Combined Counties Premier Division North

It was another dismal weekend weather wise where my planned match was postponed on Saturday morning due to a waterlogged pitch and I just couldn’t be bothered to find a replacement. I was left heading for another blank weekend of football. The sun was out and by lunchtime I was rethinking my decision, I had seen Berks County were at home again on social media and, as I had to drop something off to their landlords, Ascot United, I made a late decision to go to the game.

It’s always good to go back to Berks County, a friendly club, and a chance to catch up with a few fantastic people I’ve met along this journey. It was nice to see Jason Day there, Bracknell Town legend from the 90s and brother of Justin, who I managed to catch up with at the Holyport match a couple of weeks previously. Both of the brothers now have sons playing for the club, Jason’s son Ellis was to be captain for this match but Justin’s son was unavailable through injury.

Going into the game, the hosts were struggling at the wrong end of the table, six points above the relegation zone but having played three to five more matches than the teams below them. Their visitors from Harefield were sitting in ninth place but just five points off the play-off places, with three to seven games in hand on the teams above.  Entry into the ground was £7.50 for an adult and comes with a mini programme included.

The game started with the visitors on the front foot, a decent Lucas Miller run into the box where he was crowded out, the loose ball falling to Luke Brophy whose shot narrowly went past the far post.

County came back and a nice pass from Ellis Day found Connor Suckling with space to run into the area. He checked back and fired a ball across the six yard box which managed to dissect his two team mates running in and the ball ran away from danger.

Next, a Harefield defender launched a clearance high into the sky down the left flank where it was controlled with a sublime first touch from Miller. This instant control gave him space to run into the box but he could only put his effort over the bar under pressure from Finlay Tombs.

By now the game was going from end to end but with the visitors struggling to get their passing game into action due to the pressing of the young County side, the clearer chances were coming at the Harefield end. Twice keeper Trent Carter-Rogers came out quickly to save bravely at the feet of the home sides’ forwards. There was a shout for a penalty from the hosts after Carter-Rogers punched away a corner only for it to fall to Suckling outside the box. His shot was blocked in the area with shouts for handball but the referee was well positioned and waved away the appeals.

Next, a decent one touch move move down the right started by Leigh Allan, a nice one two between Ebenezer Opoku-Ware and George Gould set Opoku-Ware free inside the area. Bearing down on goal Carter-Rogers narrowed the angle well and managed to tip the shot over the bar.

Carter-Rogers was again called into action moments later. A lovely piece of skill down the right by Suckling, his pass threaded through to pick out Allan’s run and his cross looked for a moment like it might creep under the bar but the keeper was there to knock it to safety.

For the last five minutes in the half the visitors came back into the game. From a corner Joel Jacobs floated a cross into a dangerous area where it was punched clear by Sam Swyer to the edge of the box but the ball wouldn’t come down for Jack Hutchinson and his volleyed effort went over the bar.

Two minutes before the break the visitors did take the lead. Berks County gave away a free kick wide on the right and were slow to pick up the quickly taken set piece. A smart Hutchinson pass across the box was poked home by captain Harry Tamplin under pressure, from the edge of the six yard area. 0-1

H-T: Berks County 0 Harefield United 1

The opening goal just before the break seemed to have buoyed the visitors as they took control of the game in the second half. Playing the ball around with much more purpose and keeping their opponents pegged back inside their own half for much of the early exchanges.

From a corner that was cleared by Jamie Griggs, Harefield recycled the ball well with Miller again running at the County defence before firing a ball across the face of the goal which somehow managed to evade everyone and whistled past the far post.

The Hares forced a succession of corners which were well defended by the home side and from a clearance to halfway, Will Bailey made a stunning run into the box and tried to find the far corner only to see his shot parried away at full stretch by Swyer. Again the visitors recycled the ball well and a Miller cross from the left was headed home low down by Bailey. There were claims for offside as he did look a little lonely but, with no flag from the assistant, the goal stood. 0-2

It was now looking like a case of how many the Hares would score as chance after chance came and went, the closest being a nice interchange between Gareth Chendlik and Hutchinson which saw the latter’s shot drift just wide of the post.

On a brief foray forward Berks County came close to halving the deficit when a long throw from the right was cleared but falling to George Weston-Brown and his first time effort hit the base of the post and away.

Next a long ball down the right from Charlie Malin, picked out the run of Hutchinson who took it to the byline before cutting inside, and having made space to shoot, he only managed to find the midriff of Swyer.

With 86 minutes on the clock the visitors did manage to make the game safe with a third goal. A cross from Brophy picked out Hutchinson but he was well covered and couldn’t get a shot away, the ball loose ball was picked up by substitute Naz Miah and he made no mistake, firing into the bottom right corner from the edge of the area. 0-3

Two minutes later a quick break from the hosts and a defence splitting pass from Weston-Brown found substitute Matteo Zizzi clear with a one on one with Carter-Rogers. As the keeper tried to make himself a big target, a composed Zizzi slid the ball past him and into the net. 1-3

The visitors managed to see out the remaining minutes to take a hard-earned three points and continue their push for a play-off spot.

Berks County 1 Harefield United 3

The home side will rue not scoring when on top in the first half but they came across a strong outfit in Harefield who took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half.

Best of luck to both sides in their respective battles over the second half of the season!

I was treated to a stunning sunset over the Ascot racecourse grandstand on the way home and the bus was on time so all in all a good decision to make the game!


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