Train (Sheffield-Scunthorpe) = £14-20 minus £8 travel voucher = £6-20
i-Paper = 30p
Bus = £4-90
Entrance = £5
Programme = £1-50
Tea = £1-10
Total = £19-00
October is definitely one of the best months for ground-hopping – by then, the season is in full swing, but still with all to play for. And of course, the ground-hopper’s great foe – the British weather - is Autumnal, and landscapes are colourful (if a bit wet at times!). Today I was off to Winterton, which is located on Humberside, 6 miles north of Scunthorpe, and is one of a cluster of clubs on the Humber – along with North Ferriby and Barton Town Old Boys. To get there, I caught a direct train from Sheffield to Scunthorpe (Northern Trains naturally), before catching the 350 ‘Humber Fast Cat’ service (which runs from Scunthorpe to Hull). This was the first game of the season which was slightly out of the way, and I was looking forward to seeing one of the harder to reach grounds.
The West Street ground did not disappoint, as I found a club with excellent facilities and a decent pitch. Unlike many clubs in this league, the pitch was surrounded by a wall of breeze blocks, rather than a metal bar. A small covered terraced section (2-3 terraces) on the halfway line faced a seating area on the far side. The highlight of the ground was a neat and clean café serving hot food and drinks – this may a pleasant change to the usual tea hut or kiosk. I was impressed by the ground, and pleasantly surprised too.
Today’s match had all the hallmarks of a scrappy affair, with Winterton sitting near the bottom of the league with a goal difference of -30 (and Maltby not doing much better). Winterton started brightly, with 4 hitting a shot wide before 10 sliced over a clear-cut chance on 11 minutes. Maltby then gradually grabbed hold of the game, and created opportunities of their own – no 11 hitting wide on 17 minutes, before they deservedly took the lead on 22 minutes with no 9 scoring a header. I was impressed by the way the away side seemed determined to keep the ball on the floor and to play neat one-touch football. They created chance after chance, but Winterton just about held it to 1 nil at half time. Perhaps the most bizarre chance came when the Winterton goalie caught a header back before the Maltby striker hit it from his hands..only for it to cleared off the line! It got worse for Winterton when their number 2 was stretchered off with what looked like a twisted knee.
Maltby really took charge in the second half, with their no 11 (George Conway) hitting an easy shot wide before no 8 forced a save. Conway made it 2-0 on 55 minutes, sliding the ball neatly underneath the oncoming keeper. For once, I knew the exact time of the goal because it was announced very clearly on the PA system – again, a rarity at similar grounds, where I usually found announcements either non-existent or inaudible. Poor Winterton were doing their best, but Maltby’s superior organisation and quality was starting to tell. Two more followed on 62 and 74 minutes, with an own goal from 6 and a header from Conway. Winterton still showed some fight, and grabbed a late consolation when their no 15 showed persistence in hassling for the ball in the box. Maltby rounded off proceedings with no 9 making it 5-1 on 81 minutes.
Something of a rout, but a good game nonetheless - the first half in particular was really competitive and attractive football. As I made my way out of the ground, a couple of kids asked me the score, and who Winterton were playing. ‘Maltby, ah – isn’t their badge like Chelsea’s but in red?’ I wasn’t sure of the similarity between a colliery and a lion but agreed anyway – I’m sure that Maltby would be flattered that they were being favourably compared to their London cousins.
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