Sunday 29 May 2016

January 2016 - A view from behind the goal


January 2016

So, after a break over the New Year the mighty Bloods and fans made the long trip to Fakenham in sunny Norfolk.

I had this feeling that things would start looking up, and we would soon climb the league. I was told over the Christmas break that Ben ‘The Beast’ Lawrence decided to call it time on his Walden career and left the club. A lot of the fans were gutted and I knew the Bloods would miss his leadership and skills at the club - especially the long throws.

I was then told that Chris Reid had left the club and moved to the North West. There went two of the key players in the team. I thanked them personally and via the blog for what they had done for us. As fans you always hate to see your players leave, but understand that life should always come first.

 

Fakenham 1 – Saffron Walden 1

2nd January 2016

We arrived in plenty of time and the sun was trying to come out. The pitch looked in excellent condition, and they had cover behind both goals – which is always a bonus this time of year. I met up with the usual away fans, and wished them all Happy New Year.

We were very impressed by the loud home fans. They did not stop cheering. They also had a few horns and drums. It was great to see and we had some good banter.

Sticko was serving a one match ban so he was not in the dugout. The management had awarded U18 players Jamie Dicker and Jake Thompson with their debut first team starts

TEAM: Floyd Croll, Jamie Dicker (Paul Abbot (Pabbo) – 55 mins.), Jamie Solkhon (Rocky), Marc Abbot (Mabbo), Stuart Hoskins, Ryan Fleming (Rhino), Craig Calver (Wig), Jake Thompson, (James Crane (Road Runner/RR) – 55 mins.), Joe Murphy (Boss) (Neil Andrews – 80 mins.), Spike Bell, Louis Harper.

Fakenham had the better start to the match, and were award an early free kick which was taken by Dye. The free kick was headed clear, by Rhino for a Fakenham throw-in. The throw-in did not trouble the Bloods defence.

The Boss came very close to opening the scoring in the 7thminute, when his flicked header hit the unmarked post. A fraction to the right, and it would have been 1-0 to the Bloods. Now I initially thought it came off Jake Thompson’s head, but Paul’s report confirmed I was wrong. #wengermoment

Thompson looked strong in his midfield role, and won the ball back in Fakenham’s own half. He passed the ball to Mabbo, who sent in a dangerous cross, but the cross was headed off for a Walden corner. Harper took the corner, but Flemo was penalised for a foul and the referee gave a free kick to Fakenham.

Wig started to frustrate the Fakenham defence, and was tripped again just outside the box. The referee awarded a free kick. Harper decided to take a shot; and came close, but Rix made a great save for a corner ball. The corner was easily caught by Rix.

30 minutes in, and it was looking very bleak. I even sat down for a bit with Carol to reflect on the game. Sorry lads, but it couldn’t always be good news.

39 minutes into the match, and Fakenham had a corner ball but the ball ended up on the roof of Croll’s net.

42 minutes into the match, and Wiggy came close with a shot across Rix. The shot beat Rix but was wide of the post.

In the last minute Wig went down in the box, but was not given a penalty.

HT – Fakenham 0 – Walden 0

The Bloods started the second half well, and started to look like the better team. Wig won the Bloods another free kick outside the box, for Harper to take. Harper played the ball short to Wig, who turned and went for the cross. The shot was deflected by the defender, and the Bloods called for handball. The handball was not given, so we settled for the corner. The corner found Rocky in space, who headed at Rix. The ball deflected off Rix and Franks managed to clear the ball for another Walden corner. The corner went over the box, and Harper collected the ball. He crossed the ball back into the box, and Thompson managed to get his head to the ball, but it went wide of the post.

As we cheered on the Bloods, two young lads walked past us banging on toy drums singing ‘Barmy Army’. They couldn’t have been much older than five. All these instruments were giving me an idea!

55 minutes into the match, and Dicker and Thompson made way for Pabbo and Road Runner (RR).

68 minutes into the match, and Youngs hit the bar, with a header from a corner. The Boss jumped at the rebound and cleared the ball away.

72 minutes in, and Bell charged into the box, and squared the ball to Wig. Wig’s shot forced a great save from Rix.

The much-needed first goal was scored by Walden from a sweet move in the 86th minute. A superb diagonal pass from Andrews, gave Wig some space on the left, and his accurate shot found the far corner of the net.

As we looked to have wrapped up the three points, disaster struck for the Bloods in the 94th minute. Rix punted the ball up the pitch in one last desperate attack, and the ball found its way through to Harris who knocked the ball over the diving Croll and agonizingly into the far corner of the net.

It ended 1-1, and we were gutted. I was lost for words, and I didn’t quite know what to think. This has happened on a few occasions where we have either lost or ended up dropping 2 points. The game did look like it was shaping up to be nil nil, and a point away is a good result.

The fans ‘Man of the Match’ went to Wig Calver.

Next we were meant to visit Clacton but the game was postponed. So it was back to the Meadow, and we welcomed the ‘Barmy Army’ to our gaff.

Saffron Walden 4 – Fakenham Town 1

16th January 2016

The Meadow

It’s been a long 9 months since we had a home win at the Meadow, but the ‘curse’ has finally been lifted

I got to the ground and was greeted by a concerned looking Chairman. The pitch was looking a little frozen in places, and the referee was in two minds whether to call the game off. So after hearing that I grabbed a folk, and helped spike the ground to get the pitch ready from action! I was joined by Ade, Martin, Master Johnson and the mighty Paul Abrahams!

