Livid in Tividale

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Friday 17 August 2012 at The Beeches
Result	Tividale 3 Westfields 4
Competition	Midland Football Alliance (Step 5)
Hopping	I am here for ground #467 on the lifetime list as a bonus geographical stepping stone on the way to Workington on Saturday.
Pre-match preparation
Tividale have 5 points from 3 games so far and drew their only other home league match with a late equaliser.  Westfields have 3 from 2 – a 3-2 home win and a 2-5 away defeat.  However, both teams had good FA Cup wins at the weekend and should be confident.
This match in one sentence
Westfields were good value for their 2-1 half-time lead but Tividale in turn deserved their late equaliser, before the visitors had the better of three very late goals.
So what?
Westfields may be the team to follow for fans of high-scoring matches - that's 25 (13 for and 12 against) in four games.  They are sixth in the fledgling league table with Tividale a place beneath.
The drama unfolds
I am still experiencing momentary disorientation after last week's labyrinthitis and the evening almost started badly with adding milk to my pie rather than my coffee, but some deep-rooted survival mechanism clicked into place in my brain stem and equilibrium was restored just in time.  I did not have long to wait before the first goal of the evening.  Westfield are in white. From this 4th-minute corner, the defensive header was missed and a moment later, Westfield's #5 and captain, Scott Jackson, hit the back of the net with his.  0-1 Tividale almost scored with their first attack but Jon Pugh made the first of several decent saves and blocks.  The first equaliser came very soon after, and Ashley Edwards celebrated with a double cartwheel.  1-1 Tim Beech, in the Tividale goal, was called upon to make a save with a Hollywood dive and catch as Westfields gained ascendancy.  Aiden Thomas was leading the line well and it needed a timely intervention from fullback Tyrone Falconer to deny him a good chance.  The visitors regained the lead after 26 minutes.  Will Loughman burst through from the right-back position, played a neat one-two and smacked the chipped return past Beech, who got a hand to it.  1-2 Beech was rather lucky not to gift Westfields another one almost immediately as he dithered at the edge of the area.  Here's a first-half clip, from 35 minutes into the game, showing another half-chance for Westfields and a yellow card for a tackle. Thomas played a magnificent through ball but the flag went up for offside, but Westfield could not extend their lead.  At this stage they seemed to have more invention, more options and more composure as the home side were reduced to "route one" for much of the time.  1-2 at half-time Sadly, it was too cloudy to watch the International Space Station pass over at half-time, and I stayed a reasonable distance from the Tividale changing rooms so as not to hear any rude words.  Tividale indeed came out stronger and were very unfortunate not to equalise very soon.  Pugh tipped a shot onto the base of the post and Kyle Brady was able to send a looping header goalwards from the rebound - Pugh just managed to get another touch and push it onto the same post. Westfields lost Jackson and Tividale continued to press, forcing another full length save from Pugh, albeit at a nice height for him.  Adam Hill also shot just over, before this happened. Kyle Brady is the man doing most of the celebrating although my clip is inconclusive.  2-2 This would have been a fair result, but both teams tried for the win, the next chance falling to Westfields' Richard Kear who sidefooted over.  My final clip is from 85 minutes, just before the final goal glut! After considerable Tividale pressure, Pugh made yet another save to his left but this time the ball fell to Adam Hill just on the edge of the area.  He took a moment to steady himself and finished really well.  3-2 Within a minute, the last one of the ninety on my watch, Westfield were level.  I cannot as yet identify the scorer (I was at the other end) but I have a 50% chance that it was Craig Jones, and I am still not really sure how the ball broke for him to have a straightforward finish.  3-3 Another unidentified scorer, but 50% chance it was Aiden Thomas, headed in a cross from the right, three minutes into stoppage time, and this time there would be no comeback.  Final score 3-4 Very entertaining for the passing neutral, good for my "Hopping for Moorfields" goal tally, and mighty frustrating for the locals.  As I left the ground, the home manager's words of wisdom about "the business end of the game" were ringing around the ground.  Thanks to @tividale_fc and the Westfields website for help in identifying scorers.
The programme
Something random
This particular Westfields is in Hereford, and one day I must pay a visit, especially if they keep up this goals-per-game average!
Hopping for Moorfields Update
This seven-goal thriller adds around a tenner to the value of the pledge pot, but there is still time to join in.  Please send any pledges through Twitter @GrahamYapp or by email to headyapp(at)hotmail.com.  11 goals in two games so far, but I still reckon that it will average out at about 240 goals in 60 or so games by the end of the season.  This means you can pledge a penny-a-goal for less than the cost of a premier league programme or Robin van-Persie's left bootlace.  (Do boots still have bootlaces?)  No Dutchmen met, no farm animals observed.  See earlier blogposts for some more explanation of why this matters.
What Next?
Workington v Stalybridge Celtic on Saturday afternoon, as determined by the Burnley Express.  Trust me.

