There can be few finer places to finish the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup than the historic town of Nantwich. Fate had delivered me what I had secretly been hoping for since I began my cup exploits at Boldmere, a trip away from the Midlands, one that would promise a new experience, a new scene, maybe a different style of football.Though for a while I was flirting with the dull prospect of a home tie at Nuneaton, I was glad to be driving up the M6 to Cheshire and I was not disappointed by what I found there. I decided to set off a bit early for this one, not merely to allow for traffic, but I set my sights on taking in all that Nantwich had to offer.
Nantwich today stands aloof from the bigger economic powerhouses of the North West, namely Manchester and Liverpool, and thus retains much of its market town character. The town is mainly associated with two events in English history. It was the scene of a "Great Fire" in 1583, superceded only by London's calamity almost a hundred years later. Even more prominent was the role Nantwich was to play in the battle for power between Parliament and the Royalists during the Civil War. Nantwich was the only town in Cheshire to support Parliament and was the scene of a siege lasting 6 weeks in 1644. Today you can still visit the sight of the battle, and it is reenacted annually.
Back to more important matters, and after sampling some of the local culinary delights it was time to take one's place inside the Weaver Stadium. On asking a local where the best place to stand would be, I was swiftly whisked away through some doors and tunnells, past the officials and into the club shop, where I was given a ticket which allowed me to sit undercover. Nice. It turns out that Nantwich and Nuneaton are fairly matched on the football field, the first half was an entirely cagey affair, with few chances for either side. Nuneaton fans, though few in number were extremely vocal in their support, and it certainly looked like the home side would have a tough task ahead of them.
The referee was certainly not helping matters, dealing his first yellow card of the game just 2 minutes in, and attempting to stop the game at every opportunity. It was cold. It was breezy. And for almost the entire first half, it was quite boring. How often it is though, that goals change games. Though neither side had had many chances, though it was clear that the Dabbers were the better team on the ball, more composed, more creative than their opponents, and a spell of possession soon worked a chance to cross the ball from the right hand side. A fine cross it was, though evading everyone except the Nuneaton goalkeeper who will no doubt be forever cursing his moment of tragic horror. It was an error worthy of mention alongside that of Mr Enkelman, the keeper failing to get a sure grip on the ball, spilling it, and looking back in anguish as its momentum carried it over the line into a gaping net, prompting the eruption, the spilling of hot coffee, the clapping of hands from roughly 800 Nantwich fans. Neil Collett, take a bow.
Instantly, the game changed. Both teams realised that this was the moment, this was their time, and Nuneaton to their credit wasted no time in galvanizing themselves, coming ever so close on a number of occasions. This game was finally turning out to be the spectacle we had all imagined it could, and then....enter our card happy official. A fifty fifty ball near the halfway line resulted in a challenge which the referee was clearly not too pleased about, but few Nantwich fans foresaw the straight red card that was to follow. Still, the unsavoury dismissal made the situation all the more desperate for the home side, who were now surviving constant Nuneaton attacks and were clinging on to their advantage. The Dabbers themselves could have made it 2-0 moments before the end but Danny Mitchley's shot smacked the woodwork, bouncing out for a throw.
It was with much relief that the whistle eventually came, and it wasn't until that moment, as I witnessed the jubilation, that the true scale of this tie hit me. Nantwich Town had just made it to the First Round draw for the first time in their 127 year history. For the players, fans, and anyone else connected with the club, today was surely the biggest game of their lives, it was their cup final. Or maybe not. We have already learned today of Nantwich's opponents in the first round, an away tie at MK Dons awaits them.
We have only just finished the qualifying rounds, still 3 rounds before the prospect of a Premier League giant killing, yet already the FA Cup has demonstrated its ability to captivate, enthrall and surprise thousands of fans throughout the country with days like this.
Sunday 30 October 2011
Sunday 16 October 2011
Daventry Town 1 Nuneaton Borough 2
It was a shortlived spell that I got to see Daventry play in this season's competition, however they have so far been the team that has captured my attention with their hunger, desire and for the atmosphere inside the ground. Coming to Daventry has felt like coming to a proper football club, one that stays true to its roots but can also harbour ambitions of success.
Right from when the draw was announced I had a feeling this tie was going to be special. Firstly, having spent the best part of a year working in the town of Nuneaton, I had the pleasure of knowing some of the locals, for all their charm and quirkiness. Secondly, I happened to be acquainted with the home side's assistant manager, Mr Andy Reece who had, for the previous game, generously provided me with a signed programme. My interest in this game was to heighten even more upon learning that a certain Mr Lee Hendrie might be making his Daventry debut.
