CCL Rivals In Entertaining Draw - Hartley Wintney vs. Camberley Town

There was a decent crowd at The Memorial Ground

It was another FA Cup weekend and I decided to visit the final Combined Counties Premier League ground that I hadn't visited. Hartley Wintney were at home to fellow Combined Counties side and local rivals Camberley Town. The two had experienced very different starts to their league campaigns. Hartley have had the better start winning four of their six league games so far while Camberley had won just the two. However, as has been showed on countless previous occasions, league form goes out the window in cup ties. In the previous round, Camberley defeated another Combined Counties side Farnham Town while Hartley knocked out a second Hellenic League side in the form of Flackwell Heath.

Kick off at the Memorial Ground

The only significant incident in the opening stages is a short delay for a head injury to a Camberley player after a coming together. The first chance falls to Hartley after a Camberley player gives the ball away in midfield but the long range effort goes just wide. Hartley then repay the favour in their own box and they are relieved to see the close range effort deflected wide. Camberley then create a chance on the break but again the long effort goes just wide. There is a moment of controversy mid way through the first half where Camberley think they should a penalty but the referee waves away the protests. Camberley should really go one up shortly afterwards but the Camberley player's effort is straight at the goalkeeper. The Hartley keeper then makes a great save from an angled effort as Camberley finish the half on top.  

The Camberley winger tries to get a cross in to the box.

Camberley continue to have most of the chances at the start of the second half. They put a close range change the wrong side of the post before another good opportunity goes just wide. Hartley begin to create more chances as the game becomes more open and the closest they come is when they hit the bar. Camberley then waste another decent chance but this time the ball is put over the goal rather than wide of it. Hartley create a great late chance but the Camberley keeper makes a great save with his feet. Neither side can find a late winner and they will try again at Krooner Park on Tuesday night.

The stand at The Memorial Ground

Hartley Wintney doesn't have its own station and the closest station is Winchfield which is a good half hour walk away. Trains to Winchfield depart from Waterloo and the journey takes around an hour. According to the fantastic Andy Of Kent Site you can get a bus from Fleet station which takes just over ten minutes. Once you get to Hartley Wintney it is well worth visiting The Waggon And Horses which won the North Hampshire CAMRA pub of the year last year and had an excellent range of beers. A short walk from Winchfield station is The Winchfield Inn which is handy if you have a wait for your train. The club house is quite large and had Sky Sports on a big screen which allowed me to see Clint Mackay claim an impressive hat trick for Australia. 

The Hartley programme is defiantly the programme of the season so far and it will take some beating. Printed in full colour there is a lot reading on recent games and several articles regarding recent cup runs and escapes from relegation. A really fantastic effort.

The Hartley defence clear their lines in the first half