A Win for the Tipton Ten at Studley

Nice touch to give the lino a private beach (and well done Studley for getting the game on)

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 31 December 2011 at The Beehive
Result	Studley 1 Tipton Town 3
Competition	Midland Alliance (Step 5)
Hopping	Second game of the day after the dramatic finish at Bloxwich United earlier – see previous post for details.
This match in one sentence
A day to forget for Studley as they missed a penalty with the scores level and then failed to capitalise when Tipton went down to ten men.
So what?
Studley are 15th and Tipton Town are 6th in the division.
The drama unfolds
Tipton Town had the first chance of the game and Craig Bannister pinged the post while I was still interviewing a cheeseburger.  (It passed.)  Studley’s new keeper Richard Taylor was soon in meaningful action again, saving low to his right as the visitors looked more likely to score.  My scene-setting clip, from 27 minutes, actually starts with the handball decision and the penalty kick that gave Tipton a deserved lead.  Dave Bate is the scorer.  Studley are in blue.  0-1 A super tackle by a Studley forward tracking back was needed to stop a direct run from the Tipton midfield, and then a home centre-back made an acrobatic clearance.  Then, somewhat against the run-of-play, Studley got to the other end and another penalty was awarded for handball.  Here it is (from a distance).  Chris Collins is beaten by Lei Brown.  1-1 The officials were coming under constant pressure and yellow cards were traded after a minor altercation.  The Tipton player was Mitch Plows and his caution was for his retaliation after a bad tackle.  The ref, however, always presented an image of calm control and from a neutral’s perspective I thought he handled the occasion well.  The visiting fans in particular would not agree!  There were no other goals before the interval.  1-1 at half-time There was another big shout by Tipton for a penalty (nailed-on handball, the Black Country fans would say in a nod to their industrial heritage) before the third spot-kick of the game was awarded … to Studley a few minutes later, after 58.  However, keeper Collins did his job in saving from Brown this time, as the clip shows. Tipton then lost Plows to a second yellow card for a tackle within two minutes, so home optimism was renewed, as was visiting disdain for the officials.  Studley did not reckon on a route one goal from Tipton’s impressive Nathan Waite after 67 minutes.  He controlled the ball well and got into a shooting position.  Taylor got a hand to it, but it curled in just inside the post.  1-2 The ten men had just over 20 minutes to survive, and they started to come under pressure.  Shouts of “Don’t give up!” echoed among the home side’s players.  Tipton brought on an extra (and sizeable) defender and re-organised, and I have two more short clips from the closing moments as Studley pressed (and I was wandering round towards the exit, as the positioning shows!). From one attack, a clearance fell to Tipton substitute Leigh Downing just beyond half way and he rode his luck to advance and smack in an insult-to-injury goal as we entered stoppage time.  1-3 Incredibly, there was still time for Studley to hit the bar with the final action of the game.  It was not their day.  Final score 1-3 Acknowledgement to Tipton Town website for assistance in identifying players' names.  Apologies that I have picked up fewer Studley names but I will work on this and will amend the post as details become available.
Man-of-the-Match
The Chris Collins' penalty save was a turning point but Nathan Waite’s goal just earns him this arbitrary honour today.
A snippet from the programme
I shall sulk about the fact that an interesting article about the career of Ossie Ardiles makes no mention of his Wembley promotion play-off win in 1992-3 as manager of West Bromwich Albion that led to the team returning to the second tier, and earned him the chance to manage Tottenham Hotspur.  I’d forgotten that the Falklands conflict had brought about a loan spell at Paris Saint-Germain in 1982-3. It’s a double-header programme (for which the editor apologises, but it’s understandable!) and I will pinch one of the questions from “Chris’s Quiz Time” for your entertainment.  Name the six football league teams with North, South, East or West in their name.  (Answer below!)
Something Random
Hereford & Worcester had the highest per capita concentration of Yapps in the 19th century censuses.  I have managed to trace my own ancestral line to the county, but sadly I cannot yet prove any link to the Yapps who delivered the milk in Studley in the 1950s.
What Next?
As things turned out, an aborted trip to Colwyn Bay on New Year’s Day, but I am still hoping that something or somethings local will survive for Bank Holiday Monday.

Quiz Q answer: Northampton Town, Preston North End, Southampton, Southend United, West Bromwich Albion and West Ham.

Rangers Power Through

Recycled from bits of Fellowes Park, Walsall, apparently

Everything about this club is neat, tidy and cared-for. Love the press/PA box!

