Hackney Wick 6 AFC Southgate 3

Pre Season Friendly, Wednesday 5th July 2017

My latest pre season fare came on the 3G of Mabley Green, Homerton, Hackney, East London as Hackney Wick hosted AFC Southgate.

Now Wick were entering their third season as a club but this season has seen them take over Essex Senior League outfit London Bari so this will be Wickers first season in Senior Football after two years in the Middlesex County League. They should be groundsharing with Clapton at the Old Spotted Dog too.

AFC Southgate themselves are entering their first season with a senior mens football team and they will be playing in the Spartan South Midlands Division Two for this campaign and will be groundsharing at Hadley FC in North London.

So two sides entering the unknown this season making pre season all the more important. Wickers had a decent first outing, defeating Olympian Premier side Canning Town 5-1 on Saturday, whilst AFC Southgate’s first outing didn’t go so well, ending in a 9-1 drubbing at the hands of an ArsenalCommunity XI.

Both managers decided that the game duration should be three thirty minute periods, as is sometimes the way in pre season matches, in order to try out new players and tactics etc etc.

After a twenty five minute delay to the original kick off time of 7pm the first period got underway and after both teams had missed an early chance the hosts got their noses in front after eight minutes when after the away keeper had gone on walkabout, it left the hosts a simple cross and tap into the empty net.

It looked like Wick would take control thereafter however it was the visitors who began to find their feet and as the first period came to a close they were more than in this contest it has to be he said.

And sure enough five minutes into the second period of half an hour the visitors levelled when a mistake allowed AFC in and they duly slotted home and in my eyes had themselves a deserved equaliser.

But the term ‘you at your most vulnerable when you have just scored’ rang true for the visitors as barely a minute later the hosts regained the lead after a drilled effort went under the keepers grasp and into the net.

To AFC Southgate’s credit they came steaming back again though and four minutes later levelled the contest again as their striker was played in and he showed good composure to slot beyond the home keeper for 2-2.

But yet again they fell behind almost immediately when a free kick was rifled into the top corner brilliantly and then five minutes before the end of a crazy second period Wick increased that lead as a ball played through saw the Wickers forward get to the ball just before the keeper to loft beyond him and into the net.

So five goals in a mad fifteen minute spell and it looked like the hosts were now beginning to take control of the contest in the last few minutes of the period and of course had that two goal cushion.

However in keeping with the contest AFC Southgate kept plugging away and with twenty minutes left grabbed a decent goal back when a cross was volleyed into the roof of the net although the hosts should then of added a fifth on two occasions but failed to do so.

The visitors then missed a chance for 4-4 before the home side did manage a fifth with fifteen minutes remaining with a great team move ending with a cross from the left being converted first time beyond the keepers dive.

Wickers did manage to score a late sixth to round off another pre season victory, although they were made to work very hard by the plucky visitors who will no doubt get better and better with the more games they play. It was no doubt a good workout for both sides though with plenty of good attacking football on show.

Woodford Town 2017 4 May & Bakers 1

Pre Season Friendly, Tuesday 4th July 2017

So my first look at pre season saw me over at Wadham Lodge 3G for the fixture between Woodford Town 2017 and May & Bakers.

Woodford Town 2017 were Haringey & Waltham last season and struggled somewhat in the Essex Senior League but with ex Wadham boss Tony Ievoli now in charge it should be a much better season indeed.

May & Bakers are a very decent Essex Olympian Premier Division outfit and scored a top four finish last season and with their now groundshare at Barking Rugby Club confirmed their dream of senior football one day gets ever closer.

Woodford demolished Senior One side Snaresbrook on Saturday whilst Bakers held Basildon United from the ESL so this was likely to be a competitive friendly.

We didn’t have to wait long for the opening goal either as the ESL side got their noses in front after two minutes when the hosts got in behind to bury an effort beyond the keeper for a cracking start for Woodford.

However after a slow start May & Bakers gradually found their feet and levelled in the 14th minute when a terrible mix up at the back saw the visitors slot into an empty net and the game was level once again.

A few minutes later a rather unsavoury incident saw one of the Woodford players react to being kicked more than once over a couple of minutes play by headbutting his opponent. The referee took the decision to ask the player to be permanently subbed so the hosts kept eleven men but it certainly showed the competitive nature of the contest.

At this point the visitors were probably the better side but they fell behind midway through the half as great skill down the right wing saw the hosts in on goal and the player in question slotted under the keeper to restore the hosts lead.

