Melton Lions

Sunday 8th December 2013
MELTON LIONS 0-2 ELLIS PARK
Leicestershire & Rutland FA Sunday Premier Cup 3rd Round
@ Egerton Park, Leicester Road, Melton Mowbray

It is county cup day today in Leicestershire & Rutland and it has reached the 3rd round stage, or last sixteen. The Sunday Premier Cup is one of five competitions organised by the County FA for Sunday League sides, with the others being Intermediate Cup, Shield, Trophy and Vase. Today would be a first for me in two ways, with them being 1) a first ever game involving a side from the Melton & District Sunday League (MSL), and 2) watching a first ever game in this competition. 

Melton Lions currently sit top of the MSL with seven wins out of seven, and their only defeat so far coming in the semi-final of the MSL's Knockout Cup competition. They had a bye in the first round of the Sunday Premier Cup and beat Hinckley Sunday League (HSL) side Research Garage 4-1 in round two. Ellis Park play their home games at the County Hall Sports Ground in Glenfield and competition in the Premier Division of the HSL. They currently sit in mid-table with four wins from nine league games. Like their hosts today they also had a bye in the first round and then beat fellow HSL side Ruke of Rutland 4-2 in the second round.

Melton play their home games on Egerton Park in Melton Mowbray and is a public park with sports facilities. It is located on Leicester Road just before you reach Melton town centre. If coming from Leicester itself it is on the left hand side after the Market Harborough junction. As you enter the main football pitch is immediately on the right and changing rooms on the left. Egerton Park Cricket Club have their own pavilion and pitch further along and there are further football pitches at the far end of the park.

After a fairly even start the visitors took the lead in somewhat fortuitous circumstances when a cross from right midfielder Sam Surridge sailed over the Melton keeper's head into the top corner. Both sides had their chances, but on the balance of play Melton had the better ones and also played some decent football to boot. The second half saw Melton dominate possession, territory and chances created but could not find an equaliser. This was a combination of decent defending and wasteful finishing. As the half went on you could sense that it was set up for a counter attack from Ellis Park, and this is what they did as with around ten minutes left of the game, they broke down the right and Sam Collins made it 0-2. 

Overall Melton will wonder how they did not get anything from this game, but fair play to Ellis Park they worked their bollocks off and defended superbly.       

Websites / social media

Leicestershire & Rutland County FA - official website - twitter

Melton & District Sunday League - football mitoo

Hinckley & District Sunday League - FA Full Time

Results of the other seven ties in the competition are as follows:

Star & Garter (A) 3-0 Cross Keys (H)
Birstall Stamford (C) v Wymeswold (C) (to be played 15th December)
Sparta Moshdock (A) 3-8 Creation Builders (L)
Shoemakers 2013 (A) 0-5 Appleby Magna (T)
MDH Knights (A) 6-3 Albion (H)
Whitwick Compass (C) 9-1 East Goscote Roofing (L)
Barcabullona (H) 0-1 Ashby Rovers (C)

Key:
A - Alliance Football league
C - Charnwood Sunday League
H - Hinckley Sunday League
L - Leicester Sunday League
T - Tamworth Sunday League

37 photos can be viewed online in the flickr album: photos

Albion All Stars

Sunday 1st December 2013

Albion All Stars 2-1 Red Lion Repton

Burton & District Sunday League Division 3

@ Westfields Recreation Ground, off Abbey Drive, Ashby-de-la-Zouch

A trip up to the north west part of my home county today and more specifically the pleasant market town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. A game in the fourth tier of the Burton Sunday League does not immediately jump out, but I had been asked back in May by the home side if I could come and take some photos of one of their games, and some six months later I finally got round to watching them in action. 

Albion All Stars play their home games at the Westfields Recreation Ground which is located on the western edge of Ashby. It is a basic affair located down a small track off Abbey Drive, which in turn is off the Moira Road. At the end of the track it opens up to a very small car park and portakabin style changing rooms, and as expected there is nothing pitch side. The recreation ground is easy to get to and find. If coming from Leicester, Loughborough or the M42 head into Ashby town centre itself, and when you come to two small traffic islands go straight on following the signs for Moira. Abbey Drive is the 4th turning on the right, and the track to the rec' is on the right opposite Abbey Stores.

