Combined Counties Premier South
There are grounds I seem to gravitate back to every season and Addlestone Moor is one of those, despite it being a bit of a hike from Addlestone station! Abbey Rangers are a friendly club with great facilities, a large clubhouse and bar, superb kitchen, and with outside seating area behind the goal. There are two seating areas on the left side of the ground and a covered standing area towards the top end of the pitch.
Going into this game and with Cobham already crowned as champions, there were a group of seven teams vying for the four available play-off places. Abbey Rangers were one of those, sitting in fifth but with teams just below them having more games remaining they needed a win here to stay in contention.
Their visitors, Thatcham Town, were sitting in 15th place but clear of the relegation scrap and as such, under no real pressure in this match.
Entry was £5 for adults and £3 for concessions and a printed programme was available.
It was good to catch up with friends made there over the past four seasons and then it was time for the battle of the burger! As I’d deliberately not had any breakfast knowing the size of them, I went for their Shelly Special, two delicious quarter pound burgers, two sausages, two bacon and several slices of cheese. All that for £6, a bargain and a tasty one at that!
Rangers had the better of the early exchanges, keeping possession and probing for an opening playing quick one touch football. Their first opportunity came after a good move down the right with Danilo Cadete finding the run of Alex Andreou. He sent a good cross into the area looking for Joden Trickett in the box but good defending from Archie Denton foiled them as he headed the ball behind for a corner.
After the first ten minutes Thatcham came more into the game, two corners and a free kick outside the box tested the home defence but the visitors couldn’t find the space needed to get a clear shot on goal.
At the other end, great link up play again between Andreou and Cadete saw the latter swing a cross into a dangerous area. The cross was half cleared, falling to Luke Robertson in the box who controlled well but dragged his shot wide of the post.
The hosts were now on top and Cadete was involved again soon after, finding Robertson who played a nice ball through to Trickett just inside the box, he got a shot away but it was a comfortable save low down at the near post for Maciej Wieczorek in the Kingfishers goal.
The near misses continued when a Tanaka Gabaza free kick on the left was curled into the box. It looked like Robertson and Alfie Inman both got glancing touches only for the ball to drift agonisingly past the far post with the keeper beaten.
In the 40th minute the hosts finally took the lead. Another neat passing movement down the right flank left Cadete in space. He fired the ball low into the six-yard box which Gabaza was first to and he poked the ball into the net at the near post. 1-0
H-T: Abbey Rangers 1 Thatcham Town 0
Thatcham came out for the second half on the front foot, pushing the hosts back and not giving them any time on the ball. The Kingfishers were still missing that final ball with the home side able to keep them at arm’s length.
A nice move down the left found Curtis Angell in space, he whipped a curling ball into the box which Cairo Richards in the Rangers goal managed to get a punch to. It just wouldn’t fall to a Thatcham foot and the hosts managed to scramble clear.
There then followed a stop start phase with various players going down injured and a whistle happy official. In the 71st minute Thatcham deservedly levelled. Angell again caused problems down the left, went past the full back to the byline and sent a ball into the six-yard box which Richards was only able to parry out. Captain Luke Polding was quickest to react and his header had just enough on it to take it into the net. 1-1
Thatcham now sensed the chance for a win, a nice passing move through the middle found Angell on the edge of the box, he twisted and turned to get a yard but his effort flew just past the upright.
It was end to end with both sides going for the win in the dying moments of the 90 minutes and it was Abbey Rangers who took the spoils with Trickett finding the net late on to keep the home sides play-off hopes alive. 2-1
F-T: Abbey Rangers 2 Thatcham Town 1
An entertaining Non-League Day game in the sunshine which was definitely a game of two halves. Abbey the better side in the first half and could have been further ahead, but all credit to Thatcham who battled back in the second half and will feel they probably deserved something from the game. Still, that’s football!
It’s always good to visit the Moor and I’m sure I’ll be back again next season, and not just for the burger! I’m also overdue a revisit to Thatcham so I’ll definitely pencil that in for early 26/27.
Best of luck to both teams in their remaining games.