Showing posts with label Wearside League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wearside League. Show all posts
Saturday, 16 April 2022
Saturday, 15 April 2017
Cleator Moor Celtic (15-04-2017)
Cleator Moor Celtic 0 - 0 Silksworth Colliery Welfare (Saturday 15th April 2017), Wearside League
Free travel
Free entry
Free travel
Free entry
Today's game at Birks Road, Cleator Moor, was my third consecutive football weekend in a row. Being up in Cumbria for Easter, I decided to find a local game. Often when I am up here, most of the local sides are away, but today I had a choice of Workington, Celtic, and even Carlisle City. Cleator Moor is about 4 miles from the in-laws' home so was perfect for an (almost) end-of-season match with the sun shining. Cleator Moor is a town just outside Whitehaven, with strong connections to mining, industry and railways of times past. I am often reminded that it is not part of Whitehaven but is a town with its own identity and community. The football club is renowned locally even though they are currently in the Step 7 Wearside League, so I wanted to satisfy my curiosity.
The club's Birks Road ground is located just off one of the main streets in Cleator Moor, behind a doctor's surgery. Initially I managed to get lost on the way in, going too far down the road and turning down a cul-de-sac. Needless to say I could still have got in as a gate was invitingly open next to the pitch!
When I arrived at the ground, I found a neat set-up. Most of the ground 'furniture' was clustered around the near side, with a car park, modern club-house and a covered standing area in close proximity. The area behind both goals was bounded by high fences and in the distance was a magnificent view of nearby fells and mountains.
Celtic started today at 6th in the league, whilst the visitors Silksworth were 4th. However, the home side had played 8 less games - incredible considering there are barely a few weeks of the season left. When I looked at Cleator's fixtures, it seemed they had a packed April and were still due to be playing when the rest of the Wearside had finished.
The first half was an evenly balanced affair. Silksworth had an early shot blocked on the line, while Cleator's number 9 could only watch as he nearly made contact with the ball across the face of the goal. Silksworth's number 7 bore a strong resemblance to Michael Laudrup but his football was not quite of the same quality! There were some physical battles at either end of the pitch but the referee let the game flow without too many cards. One of the away fans from Wearside grumbled "we get nought from refs over here". Quite apart from refereeing decisions, it must be a long journey to come across to Cumbria - and in fact, teams have to come twice, with nearby Windscale also in this league.
Cleator Moor Celtic came out firing on all cylinders in the second half. They hit the post early on with a header and had a cluster of chances which flew wide or were foiled by a tenacious keeper. Celtic's number 10 very nearly made the breakthrough but a fantastic diving save by away keeper (in front of the distant fells) put paid to that. So it finished all square, and I headed back to base via a bracing walk with the wind blowing strongly. As I am writing this in mid-May, I can now see that Celtic finished a creditable 3rd in the league (behind Jarrow and Redcar), whilst Silksworth finished 6th. Cleator Moor are one to watch, and they may well be on their way up to Step 6 in years to come.
Saturday, 4 April 2015
Whitehaven (04-04-2015)
Whitehaven Amateurs 5 - 3 (Saturday 4th April 2015), Wearside League
Costs - none except a walk down (and up!) a hill
Well today I had planned in Celtic Nation, but that ended up being shifted due to a Durham county cup tie. And my replacement - Northbank Carlisle - was out when I discovered that my train from Whitehaven would miss kick off. So I ended up heading to Cleator Moor to see the first half of Arsenal-Liverpool (it may as well have been the whole match) then walked the few miles down to the county ground for the 2.30 kick off. Whitehaven were relegated from the Northern League in the last couple of seasons partly due to the length of their turnstiles. I have some sympathy as the club is in Mrs Groundhopper's town, and is highly regarded locally.
This was one of a handful of step 7 games I've seen this year, but it was arguably one of the most entertaining. A topsy turvy first half ended 3-2 to the home side, with plenty of action and goals galore. First Whitehaven's Bradley Dryden planted a sitter into the roof of the net, before Horden's Nathan Waters swung in a superb left foot free kick to draw level. Then Dryden made it 2-1 to the Cumbrians, with a left footed shot from the edge of the 6 yard box. At the other end Whitehaven's central defender was fantastic in defence, and had a spectacular wrestle with Horden's 7 (John Bowes) at one point. Dryden had a hat trick soon after with a tap in - he was clearly a classic striker in a poacher mould. But as if in complete defiance, Horden's Ethan Payne scored a free kick which took a wicked deflection off the wall.
The second half was as unbelievable as the first. Whitehaven's right back sent a low shot wide early on, before Micheak Pattison scored an absolutely awesome free kick to make it 4-2. Think David Beckham vs Barca in 1998! They then had a goal disallowed and at the other end Horden's Waters had a shot saved then narrowly missed another chance with the keeper stranded. Whitehaven were starting to dominate and Lee Woolf (?) made it 5-2 when he evaded the attentions of several defenders before smashing in from the right of the box. I have to say I was particularly impressed with the home sides number 10, who was playing in a deep lying role and seemed cool in possession. Game over? No way. On came a very chubby looking player for Horden, who looked like he could barely move. But he had a sleight of touch and an intelligence which made up for his lack of speed. Halfway into the home half, facing the railway line, he took one touch on a nothing pass and smashed it into the top corner and in off the cross bar. Goal of the season without doubt, and an absolutely cracking Wearside League game to boot.
Costs - none except a walk down (and up!) a hill
Well today I had planned in Celtic Nation, but that ended up being shifted due to a Durham county cup tie. And my replacement - Northbank Carlisle - was out when I discovered that my train from Whitehaven would miss kick off. So I ended up heading to Cleator Moor to see the first half of Arsenal-Liverpool (it may as well have been the whole match) then walked the few miles down to the county ground for the 2.30 kick off. Whitehaven were relegated from the Northern League in the last couple of seasons partly due to the length of their turnstiles. I have some sympathy as the club is in Mrs Groundhopper's town, and is highly regarded locally.
This was one of a handful of step 7 games I've seen this year, but it was arguably one of the most entertaining. A topsy turvy first half ended 3-2 to the home side, with plenty of action and goals galore. First Whitehaven's Bradley Dryden planted a sitter into the roof of the net, before Horden's Nathan Waters swung in a superb left foot free kick to draw level. Then Dryden made it 2-1 to the Cumbrians, with a left footed shot from the edge of the 6 yard box. At the other end Whitehaven's central defender was fantastic in defence, and had a spectacular wrestle with Horden's 7 (John Bowes) at one point. Dryden had a hat trick soon after with a tap in - he was clearly a classic striker in a poacher mould. But as if in complete defiance, Horden's Ethan Payne scored a free kick which took a wicked deflection off the wall.
The second half was as unbelievable as the first. Whitehaven's right back sent a low shot wide early on, before Micheak Pattison scored an absolutely awesome free kick to make it 4-2. Think David Beckham vs Barca in 1998! They then had a goal disallowed and at the other end Horden's Waters had a shot saved then narrowly missed another chance with the keeper stranded. Whitehaven were starting to dominate and Lee Woolf (?) made it 5-2 when he evaded the attentions of several defenders before smashing in from the right of the box. I have to say I was particularly impressed with the home sides number 10, who was playing in a deep lying role and seemed cool in possession. Game over? No way. On came a very chubby looking player for Horden, who looked like he could barely move. But he had a sleight of touch and an intelligence which made up for his lack of speed. Halfway into the home half, facing the railway line, he took one touch on a nothing pass and smashed it into the top corner and in off the cross bar. Goal of the season without doubt, and an absolutely cracking Wearside League game to boot.
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