A 'blogger' has done a bit of a write up of Tuesday's game. Not bad except we don't have Tennis Courts and Danny Smy never played!
Ridgeons Eastern Counties League Premier Division
Leiston 1(1)-(0)0 Wroxham
Victory Road, Leiston, Suffolk
Attendance: 192 (though it looked like 250)
Admission: £7 ('temporary until end of season' apparently). Programme £1 (36 pages, b/w inside cover, mostly just stats etc but not bad)Also purchased: Burger and chips = £3.80(?). From clubhouse pint of Tuborg = £2.60
What on earth was I letting myself in for, doing a 150 mile round journey for a midweek evening during the working week?! Was out of work just after 6, and went straight up the A12 through several busy patches, along the A14, then up the A12 around Ipswich, got stuck behind a tanker on the single lane bit for a few miles doing barely half speed, turned off for Leiston halfway along to Lowestoft...and then turned off just a couple of hundred yards too early, ending up going through Saxmundham. Fortunately I got to the ground by 7:40, with stewards telling me where in the car park to go - very well marshalled I have to say.
Went to this match anticipating a momentus occasion, with Leiston hoping to all but clinch the Ridgeons title, to seal promotion to the Ryman league. They were accepted last week after making necessary improvements, and I was also there to check these out.
Since my last visit, the turnstile has been moved from the area beside they players' entrance, nearer to the ground entrance.
Once inside, there has been some repairs or additions added to complete the concrete path around the pitch. Heading clockwise from the turnstiles there is a fairly long bit of sheltered standing, where a guide dog was in attendance tonight. Past the players' entrance there is an overhang from the clubhouse which quite a few people stood under. At the far end next to the clubhouse is a decked patio area for BBQ's etc. Next to this there appears to be an access road for a few local residents, beside the entrance for the Lawn Tennis club, behind some tall hedges which encroach onto the ground.
Behind both goals there is no shelter or standing, but there is a large area of open space behind the goal at the far end (all grass) with a portacabin possibly for toilets. The side behind the dugouts is home to a small stand that covers nearly half the length, divided into c100+ seats on one half, and a few metal steps with cover on the other half.
Clubhouse is split into three. The part nearest the entrance sells hot food etc in a far corner inside the building, which is annoying if one wants to see the action. The centre part holds the main clubhouse, with trophies above the bar and stools all over the place - Spurs were shown on the TV - and the far part has pool tables and was being used for cakes etc.
To the game itself, Leiston needed four points to secure the title and promotion. Only Dereham and tonight's opponents - Wroxham - could still mathematically catch them, but they all know it's a lost cause.
The game started off with Wroxham having more of the possession, but Leiston went close early on, with some really pacy link-up play up front ending with a thundering volley that fizzed inches wide. With less than half the game gone though, the champions-elect scored what proved to be the only goal of the game, after a major blunder from a Wroxham defender, heading back to his keeper, but headed too weekly, allowing Gareth Heath to steal in, round the keeper and tuck the ball away despite the efforts of an away defender rushing back to his goalline. Wroxham maintained the lion's share of possession still, and had a couple of efforts just wide for the remainder of the half, without really testing the Leiston keeper.
Second half and the home side came out with more of a purpose than the previous fourty-five minutes, and went close on a number of occasions, forcing a number of corners. However Wroxham nearly stole an equaliser, rattling the crossbar from a rare effort. It was becoming a bit end to end, without that many chances being created. Heading into stoppage time, Danny Smy missed two glorious opportunities to wrap up the game, and effectively the title for Leiston, rounding the keeper when played onside, but shooting over with the goal at his mercy. Momenets later he picked up the ball on the right this time, unopposed going into the box, but skewed his shot badly off the edge of his foot.
In the end it didn't matter. One goal was enough, and as far as the title goes, that is effectively, that. Wroxham are now out of the race for definate. For Dereham to catch Leiston now they must win all their six remaining games, including the Leiston double header, and hope Leiston lose all their last seven, and hope for a goal difference swing of about thirty. Nope, 'aint gonna happen! There was no celebration on the pitch which surprised me a bit, though in the changing rooms it sounded like pandomodium. They know in their hearts it's over. The one point required now should be attained this saturday at a Wivenhoe side who haven't won in twenty-one games now. Leiston will be a credit to the Ryman league, and some I spoke to at the game were confident about next season. Lots of interest on the Suffolk clubs in the Ryman league from a few I spoke to (Lowestoft, Needham Market, AFC Sudbury).
On a sour note it was a shame the referee had to spoil the proceedings for both clubs, stopping play continuously, interrupting the flow of the game. Leiston got a lot of free kicks for so-called physical tackles, but even some of the Leiston fans thought it was ridiculous. At least most of the people from both sets of supporters seemed to have lots of respect for one another, and respect for the Wroxham players at the end as well. They gave Leiston a tough examination, despite rarely threatening.
Left at 9:45, stuck behind a trio of slow cars on the single-lane A12 for several miles upto Wickham Market. Stopped at Ipswich Tesco for petrol at the A14/A12S junction, and was home by 11:10, sooner than I feared. A good evening, but rather drained now.
