GNG OADBY TOWN (The Riverside Ground)

FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND, GNG OADBY TOWN 1-3 BOTTESFORD TOWN, ATTENDANCE: 72 (h/c)

The FA Cup got underway this weekend as 416 clubs headed off on the road to Wembley. I managed to watch two of the 208 ties and for the first of my choices, I headed the outskirts of Leicester.

My decision was heavily influenced by the weather as the first named storm of 2023 (Antoni) made it's way across the country. Fortunately Oadby had tweeted early doors that the pitch had passed an inspection and the game would be going ahead, so off I went along the A50. 

GNG Oadby Town, of the United Counties League, were hosting Bottesford Town, of the Northern Counties East League. Another little quirky aspect to this encounter was that both teams are nicknamed 'The Poachers'. Who would nick this tie?

Oadby Town moved into The Riverside Ground in 2020, after they vacated their Wigston Road home, and adopted the name Guru Nanak Gurdwara Oadby Town in recognition of the local Sikh community that had helped the club when they were on the brink.

The cup tie ended up being a comfortable win for Bottesford, especially as the second half wore on, after a even opening period.

The homesters lost their 'keeper with a broken finger after 7 minutes, the damage sustained as he attempted in vain to keep out Jack Griffin's header. The outfield player who went in goal was (arguably) MotM and kept it down to just the 3 with some excellent saves. This was after Jay Bruce (24) had equalised for Oadby.

Joe Wood (30) and Joe Simpson (47) put Bottesford in a commanding position, and they would have certainly added to their goal tally were it not for the heroics of the stand in 'keeper. Oadby's fate was sealed minutes before the end of the game when they were reduced to 10-men, a defender recieving a red card for a bad challenge.

Given the appalling wet weather today, it was especially pleasing just to get a game in today.

BARDON HILL (Bardon Close)

FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND, BARDON HILL 0-1 DUNKIRK, ATTENDANCE: 65 (h/c)

Today 368 teams set out on the road to Wembley as the FA Cup got under way with the Extra Preliminary Round. 

With plenty of options available, I plumped for the all Midlands League tie between Bardon Hill and Dunkirk.

Bardon is a mile or so from Coalville in Leicestershire. The football team is named after Bardon Hill, which is the highest point in the county. Bardon Hill Sports, as they were then, won the East Midlands Counties League last season to gain promotion to the Midlands League. This will be their first ever season at Step 5.

The club were founded in 1890 and after spending many years in district leagues, the club were elected to the Leicestershire Senior League in 1994, the season in which the club moved to its current home in Bardon Close.

The game was a scrappy affair with chances few and far between. Dunkirk's pacy front line always looked the more threatening but the home side dug in and the game seemed destined to go to a replay before Tristram Whitman scored with 10 minutes remaining to send Dunkirk through to the next round.

I've got my eye on you!

St ANDREWS F.C (Canal Street)

FA VASE QUARTER FINAL, St ANDREWS 1-0 NEWCASTLE BENFIELD, ATTENDANCE: 1,279

After failing to secure a ticket for the Arsenal v Everton FA Cup tie, due to The Blues not receiving their full 15% entitlement under FA rules (The Gooners hid behind some faceless Supporters Advisory Group to reduce Everton's allocation to 5,000 on the grounds of Health and Safety, as they did with Spurs and Liverpool but funnily enough not with Coventry) I had to look elsewhere for some cup action today.

This led me to Aylestone,  a suburb of Leicester, where East Midlands Counties League side St Andrews were taking on Northern League side Newcastle Benfield in the last eight of the FA Vase.  I can't be certain where St Andrews FC get their name from, but the Parish Church in Aylestone is called St Andrews.

St Andrews were making history today with their first ever appearance in the Quarter Finals after defeating Clipstone, Lincoln Moorlands Railway, Brocton, Bolehall Swifts, AFC Rushden & Diamonds and East Preston en route whilst Newcastle reached this stage of the competition by beating Vase holders Spennymoor in round five.

   

The club had given this tie maximum publicity, it certainly caught the imagination of the locals, and the club were rewarded with a four-figure crowd for, what I can only assume, is their best attendance in their 41 year history. It was certainly more than the 38 who watched them beat Anstey Nomads 4-2 on Tuesday night. The club also maximised today's opportunity by having scarves and special 'FA Vase 2014' badges on sale amongst the usual football fayre.

It was an incredibly tough ask for St Andrews as Northern League teams have dominated this competition in recent seasons and Benfield are playing at a step higher than their hosts.

Nonetheless St Andrews managed a superb display to book their place in the last four and continue their historic journey. The result though was down to dogged determination rather than free flowing football as the hosts stopped Newcastle Benfield getting a foothold in the game and taking their chance when when it came. The St Andrews defence were magnificent, their No5 especially, and Benfield were restricted to few opportunities.

The visitors did have the ball in the net in the first half, though that was ruled out for offside, but it was the home side who took the lead after 57 minutes when Declan Towers headed home, the ball creeping over the line. Benfield nearly levelled straight away but the ball was scrambled off the line by a Drews defender. They also had a chance late on, but the ball was headed over, however St Andrews had done more than enough to clinch the tie.

There were jubilant scenes at the end of the game as the players were mobbed on the pitch, the Leicestershire side now just two games from a trip to Wembley. They will meet another Northern league side, West Auckland Town, in the two-legged Semi Final. Who would bet against them getting there now?

ANSTEY NOMADS (Cropston Road)

EAST MIDLANDS COUNTIES LEAGUE, ANSTEY NOMADS 0-4 IBSTOCK UNITED, ATTENDANCE: 82

For my final game of Easter Monday it was a trip up the motorway to Leicestershire for Anstey Nomads' evening clash with Ibstock United.



No need to apologise to me!

The board advertising the game outside the ground had an apology for the late kick off!

I have no idea why this game was an evening kick when the rest of the league played at 3pm, but I was very grateful as I allowed me to complete a cheeky treble. 

Founded in 1947, Anstey Nomads spent many seasons in the Leicestershire Senior League before winning promotion to the East Midlands Counties League in 2009. Cropston Road has been their home since their formation.

The game was your cliched "relegation six pointer" as both teams are near the foot of the table.

Ibstock United did not look like a team struggling near the bottom as they comprehensively outclassed their hosts. ex-Anstey player Chris Rudkin gave United the lead after 30 minutes when he prodded home from inside the box. A sensational long range strike from Carl Benson (40) doubled the visitors advantage.

It was Adam Joynson who added a third after 50 minutes before Benson's second after 65 minutes completed the scoring.

There were a few other local 'hoppers' present and speaking to one who told me that Ibstock have linked up with a local academy to provide game time for young players. Their team certainly impressed me this evening and they would appear to have enough to beat the drop.

I wish I could say the same regards Anstey who, after 8 game without a win, look like returning to the Leicestershire Senior League, I stand to be proved wrong.

An enjoyable game brought a conclusion to yet another mad Easter Weekend!!!