan restored Hanworth's three goal advantage. Deep, and it was deep, into stoppage time King completed his hat-trick when he tapped home from close range.

The ground resembled a building site and, with the camera's present, I was half expecting the ground force team to turn up. If the sponsorship has helped to pay for ground improvements then it's fair play, but I'll leave the final word to one supporter remarked "it will be good when all this malarkey is over and we can get back to concentrating on the football"

It was a very cold and wet morning at Vale Farm, but I never had any concern about the game being on, however the same could not be said of my next game at 3pm, Hemel Hempstead v Oxford City, which was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. This meant there was some hastily re-arranged plans for the afternoon...

Martin Keown and (is it Salgado? ) in the home dugout

11am, Monday 9th April 2012
Combined Counties Premier League
Wembley FC 1-5 Hanworth Villa
Attendance: 105 (h/c - but difficult to gauge who were genuinely watching the game and who were tv crew)

WORSBROUGH BRIDGE ATHLETIC (Park Road)

With it being the Easter weekend, the traditional annual groundhop took place over the 3 days. This year it consisted of teams in one of my favourite leagues, the Northern Counties East League, however having visited 7 of the 9 grounds on this years itinerary, I decided the full schedule wasn't for me this time.

However, luckily, one of the grounds I needed was the last game of the hop which meant I could easily pick this up after my trip to Consett. A nice Easter Saturday double!

Worsbrough is a district of Barnsley and the football club has links to the towns mining past, having become Worsbrough Bridge Athletic when linking up with the local miners welfare scheme. They were originally formed in 1923 as Worsbrough Bridge St James.

They are currently playing in Division One of the NCEL and are having a decent season and on course for a top half finish, as are their opponents tonight Rossington Main.

After a poor first half, the homesters were rampant in the second half scoring four goals without reply. I never seen that coming when it was 0-0 at the break!

Goals from Spencer Goff (51) Tom Copping (66) Scott Ruthven (72) and James Young (76) gave the homesters a resounding win. Spencer Goff's goal, that broke the deadlock, was worth the £5 admission alone as it was a stunning volley from around 25 yards.

A healthy attendance of 273 were present at this evenings game, which is slightly higher than Worsbrough's normal gate (they had 74 in their previous game) so that would seem to indicate a successful day's work for The Briggers.

A successful days hopping for yours truly too, with two cracking grounds ticked off!