Boxing Day Lacks Knockout Punch in Suffolk

The Shed - where I installed myself for the duration of proceedings!

 

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Wednesday 26 December 2012 at The MEL Group Stadium
Result	AFC Sudbury 0 Needham Market 0
Competition	Isthmian League Division One North (Step 4)
Hopping	Here at 3pm because of the proximity to the 11am kickoffs of the Eastern Counties League,  for the second half of a double hop and ground 499 on the lifetime list.
Pre-match preparation
18th v 12th in the table, but past form may not apply in this local derby!
This match in one sentence
The two teams did enough to cancel each other out in continuous rain.
So what?
No change in league position for the visitors, but the home side climb two places for the moment at least.  They should avoid relegation as there are three sides already distinctly adrift.
The drama unfolds
I spent a few minutes trying to decide whether Sudbury were playing a midfield diamond, a formation that never worked for me in earlier years of Championship Manager.  They certainly had D'Arcy De'ath sitting in front of the back four, but with a magnificent name like that I imagine he can sit wherever he likes.  Unfortunately he was injured in a tackle after half an hour so ended up sat in the dugout.  Needham Market were willing to commit full-backs to forward positions and often relied on just two at the back when in possession further forward.  Both teams worked hard but stifled each other as the rain got heavier.  Sudbury had the first half chance but James Baker's shot on the turn was beaten away by Louis Johnson.  Here's the scene-setter clip from midway through the first half - Sudbury are in the yellow shirts - followed by another one from about five minutes later. To be honest, there was not much to report in the way of critical incident, shot on target or plague of frogs before the break.  The last-mentioned would have been the most likely.  (I told you that I am determined not to get too mainstream.)  0-0 at half-time Alex Archer, keeping goal for Sudbury, was in action twice in the first minute of the second half.  First he beat away a cross-shot and then caught a close-range header.  At the other end, his opposite number Johnson came out and missed a ball at the edge of the area but Ryan Henshaw's header looped wide. My final clip is midway through the half.  The surface is getting trickier, players are getting tired and occasionally fractious, and there is still no sign of the frogs. As the game neared the end, Needham Market were pressing the more of the two teams but there was no golden or gilt-edged chance, and I was not at all surprised with the second goalless scoreline of the day.  Fair play to the club for getting the fixture on and to both teams for the efforts needed to play an entertaining game.  0-0 at full-time
The programme
Something random
This is a very impressive setup at step 4 and there cannot be many better places to watch a non-league game in the pouring rain.  The clubhouse is new and spacious and there is covered standing on all four sides of the ground.  The pitch held up well considering, and even the moles warmed up outside the touchline.
Hopping for Moorfields Update
The second goalless draw of the day is not too bad for the pot as a couple of sponsors helpfully chose to compensate me for 0-0 draws!  The average number of goals per game is now down to a little over 3.3 but this is still well within the bounds predicted at the start of the season and we have plenty of time.
What Next?
Ground Number 500! Follow @GrahamYapp on Twitter for the landmark event in due course.

Market Forces Eventually Win

Ely City are "The Robins" in red

Pay attention other clubs.  If you have signed any of these you may be at risk of expulsion from the Cup if they play - ask Mangotsfield United who were kicked out this week 

 

