A Field Guide to Wasps, Kites and Bees of the Hellenic League

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 20 April 2019 at (a) Longburrow Park (b) Chinnor Community Stadium and (c) Long Crendon Community Centre
Result	(a) Stokenchurch 0 Chalfont Wasps 3 (b) Chinnor 1 Holyport 4 (c) Long Crendon 0 Yateley United 0
Competition	Hellenic League (a) & (c): Division Two East (Step 7) (b): Division One East (Step 6)
Hopstats	Grounds 693-695 on the lifetime list.
Context
I am joining the Hellenic Easter Hop on Easter Saturday at the fifth game in.  Stokenchurch v Wasps is a mid-table v lower-placed contest, and Chinnor v Holyport is the reverse.  Chinnor have struggled this season and Holyport lie fourth.  Long Crendon are still in with a shout for the title with a game in hand in second place, and Yateley will supply decent opposition in fifth.  Long Crendon have been groundsharing elsewhere but this match is on their true home patch.
In one sentence each
A superb early save by the Wasps keeper laid a foundation for a deserved win. Holyport coasted to a big away win following two early goals, with red kites proving a distraction for several hoppers. Long Crendon and Yateley fought out an entertaining draw with defences on top, and neither side deserved to lose.
So what?
In Division One East, Holyport remain fourth and Chinnor remain 13th (bottom).  In Division Two East, Long Crendon go top on goal difference. Yateley are 5th, Stokenchurch 6th and Wasps 14th.
Match Report
At Stokenchurch, I watched the game from the shade of a large tree, with red kites circling overhead.  Maybe the turning point of the game was as early as the tenth minute with this reflex save from visiting keeper Will Stratford, pushing a powerful shot on to the bar. The game developed as a pretty even contest, on a decent surface.  All the day's games were played on fairly hard bouncy pitches.  On the half-hour mark, Mikey Benning released Nigel Mpofu down the right and the break led to a corner.  Tom Letterman scored with a header to open the scoring for Chalfont Wasps.   Mpofu was also involved with the break just before the interval - his cross was not dealt with and eventually Letterman found himself with time and space to bury a second. Stokenchurch's half-time recovery and team talk took place under a neighbouring tree.  Whatever was said was rendered pointless within two minutes of the restart as striker Tauran Williams just beat the home keeper Steve Kirkland to a through ball and lobbed it gently and teasingly into the net for Wasps' third.  Kirkland went on to make a superb save in the dying moments to prevent a fourth, but the away win had long since been secured. At Chinnor, the red kites were more fearless and landed occasionally on the adjacent area.  I was safely tucked away in the shade of a stand.  Several hoppers, myself included, spent time trying to get kite photos once it soon became clear that this match was going to be a routine Away Win for Holyport.  Dan Rapley got the first of a hat-trick from a rebound as early as the fourth minute, and Fabian Driffill got a second after some penalty-area pinball just after the quarter-hour.  Rapley's second was a neat volley just before the half-time whistle. All credit to Chinnor for making more of a contest of the second half.  They pulled a goal back through Ben Knowler only to see Rapley complete his personal treble from a narrow angle two minutes later. Long Crendon have been groundsharing but this game was staged in their home village, at the most visually interesting location of the day.  Wildlife interest was provided this time by the mainly ankle-high presence of an estimated 120,000 ground bees, swarming around aimiably, randomly and seemingly pointlessly over the turf.  Much like Saloman Rondon in his time as lone striker under Tony Pulis at WBA, but I digress.  The club had organised a superb cake stall alongside above-average beer-and-burger standards.  I again sought the shade of a tree. Yateley made it clear that they were going to provide a good test for the title-chaser hosts.  They had the two best early chances with a lob just over and a flick just wide. Long Crendon fought back with a near miss after the keeper had been rounded, and a header just wide (though there was cover on the post).  Defences remained on top throughout the second half which, although entertaining, is mainly of note because of my first encounter of a sin-bin.  In the closing quarter, both sides had spells with ten men as some punishments for dissent were handed out.  The two step 7 Hellenic Divisions (Two East and Two West) are part of the FA trial for a sin-bin process that is expected to be extended next season).  The home side had the last chance of the game, but it was yet another case of "just wide".  Although goalless this was arguably the sporting game of the day because the outcome was in doubt right to the final whistle. A very good day, with credit as usual to the host clubs, the league and the organisers.
Pix
From Stokenchurch: Home side in Green and Black. From Chinnor: Home side in Blue. From Long Crendon: Home side in Green.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
New this season – a pre-match prediction based only on keeper top colours as a preliminary test of the data.  Proper statistical significance test to follow in due course. Today: At Stokenchurch, Green beats Orange and keeps a clean sheet. At Chinnor, Green beats Orange again but no clean sheet this time. At Long Crendon, clean sheets for both Radioactive Bile and Grey. Pre-match Predictions based on Keeper Top Colour: Predictions: Away Win, Away Win, Away Win Was the prediction correct? Yes, Yes, No % of correct predictions so far 57% (29 from 51) Based on conventional 3pts for a win, 1pt for a draw, but also -1pt for a goal conceded (GC) and +5pts for a clean sheet (CS).  Colours ranked on a points per game (PPG) basis. The odd decimal places were caused either by half-and-half tops or sub keepers in a different colour.  The Fire Cracker colour was confirmed with the help of the social media team at Dulux UK.  All of this arises from a comment attributed to Petr Cech that orange is the best colour for a goalkeeper because it changes the behaviour of other players around the box. Full table will be reprinted in the next post.  Today's results see no change in the league table positions.  Table based on 196 matches at this point.
What Next?
Follow @GrahamYapp on Twitter!  A second post to come to cover the Easter Sunday games, and if all goes to plan, a football and cricket sporting double header next weekend.

