K Sports 3 AFC Croydon Athletic 1, Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division, Saturday 12th October 2019
I’m starting to think that I’m destined not to watch any FA Vase matches this season.
Having missed games in the two qualifying rounds for a combination of reasons, I had been almost certain that I’d be at an FA Vase match this weekend – right up until Thursday lunchtime.
In fact, I’d even picked which game I was going to go to. Mile Oak vs Redhill. Perfect.
Then I remembered something. Or rather, then I was reminded of something. We’d (by which I, of course, mean wifey) had already made other plans. We (she) had arranged to visit her sister in Tunbridge Wells on this particular afternoon.
In fairness, I do vaguely recall her mentioning something about this a few weeks ago. But – surprise, surprise – I wasn’t really listening to what she was saying and so agreed uncomplainingly to her plans without really knowing quite what it was I was agreeing to. The joys of being a Man, hey!
Anyway, the upshot was that, upon remembering (being reminded – well, told) of our (her) plans, there would be no trip to Mile Oak for me this weekend.
However, having missed out on attending a game last weekend due to being at Marvel Live with my kids (it was for them, honest) and yesterday being Non-League Day, there was simply no chance that I’d be absent from a game this Saturday.
Quickly searching games being played within a 40-minute drive of Tunbridge Wells (due to my Saturday morning coaching commitments we wouldn’t be at the sister-in-law’s until around 14:00), I quickly noticed that Rusthall were at home to Lancing in the Vase. Yet, having visited Rusthall earlier this year, I was keen to make the most of being in different territory and instead head to a ground I hadn’t visited before.
I arrived at the K Sports complex (which is actually based in Ditton around five miles west of Maidstone) at just after 14:40 and parked in the car park.
As a large sports complex, in addition to being home to the eponymously-named football team (who were formerly known as Aylesford Paper Mills and Reeds International), K Sports is a multi-sports venue complete with a plethora of grass pitches, a hockey pitch, gym facility and a sports bar which doubles as a club house.
Despite being Non-League Day, there were no admission offers available for this match. In fact, entrance to the ground was a rather eye-watering £8, which is the highest I’ve come across so far at Step Five anywhere in the country. It was then a further £2 for an admittedly well-presented – if quite slim – programme. I’m not wanting to sound too tight here, but I do feel that £10 for admission and a programme for Step Five is quite expensive. I don’t get to that many SCEFL games so it may well be a standard price across Kent, but it was certainly more expensive than anywhere I’ve been in either Sussex or Surrey up to now.
Anyway, having paid my money I eschewed the main covered seated stand in favour of a temporary covered area on the far side of the pitch. I still prefer to stand at Non-League matches; especially if I can do so without getting soaked.
With both teams struggling for early-season form, it was the visitors who started the brighter. In the early stages they forced a succession of corners along with some dangerously positioned throw-ins which Nahum Green looked to hurl long into the box at every opportunity, but they never unduly threatened the home-sides’ defence.
As the half began to settle down, K Sports began to see more of the ball, but aside from a couple of long-range efforts that missed the target, Athletics’ defence looked equally untroubled.
At the other end, Dom Ogun had a couple of half chances for the visiting Rams. That both went off for throw-ins probably tells you everything about you need to know about the quality of the first-half. It wasn’t great. That said, this wasn’t helped by the miserable weather or the 3G surface which I remain convinced doesn’t make for great looking football matches. (That said, I do understand the financial advantages such surfaces have for Non-League clubs and I’m certainly not anti them).
With chances at a premium it always looked as though the opening goal would be important. And so it proved. Around 10 minutes before half-time, Croydon ‘keeper Nic Taylor made a smart save from a miscued clearance from one of his own defenders. Unfortunately for the visitors, though, the ball fell invitingly for Sports striker Matt Gething and the tall forward prodded home from close range.
The goal seemed to invigorate the hosts whilst simultaneously draining the confidence from their beleaguered visitors.
In the second half, K Sports were by far the game’s dominant force with AFC Croydon offering very little as an attacking threat. Were it not for a succession of decent saves from Taylor, the home side would have had three points wrapped up far earlier than they actually did.
What had appeared to be the clinching goal arrived 15 minutes before full-time. Connor Pring had missed a decent chance a few minutes earlier, shooting way over from distance when he’d had the time and space to advance on goal, but that wayward effort clearly hadn’t deterred him. When, a few minutes later, he picked up the ball up some 25 yards from goal, he had no hesitation in unleashing a thunderous shot that flew past the helpless Taylor and crashed in off the bar. It was an absolute worldy and almost worth the enhanced entrance fee on its own!
As the game had progressed, it had seemed increasingly unlikely that Athletic would manage to get themselves on the scoresheet so the chances of them suddenly scoring two seemed remote.
That said, they did give themselves a chance of salvaging an unlikely point from the game when, with just under ten minutes remaining, a free-kick from Jake Rose was missed by everyone and somehow ended up nestling in the far corner of the net. The game was suddenly back in the balance.
Although not for long.
Little more than three minutes later, a rush of blood to the head from Taylor, combined with some hesitant defending, afforded Gething the opportunity to put the game to bed and he duly obliged, producing a smart lobbed finish to secure a deserved three points for K Sports.
My attention now turns to the FA Vase draw on Monday. I’m determined to finally get to a game in the competition in the next round. Fingers crossed it will be fourth-time lucky. Unless, of course, wifey has other ideas…
Enjoyed this blog post? Then you may be interested in reading my kindle book which recounts my 2018/19 groundhopping journey (take a look, it’s only 99p).
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