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Monthly Archives: March 2016
Bank Holiday Washout
As I drove to work this morning at 8:30am in the gale force wind, the rain hitting my windscreen and swerving the rather large puddles on the road, the thought crossed my mind that today’s match would definitely be postponed and I wasn’t wrong.
I started work at 9am, in the fitting rooms and as the time went on with no windows to see out of until I went on my break at 12:30pm I had no way of knowing if the game was on or off. I sat in the canteen munching on some chocolate shortbread staring out at the beautiful sunshine to then look on Twitter and discover the game had been called off at 11:30am due to a waterlogged pitch.
On the plus side this means I didn’t need to decipher the notes my dad was going to take in the second half and it also means I will hopefully be able to attend the re-arranged fixture unless its after the 19th April because then I have to take my puppy Trudi to puppy classes.
The Joys of Working Bank Holiday
Happy Easter to all my followers and visitors, hope you’re all having a lovely relaxing weekend stuffing yourself full of chocolate!! I spent my morning making cornflake nests with mini eggs and chicks on, staring at my Easter eggs and presenting my gorgeous puppy, Trudi with a new toy!!
Unlike most of you who have probably had a lovely long four day weekend, I have unfortunately had to work which means I couldn’t get to any non-league football on Saturday.
However on Monday Leighton Town are at home to Aylesbury United, I finish work at 3pm so I am hoping I will make it in time for the second half. You’re probably thinking what use will half a match report be, well I have a plan for that. My dad will be at the match when it kicks off at 3pm, so I have put him in charge of taking notes until I get there so then I will be able to write a whole match report when I get home.
So what happened on Saturday, well Leighton played away at Potters Bar and beat them 1-0 in the 66th minute with a goal from the managers’ son, Josh Murray. With Aylesbury United and North Greenford both losing it meant that Leighton managed to make their way out of the relegation zone.
Let’s hope that this is the start of Leighton’s come back, even though it is so late on in the season, fingers crossed for three points on Monday and that I can actually make out the notes my dad has taken.
Left in the Dark
A goalless draw for the two Aylesbury sides and it was all still to play for in the second half until the game was abandoned due to floodlight failure.
Aylesbury United kicked off but it wasn’t a great start as their first touch went straight out for a throw in. Edward Smith for The Moles shot just wide of the post in the 2nd minute already putting the pressure on Zaki Oualah.
The first corner of the game was for The Ducks in the 6th minute but unfortunately Jake Bewley couldn’t find a way past the first man.
Six minutes later it was the home sides first corner of the game but Kyle Anthony headed it over the bar.
Another chance for The Reds came in the 19th minute but Oualah easily gathered Gareth Price’s low shot.
Just before half time Daniel Murphy was shown a yellow card. Bewley stepped up to take the free kick and Lea Coulter came close with a header but it wasn’t to be, making it 0-0 at half time.
After the players had left the pitch, the ground plunged into darkness as the floodlights went out. An announcement over the tannoy confirmed there had been a fault with the floodlights and it would take 15 minutes to fix.
With the electricity still on inside the club and the tannoy playing the latest tunes, 15 minutes past and still no floodlights. After waiting for 45 minutes and dancing along to the music to keep warm, finally they announced that it was no easy fix and the game had been postponed.
The fixture is to be re-arranged and if you keep your tickets you’ll be given free entry into the game when it takes place again.
The next game I will be attending is on Bank Holiday Monday 28th March; when Leighton Town FC will be playing Aylesbury United at home, kick off 3pm.
Photo’s and video’s from tonight’s game
Aylesbury FC
Team- Varnica, Prosper, Murphy, Tomlin, Anthony, Stevens. Price, D. Haule, Smith, B. Haule, Schmidt
Subs- Dixon, Rudd, A. Goss, Bateman, L. Goss
Aylesbury United
Team- Oualah, Brown, Bewley, Wood, Crook, Owens, Brito, Williams, Shrieves, French, Coulter
Subs- Field, Jesson, Cameron, Horwood, Rajaram
Attendance- N/A
Tomorrow is Derby Day
Tomorrow evening I’ll be heading to watch Aylesbury FC vs Aylesbury United at the Haywood Way stadium. This will be an interesting game between the two sides, United currently sit just above the relegation zone on 27 points while FC are 6th on 60 points. Neither team can move up the league if they win, but the points would be of great value to them both.
I decided it was time to step out of my comfort zone and go and watch a couple of different non-league sides rather than watching Leighton Town all the time, also they aren’t playing tomorrow evening and as it is the Easter holidays and I’m home from uni I thought I better get to a few games while I can before I have to go back.
Anyone interested in attending the game, kick off is at 7:45pm and the address is as follow:
Haywood Way
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP19 9WZ
How Times have Changed
Firstly I’d like to apologise for the lack of updates on my blog, it’s very difficult for me to get to matches due to my current university and work commitments, however this wasn’t always a problem.
