Uncertain destination, but Billingshurst trip proves to be a thriller

Billingshurst 2 Alfold 3, SCFL Division One, Saturday 19^th January 2019

I've become indecisive.

I'm not sure how it happened, when it happened or why it's happened, but happened it most certainly has. I've simply lost the ability to make up my mind.

Or have I? No, I have. Definitely. I think.

Prior to the festive period then you could pretty much guarantee I'd know what weekend game I'd be going to by Wednesday at the latest (unless I was waiting for the outcome of a Twitter poll).

Not anymore.

This week, for the second consecutive Saturday, I woke up not knowing where I would be attending a match that afternoon.

It’s not like I’m no longer studying the fixtures during the week. I am. It’s also not like I’m running out of different grounds to visit either. I’m not. There are still plenty of grounds local (or fairly local) to me that I could to visit.

Yet I just can’t decide where to go.

At various intervals this week there were times when I considered visits to (in no particular order): Peacehaven, Seaford, Dorking, Billingshurst, Brighton (for either Montpellier Villa or Brighton Electricals), Tunbridge Wells, Horley or Oakwood.

Yet come Saturday morning I was still undecided.

Basically, I’ve become exactly like my wife whenever she's trying to order something off a menu. Well, not quite that bad – but not far off.

Ultimately, I plumped for Billingshurst vs Alfold in Division One of the SCFL. Can’t tell you why I made that decision. I just did.

Having spent the morning coaching in the freezing wind and rain – or more accurately watching a steady stream of children depart from the football school where I work, cold and shivering and destined for a warm bath – my eldest son was somewhat amazed to discover that I was still planning to go to a game the afternoon. I like to think that the look he gave me upon discovering that I would be was a mixture of awe and reverence. It was more likely the sort of look you might give someone who you're sure is on the verge of losing their marbles. I can’t decide.

Anyway, by 14:50 I had made the hour-long drive to Billingshurst’s Jubilee Fields ground (bizarrely, the second consecutive week that I’ve visited a ground of this name).

Following a brief moment of concern, whereby upon pulling into the car park I could see no players warming up or spectators in the ground, I was quickly assured by a fellow spectator that the club were just about to open the main gate, while the players had been warming up on an outside pitch to preserve the playing surface. Very wise.

After purchasing a quick coffee from the decent sized clubhouse, I then made my way into the ground. Admission was £5 and a program cost a further £1. The program was a simple affair, which looks like it is a standard issue which has been printed for every home game – the opponents and match date were even handwritten on the cover. Insider there was a loose paper insert printed specially for the day’s game with the standard welcome message, team/squad line-ups and league table included. I’m more than happy with this. I’d much prefer that every team did something as basic as this if the only other alternative is a more in-depth program that can only be downloaded digitally. But then I’m old fashioned. And slightly odd.

I was reliably informed by another fellow spectator that Billingshurst’s ground has undergone numerous changes in recent years. Floodlights have only fairly recently been installed, while the club’s main stand (in fact it’s only stand) looks modern and clean. It’s only the club's second season at senior football level, and they’ve certainly got a great little set-up there for the future.

Mid-table Hurst went into this match against promotion-chasing Alfold as one of the division’s form teams. The Fold were looking to bounce back from a 1-1 draw against Oakwood a week earlier.

Kick off was slightly delayed due to a problem with one of the goal-nets, but when the game finally kicked-off following a ten-minute or so delay, it was well worth the wait.   

On a heavy pitch – it wasn’t bad, just what you’d expect from a typical English non-league pitch in the middle of January – it was great to see both teams try and keep the ball on the ground. Alfold had already hit the post following a flowing move, when the home-side took the lead after just eight minutes. A lack of communication between Clyde Jacques and ‘Keeper Luis Correia presented striker Nick Tilley with an unexpected opportunity on goal, and he didn’t pass up the offer.

The Fold found it hard to get going in the early exchanges. Hurst worked hard to pressure their opponents into making mistakes, and the visitors seemed to struggle to come to terms with a team playing a very attacking three up-front formation against them.

In fact, when Jamie Wanstall headed home an equaliser from a corner around mid-way through the first half, it’s fair to say they were lucky to be level.

 Hurst continued to be the more threatening team as the half progressed but despite some long-range efforts they couldn’t fashion any major chances on goal.

After the break, however, Alfold stepped up the pace and it was they who started to get on top. Following a couple of early half-chances, ten minutes into the second half a grounded Tiago Andrade stabbed the visitors ahead from close range, as the host’s defence failed to clear another set-piece.

For the next five minutes or so, Alfold continued to dominate and I started think that maybe Hurst had run out of steam following their first-half efforts. Then it all changed again. Suddenly it was Billingshurst who looked the main threat again. However, their equaliser on 70 minutes, which came from substitute Jeffery Mahadoo’s penalty (see video) looked slightly fortuitous from where I was standing as it appeared the penalised defender had taken the ball with his sliding tackle.

Tackles were very much a feature of this game, with both teams whole-hearted in their attempts to try and win the ball back. The tricky, sodden pitch, on which the ball held up on a regular basis, did lead to a few mistimed tackles which in-turn made for a competitive, at times feisty – yet not dirty – second half.

The winning goal came on around the 75^th minute mark, courtesy of Jordan Mase, who had a fine game on the right wing. Moments before his winning strike, Mase had served warning with a swerving run into the area only to wildly miscue his strike. When a similar opportunity presented itself a couple of minutes later, he made no mistake, finishing with aplomb this time to spark wild celebrations among the visiting players and bench.

Still Hurst didn’t give up. Had Jake Chadwick showed a bit more composure following some really good skill to get himself well placed, then Billingshurst may have snatched the draw they probably deserved.

And so, an entertaining 90 minutes came to an end. Despite my indecisiveness, it ended up not being a bad choice of game at all.

Next week, though, I’m determined to make a decision on which game to go and watch much earlier in the week.

I definitely will. Probably.