WULFRUNIANS BRUSH ASIDE ATHERSTONE IN THE FA VASE

Today sees the 1st Round proper of the F.A. Vase taking place. I have decided to visit the leafy Wolverhampton suburb of Castlecroft to see AFC Wulfrunians of the Midland Alliance take on Atherstone Town of the Midland Combination.

I arrive in Wolverhampton at about 12:15 pm have lunch soon after and then make my way to the Art Gallery for a spot of culture. It's a place Iv'e been to before and I can thoroughly recommend it as they display a good mix of sculptures, contemporary and older paintings. Today I see that the Wolverhampton Society of Artists have their exhibition opening and I manage to have a quick look round amongst the crowd of people. Good quality work on show too!  

After this artistic interlude I go outside and catch the No.3 bus and 20 minutes later have arrived in Castlecroft which lies just over the Staffordshire border.

The Castlecroft Stadium of AFC Wulfrunians is an impressive facility. On the one side of the pitch is a big stand with changing rooms at the bottom with seating on top and the clubhouse above that. The pitch is of good quality too and a steward there told me that it is being used by the FA to stage schoolboy internationals. Wolverhampton Ladies team use the pitch too on Sundays.

So Wulfrunians are playing Atherstone who this season have already had an impressive FA Cup run after defeating Redditch United and Coalville Town.

The teams take to the pitch with Wulfrunians in their red strip and their opponents in their second strip of yellow and black.

Wulfrunians take the lead early on when their No.7, Jake Webb, evades a tackle, goes inside and drills the ball in to the corner of the net after 7 minutes. Atherstone go close to scoring soon after but it's the hosts who are looking much more dangerous.

Wulfrunians deservedly score a second goal when Nathan Rose-Laing heads home a goal, as shown below.

Atherstone manage to reach the interval without any further damage. I see that there are plenty of rain clouds coming from the south-west and sure enough it starts raining before the start of the second half and I have to take shelter in the stand for the rest of the match.

Soon Wulfrunians go 3-0 up when Dave Asbury shoots in from close range when the ball falls at his feet.

The same player makes it 4, with 20 minutes to go when when he volleys home from a corner.

Atherstone are looking demoralised and Wulfrunians are totally in control of the game, slicing through the visitor's defence with almost every attack.

They score a fifth goal with their player taking the ball round Smith in the Atherstone goal with 15 minutes to go. They could and should have scored 2 more goals before the referee brings a halt to proceedings.

AFC Wulfrunians have put in a very impressive display of attacking football and it just hasn't been Atherstone's day this time round.

Maybe Wulfrunians can have a good run in this year's Vase?

PERSHORE TOWN SPRING A SURPRISE

PERSHORE TOWN  3 v 1  ATHERSTONE TOWN  23/2/2013

(MIDLAND COMBINATION, PREMIER DIVISION)

Here is a view from the ground with Pershore Abbey in the background.

I decided today to visit the King George V Playing Field ground of Pershore Town in their league game against Atherstone Town. Originally I had been looking to travel to Runcorn Town to see their FA Vase 5th Rd clash with Walsall Wood but after seeing the weather forecast with possibly poor visibility and likely snow showers, thought better of it. So in the end I plumped for Pershore and took the 20 minute bus journey to a ground I have not visited for 2 years.

Pershore is a pleasant place to visit and I had a quick look round the local shops and had a take away meal of burger and chips, eaten in the park with a good view of the 10th century Abbey.

The crowd was officially 33 for the visit of 3rd placed Atherstone and at least a third of these were supporters of the visiting team. The weather was cloudy and chilly but thankfully without any wind.

Pershore found themselves on the back foot for the first 5 minutes but it was they who took an unlikely lead through their No.9, Phil Marsh. 5 minutes later and the same player scored again!

So lowly Pershore had shocked the visitors and it made for a interesting contest. Atherstone continued to have most of the possession but Pershore looked dangerous on the break. Atherstone did reduce the deficit but Pershore struck again soon after, Phil Marsh completing a great first-half hat trick. 

 Phil Marsh (centre) is congratulated by 2 team mates on scoring his 3rd goal.

As the pitch is surrounded by metal fencing on 2 sides where people can view the game without payment, you get asked from time to time, what the current score is. I notice there is one young guy taking photos from outside the fence, while taking his dog for a walk. Very enterprising!

For the first 30 minutes in the 2nd half, the game is a more even affair but as it progresses, Atherstone press more and more in search of a vital goal. In stretching themselves, Marsh almost scores again. With 5 minutes to go I decide to go for the next bus home. Pershore are able to repulse the increasingly frantic visitor's attacks without much trouble. Pershore have played very well, while Atherstone have not been at their best.

As a result of their defeat Atherstone have dropped down to 4th place from 3rd as Nuneaton Griff have an impressive away win at Brocton with 6 games in hand too! They, along with Walsall Wood, look like the likely champions at this stage. Pershore are unbeaten in 7 games now and their chances of survival look good.