POTTERS BAR TOWN (Parkfield)

SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CENTRAL, POTTERS BAR TOWN 0-3 LEIGHTON TOWN, ATTENDANCE: 129

When I departed my hotel this morning, this was certainly not my intended destination!

I had set out with the intention of doing an Isthmian League 'double header' of Carshalton v Guernsey followed by Tooting & Mitcham v Sittingbourne. Sadly this went belly up when Guernsey missed their flight to Gatwick and the game was postponed. Unfortunately for me this probability never even entered my head and it was only upon arrival at the ground that I found out it was off.

I could have stuck with visiting Tooting and Mitcham but out of courtesy to my fellow passengers I decided to try and get further North (i.e closer to home) but the Sat Nav decided the quickest route (sic) was through London. I eventually made it to Potters Bar with about 10 minutes to spare.

The ground is tucked in off the High Street, behind a row of flats. The club was founded in 1960 as Mount Grace Old Scholars when PE teacher Ken Barrett formed a football club for former scholars. The club won the Hertfordshire County League in 1991 and took the promotion to the South Midlands League, changing their name to Potters Bar Town in the process.

In 2004 the club won promotion to the Southern League before being moved across to the Isthmian League before being placed back in the Southern League in 2013.

The Scholars have had a great start to the current campaign and at the start of play sat second in the table. The visitors, Leighton Town, were hovering just above the drop zone so on paper it looked a home banker.

Form went out of the window as Leighton Town cruised to a 3-0 victory. Potters Bar had the majority of possession but Leighton Town were happy to sit back and play on the counter and boy did that work a treat.

Once Phil Draycott's long range effort crashed in off the far post after 40 minutes, Leighton never really looked in trouble.

With only 4 minutes gone of the second half gone Claude Senla slotted home to double the vistors lead and after 67 minutes a corner kick was headed home by Robbie Goodman to clinch the points.

There was a scary moment at half time when a call was put over the tannoy for a replacement official as the referee was injured. After the morning postponement an abandonment at the break would have been the cherry on the cake! Luckily a replacement was found and the game was played to a finish, much to my relief, and no doubt the rest of the crowd.