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Tuesday 20th September 2011 at The Unwin Ground, Ely
Result	Ely City 3 (Lawrence 5, Murray 17,29) Needham Market 4 (Thrower 4, Dalby og 26, De’ath 62, Chaplin 112) After extra time
Competition	FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round Replay.  The teams had drawn 1-1 in the first game.  Ely City play their league football at step 5 in the Eastern Counties Premier.  Needham Market moved up to the Isthmian D1 North (step 4) in 2009-10.
Hopping	The nearest FA Cup replay at an unvisited ground this evening.
This match in one sentence
A gripping game in incessant rain that could have gone either way.
So what?
Needham Market are at home to Nuneaton Town in the next round.
Something random
Ely Cathedral dominates the skyline around this area, giving me a chance to skip back to 2005 in my photo album. My senior team colleagues at Beaumont School, St Albans had bought me a flight experience as a leaving present – cue many jokes about one-way tickets and dodgy parachutes – but the reality was a trip from Duxford in a historic biplane - the Dragon Rapide. Ely from the air in 2005
The drama unfolds
The match started in pouring rain, with most spectators huddled in the sheltered areas opposite the dugouts.  The rain was a constant factor – it eased a little at the start of the second half, but for both teams to produce this spectacle is a noteworthy achievement.  Compelling from start to finish for both partisans and neutrals. After 4 minutes Needham Market were ahead.  The impressive Sam Newsom played in Danny Thrower, who steadied himself before firing in a good shot from just inside the area.  0-1 The lead lasted a minute.  Ely’s towering centre-back Ben Lawrence headed in from a high looping crossed free-kick.  1-1 Ely then went ahead after 17 minutes.  The ball was lost in the Needham midfield and Adam Murray seemed to have plenty of time to smash the ball into the net from a central position.  2-1 The fourth goal of the game was scored by an Ely defender, Adam Dalby, but unfortunately he poked it past his own keeper under pressure from Newsom.  2-2 Within three minutes, and still with less than half-an-hour gone, Ely had the lead again.  A long throw was only cleared back to the wing and this time the cross found Murray who headed in for his second of the evening.  3-2 After 35 minutes the Ely defence watched a Newsom shot bounce just wide and the visitors also created two good chances from rehearsed corner routines.  3-2 at half-time Here is a glimpse of the conditions in the first half! The rain eased slightly for a few minutes so I ventured to the far side of the ground.  As I walked behind the Ely City goal, keeper Lee Pacey kept his side in front with a fantastic fingertip over the bar.  The ref failed to notice the touch and gave a goal kick, so I was ideally placed for some banter with him about not taking the credit.  Needham Market had started the half brightly and were looking to exert their technical superiority.  However, it needed an error to give them parity as Pacey went from hero to villain as a swerving shot from Darcy De’ath eluded him.  3-3 This clip finishes with the illuminated tower of Ely Cathedral in the background. Both sides had chances to win in normal time.  They both had effective long throwers.  De’ath saved a certain goal.  Ely’s Luke Parkinson had a clear shooting chance and shot first time, but over.  Then De’ath was superb again in defence and extra time beckoned. Here are some clips that show some of Ely’s aerial threat. 3-3 at the end of 90 minutes Long throws and other set pieces continued to be the biggest threat in extra time, for Needham Market too.  This clip is from the first half of extra time. Needham Market’s Scott Chaplin (a sub, on the left) and Deakin Napier (on the right) started to find space.  With eight minutes left, these two combined.  Napier, not for the first time, rode and skipped a tackle near the halfway line and surged into space.  This time, his low cross met the inrushing Chaplin, who steered home his side’s fourth. 3-4 Ely gave it everything in the last few moments.  Look at this … A great moment for Andrew Plummer in the visitors’ goal.  Unbelievably, Ely hit the post too with the last move of the match.  Despite the prospect of a two-hour drive home in the wet, I made a point of staying with the home fans to applaud their team off the pitch.  Final score 3-4 after extra time
Man-of-the-Match
All of them.  (Special mention though for Needham Market striker Sam Newsom who looked classy and unselfish on the night.)
A snippet from the programme
Tonight’s Match Sponsor: Anonymous Supporter Well, whoever he or she is got good value for money!
What Next?
Something on Saturday – either an FA Vase tie or ticking off a step 2 ground up north, depending on the weather, or perhaps on something random.  Follow @GrahamYapp on Twitter for any developments!

