Three Reds, Three Pens, Three-Two

The arch of the other ground in Wembley

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Saturday 19 March 2011 at Vale Farm (Wembley FC)
Result	Hendon 2 Margate 3
Competition	Isthmian Premier League (step 3)
Hopping	This does not add to my lifetime total as I was here earlier this season to watch Wembley FC.  However, it was good to cross paths again with one of my first non-league Twitter friends, Margate supporter @JeremyJacobs.
This match in one sentence
Margate went in at half-time on their way to a comfortable win against ten men, until a crazy second half of red cards and penalties left them with nine men hanging on for the win.
So what?
Margate stay 14th and Hendon drop one place to 16th (4pts behind with two games in hand) but both clubs look safe to stay in step 3 next season.  Margate are looking for a new manager having parted company with Iain O’Connell this week.
The drama unfolds
Managerless Margate made a bright start and Craig Cloke scored with a header after 8 minutes.  0-1.  After 15 minutes, another defensive lapse allowed Tom Bradbrook to shrug off the last defender and finish neatly. 0-2.  It really did look game over at that point, especially when Hendon’s Danny Dyer was sent off with a straight red card on 23 minutes for a tackle that was deemed dangerous by the referee.  The rest of the first half was unremarkable and we anticipated a second-half doze in the sun.  The first clip captures the general ambience. 0-2 at half-time. How wrong we were.  Hendon came out with purpose and soon got a goal back with a move that scythed through the middle of the Margate back four.  Belal Aite-Ouakrim was the scorer, after 52 minutes.  1-2.  They were soon level, six minutes later.   Margate full-back Tommy Osborne diverted a goalbound attempt with an obvious handball on the line, and was duly red-carded.  The second clip is of the resulting penalty, taken by Jamie Busby. So, 2-2 and 10 v 10, all to play for after all with half-an-hour left.  Then Hendon keeper Berkley Laurencin came out of his area, missed the ball but forced James Pinnock wide. As the keeper raced back towards the byline, he brought down Pinnock who was about to roll the ball across the unguarded goalmouth towards onrushing team-mates.  Penalty? Definitely – but what colour of card? The third clip tells the story. Now, 2-3 after that penalty from Wayne Wilson, and almost 2-4 as the ball was rolled beautifully from the wing by Bradbrook into wide open central spaces for Pinnock to hit it first time on the run, but Laurencin made a good diving save.  Another missed tackle, and a yellow for Pinnock, meant that Hendon’s Busby had the chance to equalise from the spot.  The clip shows what happened and caught a prophetic moment from another guest Margate supporter, Neil, with whom I was chatting.  Neil showed early signs of conversion to non-league fandom, which is excellent. A great save from Jamie Turner in the Margate goal preserved the lead.  When James Rogers earned a second yellow (and therefore a red) to send Margate down to nine men, we were in for a frantic finish.  Busby hit the post with a long-range shot with Turner beaten, but Margate played a 7-1 formation, more or less, and held out for the win with Shaun Welford working his proverbial socks off as a target man. Final score 2-3.  Hendon will rue their sluggish start to the game, and Margate's new manager will have some work to do.
Alternative activity of equal excitement for tourists in Wembley
The goalscoring pattern is the same as the classic FA Cup final from 1978-9, where Arsenal were coasting at 2-0 at half-time, Manchester United got back to 2-2, but Arsenal got a late winner.
A snippet from the programme
Former Hendon midfielder, now playing for Chelmsford City, Takumi Ake, emotionally recalled seeing the devastating scenes of an earthquake and tsunami impact upon his home country for the first time as “like something out of a film”.  But he expressed his thanks for the recent contributions to his “Tako Fund” to raise cash for the British Red Cross’ relief efforts.  The diminutive wide man was upset by the tragedy at home, fearing for the safety of his relatives.  He said: “My family and friends are all fine, though at first I was a bit panicky until I spoke to them about four hours after I heard the news … When I saw it all I just couldn’t believe it – that’s actually happening in Japan. That’s something you see in a film and I was in shock.”
What I learned today
You can actually see the arch of Wembley national stadium from Vale Farm – I missed this at my evening midweek visit earlier this season.  See http://modushopperrandom.blogspot.com/2011/02/were-going-to-wem-ber-lee-que-sera-sera.html for details of that game.
Something random
If you haven’t already done so, have a look at my analysis of quarter-final draws.  There’ll be a test later. http://modushopperrandom.blogspot.com/2011/03/embrace-numbers-quarter-final-draws.html
What Next?
Work commitments will prevent a Tuesday hop this week, sadly, so no definite plans as yet.  Look out on Twitter as I may give you a chance to choose somewhere for me!

