Berks County v Holyport
Combined Counties Premier Division North
If you believed the media, this weekend was set to be the dawn of a new ice age and I, like many on Saturday, was glued to social media as the postponements rolled in. I had planned to head to Wokingham Town for their local derby with Reading City, but also had Berks County down as my first reserve as the chance of the game becoming a victim of the cold snap was negligible thanks to their ground share at Ascot United and the 3G playing surface.
At around half past eleven, after a couple of hours of scrolling, I received confirmation the Wokingham game had been postponed due to a frozen pitch so that set the wheels in motion for a return visit and a chance to catch up with the good people of Berks County.
Their opponents were set to be play-off chasing Holyport, who would be looking for a huge improvement on the 6-1 defeat to Virginia Water I witnessed just two weeks ago. They did bounce back with a hard fought 1-0 win over Wokingham after Christmas so they’d be hoping the Virginia Water game was just a one off blip.
Berks County themselves were also looking to improve on their last couple of fixtures, both ending with conceding four goals, but, with a long injury list including their two first choice centre backs and relying on young players to step up, they’d be hoping a new year would mean a change in fortune.
Adult entry to the game was £7.50 and you receive one of their mini printed programmes free. it’s always good to see Bracknell Town legend Justin Day at the game, there to watch his son play which always makes me feel old as I used to watch him as a youngster at Larges Lane in the early 90s! It was nice to catch up with him especially after Chelsea’s recent result at Ipswich…
The game started brightly for the hosts Max Drake with a lovely piece of skill to make space to run down the left and play the ball in to Connor Suckling. Faced with a defender on the edge of the box he shifted the ball onto his left and hit a shot which was gathered well by Sam Hayes in the Holyport goal.
Soon after, Dan Money won the ball in midfield and fed Suckling down the right who in turn picked out the overlapping run of Sam Day. He ran to the byline and fired in a cross which Lawson Jones managed to get a touch on to send it towards the goal only to see Hayes tip the ball over the crossbar.
Holyport were playing a controlled possession based game and were looking to find play the ball around until a gap appeared in the County defence. They did have a quick break when a long ball found Jake Beck-Nardoni on the right flank; he played a quick ball across the area to Amari Fashanu on the edge of the box but keeper Harvey Rackley-Hayes closed him down quickly and blocked his shot away for a corner.
At the other end a good run down the left from Jones was picked out by Drake, Jones’ cross found Money inside the box but he couldn’t direct it goalwards and the ball drifted wide.
After 40 minutes the visitors took the lead. Callum Wright won the ball in midfield and knocked it wide on the left to Fashanu in space. He ran into the area before playing a perfect ball across the six yard box for Cyril Ocansey to guide into the net. 0-1
For the last five minutes of the half it was all Holyport. Another quick break down the right found Beck-Nardoni in space and his low first time cross was blocked away for a corner. The set piece was headed clear but recycled and crossed back into the middle where Rackley-Hayes dived to get there before the striker and his touch just managed to lift the ball onto the top of his own crossbar.
H-T: Berks County 0 Holyport 1
The second half started in much the same manner, Holyport patiently passing the ball around looking for a chance and Berks County pressing well and trying to hit their opponents on the break.
The first of two controversial moments happened after a ball was played through towards Beck-Nardoni who got a shot away but Rackley-Hayes had again shut him down well and blocked. Both players had a foot race which the Holyport striker won and played the ball to Ocansey on the edge of the box. He had his back to the goal but managed a good turn and shot in one movement which was brilliantly saved on the line by full back Finlay Tombs.
It looked a cast iron handball only for the official to give a corner. Even County supporters were convinced he’d saved it with his arm but the referee waved away the appeals and the game continued. I’ll give the defender the benefit of doubt just for throwing his body on the line to keep the ball out!
The next action came from a long Berks County clearance which Charlie Lawrence looked to shepherd out for a throw only for Suckling to get there first and flick it over the defenders head. He ran to the byline and pulled it across the six yard box but it was just too far in front of his onrushing team mate.
The home side had another chance after more good work by Suckling, he again beat his defender before this time shooting which Hayes saved well down to his right with the rebound being ballooned over the bar.
In between the attacks on the break, Holyport were making chances but not taking them. A couple of shots were blocked by Tombs and Rowan Smith, one saved by the legs of Rackley-Hayes and one half chance headed over the bar.
At the other end the hosts won a corner which was floated to the far post where it was headed back to Money eight yards out but his header was too high and flashed over the bar.
Then came the most controversial moment of the game. Holyport thought they had doubled their lead after a shot in the area through bodies beat Rackley-Hayes and appeared to go in but rebounded out off the wheel near the post and was cleared away. There were massive appeals from the visitors all waved away by the official who obviously believed the ball had hit the post. I’ve no idea how he or his assistant on the right didn’t see it but in their defence it did all happen very quickly and you only have a split second to make a decision.
Berks County, sensing they’d got away with one, went searching for an equaliser. As the game went into the fifth minute of added time, a corner was flicked on at the near post and a scramble inside the six yard box ensued, finally falling to George Dewhurst who fired home from close in to give the hosts an unlikely point.
F-T: Berks County 1 Holyport 1 Att: 83
The visitors controlled the game for long periods and will definitely feel aggrieved not to pick up all three points from this match, especially with the goal that never was. That’s football and sometimes you just have to take it on the chin and move on, and use it as motivation for the next game.
Even the Berks County supporters I spoke to all said it hit the wheel inside the goal and apparently it wasn’t the first time that had happened this season. I guess the only people who didn’t see it were the referee and assistant and at the end of the day, they are the ones that matter. The officials were unsurprisingly questioned by Holyport players and coaching staff after the game and I did smile when the person in control of the music through the tannoy put on ‘I Predict A Riot’ as the teams came off the pitch!
These things happen, not usually twice in one game I’ll grant you, but it certainly livened up a bitterly cold day!
Thanks to Berks County for their hospitality, it’s always a pleasure to catch up with everyone there and I wish both sides all the best for the second half of the season. Hopefully Holyport’s luck will have changed when I attempt to get to a game at Summerleaze later this year. I’ve heard the food is very good and, as you know, am partial to a bite or two at the football!