A Game of Gust-a-Minute at Holyport

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Sunday 17 August at Summerleaze
Result	Holyport 2 Abingdon United 2
Competition	FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Hopping	Ground 541, the third FA Cup tie of the weekend, chosen as the shortest journey distance-wise if not time-wise due to the dreaded M25 western section.
Pre-match preparation
Both clubs play at Step 5 in the Hellenic League, and neither have a win.  Holyport’s league campaign has started with two defeats and Abingdon have one sole point from a draw and a defeat.  But (all together now…) THIS COUNTS FOR NOTHING IN THE CUP.
This match in one sentence
Abingdon were ahead but eventually had to settle for a replay, as the rain stayed away but the wind gets the assist for Holyport’s crazy equaliser
So what?
The aforementioned replay is on Tuesday evening.  The winners will have a home tie against Egham Town.
The drama unfolds
Sam Jones tapped in after a well-worked move down the left to give the home side the lead midway through the first half.  1-0 after 23 minutes Suddenly the wind seemed to pick up and playing conditions became trickier.  It was blowing sideways across the pitch towards the dugouts.  I was on my customary lap of the perimeter and at the other end when Anaclet Odihambo equalised for United just a few minutes later.  1-1 after 29 minutes I took my first clip and the effect of the wind on a cross led to a fumble by the home keeper that needed a last-ditch clearance.  Holyport are in claret and green. Abingdon adjusted to the conditions better at first and substitute Graham Edney was unlucky when he hit the bar.  1-1 at half-time The visitors took the lead with Odihambo’s second goal, a really cool finish when the defensive line was broken.  1-2 after 52 minutes Steve Davis almost scored unintentionally for Abingdon when the wind turned his cross into a shot, but it played an even bigger part in the equaliser.  Thomas Kaill sent a freekick well wide of the goal, quite deliberately I would suggest, and the vicious curve deceived the keeper for the kind of equaliser I last saw in the Faroe Islands!  2-2 after 77 minutes My second clip shows Davis trying to repeat his set piece feat from a little closer – he hits the angle of post and bar and maybe it was fair enough that this game ended all square.  Final score 2-2
Ground Pix
This is a lovely location for a fine afternoon – if you visit, make sure you have a look at the map because this ground is tucked away at the end of a track, through a cricket club, if you follow the satnav route.  It is worth it. To be fair, this was straightened very soon afterwards by a level-headed club official! Pic showing location of Scooby Tree (see below)
Match Pix
Management expressing "I Don't Believe It" through the medium of dance
Something You Don’t Get in the Premier League
1. Teams emerging from the woods to take the field ... 2. Scooby Trees (I love this tree) 3. Red Kites overhead 4. Convolvulus
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
Honours even between the grey of Holyport and the blue of Abingdon United.  Updated points table to follow next week.
Soapbox Section
Not today.  I am soapboxed out.  I will just say that this is fast becoming my favourite weekend of the whole football season.
What Next?
Watch @GrahamYapp on Twitter for details!  Maybe a midweek replay or two, but nothing next Saturday due to a family function.