Competition: Northern Premier League, Premier Division
Teams: Stocksbridge Park Steels - Blyth Spartans
Venue: Bracken Moor
A first visit to Bracken Moor for me, and one that I was really looking forward to. A quick walk to Middlewood tram stop and a bus ride under 20 minutes, and I was dropped right outside the ground - Bracken Moor is easier for me to get to than the club I actually support! After a very brief look in the nearest pub, the Miners Arms (ie, I walked in, decided that this place was really not for me, and walked out again), I paid my £8 and entered the ground. On first impressions, I wasn't disappointed. One enters in the south-west corner, where a small clubhouse, merchandise shop as social club are located, as well as what I can best describe as a 'tuck shop'. Here, I had a lovely cup of proper tea, and there were some of the best smelling pies I've ever had the pleasure to waft past at a football ground. In front of these facilities is a small standing area, and to the left the west stand, a covered terrace, with approximately four rows.
Before kick-off, the main thing I noticed was the number of Spartans' fans around. It's a long way (almost 150 miles) to come to visit on a cold South Yorkshire evening, and they certainly managed to come out in numbers. There was a lot of friendly banter with the locals, and I had a lovely conversation with one of the older Steels fans, who entertained me over a cuppa with tales of his younger days travelling the country for football, and he seemed quite interested in my challenge. When Nick arrived, we said our goodbyes, and made our way to the seating, down one side of the pitch. This is a lovely old stand that straddles the halfway line with old wooden seats (donated, so I've been told, by neighbours Sheffield Wednesday). To get to/from it, one has to pass in front of another set of terracing, and also across the exit from the players' tunnel (which made for an interesting end to the match). When we took our seats, I'd estimate that around 40% of them were occupied - not bad for a Tuesday night.
Before kick-off, the main thing I noticed was the number of Spartans' fans around. It's a long way (almost 150 miles) to come to visit on a cold South Yorkshire evening, and they certainly managed to come out in numbers. There was a lot of friendly banter with the locals, and I had a lovely conversation with one of the older Steels fans, who entertained me over a cuppa with tales of his younger days travelling the country for football, and he seemed quite interested in my challenge. When Nick arrived, we said our goodbyes, and made our way to the seating, down one side of the pitch. This is a lovely old stand that straddles the halfway line with old wooden seats (donated, so I've been told, by neighbours Sheffield Wednesday). To get to/from it, one has to pass in front of another set of terracing, and also across the exit from the players' tunnel (which made for an interesting end to the match). When we took our seats, I'd estimate that around 40% of them were occupied - not bad for a Tuesday night.
In the first half, Spartans were kicking from left to right, forcing the home side to do so in the second half (their least preferred option). The Steels never settled until the first goal went in - sadly, not from them - in the fifteenth minute. Dale picked up the ball in the inside right position, cut inside, and unleashed an awesome left-foot shot which curled past the Stocksbridge 'keeper. Both teams had the chance to score in the first half, with a superb save denying Stocksbridge from a free kick and a goalmouth scramble which no one was able to apply a finishing touch to, before Blyth brought another good save from Steels' 'keeper Adam Billard as the half drew to a close.
The second half opened well for the home side, with Hogan cutting inside to score the leveler at the near post, before midway through the half, Hogan was brought down and Lovell stepped up to put the home side 2-1 to the good from twelve yards, before it all started to unravel for Steels. A goal to the good, they seemed to sit back, and mistake crept into their game. Bockarie, who'd hitherto played well at right-back, start making a few passing errors (although it would be unfair to single him out - we were just sat nearest to the right-back position). Stocksbridge had barely been in front five minutes when Blyth equalised, and from there, there was only going to be one winner. The echos of "Same old Stocksbridge - chucked it away again" from the ladt sat behind me were still ringing in my ears as Farrell ended a decent move for the away team to send the coachload of fan (plus a few more) the 150 miles back up the A1 with a beaming smile on their faces. For Steels on the other hand, they've now not won since beating Mickleover Sports 3-1 away in early April towards the end of last season; a ten-game winless run that, only keeps them off the bottom due to some equally poor runs by other teams in NPL PremierStocksbridge Park Steels: Billard, Bockarie, Turner, Carr, Bowden-Lovell, Callery, Darker, Ellison, Fish, Hogan, Hunter. Subs: Whitehouse, Weston, Booker, Sansay, South. Goalscorers: Hogan 50, Bowden-Lovell pen 65
Blyth Spartans: Grant, Utterson, Kendrick, Vipond, Buchanan, Jones, Mason, Hodgson, Dale, Farrell, Hooks. Subs: Turnbull, Mellish, Hunter, Berj, Davis. Goalscorers: Dale 16, Farrell 71, 89
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