Today I have travelled to the Triplex Sports Association ground of Pilkington XXX, which is located close to the Kings Norton railway station, in Eckersall Road, Birmingham.
I had texted the Pilkington Chairman, Saul Gray, the previous day asking if he thought the game would would be played, as I had noticed that on Saturday, many games in the Birmingham area had been postponed. He said that he would text me as soon as possible the next day about this.
So today just after 10am he texts me affirming that it will go ahead. I have taken photos here on 2 previous occasions and the club have used my photos to illustrate their programmes and I get free admission!
Pilkington XXX unfortunately are having a bad season and find themselves just 2 places off the bottom of the Premier Division table, while today's opponents, Bromsgrove Sporting find themselves in a creditable 3rd place after their promotion from last season.
About 70 Bromsgrove fans,have boosted the attendance to a healthy 102 after making the short trip north for this game.
I station myself at the Club House end of the ground to photograph potential Pilkington attacks. After the game starts, Pilkington certainly do attack for most of the first 20 minutes.
( The Pilkington number 9 has a shot blocked)
However, with only their 2nd or 3rd attack of the match, Bromsgrove break away quickly down the left after the breakdown of a Pilkington corner and score the first goal!
( Pilkington forward, Dan Carter, manages to fire in a shot )
Unfortunately for the home side, Bromsgrove repeat this feat 3 more times before half-time to kill the game as a contest. Of course this pleases their supporters and they applaud their players off the pitch at the interval.
The second-half sees Bromsgrove in good control of the game and Pilkington have to defend desperately at times.
Sporting however only manage to score one more goal and achieve the double over Pilkington with an identical scoreline from their first match.
So Bromsgrove will be looking to finish the season with a top 5 finish considering some teams below them have games in hand but Pilkington will have to fight hard to make sure they don't finish at the bottom after they lost to Racing Club Warwick 2 days previously.
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.
