Worcester Park v Banstead Rovers
Surrey County League Premier Division
Another Saturday, another day where my original intended fixture was called off. I was supposed to be heading to Reading YMCA for their cup tie with Steventon but their game was awarded to the home side on a walkover with the visitors unable to raise a team. So at the last minute I had to pick a replacement and I remembered talking to Worcester Park on Twitter a few weeks ago and, lo and behold, they were at home with a top of the table clash against local rivals Banstead Rovers.
Looking at the stats going into this game something had to give. Both sides were unbeaten, Worcester Park boasting six wins out of six, while Rovers had won five and drawn two of their opening seven games.
With the new choice made, I set off for the two train and an hour and a half journey which surprisingly went like clockwork. The walk from the station is barely five minutes and you can actually see the ground from the station platform. Entry was free and after a quick wander around to take in the surroundings I headed into the spacious bar where I was in for a very pleasant surprise. After signing in I ordered a pint of Aspalls cider, which normally costs around £6 a pint, was £3.65! So I had two…like you do!
Next up was the food, they have a decent sized kitchen with some lovely people serving, and it must have been a good day because they were all singing! You can get all the usual burgers, hot dogs, chips etc but as they also cater for the social club you can also order meals like cottage pie and lasagne if you fancy dining out! I decided to half their half pound cheeseburger with fried onions and then somewhat foolishly added a portion of cheesy chips too. Lesson learned! The burger was £4.60 and the portion of cheesy chips £2, again outstanding value for money.
Belly full to bursting it was time for the football and as you can imagine, being a very local derby, the action was fast and furious. With the visitors turning up with their away kit which clashed with the Worcester Park home kit, the home side turned out in their pink away shirts.
Banstead had an early chance from a free kick outside the box but put it straight into the wall and at the other end, a free kick on the right edge of the area was curled goalwards by Chris Burke only for keeper Jake Nimmo to parry away at full stretch.
Another Worcester Park free kick (you’ll be spotting a pattern here as it was a game of set pieces!) was crossed into the box, was headed back in from the far side by Joe Blendell to Joe Cheeseman but his first time effort was too close to Nimmo who gathered easily.
Park’s Sam Robinson was sin-binned on 20 minutes for dissent and the visitors tried to take advantage, A quick break down the right by Liam Roberts took him to the edge of the box, his pass was blocked but he recovered the ball and tried to beat Dan McKerracher at the near post but only found the side netting. Jenkins then tried a curling shot from a good 40 yards out but it was always drifting wide.
With the home side now back to eleven players they were back on the attack, a cross from Burke on the left picked out Cheeseman, his header was saved by Nimmo with the rebound falling to Mason Reynolds whose snapshot was saved by the legs of the keeper.
On the stroke of half time the hosts finally made one of their chances count with Burke again the architect. His cross from the left flank found Cheeseman all alone in the box and he made no mistake heading past Nimmo. 1-0
H-T: Worcester Park 1 Banstead Rovers 0
The first ten minutes of the second half were again very even with lots of set pieces but none troubling the two goalkeepers. A long punt forward from the home side looked as if Cheeseman and Harrison Deacon might get in but Luke Wilkshire covered well, nicking the ball off the two forwards feet before clearing.
Worcester Park had a couple of first time shots from outside the box, Cheeseman having his charged down while Deacon saw his shot deflect off Jenkins and out for a corner. Sam Robinson floated a beauty into the six yard box where Jack Partington rose highest to powerfully head past Nimmo. 2-0
Second half substitute Lee Wilson tried his luck with a cross shot from the left which Nimmo managed to tip over just when it looked like it might creep in. At the other end, a free kick into the box for Banstead was half cleared and a shot from distance went high and wide. Owen Cranmer-Flynn tried his luck from another free kick 30 yards out which was initially spilled by McKerracher but he recovered quickly to gather.
Jack Tully tried a curler from the edge of the area for the home side which Nimmo got down quickly to turn around the post. A corner at the other end was cleared to the edge of the box with Cranmer-Flynn first to react but his shot flew just over the bar.
A great run from halfway by Deacon saw him drive into the area, take the ball around one challenge and get a shot in which was beaten away by Nimmo, falling to Tully but his effort was blocked. For the last five minutes the hosts saw the game out and take the three points in this hard fought encounter.
F-T: Worcester Park 2 Banstead Rovers 0
This was a proper old school game of football, a real battle, players throwing themselves at the ball to block, plenty of meaty challenges going in, free kicks and corners aplenty and neither side having any space or time on the ball. The home side were big and strong in the tackle all over the pitch and deserved the win, making several decent chances throughout the match. The visitors tried to play more football but there just wasn’t the space to do this in this sort of combative game and didn’t really trouble Dan McKerracher in the home goal as a consequence. A good crowd of around 100 in attendance too.
Top quality day out and one I’ll definitely do again, Worcester Park are well worth a visit if you’re in the vicinity! Best of luck to both teams for the rest of the season!