Unsurprisingly, I was rooting for the hosts, though in reality they had little hope. Nuneaton are 2 divisions above them, playing in the Blue Square Premier, which for Daventry, was quite a leap in standard. However it proved to be a much tighter game on the pitch, Nuneaton were quiet in the first half, unlike their fans, and by half time the scores were still level. Both teams had had chances but it was certainly Daventry who were controlling long passages of play, their main attacking outlet being my friend Lee. The former Villan showed some neat touches and seemed more than capable of fitting in to his new team.
How often it is though, that games are won and lost in the second half. Daventry were by now playing with the sun in their eyes and it showed, Nuneaton scoring just after the interval and in a second seemingly undoing all of Daventry's excellent first half work. Still, it was harsh on the home side, the goal only being scored courtesy of a huge deflection. And they deserve a lot of credit for the manner in which they fought back, still going forward, still creating some good chances, their only failure being totally unable to hit the target. Up until the disasterous second goal, Daventry still had an excellent chance. This changed however, after a defender failed to clear the ball, instead choosing to make life incredibly hard for himself....do I need to tell you what happened next?
Yet still, at 0-2 down, with barely a third of the match remaining, they kept coming, and to my mind they thoroughly deserved their goal when it finally did come, and what a finish it was too, a cracking strike from 20 yards out. Had a close range header been just inches lower it would surely have sent the vast majority of fans into a state of delerium just seconds from the end, but it wasn't to be.
I cannot help but feel quite sad about Daventry's exit. They matched Nuneaton for long periods of the game and to concede two goals the way they did must be crushing. To be honest, I'm not exactly relishing the idea of a home draw at Nuneaton either, I used to work there, working for the local community and I'm bound to bump into someone I know. So here's to an away draw!
Right from when the draw was announced I had a feeling this tie was going to be special. Firstly, having spent the best part of a year working in the town of Nuneaton, I had the pleasure of knowing some of the locals, for all their charm and quirkiness. Secondly, I happened to be acquainted with the home side's assistant manager, Mr Andy Reece who had, for the previous game, generously provided me with a signed programme. My interest in this game was to heighten even more upon learning that a certain Mr Lee Hendrie might be making his Daventry debut.
Unsurprisingly, I was rooting for the hosts, though in reality they had little hope. Nuneaton are 2 divisions above them, playing in the Blue Square Premier, which for Daventry, was quite a leap in standard. However it proved to be a much tighter game on the pitch, Nuneaton were quiet in the first half, unlike their fans, and by half time the scores were still level. Both teams had had chances but it was certainly Daventry who were controlling long passages of play, their main attacking outlet being my friend Lee. The former Villan showed some neat touches and seemed more than capable of fitting in to his new team.
How often it is though, that games are won and lost in the second half. Daventry were by now playing with the sun in their eyes and it showed, Nuneaton scoring just after the interval and in a second seemingly undoing all of Daventry's excellent first half work. Still, it was harsh on the home side, the goal only being scored courtesy of a huge deflection. And they deserve a lot of credit for the manner in which they fought back, still going forward, still creating some good chances, their only failure being totally unable to hit the target. Up until the disasterous second goal, Daventry still had an excellent chance. This changed however, after a defender failed to clear the ball, instead choosing to make life incredibly hard for himself....do I need to tell you what happened next?
Yet still, at 0-2 down, with barely a third of the match remaining, they kept coming, and to my mind they thoroughly deserved their goal when it finally did come, and what a finish it was too, a cracking strike from 20 yards out. Had a close range header been just inches lower it would surely have sent the vast majority of fans into a state of delerium just seconds from the end, but it wasn't to be.
I cannot help but feel quite sad about Daventry's exit. They matched Nuneaton for long periods of the game and to concede two goals the way they did must be crushing. To be honest, I'm not exactly relishing the idea of a home draw at Nuneaton either, I used to work there, working for the local community and I'm bound to bump into someone I know. So here's to an away draw!
Sunday 2 October 2011
Daventry Town 2 Leamington FC 1
"Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence" - George F. Will (1941 -)
Too true, George. One could have been forgiven for thinking that they had landed in a sort of football heaven yesterday afternoon, strolling around the Communications Park Stadium. Not only were there the examples of excellence on the field to which Mr Will was aluding to, but also one could point to the sublime cornish pasty I was eating, the swanky bar with its flatscreen tvs showing sky sports, and of course, the Indian Summer weather as such vivid examples of excellence.
However, the joy of the afternoon was not quite so apparent during the car journey there. I had managed to procure a companion, by the name of Mr Lee Wood to join me on my latest trip across the English football universe. The trip began promisingly, topics being discussed included exactly which group of supporters we should include ourselves in; was the great Debbie Hodgkins going to make an appearance; would Daventry Town have a bar named after a local hero like their Leamington counterparts? Pretty soon however, Lee, or Poosh as he is better known, was overcome by the heat and descended into a nap on the passenger seat. I also inexpliceably lost concentration and contrived to enter the M1 driving in the wrong direction.