I certainly had done my 15 minutes of cardio, as I was baking hot after. As a result the referee delayed the game by 15 minutes, but gave us the all clear and the match was on. Phew!

Before the match I awarded Jake Noble with his certificate and voucher for Player of December.

 
        The Team

 
       F      Floyd Croll, Paul Abbot (Pabbo), Dan Grindrod (Viking), Jake Noble (Nobby), James Solkhon (Rocky), Stuart Wardley (    (Sticko), Craig Calver © (Wig), Marc Abbott (Mabbo), Graeme Turner (G Man), Spike Bell, Louis Harper

        Subs: Stuart Hoskins, Neil Andrews, Joe Murphy (Boss), Charlie Dicker and Sam Soutar (GK)

        We lost the toss, so we started the match kicking towards Catons Lane. We started the game very well, with some great early pressure. Bell and G Man came out the blocks like a greyhound from a trap. I asked for the boys to show some fire in their bellies, and they did not disappoint. Their communication looked spot on, which rattled Fakenham’s defence

Sticko floated a lovely ball over the top of the defence, for G Man to run onto. G Man held the ball up well, and forced the defender to concede a goal kick. Viking took the corner, but we couldn’t get a shot on goal. Straight after the corner, there seemed to be a little bit of ‘hand bags at dawn’, but the lads soon calmed down.

10 minutes into the match, and G Man was making the defence nervous. He was timing his run perfectly and using his strength and pace. The defence panicked with his clearance, and punted the ball out for a throw-in. We did call for the Beast as a sign of respect to our former captain.

Harper came extremely close with a great long range effort, but it was brilliantly saved by Rix. It was one of those moments, where the fans cheer before the ball crosses the line.

After 27 minutes, the pressure had paid off. Harper passed to Wig, just inside the 18 yard box. Wig found some space and struck at goal. The ball took a slight deflection and ended up in the back of the net. 1-0 to the Bloods!

Not long after we finished celebrating Wigs goal, Fakenham had equalised. Williams floated in a free kick, which was well headed in by Kyle Plumb. 1-1! I did ask Rix to confirm who scored, but he wasn’t sure. At the time I didn’t care as it was a soft goal, and the lads should have done better.

Our second goal was scored by G Man, and what a beaut! Rix decided to come off his line, and try and head the ball clear. He couldn’t catch the ball as he was out of his area. The header fell to G Man, and G lobbed the ball from 25 yards into the back of the net. 2-1 to the Bloods! The goal was on the 39th minute. Nigel B was on the tweets, and he tweeted the following: Goooooooooallll! And what a finish! @Gstar_88 with a cheeky sneaky dinky lob from outside the box….. Now that had to be a contender for - Bloods tweet of the season.

It was getting to the end of the first half, and the fans were really impressed by the sheer grit and determination the players were showing. Every player’s contribution was spot on.

We started the second half well, with our first chance coming from Bell. Wig passed the ball to Bell, who had his back to the goal near the penalty spot. He managed to turn and shoot, but it was straight at Rix.

Fakenham were not out of the game and Williams had a decent chance on goal. His shot was scuffed and comfortably collected by Croll.

50 minutes in, and Fakenham had a corner. The ball was floated into the box, and it could have been a golden opportunity for the visitors to equalise. Jon Waters described it as a Melee. I must admit, I had to look that up… Anyway we managed to get the ball away from the danger zone.

Fakenham continued to push, when Harris was threaded a great through ball. Rocky slid in and successfully cleared the danger. This Fakenham pressure started to silence the Bloods fans.

61 minutes in, and the fans really wanted that third goal to finish off Fakenham. The temperature had dropped and the fans were getting chilly….Well, Mrs. Nash was moaning she was cold and the flannel was about to make an appearance.

66 minutes into the match, and Bell put the Bloods 3-1 up. He rose well to meet Wigs cross, and floated the ball into the back the net with his head. 3-1 to the Bloods! Come on! That certainly warmed us up.

G Man was having the perfect day, and brilliantly scored his second. He controlled Harpers cross and played the ball onto his foot, to calmly slot the ball past Rix. It was a lovely effort for G Man. 4-1 to the Bloods and there was no coming back for Fakenham.

Bell came very close to scoring a brace, as Wig crossed the ball into the box. Bell didn’t get the connection he needed to make it 5-1. But 10 out of 10 for effort

The Viking was replaced by Stuart Hosking. Hoskins went to centre back, and Rocky went to the left back position. It was great to see him back in the team.

84 minutes in, and Bell was replaced by U18’s Charlie Dicker. Dicker didn’t look out of place on the wing, and was not afraid to take on the left back. He has great potential, and with hard work I can see him being a future regular for the first team.

The game finished Walden 4 – Fakenham 1. Our group of fans had a whip round, so we could treat the lads to a well-earned drink after the match.

The fans ‘Man of the Match’ went to Graeme Turner.

Saffron Walden 3 – Ipswich Wanderers 0

23rd January 2016

 

The Meadow

 

‘Wardley’s Walden find Wanderers Wanting’ was my headline to this games blog. Following last week’s 4-1 win, the Bloods continued their great form. Walden’s first season in the Premier League has not been easy. Half way through the season, we could clearly see the difference in level of quality between step six and step five. After a shaky six months, the boys have now found their form. If Ruud Gullit had been watching, he would have used his famous expression - ‘Sexy Football!’

I gave Mrs Nash her drum, and was given serious grief for the size of it. I think they were expecting something a little bit bigger. It’s the thought that counts.