A few years ago I was a very committed Leighton Town FC supporter and I went to every single friendly, cup, trophy and league game. Going to these games meant everything to me, I built up a relationship with the players and management and as I became more involved people started to realise that I wasn’t there to chat up guys, I was there for a serious reason because I enjoyed watching the sport.
As the years went on other clubs in the league recalled who I was from previous seasons and I got spotted by the local newspaper (Leighton Buzzard Observer) and they asked me if I’d like to write for them as a fan. So my first published piece was about a game I attended back in 2011 when I was 17 years old.
From then on almost everyone took me seriously and I become part of the online administration team for Leighton Town, helping update the website and tweeting the live score from each game. My reports appeared regularly in the local newspaper and online and for the 2014/15 season I kept my own blog of reports.
However then things changed, as much as I loved attending the matches my hours at work were altered from 9am-1pm to 2pm-6pm on a Saturday, which meant my time spent at the club reduced dramatically. I now find myself in a situation where my hours at work have changed once again as I have been given more responsibility working 9am-3pm and although I could make it for the second half of home games, what use is half a match report?
I used to study veterinary nursing before I transferred to sports journalism and writing match reports for Leighton was the reason I decide to alter courses, however since changing my career goals I have been too busy to actually write any reports and I can only attend mid-week fixtures which are very rare. I know everyone must make sacrifices in order to succeed but it seems I have sacrificed the thing that made me want to be a sports journalist in the first place. Sometimes I still doubt whether journalism is the right career for me as I miss working with animals, but if I have both qualifications under my belt it means I have something to work with when I do decide on what career path I should follow.
Ten Men, Three Penalties, Six Goals
Royston stormed to a 6-0 victory with goals from Tommy Hull, Scott Bridges, Gus Scott-Morriss, Erkan Okay and a brace from Simon Thomas, leaving Leighton in the drop zone.
The Crows kicked off and won an early free kick but Ibrahim Kalloom cleared it out for the first corner of the game.
In the 12th minute Bradley Kirkwood stopped Ryan Towner’s shot but the ball fell for Hull, who put Royston into an early lead.
Leighton were reduced to 10 men in the 27th minute when Maxwell Ibeto took down Rhys Hoenes in the box. Kirkwood saved Thomas’s spot kick to deny Royston of a second goal.
The Reds made their first substitution of the game brining off Jemal McKenzie-Lowe for Jack Copson.
Luck was on Leighton’s side in the 40th minute as Thomas’s goal was disallowed for being offside. However he bounced back and scored Royston’s second of the game just before half time.
The referee ignored a penalty appeal in the 45th minute for the away side when Curtis Shaw was clearly taken down in the box.
Early on in the second half Kirkwood made a terrific save when Towner powered the ball towards the net.
Only moments later Royston came close again hitting the post, before being awarded a penalty when Alkili Darbor took down Liam McDevitt.
Bridges stepped up to the spot and easily slotted it past Kirkwood to make it 3-0. Leighton made their second substitution of the game brining off Ben Gallant for Lorenzo Green.
The 65th minute saw The Crows awarded their third penalty of the game, when Oscar Brooks brought down Hoenes. Once again it was out of Kirkwood’s hands and Scott-Morriss made it 4-0.
Four minutes later an assist from Hoenes earned Thomas his brace of the game making it 5-0. Shaw had a chance to score for Leighton but his powerful shot was cleared off the line.
A right footed save from Kirkwood in the 79th minute denied Royston a sixth but not for long. A last ditch attempt to get a consolation goal was seen by Brooks but Ron Yates made an easy save.
The home side weren’t finished yet; in injury time substitute Okay beat Kirkwood and made it 6-0.
Leighton’s next game is at home to Hanwell Town, on Saturday 12th March, kick off 3:00pm.
Photo’s and video’s from tonight’s game
Royston Town FC
Team- Yates, Scott-Morriss, Watters, Bridges, Braithwaite, McDevitt, Towner, Hull, Thomas, Ingrey, Hoenes
Subs- Dobson, Okay, Frater, Powell, Cohen
Leighton Town FC
Team- Kirkwood, Brooks, Ibeto, Gallant, Maisiri, Kallom, Birch, McKee, Shaw, McKenzie-Lowe, Darbor
Subs- Murray, Green, Woodfine, Copson, Hatch
Attendance- 107
Wednesday Morning Struggles
I have just managed to upload all of last nights photos and videos and now it’s time to write the match report, my dad has gone out shopping so I’ve once again somehow got to look after Trudi my cockapoo puppy and write a match report for last nights game. This is multitasking to the max, you need eyes in the back of your head because you never know what she’s going to do next.
Non-League Football Through a Female's Eyes 