Cheadle Town 2 Abbey Hey 1
(North West Counties First Division) Tuesday 3rd April 2013 – Park Road
Into April now, and with the football season rapidly running out of road, it seemed a good idea to tick off Cheadle Town’s Park Road Stadium, just half an hours walk from my abode. With Shrewsbury Town picking up a timely four points from six to ease our relegation fears, it’s good to be able to relax and watch some football where there is still plenty to play for.
The main stand and club buildings – not on matchday!
The inside of the grandstand.
The turnstile – seen better days!
I have actually visited this ground before – I walked to it whilst on an afternoon stroll last week and as the gate was wide open I took a few daylight snaps. Park Road is an endearingly ramshackle lower non-league ground, which is awaiting some major redevelopment according to the ever reliable Wikipedia. A very sorry looking locked turnstile awaits you upon arrival, and you enter through that open gate. On this side of the pitch is an unusual benched main stand, the dug outs (the away one half finished and roofless), and in some semi-temporary buildings the social club, refreshments hut and hospitality rooms. There is also a brand new artificial 5-a-side facility adjacent to the main stand for community use.
There is half a yard or so of hard standing around the rest of the pitch perimeter, hemmed in fairly tightly by semi collapsed concrete walls on two sides, and behind one goal there is a training pitch aligned at 90 degrees to the main pitch. Strewn around the ground are old advertising boards – even the ones at the pitch side are in poor condition. This ground has seen better days for sure – but at least oozes with history. Manchester City and the 1966 Portugal World Cup squad have previously used it as a training ground, and Stockport County and Manchester United have taken part in friendly matches against the hosts in recent history.
I opted for a quick pre-match drink in the social club – the textured ceiling and slightly burst upholstery on the chairs indicate not much has changed inside for thirty years! It’s nice to get out of the rapidly chilling outdoors for a minute, and peruse the thin match day programme (50p). The stats page told me the visitors, second placed Abbey Hey, would be looking to close the eight point gap on league leaders Formby.
I opted to take a seat high in the stand to watch the match. It’s a case of avoiding the bird shit which seems just about everywhere, but there are a few fairly comfortable thinly padded seats right at the top, and aside from the two pillars supporting the roof it’s a good vantage point to watch the action from.
The teams filed out onto the pitch, and the crowd swelled to 64 (my headcount) plus one dog – surprisingly the first “non-league canine” I have seen on my travels so far. Unfortunately, my failure to search out the team sheet will cost me dearly in this match report, and I hope somebody will contact me in the event of any errors – the names on the back of the programme appear to bear no correlation to who actually played for either side in true non-league style!
Cheadle in green, Abbey Hey in red
The match started evenly with chances at a premium. Cheadle managed to blast two half-chances over the concrete wall, before impressive Hey winger Chris Monaghan wriggled clear of the home defence, chipping a cross over the advancing keeper Stephen Piggott, for Martin Pilkington to score from practically underneath the crossbar after 22 minutes. Cheadle regrouped and restored parity six minutes later, when Jordan Walker’s looping header wriggled into the goal – possibly helped on it’s way by an Abbey Hey head in a congested box.
Hey finished the half strongly, but missed two glaring opportunities to retake the lead late into the first half, with Pilkington missing the target despite being one on one with the keeper, and minutes later Cheadles number four heading an effort clear off the line.
Half time: Cheadle Town 1 Abbey Hey 1
With the clocks having gone forward last weekend it was unusual to watch a first half of an evening match almost in daylight. By half time the dark had descended, the pitch picked out under the floodlights.
The second half proved to be as tight as the first. Monaghan and Pilkington again combined to force a fine save from Piggott after 69 minutes, and minutes later the hosts had a goal chalked off in bizarre circumstances. As the Hey keeper despatched a goal kick, it smashed into the back of retreating Cheadle substitute Daniel Doherty – the subsequent rebound beating the red faced goalie and trickling back into the net. However, the referee adjudged the goal not to stand, much to the chagrin of the home support, and no doubt the dog in particular.
On 75 minutes, Cheadle took the lead, a diagonal ball finding their full back in acres of space on the left, allowing him to advance into the box and drill home from a tight angle. Abbey Hey pushed for an equaliser and could have had one deep into stoppage time when Piggott initially misjudged the path of a ball played in front of the advancing Pilkington. However, he got just enough on it for it to be cleared behind for a corner, and the Cheadle defence stood firm to collect a useful giant-killing against their high flying visitors.
Full time: Cheadle Town 2 Abbey Hey 1
This ground has seen better days, but the installation of the five-a-side pitch, and the planned redevelopment of the temporary buildings on the site to provide more community facilities would bring it more in line with the other grounds I’ve seen at this level or there abouts.
Whatever the short-comings off the pitch, it was an entertaining match on it, with Abbey Hey falling only to their fifth league defeat this season. Cheadle Town move up to seventh place.
Level of the pyramid: 10
Lost balls: 4
Star of the future: Abbey Hey’s no. 7, winger Chris Monaghan (I hope!) – strong and pacey with a good first touch – kept the Cheadle Town defence alert all the match.
inthecowshed 