Maine Road 4 Squires Gate 0
(North West Counties Premier) Thursday 18th April 2013 – Brantingham Road
With the season beginning to wind down and Shrewsbury Town all-but-safe in League One, I’m beginning to feel I’ve filled my boots for this season. Furthermore, Thursday night is no night for football. However, having considered the hushed reverent tones with which fellow Groundhoppers reserve for Maine Road, I thought I’d make one last planned voyage in non-league this season.
It’s a good time to go and watch them too, as they chase the North West Counties Premier Division title, and bid to knock current leaders Padiham off of their lofty perch. Maine Road are based at Brantingham Road, two miles away from the former home of Manchester City, in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, South Manchester.
I was a little later than I normally like, mistakenly opting to park a few streets away thinking “It’s only round the corner” though I probably parked a good half mile away. You would probably miss the ground if you weren’t looking for it, as it anonymously perches between school playing fields, unsignposted from the road, and the clubhouse apparently also being a Church Hall.
Everything in the ground from the dilapidated turnstile, to the rustic looking benching, to the dug-outs is daubed liberally in sky blue and white paint – not even the concrete posts and metal railings around the pitch have escaped the groundsmans paintbrush. There are two decent sized stands at Brantingham Road – a long seated stand three rows deep spanning half the length of the pitch on the right, and a small covered terrace on the left, where the view of the pitch is partially obscured by the rather ostentatiously sized breeze block dug outs.
I’m frustrated that I didn’t make more of an effort to find a programme (unusually there were none at the turnstile) to get a bit more background about the club, but I was prevented from twiddling my thumbs too much before kick off by taking my usual photos, rescuing the odd stray ball from the goalkeepers warm ups, and eavesdropping on a conversation regarding lost Thermos flasks (what else?).
The clubhouse is set a fair way back from the pitch, and the players emerged from a wire fenced alleyway to begin the match, Maine Road easily picked out by their sky blue kit.
The match was not to produce a shock result. Squires Gate are down at the wrong end of the table, and just couldn’t get going for long periods of the first half. They were undone twice early doors by a troublesome pair of Maine Road corners, with the hosts 2-0 up from two close range shots inside sixteen minutes. The hosts oozed confidence and class, limiting Gate to a few long range shots easily gathered by the keeper. Particularly impressive was Road’s number 7, Martin Hill, who could seemingly turn his marker inside out at will.
Hill provided a moment of class to extend Maine Road’s lead further, dancing through the Gate defence, forcing the keeper to parry a fierce shot, before collecting the ball, taking it to the by-line and crossing back across the face of goal for Neil Chappell to tap in. It was a goal of absolutely quality, worthy of a much higher level, second only to the long range piledriver I saw at West Didsbury and Chorlton (one level below) a few weeks ago.
The hosts really should have added a fourth before half time, another Hill cross was volleyed high over the bar from a few yards out. However, no matter. Maine Road were well in control.
Half time: Maine Road 3 Squires Gate 0
I visited the Clubhouse/Church Hall at half time for a bit of warmth and nutrition. Unusually, there was no beer (the bar was closed), and I still couldn’t find a programme! There were a few Cub Scouts milling around too, it all felt a little bizarre! I did enjoy that if you stood outside the building you could hear the half-time team talks through the air vents – I couldn’t tell which was which!
Squires Gate made a couple of substitutions at half time, which did add at least a little more impetus to their attacking play. Maine never looked too stretched though, and but for a little bit more composure in the final third could have absolutely run away with it. On 63 minutes there was nearly a comedic own goal as the Squires Gate keeper and two defenders all went to clear the same ball and nearly scooped it back over the line. The visitors had to be alert to clear off the line again on 79 minutes.
Then, for the most bizarre incident of the game. You rarely see a shot actually break the net, but this one did, and in doing so nearly didn’t get counted, catching out the crowd, most of the players on the pitch and the linesman! From my vantage point it looked liked Tom Bailey had actually dragged his shot fractionally wide, the linesman looked utterly confused, and the visiting keeper did his best poker face. A few moments of embarrased confusion ensued before the referee ruled it “in”. A truly strange moment that saw the hosts finish the game on a high note.
Full time: Maine Road 4 Squires Gate 0
The result puts Maine Road level on points with league leaders Padiham, although they have played a match more. 2nd place will host 1st this weekend in a top of the league showdown which may have a big say in the promotion race. Brantingham Road is a basic yet charming suburban non-league football ground, and the scintillating performance on the pitch would suggest momentum is very much behind them in their quest for promotion.
***EDIT*** – thanks to the club for providing some player names, and arranging me a programme… thanks!
Level of the pyramid: 9
Lost balls: 0
Star of the future: Maine Road’s tricky winger Martin Hill caused the beleaguered Squires Gate defence no end of problems in the first half, with a delicious cross for the third goal. He looked a real class above.
inthecowshed 