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No.9 - Sat 1st September 2012; North East Norfolk League Division 1; 2.30pm at MADRA; Hall Lane; Knapton; North Walsham; Norfolk; NR28 0AD. |
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Matchday images (32) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/MundesleyFC
Mundesley (0) 2 Haisboro Athletic (3) 3 Things can only get better...surely?!
It's a really exciting day in the local non league football calendar as many clubs finally get their new season underway. After much deliberation I decide to make the fairly long journey from Racing HQ up to the Norfolk coast, one of my favourite haunts, to take in the North East Norfolk League game at Mundesley Football Club who is entertaining local rivals Haisboro Athletic in a Division One match. I just can't wait for the action to begin!
Mundesley Football Club play at the MADRA Sports and Social Club in Knapton, a small village, situated a couple of miles inland from the popular seaside village of Mundesley (found midway between Cromer and Caister on the B1145 coast road and a few miles from the town of North Walsham). In case you wondered the acronym MADRA stands for Mundesley and District Recreation Association. The club once played in the Anglian Combination League and in 1991-92 under the banner Madra United FC (having move from Overstrand) won the Premier Division. Since this time the club has seen a masive change in fortunes having dropped into more local football. However they achieved great success on the pitch last season gaining promotion to the top flight of the NENL.
With clear roads for most of the cross-country journey we arrive in good time ahead of the 2.30pm kick-off. However as we pull up in the main car park we are in for a bit of a shock as hopings things are about to change. The main pitch, nearest to the club pavilion, used by the first team, looks in an unplayable state. The entire area of grass on this side of the playing field is bumpy and uncut. It is very patchy and discoloured in many places and the lines have not been marked out. There is no sign of goalposts, nets and flags. In truth, my heart begins to sink.
Moments later both playing squads appear from the adjacent smart brick-built changing pavilion and clubhouse, cross the sports field and make their way through a gap in the fir trees on the far side. A gentleman getting out of the car alongside me (who I discover later to be the visiting coach) explains that the match has been moved and will now take place in the the adjoining field. He expands saying that the main field was actually used as a caravan site over the Summer months by campers and holiday-makers. After their departure the grass (which also covers most of the main pitch where a part post and rail perimeter fence and dug-outs are in situ) has been left bare and damaged in many places. Despite a quick cut earlier in the week the condition of the surface has not improved and needs more time for the grass to grow back properly again. Left with no other option the home committee felt that the game ought to be moved onto the Reserves pitch at the back! By the time I walked over to the survey the new playing area the colour had returned to my cheeks. No doubt this state of affairs would have not gone down too well with those hoppers fussy about watching matches in the right place. For me it was a great relief to know that the game was actually going ahead. Phew!
For the record it was the visitors from neighbouring Happisburgh (Hais-boro as the name is more correctly prounounced) who won by a 3-2 scoreline. The derby match played in mostly dull and overcast conditions on a well maintained surface was not a classic and not as tight as the final score would suggest. Littered with petty fouls, numerous cautions (leading to the award of no less than four penalties) and a potential abandonment, referee George Heseltine really did have his work cut out as tempers increasingly boiled over. For the hopping neutral this was a horrible game and certainly one to forget.
Athletic opened the scoring through Matt Brown (5) who converted from the penalty spot after Simon Hawkins was bundled over in the six yards box following a clumsy challenge from full back Lee McCrory. Matty Sales (25) almost levelled for the hosts when his long range effort from 25 yards saw the ball clip the top of the crossbar. Haisboro doubled their lead when Otis Hernandez laid the ball off for James Underhill (39) to tap in from close range. Brown (45) added his second, again from the penalty mark (after keeper Myles Hughes pulled down Underhill), to give the visitors a convincing 3-0 lead going into half-time.
Moments after the break Mundesley pulled a goal back with McCrory (49) scoring from the penalty spot (after Lee Durgan shoved Alex Fitzgerald in the back). The hosts were soon left frustrated after losing a clear penalty appeal and ill-discipline quickly escalated into a mass scuffle involving players, managers and spectators. The referee incredibly managed to restore control and after calling both captains over threatened to abandon the game (quite rightly in my opinion) if there was any repetition. My heart sank for the second time!
As the game entered it last third tempers sadly (but not surprisingly) boiled over again when referee Heseltine adjudged Mundesley's Phil Cooke to have handled the ball following a cross into the box from Athletic's Rob Chetwin. Incredibly the official seemed to bow to pressure from the home lino and quickly reversed his decision restoring order once again. Mundesley added a second in stoppage time as substitute Nathan Swift (90+2) headed the ball past keeper Phil Ashling at the back post. But as the whistle sounded it was definitely too little too late for the unruly hosts who had to settle for defeat on their opening game of the season.
Whilst in conversation with apologetic club secretary Jon Bonham I found out that the hosts were missing several key players all unavailable this afternoon through pre-booked commitments. I would like to thank Jon not only for giving me excellent ground directions but also in allowing me to copy out the team line ups today. Incidentally hoppers may be interested to learn the NENL is trialling a system of rolling substitutions during the coming season. Apparently out of five subs listed on the team sheet any three can be nominated to act as rolling subs. I don't envy referees and match secretaries or even travellers with a penchant for those vital match statistics trying to keep tabs on this, do you?
For those interested in taking in a game in the NENL I can recommend the excellent league website which not only provides up to date fixtures, results and tables but also offers a superb club directory containing ground addresss and contact numbers. See the link below for more. Despite my unfortunate experience today I will definitely not be put off from attending future games in this competition. But will I return to see a game on the main pitch here? Hmmm. Watch this space for more. The joys and pitfalls of hopping in remote places...have fun wherever you go...
FGIF Match Stats Scorers: (H) L McCrory (pen 49); N Swift (90+2) and (A) S Hawkins (pen 5; pen 45); J Underhill (39) Attendance: 15; Admission and Programme: N/A; Match rating: 2/5; Ground rating: 3/5. Links |
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edited on 02/09/12 |