The Team

TEAM: Floyd Croll, Spike Bell, Dan Grindrod (Viking), Jake Noble (Nobby), Ryan Fleming (Rhino), Stuart Wardley (Sicko), Craig Calver (Wig), Marc Abbot (Mabbo), Graeme Turner (G Man) (Joe Murphy (Boss) – 78 mins.), James Thomas (Zinedine), Louis Harper (Charlie Dicker – 82 mins.). Substitute (not used): Neil Andrews.

The First Half

Ipswich started the game well, and saw an early effort strike the side netting. This was a wakeup call for the Bloods, who could have found themselves one down in the first few minutes.

Walden responded brilliantly, when G Man dribbled his way through the defence but was pulled back by Hitching. The referee played the advantage but G Man was challenged by the physical Goldfinch. The referee blew the whistle and gave a free kick, where G Man was originally fouled. The back four took their time to get back by ten yards, and the referee was not letting them get away with it. Wig stood over the ball, and produced a beautiful strike into the top of the corner leaving Bradbrook with no chance of saving it. 1-0 to the Bloods!

Bell, Harper and Zinedine linked up well on the wing, and started to split the Ipswich defence. Thomas’ final threw ball was timed perfectly for Bell to run onto. Bell’s cross was cleared for a Bloods corner. Viking took the corner, but it didn’t drop for anyone to get a clear shot on goal. The ball went back to Rhino, who’s shot from distance forced a save out of Bradbrook.

20 minutes into the match, and Zinedine’s brilliant diagonal pass found Wig’s drive up the wing. Wig squared the ball to Mabbo, who shot and struck the inside of the bar. The ball bounced back to G Man, but his shot was brilliant defended for a corner ball.

25 minutes into the match, and Walden had a narrow escape. Had it not been for Bells goal line clearance, Ipswich would have made it one all. Phew, thanks Bellsy!

Deacon came very close to an equaliser, when he took the ball round Croll, but his final shot was brilliantly cleared off the line by the Viking.

I was very impressed by the on-going battle between G Man and Goldfinch. Both players are strong, and tried to muscle each other off the ball. G Man had the height advantage, but Goldfinch was built like a tank.

Croll was first called into action from a dipping long range effort by Deacon. Deacon’s strike was firm, but Croll held onto the ball.

Bradbrook was given banter from the fans, because his label was sticking out of his shorts. He took the banter well and played along with it. Always good to see!

Just before half time, Sticko came close to getting on the score sheet, when he connected with Nobby’s backwards header. Sticko put his foot through the ball, but it went over the bar.

HT: Saffron Walden 1 – Ipswich Wanderers 0

From the minute Ipswich re started the match, Walden were hot on their heels. Bell made an impressive run up the wing, shielding off his opponent. He passed the ball to Wig in the area. Wig slipped slightly but managed to set Harper, but his shot was not clean enough to trouble Bradbrook.

It didn’t take long for Walden’s constant pressure to beat Bradbrook again. Unfortunately for Ipswich it came from an own goal on the 58thaminute. Viking delivered a brilliant corner, and Stuart headed the ball passed Bradbrook, leaving him no chance…..Hey, they all count and full credit to G Man for putting him under pressure! It was now 2-0 to the Bloods.

Just as we finished celebrating the second goal, Bell made it 3-0. Walden cut open the Ipswich defence with a flick-on by Wig to Bell, who calmly slotted the ball past Bradbrook. It was a result of excellent link up play. 3-0 to the Bloods!

After the goal, Martin Johnson got straight onto Twitter and won my tweet of the day. And I quote ‘Total football at Catons Lane as @spikebell7 glorious move makes it 3-0’

Sticko was putting in a solid performance at the back, and put everything he had into his headed clearances. The Bloods family joked, and said he would be sore in the morning.

Soon after, Jennings came close with an effort, but could only manage to hit the side netting.

Mackenzie came close again when his effort hit the bar. A slight let off for the Bloods!

82 minutes into the match, and Harper was replaced by Dicker.

The last five minutes saw more potential opportunities. Wig was through on goal, and looked like he was fouled, but the referee awarded Ipswich with the free kick. It’s a shame because Dicker was free on the penalty spot to potentially open up his first team account.

FT Saffron Walden 3 – Ipswich Wanderers  0

I agree with Paul Daw’s report. The Bloods produced their best football of the season. It was a joy to watch and every single player gave it 100%.

The Fans ‘Man of the Match’ went to Spike Bell

Stanway Rovers 2 – Saffron Walden 1

30th Jan 2016

The last time we visited the Hawthorns, we had at least 450 Bloods fans in tow. It was that epic match where a win would have got us into the last 32 of the FA Vase. Sadly it was not the case and Stanway beat us 1-0 on the day. So it was geared up as a revenge mission.

We were missing quite a few players, so Rocky partnered Sticko at the back. We joked about Sticko making it through three matches in a row. He joked and said that he was the reason we had hit form! The old vet still has it in him!

The Team

 

Croll, Bell, Grindrod (Viking), Noble (Nobby), Solkhon (Rocky), Wardley (Sticko), Calver (Wig), Abbot (Mabbo), Turner (G Man), Thomas (Zinedine) and Harper. Subs: Murphy (Boss), Dicker, Carter, Andrews and Soutar

The First Half

The first 5 minutes were played with caution, as both teams had little build up play. This soon changed after Bell charged up the wing, with the ball at his feet. Bell won us a corner for the Viking to take. The corner was delivered into the box, but Punter launched himself into the air and comfortably caught the ball.