 

Spot the Ball

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 10 September at Hillsfield, Rocester
Result	Rocester 2 (Owens 7, Sterling 14) Ellesmere Rangers 3 (Rowlands 16, Alugbon 20, Williams 113) After extra time
Competition	FA Vase First Round Qualifying
Hopping	I am here because there were 51 points in New Zealand’s 41-10 win over Tonga in the Rugby World Cup and this was tie #51 on the FA’s official draw list.  It is therefore essentially a random choice.  @BeatTheFirstMan is my witness, as he seemed to be the only one paying any attention on Twitter at the time.
This match in one sentence
Ellesmere Rangers came up with a smash-and-grab winner with seven minutes of extra time left, and this after they had been two-nil down in a quarter of an hour and down to ten men after 92 minutes.
So what?
Ellesmere Rangers visit Walsall Wood in the next round – they also had a 3-2 win after extra time in their game today against Pershore Town.
Slipping the following word into everyday conversation would give me the same satisfaction as watching this match
Precipitation (noun)
The drama unfolds
Here’s the scene-setter clip.  The large building to the left is a former cotton mill that has now been extended and refurbished to house the JCB Academy.  Some of you know that I couldn’t walk past an academy without a quick peek, but it saddened me that three of the local residents I spoke to at the ground were unclear that they had a new-style secondary school next door.  However, here’s some footy.  Rocester are in the gold-and-black. In a remarkable game, the home side were two up before a quarter of an hour had passed.  The first will show in the record books as a goal by Chris Owen, but the truth was a shocker of an error by keeper Andrew Pryce, who let a cross-shot slip through his hands.  1-0 Chris Owen in the custard-yellow boots surges toward goal This is not Andrew Pryce's finest moment, but he manages to hold on to his head. Then the impressive Chris Sterling held the ball for an age in the penalty area before curling in a shot to the far corner for an excellent finish.  2-0 However, Ellesmere reduced the arrears almost immediately as the equally impressive Ian Rowlands powered in a header from a corner.  2-1 They only needed another five minutes to be level.  This time a route one approach gave Tom Ward the chance to hold the ball and set up Anwar Alugbon for a great finish.  2-2 Although the game settled down a bit after this early breathless excitement, there were chances for both sides before the interval.  Rocester had one outrageous lob, and Ellesmere were unlucky when a charged-down rebound could have gone anywhere.  2-2 at half-time The second half opened in the same entertaining vein (clip 2), with Rocester looking neater in their build-up play.  However, it was Ellesmere who pinged the crossbar after 65 minutes (clip 3) before Rocester nearly scored from a corner with 9 minutes left.  I was sympathising with the linesman at this point, as he was attacked mercilessly by local flies.  My final video (clip 4) from normal time is from 92 minutes, and shows the home side on the attack.  2-2 at the end of 90 minutes Entomologists may wish to use stop-frame techniques to see what's biting the lino The skies were grey and the wind freshening as extra -time began with controversy.  Alugbon went down in the area and was immediately given a yellow card for simulation.  Unfortunately for him, it was a second card, so a red duly followed.  Rocester continued to look the more likely to win as the first period ended.  2-2 at the end of the first period of extra time Ellemere’s smash-and-grab moment came with 7 minutes left as driving rain began to sweep across the ground and the visitors seemingly content to take the draw.  On the break, Dale Williams had the chance to shoot but was initially denied by a super save by Richard Froggatt.  However, with the keeper out of position the ball then came back to him, and he got the ball in despite the presence of a defender in the line.  2-3 Celebration and despair as the winner goes in This meant my first keeper-in-opposing-box action of the season, sadly unrecorded as my camera was stowed away from the rain.  Rocester’s final corner swirled in the wind and bounced of the bar, with the watch showing 122 minutes.  Great entertainment for the passing neutral, heartbreaking for Rocester.  Final score 2-3 after extra time
Man-of-the-Match
The number 9s Chris Sterling and Tom Ward, and the number 6s Dan McLeod and Ian Rowlands – all caught the eye at various times, doing their job well.
A snippet from the programme
“Whoever gets through will play the next two rounds against teams from a lower level, which, without taking anything for granted, provides a great opportunity for one of our clubs.  In the last two seasons Barwell (semi-finalists) and Coalville Town (finalists) have done the Midland Alliance proud.”
What I learned today
Rocester is pronounced Row-ster, to rhyme with toaster, and I trust Dizzee Rascal is aware of this for when he gets round to rapping about the decline of the cotton industry and the impact of the Academies programme in central England.
What Next?
Hook Norton have a home tie on Sunday afternoon against Wokingham & Emmbrook, and it would be rude not to.