Forest Hill Park (0) 0
Snodland Town (0) 3 Sherwood 56 Clarke 60 Harrison 80
Headcount: 18
New Ground: 320
Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: Included
Mileage: 80/4,183
On a bitterly cold evening, I duly arrived at around 7.20 and found a space easily and my spirits as to my car’s safety was lifted as the area seemed respectable. By the time I had donned several extra layers of clothing the clock had ticked on to 7.30 as I entered the Arena. I was aware of the running track so that came as no surprise as was the rest of the athletics paraphernalia.
There was just the one stand in view and given the cold it seemed the most appropriate place to position myself. We were now slightly less than 10 minutes from kick-off time and tucked into the far end of the stand, bizarrely wearing a Tonbridge Angels jacket, was a lone spectator. The young man had crutches lent up against the stand wall and was talking animatedly into his mobile. He renewed his conversation during the half-time break, so I was never able to ask him about his association with my club.
For five minutes I thought my season low attendance of three was to be beaten until another hopper arrived. As the teams lined up outside of the pavilion to take to the field another 14 people, mostly from Snodland it seemed, emerged from the warmth of the bar to brave the elements.
The view across the six lane track from the a position close to the half-way line was good and considering the pitch probably had a summer pounded by shot and hammer throwers it did not appear to be in a bad condition.
The first half started with Forest Hill on the front foot having the ball in the net after 10 minutes but the goal was disallowed. No team sheet or white board was available, so knowledge of the players was almost at zero. From a previous Snodland game, the mature frame of Dave Sherwood was recognisable and from the support of my Tonbridge Angels friend in the front row, his mate on the pitch, Nick Clarke took the eye with his busy endeavour.
Snodland grew into the game and Reece Gillies struck the bar with a shot from 20 yards that saw the rebound knocked in but, once more, the goal was not allowed to stand.
As the cold began to take hold, one wished for a shot to be lashed into the top corner, even if it was only to be into the hammer thrower’s pen and the threat of extra-time already loomed large as half-time was reached with the game goalless.
The Snodland left back, who had shown a great deal of resourcefulness going forward was brought down in the box after 54 minutes leaving the portly Sherwood to stroke home the spot kick to delight the visiting contingent.
The threat of extra-time receded even further with a curious goal four minutes later when the Forest Hill goalkeeper was clearly impeded before the ball fell to Clarke to neatly lob into the unguarded net.
Snodland thankfully put the game to bed five minutes from time when the ball was touched home from close range after a free kick had been parried by the goalkeeper.
A hasty retreat on the final whistle found the car perfectly intact with the heater soon being put to full use. In the end, I didn’t mind the Ladywell Arena and probably won’t despair in the same way when I return for the bracketed tick of Lewisham Borough.
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