We won a throw-in, which Bell took quickly. He threw the ball to Mabbo, who squared it to Nobby. Nobby ran across the face of the D and was tripped, winning the Bloods a free kick 25 yards out. Wig’s effort was on target, but not hard enough to beat Punter.

10 minutes into the match, and Newson scored for Stanway. He met the cross well - at the back post, and struck the ball sweetly into the goal.

14 minutes into the match, and Stanway were looking strong. They won a corner which was taken by Hughes, but the corner was headed off for a goal kick.

As Stanway pushed for a second, our defence worked hard not to be beaten again! Rocky put in a great sliding challenge, which stopped Stanway whipping in a dangerous cross.

20 minutes into the match, and the Bloods upped their tempo. Nobby did well to win the ball back in the middle of the park. He passed the ball to Zinedine; who fancied his chances, and dribbled the ball through three defenders. Unfortunately the ball came away from him, and was scooped clear. It was good to see the lads play with no fear.

21 minutes into the match, and we thought Stanway had scored again but it was ruled offside.

24 minutes into the match, and Croll made a cracking save. Newson’s through ball found Charles in space, and he struck the ball well but not well enough to beat Croll. The loose ball was headed clear by the Viking. In the end Charles was caught for offside, but it showed great focus from Super Floyd.

26 minutes into the match, and Nobby scored! It was after Cawley conceded a corner, when his attempted back header to Punter went off the pitch. Harper floated the ball for Rocky to head down into the box. Nobby got to the ball first and slotted it through the defence and into the back of the net. It was not 1-1.

It wasn’t long before the Bloods found themselves behind again. Neale scored with a bullet header from a corner ball. It was well taken, but Neale's run should have been picked up.

The banter with Punter started, when one of his team mates shouted: ‘Stay strong Nicky!’ We must have shouted it every time Walden had a set piece. Punter took it well and made him laugh.

Anyway, before the ‘Stay Strong’ moment G Man won a free kick 25 yards out. The Viking played it short to Wig, who went on a dribble-fest before he could shoot, but his shot was straight at Nicky ‘Stay Strong’ Punter.

We continued to try and fight back, and you could see Zinedine getting frustrated with the constant pushing and shirt pulling every time we had a set piece opportunity. Stanway must have done their research and knew to try and keep him pinned down.

The Bloods finished the first half positively. The lads tried to attack Punter’s goal but the defence stood up well, and ended the half with their lead intact.

HT: Stanway 2 – Saffron Walden 1

The Second Half

 

Stanway’s wing play was very good. Charles made a great run, and fed himself a pass around Bell to run onto. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Rocky slid in and cleared the ball for a corner. Hughes took the corner, but it didn’t trouble the Bloods defence.

Bell showed Charles that two could play at that game - with a great run of his own. He crossed the ball into the box, but it was slightly too high for G Man. Just after Bell’s run and cross Ade screamed ‘Come on Walden’ into my recorder which nearly deafened me…..Stay strong Nicky!

Zinedine won the Bloods a corner, and the banging of the stands metal sheeting had started. The ball was delivered by Harper, but it was well defended and Charles went on the break. It was interesting to see a team with wing play as good as ours. Charles went to cross the ball, but the Stanway forward was caught offside.

The next five minutes consisted of Stanway back to back corners, but the Bloods were not going to be undone this time. The lights had finally come on, but only to go back out 10 minutes later. As you can imagine, the banter about the lights was in full flow.

73 minutes into the match, and the Bloods won another free kick. The ‘come on Bloods’ chants were getting louder as we never stopped believing that we could score. Viking took the free kick, but it was well defended.

75 minutes into the match, and Punter dropped the ball from a cross, and the ball ended up underneath him on the floor. Both sets of players pilled in to try and retrieve the ball, but the referee ended up blowing the whistle for a foul on Punter. Wig questioned the decision, because there was no way he had a clear view, but he put ‘Stay Strong Nicky’s’ safety first which is the most important thing.

80 minutes into the match, and Croll made a brilliant save to deny Charles from scoring. He pushed the ball past his post for another Stanway corner. The Bloods defended well and cleared the ball.

This was when the lights went off, so visibility was pretty bad. The referee did ask both benches if they were happy to continue and they both agreed. Thinking about it now, Stanway needed the points to go second in the league, and we were looking like we could potentially earn a draw. So playing on was a good decision.

90 minutes into the match, and G Man came extremely close, after his lobbed headed was tipped over the bar by Punter. We praised both G Man and Punter for their heroics. The corner was taken by Bell, but Stanway parked the bus. The Viking tried to smash one through the barricade of defenders, but it was well blocked. The ball deflected back to Croll, who was ‘ghosting’ in the Stanway half. He went for a long range effort, but it was caught by Punter.

The Boss had the last chance of the game, when he turned and shot at Punter's bottom left hand corner, but Punter saved the day for Stanway with a brilliant save. Punter really did stay strong!

As the players left the pitch, I was asked to ‘Nibble on that!’ by a Stanway player. I simply replied….Umm no thanks! Shame really, as at the time we were congratulating ‘stay strong’ for keeping them in the match.

FT: Stanway 2 – Saffron Walden 1.

Fans Man of the Match went to Jake Noble.

 

Summary

January was a great month. We had finally got our first home win of the season, and the boys were working very hard. With two wins, a draw and a loss I was very happy with the positive attitude of the players and the fans. Things were looking up and I was excited about the next match.

