Spartan South Midlands Division One, Saturday 30th August
My latest game saw me watch my first ever contest at Bell Close, home of Leighton Town, and today saw their Development side at home against Stotfold's Development side in the Spartan South Midlands Divsion One, which is Step Six in the non league ladder.
I had been staying in Leighton Buzzard since Thursday due to my Cousin Russ getting married nearby on the Friday, you know he likes his football when he doesn't get married on the Saturday, so this freed me up to take the chance to go and watch a game at this ground for the very first time before I headed home.
With plenty of hours to kill after an 11am checkout from the hotel I was staying in, I watched an hour and a half of the cricket that was going on next door at Leighton Buzzard CC, and took the time to chill out in the nice sunshine that was on offer at that point in the day (it was to turn a bit wetter later on!!!)
Now I had taken the chance to wonder about Friday morning prior to the wedding reception, and had sneaked into the ground to have a look, and it is a very neat little ground, a nice sized covered seated stand on one side, a covered standing area behind one goal at opposite end to the clubhouse, and the clubhouse is nice too.
There is also a nice tea bar which amongst other things serves very unique sausage rolls (Chorizo ones & Black Pudding ones!!!) although I plumped for some basic chips, which were very reasonably priced, and then took my place in the main stand to see how this contest would pan out.
Leighton Town Development began the day one point and two places behind their opponents in the table, that was 14th spot for the hosts, having won two, drawn two and lost two so far this campaign, whereas Stotfold Development had won three and lost three, so there was at least a symmetrical look to both sides records, both also knew that a win could take them into the top ten in the standings.
Well, the opening half hour was quite scrappy with not a lot of goalmouth action to shout about, but just past the half hour point came the breakthrough, Charlie Mallett fired a ball across goal which went through to the opposite side of the box, Charlie Scott kept it alive to send a ball back into the dangerzone where Alfie Gardiner was on hand to turn the ball home and give the visitors the lead.
Things though were to take a turn for the worse late on in the half for the visitors, as in the 42nd minute hosts forward Charlie Gilbert (yes everyone appears to be called Charlie in this game so far!!!) got in on goal and was fouled by visiting keeper Gurjosh Dhesi as he rounded him, penalty, and the referee decided to show the keeper a straight red card, which it's fair to say he wasn't to pleased about.
It meant one of the centre halves for Stotfold had to don the gloves for the remainder of the game, and his first bit of action was to pick the ball out of the net after Gilbert picked himself up to fire home the spot kick, which meant the sides went in level at the break but the visitors now had a whole half to play with ten men and an outfielder in goal, advantage Leighton Town no?
The hosts certainly had more possession in the early exchanges of the second period, and they saw two decent headed openings go array, Stotfold were doing well to protect their new keeper from having many shots to deal with, and as the half went on it was they who were starting to show some threat, hosts keeper Will Hamm had to beat away a decent effort from the visitors, and it was hard to see who had the ten men if truth be told.
However, a moment of class handed the hosts the lead in the 77th minute, Liam Nourse sent a wonderful flick through to Enaan Hussain who strode into the box before firing across the keeper into the far corner, it was a wonderful ball through to him and ten man Stotfold now had around fifteen minutes to find a response.
Then came a spell where the visitors piled on plenty of pressure but just could not find that final touch inside the box as Leighton Town just about held firm, considering the visitors had been a man light since the 42nd minute they had done ever so well and probably deserved to be on level terms, but you don't always get what you deserve in sport, and in the 92nd minute the hosts sealed the deal.
It came when good work down the right ended with them driving into the box, and a ball sent across the box found Nourse who grabbed a goal for himself by firing past the keeper who did his best to save it, and the hosts could celebrate a hard earned win against a side who certainly battled well and caused problems with ten men.
Stotfold certainly felt the referee had been against them during the game, the red card being their biggest complaint, and led to their manager (I think) going up to the referee at the end and not exactly give him a compliment, let's put it that way!!! The visitors were frustrated with the officiating but they could be proud of how they battled after that set back.
Well done to the hosts though, a good win, and it's three points that takes them up to ninth in the table, and now two points and six places above Stotfold who drop to 15th as a result, still early days as they say, onto the next one (as they also say!!!).
Full time Leighton Town Development 3 Stotfold Development 1
Hey bro... Good going with your blog posts... Way to go ahead
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