Train ticket (Sheffield-Hull): £25-90
Tea: £1
Bus: £2-50
Entrance: £5
Programme: £1
Tea: 80p
Total: £36-20
Twice now I've visited Hull in 2014-15, and on both occasions I have found the locals to be friendly and welcoming. The city gets something of a bad press, but I have only good things to say about it. As I was waiting at the bus station for the bus out to Dunswell, I must have looked a bit lost, as a chap sat down asked me where I was heading to. When I explained, he told me the bus to get onto and even went into great detail about the road junction nearby!
Dene Park has been Hall Road Rangers' ground for some years now, but they will be moving to a new ground at the end of the season. I wanted to get this one in while they were still there - in addition, it may be that Hull United (the other residents at the ground) will be playing NCEL football next year. The ground is accessible down a track signposting an Italian restaurant next to the ground - strangely there were no signs for the ground itself nearby.
Dene Park was another nice NCEL ground. To the right of the turnstiles (nestled behind the goal) was the seated stand (is that a contradiction?!) and to the left a portakabin doubling as a tea-hut. The ground was bounded by a wooden fence on all sides, and the main feature behind the far goal was the tree roots which gradually seemed to be swallowing up the paving slabs.
Today's game pitted 15th vs 18th, so this should be a close one today. Hall Road started blindingly, with Mike Walsh raking in a superb drive after some excellent passing from Harrison and Start. The first-half was punctuated somewhat by late tackles, and a couple of bookings. There was firstly a scuffle on the far touchline (Hall Road's left-wing), which amounted to nothing more than handbags. Then Dronfield's 7 was booked for a rash tackle, while the Dronfield keeper even picked up a yellow (I believe for dissent). The away team seemed outraged at almost every decision, even when it was obvious that they were in the wrong. There were relatively few chances in this half, and it says a lot that one of the main events was when the corner flag was knocked out of position on 16 minutes!
The second half saw Dronfield suddenly realise they were in a match here. First they forced a superb tipped save from Janney in the home goal, and then number 9's free-kick was tipped onto the bar by another great block (followed by a reaction save almost immediately after). Unfortunately for Dronfield, Hall Road went up to the other end not soon after and made it 2-0 on 58 minutes when another excellent drive - this time from Paul Morrill - flew into the bottom left of the net. According to a post-match report, this was from 45 yards! This seemed to ignite Dronfield, but not in a good way. Richie Marples was red-carded on 75 minutes (I am unsure exactly what for, but for once the away side did not complain). Their rotten luck continued when 9's speculative volley looped onto the cross-bar. Hall Road's 12 was slipped through late on, and could have made it 3, but was foiled by the onrushing away keeper (who looked remarkably similar to Hugo Lloris).
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