May & Bakers continued to do a lot of the attacking but just couldn’t find that leveller.
Their was no doubt the ESL side were dangerous going forward but had the Eofl side had their shooting boots on they could of easily been ahead, as it was the hosts held a slender lead at the break.

The early exchanges of the second half saw both teams miss close range headers but then just before the hour mark Woodford scored an absolute screamer and gave themselves a two goal cushion.

Both sides continued to create chances however a combination of poor finishing / good keeping meant it remained 3-1 to the home side.

However as the game entered it’s final quarter the ESL side began to gain more control as they looked the fitter of the two sides as May & Bakers began to look tired and with just over ten minutes remaining scored a wonderful fourth when a lovely passing move ended with the ball slotted home for a lovely team goal.

The visitors could of grabbed a late second but again fail to hit the target. The final scoreline was harsh on the Eofl side although Woodford were fairly decent going forward and will cause anyone difficulties at this level.

So a final verdict, Woodford have plenty to work with and Tony looks to have assembled a decent squad for the coming season. For May & Bakers this was also an encouraging display despite the scoreline and they should challenge in the upper echelons of the Olympian Premier with this squad.

Sandnes Ulf 2s 1 FK Tonsberg 1

Norsk Tipping-ligaen avd 3, Saturday 1st July 2017

So my final game of Summer 2017 in Norway/Sweden came at Sandnes Ulf and their training pitch next too the Sandnes Stadion as the 2nd team hosted FK Tonsberg in a Third Division encounter. 

The hosts were bottom of the division with only one win from eleven games whilst the visitors sat in sixth with four wins, four draws and three defeats from their eleven encounters.

Prior to the match I noticed three visiting fans dressed in club shirts tying some flags to goalposts on the side of the pitch, so I asked for a photo, and then went onto tell me it was their 72nd consecutive away match, which is very commendable indeed. These are true fans!!! (pic below) 

No doubt they would of been in confident mood taking on the bottom side and the visitors did create the best chance inside the opening quarter hour but saw the home keeper stand up well to save the effort although it was a decent tempo from both sides.

The following fifteen minutes saw FK Tonsberg create another great chance but saw the effort slotted wide whilst down the other end Sandnes Ulf saw a decent effort tipped over as they showed they could also be a threat.

Both sides had chances towards the end of the half although again the visitors created more, however it was a very good competitive contest despite the goalless scoreline at the break.

The opening exchanges of the second period saw both teams create openings but neither side could find that all important breakthrough, that was until the 64th minute when the hosts found just that as a long range effort was not held by the visitors keeper and the hosts followed in to net the rebound.

The hosts, who were trying to win only their second league game of the campaign, so nearly made it two moments after when volleying wide at the far post, however the visitors went very close on two occasions thereafter in their search for a leveller.

As time ticked by it looked like the home side would battle to an important win, and two minutes into stoppage time saw the visitors so nearly level from a free kick, but saw the hosts keeper brilliantly save.

But just as the FK Tonsberg support and players began to lose heart, they found a leveller moments later as they got in behind the Sandnes Ulf back line and calmly slotted across goal for a tap in and cue relief as they had rescued a point from this one.

If it was elation on the visitors side, it was gut renching for the hosts who saw two points disappear, meaning they remain bottom and nine points from safety, whilst the point for FK Tonsberg sees them remain in sixth spot.

Hinna 5 Buoy 2

Norwegian Fourth Division, Rogaland One, Thursday 29th June 2018

My penultimate game in Scandinavia saw me at a Norwegian Fourth Division match from Rogaland and it pitted Hinna against Buoy.

Hosts Hinna had started the season with just five points from eight games but a recent turnaround in form saw the hosts unbeaten in six with four wins in that run although they were still only a point ahead of the bottom three. 

Visitors Buoy sat just below Hinna but werent in such form as their opponents and after three straight defeats, with the last two being heavy home losses, the form book suggested a home win.

After a fairly quiet opening few minutes the hosts broke the deadlock on ten minutes as a cross was missed by defender and saw the hosts nod home at near post despite the keepers best efforts to keep it out, which he probably should of done if truth be told.

His and Buoy's mood got no better three minutes later when it was two for the hosts as a shot from outside the box was poorly parried by the keeper straight into the path of a hosts attacker who duly tapped home the rebound as easy as you like.

Hinna could of added two more before the half hour mark although the visitors were competitive but had failed to really threaten the hosts goal. 

Shortly after the half hour mark the visitors flashed a great ball across the six yard box in what was their best attacking moment so the match but just a couple of minutes later the hosts made it three with a brilliant turn and strike into the roof of the net.