We're Going to Wem-ber-lee, Que Sera Sera

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Tuesday 15 February 2011 at Vale Farm
Result	Wembley 0 Chertsey Town 1
Competition	Combined Counties Premier League (Step 5)
Hopping	Wembley currently groundshare with Hendon of the step 3 Isthmian Premier League
This match in one sentence
In a great advert for step 5 football, end-to-end attacking from both teams, with title-chasing Chertsey resorting to corner-flag shenanigans in the last few minutes to hold on for a win.
So what?
Chertsey Town go top of the league by a point, but Guildford City have three games in hand in second place.  Wembley are 17th due as much as anything to a poor away record; they have not yet won on the road in the league this season.
The drama unfolds
Wembley pressed forward from the start, with pace and presence up front from Kobi Osei and Paul Shelton.  The first two clips capture the general atmosphere and an early half-chance repelled by Craig Bradshaw in the Chertsey goal. Shelton and his opposite number 10 Dean Papali both went close, and both keepers were getting muddy.  This clip captures a sharp save by Wembley's Chuks Aminwe.  However, the best chances of the half arguably fell to Wembley’s Cedric Christophe.  An initially fortunate rebound off his knee allowed him to race clear one-on-one, but Bradshaw made an excellent save.  A few minutes later he saved superbly again from Christophe who had another clear shooting opportunity.  He knew these were golden chances.  "Schmeichel!!", said the Chertsey bench. Chertsey came close a couple of times before half-time, with Tom O'Regan finding his feet on the wing, and at that point you wondered whether Wembley had missed their chance for an upset.  0-0 at half-time, but it really could have been anything from 2-0 to 0-2.  Great stuff. The turning point came around 70 minutes.  Chertsey’s Marcus Moody showed good strength in the area and set the ball up for the besnooded Phil Page to finish neatly with a low shot.  I am ignoring the squiggly red line in edit mode under that word I just invented, as I think football writers may need it in the future.  0-1. The one on the left is definitely besnooded.  I expect this to be in the next edition of the OED. Credit to Wembley – they stormed straight back forward and a minute later a great shooting chance fell to the luckless Christophe.  He skied it, and was taken off soon after.  Chertsey took the ball into the corners for the last few minutes to secure their win, which I suppose shows a kind of respect which belies the league positions.  This was brilliant entertainment for the passing neutral – well done to both teams and indeed the ref Mr A Gray (no, not him).  Final score 0-1.
Alternative activity of equal excitement for tourists in Wembley
Quite a lot of the other big-occasion football in the Wembley area ends up being an anti-climax, but as a comparable spectator event from my list I’ll pick out Stevenage’s 3-2 last-minute 2006-7 FA Trophy win over Kidderminster Harriers in the first competitive match in the refurbished national stadium.
A snippet from the programme
Lots of reading material in this excellent programme, but my snippet of choice has to be from Brian Buck’s Traveller’s Tales.  His 93rd game of the season, at his lifetime match number 9,843 and his 2,968th “new ground” was Leyton Orient 5 Dagenham & Redbridge 2 in the Football League Alliance Youth Cup Group 5. “When it comes to training grounds Leyton Orient are nomadic to say the least and if you include Brisbane Road this was the ninth different venue I’ve seen them play youth matches at.” Mr Buck, I salute you.  Hope you get to the 10000/3000 milestones this season.
What I learned today
Ne'er cast a clout 'til May is out.  I had to go back to the car at half-time for my trademark woolly hat.
Something random
This ground has to be fit for step 3 football too, and one of the differences is the need for hard boundaries around the pitch, as opposed to a rail and hard-standing.  I am going to take a guess that the clubs were given or purchased a load of advertising boards from a big event like the London Marathon which have been cobbled together in places to do the job.  Vale Farm will not win any architectural awards like its expensive neighbour anytime soon, but fair play to the groundstaff who got this game on.  The pitch was not at all bad (as opposed to some of the areas immediately adjacent, which were a mudbath).  Hendon have a home game on Wednesday evening.  I hope their fans get a game as entertaining as this one.
What Next?
Can't promise, but thinking about a little hop to Essex on Wednesday evening.