Treeton Terriers (31-10-2020)

Treeton Terriers 1 - 0 AC Southside (Sheffield & District Fair Play League Division 2), Saturday 31 October 2020

Total: Free

Waking up to the news of another potential lockdown, I decided to make the most of the opportunity to take in a match at Treeton Terriers. This a short walk from our house, and - up until quite recently - had a magnificent set of historic floodlights. As well as being free, this game was also likely to enable plenty of 'safe' social distance. The game kicked off at just before 10:30, in the middle of squally rain and a wild, unpredictable wind. Brown leaves coated the far end of the pitch and the scene was set for a very Autumnal football match.

This was actually the first match I've seen in the Sheffield & District Fair Play League. As far as I understand it, this is a rung down from the Sheffield & Hallamshire County League, but I have never to date managed to take in a match. There is some appeal to going ever more local in these uncertain times, and I have to say I enjoyed this visit over the River Rother.

I arrived just after kick-off, but in time for an early goal for Treeton (in black and white stripes). The AC Southside keeper fumbled an early shot and Treeton's number 9 had time to take a touch and plant it into the bottom corner. Treeton were by far the dominant team in the first half, and nearly doubled their lead when number 10's shot was parried away. AC Southside were out-muscled, out-run and out-fought in a fairly one-sided first half. Meanwhile, on the sidelines, I was getting soaked, and ended up being similarly out-fought by the elements (my umbrella didn't help in the rain and was being buffeted from side to side by the sweeping wind).

The second half saw AC Southside gradually edge into the game, before really starting to dominate possession and chances. Their number 16 had an effort well-saved, before 23 could only blast over with the goal at his mercy. Treeton had a pretty miserable second half, culminating in the withdrawal of one of their players with a shoulder injury. But, that said, they did still offer an attacking threat, with several counter-attacks very nearly resulting in a crucial second goal. AC Southside poured forward as the minutes ticked down, and their golden chance came when 16 found himself in the box with the ball at his feet. He whipped it quickly towards goal, only for the home keeper to tip it onto the bar and out for a corner. It was a fantastic save, and proved to be a decisive moment as Treeton clinched a 1-0 win. Like the Maltby match the other night, this was a tight battle which one team just managed to edge out.

This ground is well worth a visit. The steep earth bank around one side of the pitch (and the vacant stumps in the grass where the floodlights used to be) hint at some of the club's past glories. In the present day, this proved just the football tonic I needed in these crazy and unpredictable times. 

Maltby Main (27-10-2020)

Maltby Main 1 - 3 Eccleshill (NCEFL Premier), Tuesday 27 October 2020

Petrol estimate £2-50
Entry £5
Programme £1-50
Total £9

Football is back! (well, temporarily at least). I'm not sure where to start with all the recent events, but I suppose a visit to a ground (and a match) is as good as any. Maltby Main proved to be one of the few NCEFL matches which survived tonight's fixture list (the weather, as well as Covid, is now interfering with the beautiful game). 

To be frank, it felt like the actual match was sideshow today. It was just good to be back in a ground for live sport again. My visit was mainly focused on safety; getting in and out safely, sorting the NHS app and keeping the crucial 'social distance' from others. It was also a freezing evening, with an icy blast occasionally sweeping across Malty Main's exposed ground.

The game pitted early high-fliers Maltby against mid-table Eccleshill (from Bradford). I visited Eccleshill's ground a while ago, while en route to a match at nearby Thackley. From the start, it was evident that these were two evenly matched sides. Maltby had the early share of the chances, with 7 rattling the post, before Mitchell Dunne (coming in from the left) cut inside and scored a lovely goal into the top corner.

But the tables were turned in the second half. Eccleshill's Luke Aldrich equalised on 51 minutes and then an awful fumble by the Maltby keeper allowed Alexander Laird to make it 2-1 to the away side. The home players gave the keeper the silent treatment as he fished the ball out of the net. There was a bit of a game of tug of war, as the teams fought for supremacy. It could perhaps have gone either way at this stage, but Eccleshill made certain of 3 points with an 83rd-minute goal from Jonathan Irving. One peculiar aspect of today's match was that the post had been hit at least 4-5 times. I'm not sure if anyone keeps stats on this kind of thing, but this match may have scored highly if so. It was great to be back after so many months away, and I'm just glad I was able to visit (given circumstances in the wider world).