Tulips Blossom In Trophy - Soham Town Rangers vs. Spalding United

Numerous bits of cover at Julius Martin Lane

The FA Trophy made it's début for the season last weekend. I had intended to go to Swindon Supermarine but changed my mind once I saw the price of the train. The much cheaper option was to head to Cambridgeshire for the tie between Soham Town Rangers and Spalding United. The visitors were back in the Northern League following a couple of seasons in The United Counties League. They won the title by some margin last season and had made a good start to the season and were sitting just outside of the play offs. Soham have been at this level for a good number of years (they won The Eastern Counties League in 2007-08) and had made and equally good start to their season. It promised to be a close game. 

Kick off in front of the main stand

Soham almost gift their Lincolnshire visitors an early goal as the centre back nearly sells his keeper short but the defence is able to recover and clear the danger. They then nearly score themselves as the centre forward just can't connect with a great cross in to the box. They come even closer shortly afterwards when a shot from the edge of the area is just deflected wide of the post. The first decent save of the game comes as the Spalding keeper makes a good low save following a shot from close range. Soham do however take the lead from the following corner. The Soham player is able to get free in the box and his looping header finds the far corner of the net. The lead doesn't last long though. There is a touch of fortune as the cross in takes a slight a deflection but there is nothing lucky about the finish as the forward powers the ball home to make it 1-1. Spalding now have their tails up and it takes a great tackle to stop the forward bursting through on goal. The visitors do take the lead just before half time. All I see of this goal from the clubhouse is the players celebrating.

1-0 Soham

The second half is very similar to the end of the first with Spalding very much in control. They manage to create a couple of decent chances but a mixture of wayward finishing and good goalkeeping keeps the score at 1-2. The visitors do eventually score the third and this triggers an avalanche of goals. The third goal comes as the visitors break through and the Soham keeper is again able to save the initial effort but is helpless to prevent the rebound being powered in the corner of the goal. The Spalding winger is then able to find the forward from a wide position and he is able to beat the goalie to make it 1-4. Spalding should really make it five as a corner is flicked on to the back post but the effort is scuffed wide. They don't have to wait long for the fifth as from another corner the ball is headed in unchallenged. Soham try to get a second goal and they are unlucky when a shot from distance is deflected wide. The visitors do add a sixth in the closing stages to add gloss to a great cup victory. 

View of the far goal from the stand

Sadly there has not been a station in Soham for nearly fifty years although there are tentative plans to reopen the station. The closest station to Soham is Ely. Ely can be reached by taking a train from Kings Cross to Cambridge and changing to a train to Ely from there. If the trains are running on schedule then the journey should take an hour or so. From opposite the station you can take the 12 bus to Soham. There is only one bus an hour and the journey takes fifteen minutes or so if don't get stuck behind a tractor. At the bottom of the High Street is The Ship which had Sky Sports for the early kick off. Next to the square is The Red Lion which had a better selection of beers. The ground is a fifteen minute steady walk from the town centre. The clubhouse was spot on and also had Sky Sports.

Uncovered side of the ground