From what I can gather Albion were only formed in 2012 and were accepted into Division 4 of the Burton Sunday League. They finished in 5th place in their debut season and won their first trophy as well, beating Marlborough Rovers Reserves 2-1 in the final of the Division 4 Cup which was played @ Stapenhill FC. 

The Red Lion Repton goal being scored

The league table at the start of play suggested a close game would be in order as the two teams were seperated by just two points, with Albion on twelve and Repton on fourteen, and this is how it panned out. The visitors started the better and deservedly took the lead early with a header following a corner. Albion struggled to get anything going, but probably against the run of play equalised around the twenty minute mark with a low shot past the Repton keeper. Despite the play being of a scrappy nature both sides created a fair amount of chances but were not clinical enough in front of goal, and the first half ended 1-1. The second half was of a similar nature to the first with both sides lacking a cutting edge. The only goal of the second forty five minutes came from the home side midway through the half, when their #10 powered his past a couple of defenders and beat the keeper as his near post. Repton, as expected but a lot of pressure on the Albion defence in the final stages but I didn't feel they had enough in their locker to force an equaliser, and this was how it played out.

Overall a competitive game in which both teams put plenty of effort in, but one also that lacked any real quality on show. Post match I headed back into Ashby town centre and had a drink in the new Wetherspoon outlet in the town, The Shoulder of Mutton before making my way back home to Leicester.  

websites / social media

Burton & District Sunday League - FA Full Time site

Albion All Stars - twitter

Photos

55 match photos can be viewed by clicking the following link: Albion

F.C. AZZURRI

Sunday 24th November 2013

F.C. AZZURRI 2-1 EAST GOSCOTE ATHLETIC

Alliance Football League Bill Walton Cup 2nd Round

@ Cleansing Sports Ground, Braunstone Lane East, Leicester

I stayed local for my football game of choice this morning and visited possibly the nearest ground to my home that I had not previously seen a game at. This was a cup tie between FC Azzurri who sit top of the Alliance Football League's (AFL) top division (The Premiership) with an unbeaten record from their opening six games against league new boys East Goscote Athletic. Goscote were placed in division 3 and have found their surroundings to their liking, sitting in second place after nine league games.

FC Azzurri

The Bill Walton Cup is the AFL's main knock out cup competition in which teams from all eight divisions compete and this tie was at the last 64 stage, and the home side went into it under strength but I was still expecting them to progress to the third round. They did but not without having to make hard work for it as Goscote made a real game of it and if their finishing was better, the result could have been very different. Azzurri got the opening goal early on when a well worked moved down the left hand side resulted in a first time finish. Their second came later on in the first half and came via the penalty spot, though apparently this was a contentious decision. I did not get a clear view of it, but I know the visitors were not happy about the awarding of it.  

Half time 2-0

Early on in the second half and Goscote deservedly got back into the game when they made it 2-1 with a cracking free kick. Soon afterwards and Azzurri were awarded a second penalty kick, but this time it was well saved by the Goscote keeper and the follow up blasted over the bar. Despite plenty of endeavor neither side added to the score, though it was the visitors who came closest when an angled shot crashed against the bar.

Overall it was not a bad game to watch, and more competitive than I expected it to be. 

The Cleansing Sports Ground is located in the south west suburbs of Leicester and is a basic affair. It is home to three football pitches and a cricket pitch. I believe it is also home to Leicestershire Church League side United Churches of Leicestershire. This was the 133rd venue that I have seen football at in Leicestershire & Rutland and the location of the ground can be viewed in the following link and it is icon "red 33" - map.

Websites / Social Media
Alliance Football League - official website - twitter
FC Azzurri - twitter
East Goscote Athletic - twitter

44 photos taken during the game can be viewed in the following link: photos.

Work in progress

Having just set up this blog this morning (Saturday 23rd November 2013), it is currently a work in progress and apart from links to all my photos (on the right hand side), contains very little information as of yet. I will continue to add information over the next few weeks, which by the turn of the year will be more substantial in terms of content.

Thanks for visiting and do keep checking back to see the progress being made. If anyone does have any suggestions or information that they feel will be of use then please get in touch. This can be done either by twitter or e-mailing me @ rambler77@btinternet.com

Regards

Rob