Portchy's Day at the PO Man's Derby

 

The e-programme is downloadable as a pdf file

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Monday 25th August 2025 at The OnSite Group Stadium, Wicor Recreation Ground
Result	AFC Portchester 4 Moneyfields 0
Competition	Isthmian League Division One South-Central (Step 4)
Hopstats	#804 on the lifetime list. Here because I am in the area for the Bank Holiday weekend.
Context
A local PO-postcode derby for the Bank Holiday Monday. AFC Portchester are up in Step 4 after promotion as champions from the Wessex League last season. They have three points from three league matches (one win). Moneyfields have a win and a draw, so four points. Two days ago Portchy lost at Bedfont Sports and Moneyfields shared the points in a 4-4 draw with Hayes & Yeading United.
Match Report
Before I forget, be warned that the car parking amount charged by the PayByPhone app was significantly more than the amount implied on the notice boards. If you go hopping here (well worth it) take plenty of change, and go early if you want to park near the ground. It's an interesting arena and the club made a lot of effort to look after a Bank Holiday crowd. You can imagine how the facilities have grown step-by-step as the club moved up through the pyramid. This was a game of two halves. The home team scored all four goals before the interval and the points were in the proverbial bag. The opening goal after five minutes was a gift from the visiting defence after the ball was lost in an attempt to play out from the back in the modern way.  Alfie Stanley rolled the ball into the unguarded net. The second came from number 11 after 11 minutes. Zak Willett found himself in lots of space, he cut back inside the approaching defender, and the pic below shows him shaping to place the ball in the far corner. The third was pinged in from 45 metres or so (you get proper physics units in this blog) by Stanley who picked up the ball in midfield and had spotted the keeper off his line. The fourth was arguably the best of the lot, thrashed from the left into the far corner by Ryan Wilkins. So, 4-0 at half-time. I moved to the stand on the opposite side in search of shade for the second half, with temperatures around 303K (that's the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature right there) which is more commonly known in this country as 30 degrees C. Maybe because of the temperature, maybe because the demolition job was already done, but the second half was anticlimactic. Moneyfields never gave up and were allowed plenty of possession, but they had only really created one decent chance before the 75-minute mark. Portchester didn't look too concerned once they had weathered the first ten minutes or so of the second half. For me at the final whistle, it was a race back to the Yappmobile for what turned out to be a tortuous return journey around the dreaded M25 western section. Good day though, decent entertainment for the passing neutral and plenty of other culture, history, scenery and interest in the general area. Recommended if not already ticked!
So What?
The clubs end the day in 6th and 18th place.
Pre-match Entertainment
A circuit of Portchester Castle, watching oystercatchers feeding on the mud flats, a stroll along part of the English coastal path (and, I suspect, disturbing a couple in flagrante behind a tree), looking across towards Portsmouth, and stopping for an ice-cream at the nearby Salt Café. Insert your own joke about Portchester's defence looking solid.
Pix
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today Grey beats Blue, as predicted, and the clean sheet is enough to take Grey to the top of the Tops table. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Home win Was the prediction correct? Yes % of correct predictions so far 48% (91 from 189)
What Next?
No idea, to be honest but most likely an FA Cup game at the weekend. Watch @ModusHRandom on Twitter/X.

The Draw of the Other Baggies

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 30th December 2023 at The Operatix Stadium
Result	Badshot Lea 2 Thatcham Town 2
Competition	Isthmian League Division 1 South-Central
Hopstats	Ground 771 on the lifetime list and I am here pragmatically rather than randomly. I had a choice of seven Step 4 grounds but three were impractical given the weather forecast. Of the other four, Badshot Lea gave a very clear and early indication that the match was on, thanks to a team of club volunteers who had worked to remove surface water in time for a referee inspection.
Context
The two teams are around mid-table in their division. Badshot won the September game at Thatcham by a solitary goal. Thatcham drew their last fixture, while Badshot had a postponement. I’m West Brom born-and-bred but it was not until today that I found out that another team shares the nickname of “The Baggies”.
In One Sentence
An entertaining contrast in styles, rather ruined by atrocious weather conditions after the hour.
So What?
The teams end the day in 10th and 12th places respectively.
Match Report
This was hugely enjoyable for the first hour, but then you had to feel for the teams as the weather turned very unpleasant with incessant wind-driven rain. Thatcham took an early lead. I was just making a note about how measured and attractive was Badshot Lea’s approach play when they gave the ball away on the halfway line. David Nyarko pounced and was able to convert the one-on-one chance. The equaliser came very quickly though. From a corner, I heard the shout of “Keeper!” shortly before the sound of the ball hitting the back of the net. George Hedley had beaten him to the ball. I claim half an assist as the person who retrieved the ball before the corner was taken. Badshot Lea returned to their passing play, working one-twos and triangles around the flanks, but it was again from a breakdown that Thatcham restored their lead. Nyarko chased a long ball and scored from a tight angle. It needed two good blocks in quick succession to prevent an equaliser, and Cameron Rohart-Brown fired narrowly over the bar. The only other incident of note was a minor scuffle which led to a couple of cautions after the referee had consulted both assistants. This was at the far end from me so I can’t say much else but the chat was that the Thatcham player had raised his hands but there had also been an element of retaliation. Only they will know, The second half started with another timely Thatcham block, and their keeper was almost embarrassed by a high bounce. We saw an interesting freekick routine where the chance of a direct shot was spurned in favouir of a pass to the flank – it came to nothing. However, Badshot Lea got their second equaliser just after the hour, a composed finish by Baback Dehgani after another spell of pressure.   Deghani celebrates his goal The conditions began to worsen and rather undermined the home side’s attempt to regain superiority. Both teams made the best of the conditions and there were a few more half-chances. Overall, an enjoyable outing for the passing neutral despite a tedious journey around the M25 each way.
Ground Pix
Pay attention to the advice given on the website about access and parking. The postcode alone takes you to a narrow lane with no entry to the ground.
Match Pix
Badshot Lea in the claret and blue. Conditions were not conducive to good photographs today.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
Usually accompanied by a pre-match prediction on Threads just before kickoff. Working towards being able to compute a respectable test of statistical significance, it looks like an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test will be appropriate. The full keeper top performance table from my last 286 matches is here, on this separate page, and I’ll organise the test when we reach 300 pieces of evidence. Today, a draw between Pink and Green. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Away Win Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 48% (67 from 141)
What Next?
It will be weather-dependent, but I hope to get in another ground from my Step 4 list on New Year’s Day, en route to the Midlands. Then the following weekend I will be at the FA Cup 3rd Round tie between West Brom and Aldershot – which will be my grandson’s first visit to the Hawthorns, and my first in the grandad role that was occupied in the 90s by my late father. No, you do not need to inform the NSPCC.