10 Men Romp To Victory - Stonehouse Town vs. Hardwicke

Glorious day in Gloucestershire

I'd had my eye on Stonehouse Town all week but the weather forecast had forced me to consider Steyning and their plastic pitch. However, a combination of the weather being a lot drier than predicted and communication with the club on Twitter, I was able to set off for Stonehouse, knowing that the game was going ahead. I had really enjoyed my trip to Gloucestershire earlier in the season to see Brimscombe and Thrupp and so I was looking forward to this trip. Stonehouse play in The Gloucestershire County League and while I'd seen games at this level in The Sussex and Central Midlands Leagues, this was my first game in this league. Their opponents were Hardwicke who were fifth from bottom at the start of play but had games in hand on the teams around them. Stonehouse were in second place and there were only four points separating the top four teams.

Kick Off At Oldends Lane

Hardwicke have an early sniff of goal when the Stonehouse midfielder is robbed of the ball but the move eventually breaks down. Stonehouse come close with a glancing header from a curling cross which goes just wide of the post. They come close again as a neat flick gets the forward in on goal and the Hardwicke keeper has to be quick off the mark to get to the ball first. Hardwicke then almost gift Stonehouse the lead when the keeper loses the ball at a corner but his mistake goes unpunished. The home side do however take the lead following a ball back into the box after a corner isn't fully cleared and the attacker makes no mistake from close range. Hardwicke come close to fashioning an equalizer but the centre back just there first. In the closing stages of the first period, Stonehouse double their lead. A quick break from a Hardwicke corner ends in the forward being played in on goal and he make it two nil. 

Hardwicke defend a first half corner

Hardwicke create a couple of chances at the start of the second half but none of them seriously trouble the Stonehouse keeper. They are then given a big boost when a Stonehouse player is sent off for presumably for something he said as the foul was barely a free kick in the first place. The visitors take immediate advantage as a pile driver of a free kick hits the post and the rebound is put in from close range. That would unfortunately be as good as it would get for Hardwicke. Stonehouse restore their two goal advantage as a driven corner kick finds the man in space who forces the ball into the net. Hardwicke have a chance which is lashed just wide before Stonehouse add two late goals. Firstly when a Hardwicke move breaks down, the forward gets in on goal before dispatching the ball past the goalie. The final goal of the afternoon comes as the winger cuts inside and places a low shot just inside the near post. 

A Hardwicke corner in the first half

To get to Stonehouse from London you first have to take a train to Swindon and from there you can get a train to Stonehouse. The whole journey takes an hour and forty minutes. The first pub I visited was The Woolpack Inn which had a couple of ales on as well as serving great looking food. Then half way to the ground is The Globe Inn which had a good choice of beers as well as the sports channels. The Magpies Sports Club at the ground also had the usual selection of beers as well as the football on a projector screen. I cannot speak highly enough of the welcome at the ground. As I mentioned earlier, it was through the  responsive Twitter account that I traveled in confidence that the game was going ahead and people were keen to ask where I'd come from for the game. A brilliant set up and great afternoon all round.

Another view of the stand