Honours

Player of the month – Spike Bell

Best game of the month – Ipswich at home

Worst game of the month – Fakenham away

Goal of the month – Graeme Turner vs Fakenham at home

Away fans of the month – Fakenham

Away ground of the month – Stanway

Thanks for reading









Saturday 21 May 2016

December 2015 - A view from behind the goal


December

It has to be said that December was not one of the best months to be a Blood. But we kept on cheering the lads on no matter what. I guess this is what you call a rough patch. There were a few more nick names added to the team and Carlos decided to leave the club, but the bad spell didn’t keep his long lost brother Nigel away.

However, we did had the perfect start to December with an excellent away win at Newmarket

Newmarket 1 - Saffron Walden 2

 
4th December 2015

‘Oi Walden…You were lucky!’ was the cry from the Newmarket fan, as he walked out of the ground. The lads responded by chuckling to themselves. If you were not at the game, I can assure you, luck had nothing to do with it. The boys played out of their boots and I was very proud of them all.

Both teams had to play against a strong wind, which was making long balls and clearances very hard. It was cold and horrible, but the fans didn’t care. We were just grateful for the Friday night entertainment.

Newmarket had played well all season, and had only lost 4 times. We played them very early in the season at home and lost 2-0. But this was when we were getting used to the level of step 5. Now we were up and running and playing some brilliant football. I truly believed that this Bloods side will now take some beating.

TEAM: Floyd Croll, Paul Abbott (Pabbo), Dan Grindrod (Viking), Ryan Fleming (Rhino), Ben Lawrence (Beast), Chris Reid, Craig Calver (Wig), Marc Abbott (Mabbo) (Spike Bell – 77 mins.), Graeme Turner (G Man), James Thomas (Zinedine), Louis Harper (Joe Murphy (Boss)–81 mins.)

Substitutes (not used): Neil Andrews, Max Drane.

You may have noticed the new nick names. Ladies and Gents I introduce to you: Ryan ‘The Rhino’ Fleming, Paul (Pabbo) Abbott and Mark (Mabbo) Abbott (see what we did there?)

Zinedine made an early impression on Newmarket, by showing them what he could do. He weaved in and out of a few defenders, but he was eventually challenged by the centre back.

The Rhino was called to action as Newmarket pressed for a shooting opportunity. But he stood up well, and put in a great tackle. The loose ball was cleared by Viking.

G Man worked the right back hard, and managed to get a cross into the six yard box. The shot was well defender and cleared out of danger, but Mabbo put in a great challenge to win the ball back. He played the ball to Zinedine, who shot, but it was deflected for a corner. The Viking took the corner; which found Reid’s head. Reid headed the ball back into the 6 six yard box, but the shot was well blocked.

23 minutes in to the match, and Zinedine scored with a lovely placed header. The Rhino made a lovely turn on the line, and delivered a perfect cross for Zinedine to head past the keeper. Zinedine managed to place the ball, while sandwiched between two defenders, and angle his header away from Heath’s reach. Great work from both players! The Rhino was showing off his skills as a CAM.

At the time I was asked by a young lad, who Zinedine Zidane was? I almost fell over!

29 minutes into the match and Newmarket had scored. A high cross into the box caught the wind, and came down under the waiting Holder, who headed home from beyond the far post. To be fair they did start to look threatening, and former Bloods player Napier was starting to create space for himself.

The Beast put in a brilliant sliding tackle, in his own 18 yard box. The Newmarket player was about to turn and shoot, but the Beast timed his tackle to perfection and cleared the ball.

In the last 5 minutes of the half, Newmarket pushed hard to get their noses in front. They delivered a great cross, but Reid managed to head the ball clear. The ball went back to Newmarket, but Pabbo didn’t give them another opportunity to cross the ball.

Both teams worked hard, but I would say that Walden just looked the better team

HT: Newmarket 1 –Walden 1

Nigel B kindly got me a cup of tea, while I tackled with the flag in the wind. Luckily Newmarket had a net up behind the goal, so I managed to feed it through and tie it to it.

47 minutes in the match, and Harper came very close to making it 2-1. G Man made a solid run across the 18 yard box, and back heeled it to Harper. Harper went for a long range effort, but it just went over the bar. Now that was the positive start we wanted.

Newmarket upped their game, and started to put on the pressure. The Viking put in a great challenge and cleared the ball. The ball was delivered back into the box and Newmarket managed to get in a shot, but it went over the bar.

61 minutes in the match, and Zinedine latched onto a through ball from Harper. Zinedine scored from a very tight angle from the right hand side. His shot was squeezed past Heath, and the ball clipped the inside of the post and went in. It was great accuracy from the Bloods in form attacker.

We continued to press the back four and Mabbo had an effort on goal, but it was too high. The fans were chanting ‘We’re gonna score in a minute!’ We were hoping for a Zinedine hat trick to cap off his night.

Croll pulled off a great diving save from Patterson, who hit the ball on the volley. The ball was scrambled out of the six yard box.

Newmarket pushed hard to get back into the match. They were not giving up and tried to test the defence, but we stood up well and kept them out.

Wig won the Bloods a free kick, as the Newmarket defender hand balled his long range effort. The Vikings shot was low and hard, and forced a diving save from Heath. We thought the Viking was going to make it three in a row. We then had two back to back corners, but decided to try and run the clock down, rather than go for a third. It was sensible football.

It was getting well into injury time and we were calling for the whistle. I told Martin to hold back from his Tweet, as we didn’t want to jinx it.

The final whistle went, and it was one of the best three points we had earned all season. The Bloods were playing some great football. It was a brilliant team effort, and we were proud of the boys.

