Maltby Main vs. Harrogate Railway Athletic

Covered accommodation at Muglet Lane

With Christmas day being on Saturday this year lead to me having an extra day up north and so I managed to convince the powers that be to spend the afternoon in South Yorkshire. The game that influenced this choice was The North East Counties Premier Division match between Maltby Main and Harrogate Railway Athletic. I'd visited other colliery related teams such as Askern, Thorne, Hemsworth (although the game was postponed less than an hour before kick off on opening weekend!) and Glasshoughton the previous day, but I'd never seen a railway works team. While both sides were just above the relegation places, they both had a comfortable points cushion. Maltby won their last game two nil against local rivals Parkgate but they lost the reserve fixture five one away at Station View.  

Kick off at Muglet Lane

The first chance of the game comes when the Maltby player doesn't fully connect with a header but the Harrogate keeper still needs to palm the ball around the post. They come close again as the Maltby attacker turns his man and it requires a great save by the Harrogate keeper with his feet to keep the game goalless. It then the Maltby keeper's turn to save a difficult bobbling shot that also needed to be pushed around the post. Harrogate take the lead shortly afterwards when a cross from out wide is headed home from close range. They are then gifted a second when following a ball forward, the Harrogate attacker gets across the defender who in turn kicks the ball past his own keeper. Harrogate should then really have a third following a corner to the back post which the attacker heads wide despite being in plenty of space. They are left to rue that miss as when the ball is headed back into the Harrogate box, the forward has the space to fire home to half the deficit. Just before half time, Harrogate regain their two goal advantage from a looping header following another free kick into the box.

One nil Harrogate

Maltby have a couple of half chances at the start of the second half but it is Harrogate who have the best opening from a ball which is driven across the goal but no one can get the final touch. Maltby have a long throw specialist in their side and a couple of these throws into the area lead to couple of chances for the home side. Firstly when one causes a bit of a scramble in the box, the eventual shot is blocked and then the Harrogate keeper is able to deal with a header from another. The Harrogate however then nearly gifts Maltby a way back into the game when he loses the ball but the mistake goes unpunished. Maltby have a strong case for a penalty when it appears that the attacker is kicked in the chest following a corner but the referee is unmoved. Maltby get the second goal they deserve when the winger gets to the byline and the Harrogate keeper prevents an own goal but he is powerless to keep out the rebound. The closest they come to the equaliser is when the forward powers through but the keeper makes a good save. Harrogate are reduced to ten men in the closing stages but they are able to hold on.

A Maltby cross in the first half

The closest station to Maltby is Rotherham Central which requires you to catch a train to Doncaster from Kings Cross and change there for a train to Rotherham which takes about two and a half hours. From the bus station next to the railway station you can catch the number one bus to right outside the ground and this portion of the trip takes 45 minutes. On our way to the ground we visited The Lumley Arms which is a Sam Smiths pub on the edge of the town and there is also a Wetherspoons a short walk from the ground. There is no clubhouse at the ground itself but the Miners Welfare around the corner does the job and has the sports channels for the early kick off. I really liked the ground and the friendly welcome was second to none.

Open side of the ground