Marske United (01-03-2014)

Marske United 0 – 4 Guisborough (Northern League Division 1), 1^st March 2014

Total costs for ground-hop = £126-04

Transport & match ticket = £25

Train ticket (Sheffield-Darlington) = £47-50

Travelodge = £39

Breakfast = £6-84

Tea at Marske = £1

Tea at Stokesley = 50p

Bovril at Stokesley = 70p

Hot chocolate at RA = £1

Pies at RA = £2

Guinness at RA = £2-50

After the 4-game Tyneside hop back in October, I was looking forward to this hop around Darlington & Cleveland, particularly getting to grounds which were off the beaten track. The day started at 5.50am in Sheffield to ensure I arrive for the 9.30 coach from Darlington. Bleary-eyed and blinking, I made it to the coach with ticket in hand, and was looking forward to the day with great anticipation.

Game 1 was at Marske-by-the-Sea, which sits between Redcar and Saltburn, and is just under an hour’s drive from Darlington. The ‘hopper’ coach arrived at the ground around 10.30, after a neat bit of reversing by the coach driver – how he managed to swing the coach past parked cars and into a narrow lane is still beyond me. Marske’s GEC Stadium (or Mount Pleasant if you disregard the sponsor’s name) was a somewhat ramshackle ground with plenty of character – it reminded me of Radford FC’s ground I’d visited back in December. There were a couple of levels of terracing as you walked round past the main stand, and on the far side the terracing consisted of an earth bank, just above the two dug-outs. The most distinctive feature was a blue sign near the entrance with painted gold lettering – asking spectators to mind their language, and to enjoy their day. It was like something out of a different era.

Today’s game was a local derby between Marske (MUFC!) and their neighbours Guisborough, so should be a tasty affair. The away side started more brightly, with Daniel Johnson hitting just wide early on, before a loose back-pass nearly put Marske ahead against the run of play. There was a palpable sense of frustration as both sides started to squander possession, and seemed hesitant to make the killer pass. ‘Hit the bloody thing’ yelled an old bloke next to me as more possession was wasted. Johnson deservedly made it 1-0 to Guisborough when he rounded the keeper, and the game really turned their way when Markse’s Liam O’Sullivan was sent off after tangling with an away striker. So far, Marske had held their own, but the goal and the sending off turned the game completely. The away side had further chances before half-time when Johnson was foiled by the Robert Dean in the home goal, and when Leon Carling (great name!) headed over just before the break.

The second half definitely tipped the way of Guisborough, and it was inevitable when they doubled their lead on 63 minutes with a goal direct from a corner. No way back for Marske now, and the game started to get increasingly broken up by poor fouls and late challenges. Daniel Johnson was a constant thorn in the side of the home defence, and the frustration showed when his namesake Johnson was booked for clattering him. Adam Gell fired two efforts wide shortly after, before Michael Roberts made it 3-0 and confirm a resounding victory. Johnson, who had been a constant threat throughout, then took a superb goal when clean through, curling it beautifully round the keeper. 4-0 and it had turned into a lunchtime trouncing for the unfortunate Marske. Back to the coach and on to game 2 at Stokesley.