Stokesley (01-03-2014)

Stokesley 1 – 2 Tow Law Town (Northern League Division 2), 1^st March 2014

The second game of the October ground-hop (at West Allotment Celtic) was the highlight of that day, so I was optimistic that today’s game 2 would be equally as good. It didn’t let me down at all! After a coach ride from Marske, we arrived in plenty of time at Stokesley’s Broughton Road ground for the 2.30 kick off. After a cup of tea from a china mug – 50p! – I wandered around for some pictures before all the other hoppers arrived. The clubhouse actually adjoined the headquarters of the North Yorkshire County FA, so I took a photo for posterity. Was this the North-East or Yorkshire? Darlington and Middlesbrough were fairly close, but equally the ground was nestled close to the Yorkshire dales. This made it probably the most scenic ground I’d seen in the 2013-14 season thus far. The ground itself was neat and well-maintained, bounded by a wooden fence and with a solid walkway around the edge. The sun was shining, and despite the chilly breeze, it felt that spring was somewhere on the horizon.

 The game was eventful and competitive, and I’ve come to expect no less from the Northern League. Both teams looked evenly matched from the start, with Stokesley’s Reece Kelly firing over on 8 minutes, before Greg Peel hit wide shortly after.  Tow Law looked well-organised and unrattled by the early chances, and took the lead on 20 minutes. Stokesley continued to forge chances, with Connor Hood firing another shot over. They just couldn’t quite capitalise on their possession in the final third. This came back to bite them when Tow Law doubled their lead after Dean Thexton slotted in from a corner, and very nearly made it 3-0 when they hit the post with a header. 2-0 at half-time, and I was hoping this wasn’t going to turn into a rout like the game at Mount Pleasant.

The second half was superb, and both teams continued to play neat and organised football. Stokesley’s Matthew Robinson had a shot saved shortly after the break, before Simon Ord missed a chance to extend their lead on 60 minutes. Greg Upton, who seemed to be at the centre of action in the second half, then missed a half-chance to reduce the deficit. Tow Law were still strong in defence, but Stokesley now looked like they were capable of scoring. After some great passing through midfield, Upton made it 2-1 when he placed a terrific header past a stranded Joseph Longstaff. There was a game on now, and I was willing Stokesley to score as they had worked so hard for the whole game. Half-chance after half-chance was missed, and they couldn’t quite break down a stubborn Tow Law defence. Usually in these situations it comes down to one clear-cut chance, and this time it fell to Connor Hood in the 90^th minute. It was a free header, and he should have at least forced a save, but instead managed to head over the bar. That was the chance, and almost immediately as the goal kick was taken the final whistle was blown. Unlucky Stokesley, who had fought and played well for the whole game. Still I’d seen another decent game, and discovered another little gem of a ground. Onwards to Darlington!