And it looked bleak for the visitors when ten minutes before the break Hinna added another, just walking through a static defence and forcing the ball between the keepers legs and see the ball just trickles in, another one were the keeper probably should of done better if truth be told.

The visitors though kept going despite the 4-0 scoreline and seven minutes before the break grabbed a goal back when a free kick swung in saw the ball glance off a home defender and into the far corner for an own goal.

The hosts then almost restored their four goal cushion when a free kick thumped off the bar and then moments later saw a close range header saved, whilst the visitors headed over good chance late on in the half, a half which ended 4-1 to Hinna.

The visitors knew a second goal back could put doubts in the hosts mind and eight minutes into it saw a terrific run down the wing resulting in a cross which was headed home into far corner, and you felt it could be game on now.

And the visitors twice should of made it 4-3 but were thwarted by the hosts keeper and defence, before the visiting keeper produced a decent save at the other end to prevent a fifth for Hinna. The hosts were looking nervous now though.

Hinna's nerves were not to be helped midway through the half when their full back received a straight red which can only be described as a shocker of a decision. The full back and a winger were battling for the ball and the full back cleared the ball perfectly on the slide but the winger tried to leave his mark on the defender but ended up getting badly injured in the process.

However the referee decided to show the full back a straight red to his utter disbelief and it's got to be one of the worst red card decisions I've ever seen. It also meant the hosts would have to play the final quarter of the contest a man light.

Prior to that red card the hosts should of made it five but saw an effort cleared off the line, and this together with the sending off meant an interesting finale was possible. 

However this never really materialised and two minutes into stoppage time saw the hosts awarded a penalty after the keeper had brought down an opponent and the penalty was despatched and saw Hinna finally seal the points it what had been a far from easy win despite the scoreline suggesting it had been.

So the hosts took a battling win and made it five wins in seven and unbeaten in seven too, climbing up three places to seventh, whilst Buoy dropped into the bottom three after their fourth straight loss.

Viking 2s 2 Lura 2

Norsk Tipping-ligaen (Div3) section Three, Monday 26th June 2017

So a day after seeing the first team draw I was back to watch Vikings 2nd team take on Luna in a Norsk Tipping-ligaen (Div3) section three encounter on the club's training facility. 

Viking 2s sat ninth out of fourteen in the Division and knew a win could take them as high as fourth whilst the visitors were in the final relegation place of eleventh and needing a win to possibly take them outside of the drop zone.

The players emerged from the stadium across the road and entered the training pitch surrounded by fencing (spectators sat outside this on concrete terracing overlooking the pitch) and got ready to do battle.

The opening quarter hour produced no shots on target from either side however there was a decent tempo to the game and when the first shot on target did arrive in the 25th minute it resulted in the opening goal when Robin Shroot turned and fired home a left footed effort from twelve yards out.

This goal saw the game explode into life and saw Lura head an effort straight at the keeper before the hosts drilled an effort a foot wide. The hosts looked likelier to grab another before the break as they slowly began to take control of the contest although the visitors did have a penalty shout but it didn't look like one and the hosts went into the break ahead.

Lura came out a much more threatening outfit in the second period and we're level six minutes into the half when a header across goal saw Vetle Høivik bundle home from close range.

The visitors could sense a second goal now and the game was much better for it and sure enough in the 66th minute Lura got their noses in front in what had been a terrific turnaround when a cross found Sander Bjørnå unmarked and he duly slotted beyond the keeper and the visitors were ahead.

As the game entered it's final quarter Viking began to up the pressure slightly and saw a deflected effort almost creep in and then another cross cause concern, however the defence of Lura were dealing with everything that was being fired at them.

The visitors at times were looking dangerous on the break as Viking pushed more players forward in search of an equaliser. However as the game entered the final minutes of stoppage time it looked like the visitors had earned a hard fought win.

But with the clock on 95 minutes and just when it looked like the green wall of Lura's backline had done enough, a corner swung in saw a host of players go for the ball, including the hosts keeper who had come up for the corner, the ball broke loose for Liban Abdi Ali to swing a boot at the ball and send it into the far corner for a dramatic leveller.

Lura surrounded the referee and were furious claiming the Viking keeper had fouled one of them in going for the ball but the goal stood and Lura had the win snatched from them.

The point doesn't really help either side as they both remain where they started the day. Viking will be glad they managed to salvage something from the game whilst Lura were left gutted and saw two points slip from their grasp. It was an entertaining game though I must say in glorious Stavanger sunshine, which is rare!!!