Fans ‘Man of the Match’ went to James Thomas

 
Saffron Walden 2 – Berkhamstead 3 – FA Vase

12th December 2015

After checking the weather constantly all week and promoting the match on Twitter, the day had finally come. Could we match, or even beat our amazing FA Vase run from last season?

On the Friday evening before the match, I sat there listening to the rain come down, praying the game would not be postponed. The club and supporters had done a lot of work promoting the game, which was sponsored by the Curry Club.

After the hand shake between the teams, I presented Dan Grindrod with player of the month for November. Well done Dan. Very much deserved.

TEAM: Floyd Croll, Paul Abbott (Pabbo), Jamie Solkhon (Rocky), Matt Snelling (Mashy), Ben Lawrence (Beast), Ryan Fleming (Rhino), Craig Calver (Wig), Jake Noble (Nobby) (Spike Bell – 81 mins.), Graeme Turner (G Man), James Thomas (Zinedine), Dan Grindrod (Viking) (Louis Harper – 51 mins.). Substitutes (not used): Joe Murphy (Boss), James Crane (Road Runner), Neil Andrews.

Berko started the match and were looking good, and controlled the ball well. They sent a dangerous ball into the box, but Rhino cleared the ball well out of the danger zone.

Our first attempt on goal came from Zinedine. G Man did very well to hold the ball at the corner flag, and wait for support from Pabbo. Pabbo cured his cross; which found Zinedine’s head, but his header was straight at Smith.

20 minutes in, and we had another opportunity from a Beast throw. The throw was flicked into the box by Nobby, but was cleared by Berko. Berko broke from the clearance, and won a corner kick. The corner kicker went straight over everyone and out for a goal kick.

22 minutes in, and Berko scored a great goal from long range. Hawes latched onto the ball and struck a wind assisted shot from about 20 yards out, which curled into the top right hand corner, giving Croll no chance to save. It was a lovely goal, and worthy of an applause from both sets of fans.

Berko started to grow in confidence after they took the lead, and began putting pressure on the Bloods. They were looking good for their lead.

40 minutes into the match, and Pabbo conceded a soft penalty. Hawes stepped up to score comfortably from the penalty spot, to put Berko firmly in control.

Croll was left in no man’s lands, after the Bloods didn’t intercept a threatening long ball. Croll made the decision to come off his line, dived and managed to get a hand to the ball before the Berko player had chance to control the ball and shoot.

The half time whistle went and Berko had deserved their 2-0 need. The fans were looking glum, but I knew we had another 45 minutes to go and believed the boys could do it.

I was praying for an improvement from the lads in the second half. My prayers were answered with-in 90 seconds. A Beast throw was flicked on by G Man. The ball dropped for Zinedine, who turned and shot straight past Smith, making it 2-1. It was game on!

Just as I thought our luck had changed, Carter scored a cracking goal for Berko. Carter found some space just inside the 18 yard box, and his shot dipped just under the cross bar. Another great goal from Berko!

The fans spirits did not drop, and neither did the lads heads. Mashy stepped it up, and ran with the ball through the midfield at full speed. He played a through ball to Wig, but Wig was challenged and couldn’t get a shot in. This was what we wanted to see. Attack, Attack, Attack! I wouldn’t have cared if we had lost 10-1, as long as we gave it everything.

Zinedine came very close to making it 3-2 after meeting Wigs zipped cross. The cross travelled at a fast pace, and I didn’t expect anyone to get there. Zinedine did, but his shot was five yards wide.

60 minutes in, and Mashy did extremely well to send a dangerous low cross, between the six yard box and the goal line. Rocky came charging in, and tapped the ball at an angle into the back of the net from three yards out. It was a brilliant reaction from the lads, and we truly believed that we could win. Great link up play from the lads!

65 minutes into the match, and we were working very hard. Mashy was playing like it was his last ever match. The lads were pushing the defence and not giving up. We had time on our hands, and we looked the favourite to win.

G Man had an incredible effort, which was well saved by Smith. We all thought it was going to rattle the back of the net. It was a great save from Smith to keep us all in suspense. The corner came in, and met Rocky’s head, but his effort was just wide.

Smith was winding up the crowd, by taking as much time as possible in taking his goal kick. The fans started counting down, to get the referees attention. It was not fair, and in my eyes he was cheating. I know wasting time is a slippery tactic, but not when you have 20 minutes to go. It didn’t show much ambition from a side that dominated the first half. Eventually the referee gave Smith a yellow card.

83 minutes into the match, and Croll made the save of the match. We gave away a free kick which was just outside the area. The shot was taken well, and Croll dived and palmed the ball against the post, and out for a Berko throw. Croll had just given us a lifeline.

The high paced action didn’t end, and Hawes was sent off for a reckless challenge on Rocky. The Beast was not happy, and ran over to ‘politely’ tell Hawes he was out of order. I am not surprised as the tackle could have really hurt him. The Beast was given a yellow card for his ‘handbag’ reaction.

After all the commotion called down, we had one last opportunity with the free kick. Croll had decided to join the action, and we were hoping for a Schmeichel special. It was our last throw of the dice……Unfortunately we didn’t capitalise from the free kick and lost the match 3-2.

Fans ‘Man of the Match’ went to Matt ‘Mashy’ Snelling


Gorleston 3 – Saffron Walden 0

19th December 2015

When I first read the fixtures and saw that Gorleston away was on the 19th December, my initial thought was, that’s going to be bloody cold! But the weather was a mild 15 degrees, so my hat and gloves were not required.