We eventually arrived about 3 minutes late, and by the time we had negotiated the queue at the burger bar and actually acquired our lunch, it was almost halfway through the first half. Not that we missed much during that time. Both teams seemed evenly matched with Leamington just shading the possession but unable to make anything count. Daventry Town took advantage of their opponents inability to put in a decent cross, twice creating two chances on the counter attack, and converting both.
Perhaps this would be an ideal time to revert back to Mr Will's wise words at the beginning of the article; yes the weather was good, yes the cornish pasty filled a hole, but these examples of excellence surely pale into insignificance when you consider Leamington's sublime example of how not to defend. The first goal was a terrible one to concede, a low cross towards the near post, both defender and goalkeeper combined to make a complete hash of clearing the danger, and it was left to an onrushing Daventry player to tap in.
Though Leamington worked hard, they failed to deliver one decent cross into the box, too often struggling in the final third to create a decent chance, and it was the collapse of yet another attack that Daventry were able to capitalise on, within seconds finishing off at the other end with a tidy finish from about 10 yards out. All this before half time, and I couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for Leamington, who had had more than their lions share of possession. However, from 2-0 down it was always going to be a battle and so it proved, though not for the want of trying. I feel the Brakes deserve credit for their courageous fightback in the second half, and they certainly finished the game the stronger of the two sides. I was also quite pleased when they managed to gain some reward for their hard work, a penalty in the last minute of the game.
However, the tie belonged to Daventry, who provided a superb example of counter attacking football to win the match, and both me and Poosh agreed that the best team had won.
And so we have come to the end of yet another FA Cup weekend, so far Boldmere have graced themselves, Leamington have provided a short distraction, but now my attention turns to Daventry Town FC and I await the draw on Monday with a keen anticipation.....
Too true, George. One could have been forgiven for thinking that they had landed in a sort of football heaven yesterday afternoon, strolling around the Communications Park Stadium. Not only were there the examples of excellence on the field to which Mr Will was aluding to, but also one could point to the sublime cornish pasty I was eating, the swanky bar with its flatscreen tvs showing sky sports, and of course, the Indian Summer weather as such vivid examples of excellence.
However, the joy of the afternoon was not quite so apparent during the car journey there. I had managed to procure a companion, by the name of Mr Lee Wood to join me on my latest trip across the English football universe. The trip began promisingly, topics being discussed included exactly which group of supporters we should include ourselves in; was the great Debbie Hodgkins going to make an appearance; would Daventry Town have a bar named after a local hero like their Leamington counterparts? Pretty soon however, Lee, or Poosh as he is better known, was overcome by the heat and descended into a nap on the passenger seat. I also inexpliceably lost concentration and contrived to enter the M1 driving in the wrong direction.
We eventually arrived about 3 minutes late, and by the time we had negotiated the queue at the burger bar and actually acquired our lunch, it was almost halfway through the first half. Not that we missed much during that time. Both teams seemed evenly matched with Leamington just shading the possession but unable to make anything count. Daventry Town took advantage of their opponents inability to put in a decent cross, twice creating two chances on the counter attack, and converting both.
Perhaps this would be an ideal time to revert back to Mr Will's wise words at the beginning of the article; yes the weather was good, yes the cornish pasty filled a hole, but these examples of excellence surely pale into insignificance when you consider Leamington's sublime example of how not to defend. The first goal was a terrible one to concede, a low cross towards the near post, both defender and goalkeeper combined to make a complete hash of clearing the danger, and it was left to an onrushing Daventry player to tap in.
Though Leamington worked hard, they failed to deliver one decent cross into the box, too often struggling in the final third to create a decent chance, and it was the collapse of yet another attack that Daventry were able to capitalise on, within seconds finishing off at the other end with a tidy finish from about 10 yards out. All this before half time, and I couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for Leamington, who had had more than their lions share of possession. However, from 2-0 down it was always going to be a battle and so it proved, though not for the want of trying. I feel the Brakes deserve credit for their courageous fightback in the second half, and they certainly finished the game the stronger of the two sides. I was also quite pleased when they managed to gain some reward for their hard work, a penalty in the last minute of the game.
However, the tie belonged to Daventry, who provided a superb example of counter attacking football to win the match, and both me and Poosh agreed that the best team had won.
And so we have come to the end of yet another FA Cup weekend, so far Boldmere have graced themselves, Leamington have provided a short distraction, but now my attention turns to Daventry Town FC and I await the draw on Monday with a keen anticipation.....
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