No.11 - Sat 27th September 2014; Peterborough & District League Division One; 2pm at The Goat Pen; Main Street; Baston; Peterborough; Lincs; PE6 9PA |
Matchday images (44) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/BastonFC Baston (1) 3 Sutton Bridge United (1) 3 United Goat-ed by late strike! 'The beauty of hopping is that you never really know what’s in store from one footy week to the next. After watching a pretty poor game (and that's an understatement!) just seven days ago on a trip up to North West Norfolk for a county cup game (see http://footballgroundsinfocus.com/R141510.htm), my fortunes thankfully changed (for the better) this afternoon when I was rewarded with an absolutely cracking game of football as Baston FC entertained Sutton Bridge United in a Peterborough & District League Division One fixture.
After gaining back to back promotions in the last two seasons the hosts now find themselves in Division One of the P&DL for the current campaign. So far they have made a superb unbeaten start having won four and drawn one of their opening games to sit proudly in the top half of the table. With their opponents (hailing from the Lincolnshire marshes close to The Wash) having already lost two of the first five matches, it seemed that a home win, on paper at any rate, would be a more than likely outcome of this mouth-watering fixture.
With both sides playing terrific attacking football the travelling neutral was certainly not to be disappointed as the match unfolded. Despite conceding the opening goal mid way through the half Sutton Bridge equalised on the half hour mark to share the honours going into the break.
But with just ten minutes to go it was the visitors who had the lead after scoring twice more to set themselves up for a fine away victory. In a frenzied finale Baston replied on the counter with two more goals of their own with the last one coming in the fourth minute of stoppage time to seal off a superb match resulting in a fine 3-3 draw and so take a share in the points. This was a magnificent advert for the league and without doubt the best game I had seen so far this season.
The match played in mostly sunny conditions on a bumpy newly-mown pitch was attended by almost twenty spectators including fellow hopper Keith Cockburn from Cambridge (recognised by his trusty shooting-stick!) and a couple of local college students who were assessing the game on a spreadsheet as part of their sports studies course. Neither a programme (the club doesn’t issue) nor refreshments were made available on the day.
Baston Football Club plays its games at the local recreation ground in the centre of the village. Known affectionately as the 'Goat Pen', the large tree-lined site (which shares with cricket) off Main Street is bordered by open fields and a new housing estate with a large belt of evergreen trees straddling the far end. A long gravel driveway leads past a children’s play park and impressive village hall with changing pavilion buildings (check out the large ornate clock complete with roman numerals on the fascia) to a small car park close to the main pitch marked out on the left hand side of the field. A smart metal framed barrel-roofed ‘stand cum dug-out’ made from perspex is positioned behind the touchline close to half-way line on the far side.
The village of Baston which is located about four miles to the north of Market Deeping can be reached by taking the A15 heading from Peterborough towards Bourne. To reach the ground couldn’t be easier. Come off this main road by turning left at the village crossroads into Main Street. The sign-posted entrance is visible some 200 yards from here on the left hand side. The joys of happy hopping are restored once again!' FGIF Match Stats Scorers: (H) Meddlar (25), O'Laughlin (81), Bullivant (90+4) and (A) Partridge (29, 68), English (80) Attendance: 19; Admission: Free; Programme: None; Match rating: 4/5; Ground rating: 3/5. Links http://full-time.thefa.com/Index.do?league=6486466
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edited on 26/09/14 |