I arrived at the ground at 2pm to a very warm welcome at the gate. The gentlemen at the gate explained to me where everything was and wished me a pleasant afternoon. Gorleston were raising money for charity with ‘Text Santa’. They asked the fans to wear Christmas jumpers. It was a good effort from everyone. We were approached by three ladies and a bucket to donate. I admit I don’t have a Xmas jumper, but I did donate some money. It’s great to see a club that collects for charities as much as we do.

Now, I pre-warn you that this blog will contain a fair bit of ranting, but if you’re a Gorleston fan please don’t think that I was being disrespectful to the Green Army. Your lads played very well, and took advantage of their chances in front of goal. The fans were excellent, and sang along throughout the match. I had been to every away match, home and away this season, and they are definitely the best fans I had come across so far…..well apart from the Bloods family! I looked forward to welcoming them to the Meadow, when we met again.

Unfortunately the referee made it almost impossible for the Bloods. I shall explain as I go along. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.

The Team

Starting XI: Croll, P Abbott (Pabbo), Solkhon (Rocky), Muphy (Boss), Laurence (Beast), Fleming (Rhino), Calver (Wig), Noble (Nobby), Turner (G Man), Thomas (Zinedine), Harper. Subs: Bell, Wardley (Sticko), Grindrod (Viking), M Abbott (Mabbo), Crane (Road Runner).

The first comment I made was on 4 minutes, when Zinedine tapped and ran onto the ball, beating the Gorleston left back. He was tackled just before he was about to whip in a cross, and won the Bloods a corner. The corner was delivered by Harper, but it was well cleared by King.

The first suspect decision from the referee came when Zinedine was knocked over by the defender, and the referee played on, even through the linesman was waving his flag! Zinedine was struggling a little bit after the challenge, and looked like he had to put deep heat on his calf muscle.

The game was very physical, and you could see both teams wanted the three points. It was good to see both teams working for the badge.

The Bloods first shot on goal came from Zinedine, after Wig cleverly sailed the ball over the back four. Zinedine’s shot was straight at the Macrae.

Watts showed a lovely piece of skill, when he trapped the ball and played it onto his left foot. He pulled the trigger, but Pabbo managed to slide in front of Watts and diverted his shot for a Gorleston corner. The corner came in, but Nobby managed to clear the ball for a throw on.

It was tackles galore, but this time it came from Nobby, who was very impressive. He tried to release Wig, but his pass was intercepted.

Harper won the Bloods a free kick, which was 25 yard out and near the corner of the box. Harper floated the ball to the back post for Rocky to leap at, but it was too close to Macrae.

As we were gaining the upper ground, Gorleston had scored. The ball was whipped in the six yard box, and was not cleared. The ball dropped for Ingram, who smashed it past Croll from five yards out. Ingram took his chance well.

Now rant time: I am not 100% sure what happened here, but this is what I saw. Zinedine was fouled, as he tried to run onto a through ball. The referee ‘again’ didn’t give the Bloods a free kick. Thomas got up and ran to the referee, to protest. The referee literally turned around and showed Zinedine a red card. As you can imagine, Zinedine and the lads were furious at the decision. The fans didn’t even know why, and what had happened?! I now know it was down to swearing at the referee. Even some of the Gorleston fans, thought it a stupid decision. I ran over to meet Zinedine when he came off to see if he was okay. He was puzzled and frustrated, as the referee was not calling the match fair. This all happened in the 37th minute

It went from bad to worse for the Bloods. Two minutes later, Gorleston took advantage of the rattled, 10-man Bloods team and scored a cracking goal. Lambert’s drive was unstoppable, and the Bloods fans were in disbelief. It was perfect tactics by the Green Army, who did exactly what we would have done. As you can imagine the loyal Green Army fans were in full voice.

Well they say things happen in threes, and who ever said that was spot on. We had won a throw-in, and Sticko ran on the pitch to speed the tempo up. The referee went over to Sticko, and they exchanged words. The referee didn’t like what he heard, and then sent Sticko off!! The ref had completely lost control of the match! I know I am sounding like a bad loser, but the game was shaping out to be a really good match.

The whistle was blown bang on 45 minutes. Ummm…how can that happen after two red cards, and plenty of stoppage in play? We were down 2-0, ten men and no manager! If Mrs Nash had of been at the match, we know where her flannel would have gone.

Walden started the second half well, and didn’t look beaten yet. They came out of the block fast and tried to get back in the game early. Rocky came close from a Beast throw; which looked like a corner to the Bloods, but it turned out to be a goal kick.

I want to say how great the ‘Green Army’ fans were, with their singing, chanting and banter. They were confident and tried to wind Croll up…Obviously we would never do that to a keeper!....Yeah right.

60 minutes in (ish) and Goleston had scored to put the game out of the Bloods reach. Gorleston showed some excellent football, and Watts’ firm strike beat Croll to make it 3-0.

Soon after the third goal, Bell and Mabbo replaced Harper and Nobby. Harper and Nobby played very well and worked hard.

BREAKING NEWS: Line of the day came from Nigel Bailey, after Mabbo was fouled outside the box. I quote ‘I thought you were going to give him a Christmas card, not a yellow card’. Love it Mr. B.

The Goleston fans were singing ‘You’re not very good, you’re very good’; so I started singing ‘Play us when it’s fair, play us when it’s far’. We used the same tune as ‘Knee’s up Mother Brown’. You got to love friendly non-league banter.

68 minutes into the match and Wig was replaced by Crane (Road Runner).

Not much happened in the next 10-15 minutes, with Goleston playing the ball around and not letting the Bloods build momentum.