This Little Hopper Went to Needham Market

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	Tuesday 3 May 2011 at Bloomfields
Result	Needham Market 1 Brentwood Town 3
Competition	Isthmian League D1 North Playoff Semi-Final (step 4)
Hopping	Venue #397 on the lifetime list
This match in one sentence
Brentwood Town’s pace and mobility allowed them to create a two-goal cushion after the interval after the teams had exchanged first-half penalties.
So what?
Brentwood Town, fifth-placed in the league, go on to a playoff final at Wingate & Finchley.  This was Needham Market’s first season in step 4 after their promotion from the Eastern Counties league.  They will be frustrated at this loss as they had finished 18 points ahead of their opponents, in the runners-up spot.
The drama unfolds
The first phase of the game was pretty even.  Brentwood’s approach play was good but they lacked a telling final ball.  The first real “ooooh!” moment was a looping flick by Needham Market’s James Evans on 13 minutes, and a good tackle by Brentwood’s Ryan Doyle snuffed out another chance soon after.  After 18 minutes, the impressive Steve Butterworth had a flicked chance of his own after a perfectly timed run into the box.  He then ran half the length of the pitch along route 1 but unfortunately Sos Yao strayed just offside at the final moment of execution.  As the half progressed, Brentwood managed to get territorial ascendancy without really ever testing the goalkeeper.  I have a couple of first half clips to set the scene. There was a long hold-up after a lino (sorry, I still can’t call them assistant refs) needed treatment by the physio and then Needham Market resumed their defensive duties, with a great intervention by Rhys Barber. Needham Market’s penalty was therefore somewhat against the run of play.  Craig Parker (I think) was bundled over in the area.   I am sure he despatched the spot kick and have a pic to prove it.  1-0 The referee timed it at 40 minutes for the golden-goal tickets, I timed it at 44, and we went into six minutes of stoppage time.  This was enough for Brentwood to earn a spotkick of their own.  The ref patiently and repeatedly explained to Pip Boyland that his tackle on Yao had been “man and ball”. Here’s the penalty, taken by Ryan Doyle. 1-1  at half-time Brentwood made a great start to the second half and forced a good early save from Danny Gay.  Five minutes after the restart, this happened … Ryan Edgar the scorer.  1-2 The game moved into an open and end-to-end phase.  Needham Market clearly needed a goal but Brentwood’s pace was potent for the counter-attack.  After 62 minutes, Andy Hall threw the ball out quickly to Edgar.  Leon Fisher screamed for it, and got it, “down the line” on the left.  He outpaced the defender and squared it on to the proverbial plate for Yao, who rolled it in.  1-3  This next clip is from this part of the game. Thereafter, a sharp catch by Hall prevented a headed own-goal, and Needham Market watched the ball bounce back to safety off a post in the 72nd minute.  The final clips are from the closing minutes, played mostly in the Brentwood half, which show some of the home side’s attempts to get on the scoresheet, including the traditional “send the keeper upfield” ploy.  It was not their night.
Alternative activity of equal excitement for tourists in Needham Market
Evidence (a crowd of 344) would suggest that the locals think that Barcelona v Real Madrid in the semi-final of some competition for overpaid prima donnas is a better bet.  I don’t agree.  It’s non-league every time for me – unless WBA ever “do a Leeds” and throw the entire GDP of the Black Country at player wages, and even then I’m still not sure.
A snippet from the programme
From the club secretary: “When this season commenced … we entered the league somewhat like “ships sailing uncharted waters”, as we didn’t really know what to expect from the teams in the division.  However, we always knew that matches would be difficult, physical and tight affairs and how this has proved to be correct.  If you had said at the start of the season we would have cemented a place in one of the play-off positions and had been battling for the league title for the majority of the season I think we would have settled for that, especially as this is our first taste of step 4 football.”
What I learned today
The Kevin Horlock wearing the #3 shirt for Needham Market is indeed the Northern Ireland international who played for Swindon Town, Manchester City, West Ham and Ipswich.  He is assistant manager at the club.  Ian Collard (WBA and Ipswich) will be one of the ex-pro footballers at a local golf day soon in aid of the club, alongside Mick Mills and Bryan Hamilton.
What Next?
Possibly a local step 7 cup final on Wednesday evening for venue #398 – watch this space!