Billingshurst 2 Alfold 3, SCFL Division One, Saturday 19th
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 75th 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.
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