82 minutes into the match, and Bell showed some great footwork, as he dribbled the ball through two Gorleston players. He delivered a great through ball for RR, but his effort went wide.

Shortly after RR’s effort, Gorleston tried to stretch their lead even further, but the attempted header went wide.

Our last great effort for a consolation goal, came from some great skill by G Man. G man received the ball at the wing, turned the defender and shot, but it was well saved by Macare.

So that was it! We had lost 3-0 and I was now worried about losing the inform Zinedine and Sticko for a few matches. Thank you referee and we hope you had nice Christmas.

I must say a special thank you to Gorleston who made us all feel very welcome.

Fans ‘Man of the Match’ went to Jake ‘Nobby’ Noble.


Saffron Walden 0 – Hadleigh United 3

28th December 2015.

After an early pitch inspection it was game on at the Meadow. Being a bank holiday, I was hoping for a large crowd and I was not disappointed. We had our biggest crowd so far this season, of 367 people.

After last week’s 3-0 away defeat, we were all hoping for a better result from the Bloods. Unfortunately this was not to be. We had quite a few regulars missing, but I am not using that as an excuse. It was another frustrating match, where we ‘again’ looked the better team on the pitch.

Hadleigh played well, and it seemed they had an answer for every Walden attack. With a solid back four and an inform goal keeper - beating them was not going to be easy.

TEAM: Floyd Croll, Spike Bell, Paul Abbott, Jake Noble (Marc Abbott – 67 mins.), Ben Lawrence, Stuart Hoskins, Craig Calver, Joe Murphy (Jake Thompson -75 mins.), Graeme Turner, James Thomas, Louis Harper (James Crane – 67 mins.).

Substitutes (not used): Jamie Dicker, Stuart Wardley.

The match started and there was an early concern from the Hadleigh bench, as Spinder stayed down after a challenge. He was given treatment, but continued shortly after.

Zinedine was the first person to burst onto the scene, as he skilfully dribbled the ball past the right back. He stumbled just outside the box, but instead of going down, stayed on his feet and whipped in a dangerous cross. The cross was well cleared by the defence.

Wig came close to opening the scoring, after he controlled a very good cross from G Man. We initially thought the Hadleigh player had handballed it, before Wig struck the ball. Wigs effort was well defended and deflected for a Bloods corner. The corner found Zinedine’s head, but his header was saved by Nower.

After the save Hadleigh went straight up-field and were awarded a very soft penalty. Pabbo over stretched, as he tried to put in a tackle. Thrower stepped up and scored from the spot kick, with Croll getting a hand to the ball. I spoke to a few people at half time who were nearer the incident. They believe the Hadleigh player dived. I do not know, as from where I was standing I couldn’t say for certain. I am taking the Wenger route, by not seeing the ball. The goal was scored 11 minutes into the match.

18 minutes in, and Wig got into a one-on-one situation with Nower. Wig tried to place the ball into the right hand side of the goal, but Nower pulled off an excellent save, and we were awarded a corner. It was my save of the match! The corner was taken and headed back to Harper. He tried to blast it across the goal line, but no one managed to get that well needed tap in. It was the right idea from Harper.

34 minutes into the match, and Hadleigh had a free kick just outside the box. The cross was whipped in, and tapped into the back of the net. Luckily for the Bloods the goal was ruled off side. There was a sigh of relieve from Mrs Nash and Co.

The Boss won the Bloods a throw for the Beast to take. The fans were starting to believe a goal was due any minute. The throw came in, but it was scooped clear by Scopes.

42 minutes into the match, and the Bloods found themselves 2-0 down. Churchyard scored from ten yard with an unstoppable strike. It was ‘head in the hands time’ for the fans.

Wig had the last good chance of the half, when he took a swing at G Mans cross. The shot was again blocked by Scopes.

HT: Saffron Walden 0 – Hadleigh United 2

The Bloods started the second half well. G Man made a lovely run up the wing, shielding the ball from the Hadleigh defender. His cross was good, and gave Nower no choice but to punch it clear.

55 minutes into the match, and Hadleigh had scored again. This came out of the blue, and the match was effectively killed off, as Lorimer whipped a low shot into the net. It was a shame, as Croll made a good save from the initial shot. Lorimer took his chance well from the loose ball in the box. The Bloods family were rattled, and we wanted to see some positive change.

67 minutes into the match, and Harper and Noble were replaced by Mabbo and Road Runner.

Road Runner almost made an instant impression, when Zinedine played him into space, but Nower got to the ball before RR could pull the trigger.

75 minutes into the match, and the Boss was replaced by first team debutant Jake Thompson.

We had not given up yet, and both Bell and G Man where determined to deliver that perfect ball. Both lads, made very strong drives up the wing but their crosses were again, well defended.

The last chance on goal came from Thrower, when he tried to test Croll from long range. His curling attempt went wide of the post.

We had lost 3-0 at home, and left still searching for our first home league win.

Fans ‘Man of the Match’ went to Spike Bell

Summary

Not a great end to the year and we still hadn’t won at home all season. The lads were working hard, but we were all in need of a little rest. We were sitting in 17th and just two points from the drop zone. Sticko and Neil had work to do, but I knew that the lads would come back fighting and our luck would soon change.

 Honours

Player of the month – Jake Noble

Best game of the month – Newmarket Away

Worst game of the month – Gorleston away

Goal of the month – James Thomas vs Newmarket

Away fans of the month – Gorleston

Away ground of the month – Gorleston

Thanks for reading