Silksworth CW v Hartlepool FC

Venue: Silksworth Welfare Park, off Warwick Terrace, Silksworth, Sunderland SR3 1AU 

Kickoff: 14:30 Saturday 30 September 2017

Competition: TWR Bi-Folds Wearside Football League 

Weather: raining, windy, chilly, grey

LOCATION REPORT

SatNav: SR3 1AU

Staff: guys on gate + coaching staff

Parking: mini carpark, 10 spaces max (also used by neighbouring residents) 

Public transport: bus routes #33 Sunderland-Silksworth and #36 Castletown-Chester-le-Street (stop on Warwick Terrace) or #2A Washington-Silksworth (stops in estate on Lincoln Avenue)  

Entry: £3 (£1 juniors) 

Refreshments: tea/coffee/soup in facility block onsite (or else café on nearby main road) 

Toilets: in facility block (or old brick block pitchside) 

Stands/Terraces: metal lean-on barrier all round pitchside

Programmes: no

Floodlights: 8, 4 per flank 

MATCH REPORT

Approx crowd: 30 (inc several away supporters, including young lads in youth team strip)

Full-time [h/t] score (colours):

0 [0] Silksworth Colliery Welfare FC (red/white)
2 [0] Hartlepool FC (blue)

Bookings: 0

Sent Off: 0

NORVENMUNKI's COMMENTS

I arrive in Silksworth early and grab a coffee at the Midas Touch café round the corner from the ground. I take a look around the public park next to the venue, with its war memorial, weedy bandstand and squeaky children's swings. You can easily watch the match from here through the railings, should you have kids with you who crave non-football entertainment. 

At the gate, there's a plaque in tribute to Sunderland legend Bobby Gurney, who was born in a nearby street; maybe we'll see a few goals today, if there's something in the local water?

Once inside, the locals are welcoming and jolly. The ground is bounded on the three other sides by a housing estate, with tall trees (gradually shedding their leaves in early autumn) and high netting to prevent balls going out of bounds.

The crowd is very small at first but more arrive on the moment of kickoff. There's a small delegation from Hartlepool, team coaches and seemingly general supporters, and I think I recognise a bloke from my visit there a few weeks earlier who is set up with a tripod ready for filming the match.

I walk over to the far flank, resting my coffee on the electrical wiring box at the foot of a floodlight. Nearby, there's an old brick urinal block, just like the one I remember from the park in the village where I grew up (but this one is within the club grounds so it's not full of graffiti and has less risk of needles)!

The teams are led out, there are the customary handshakes, then the game commences. The early pressure is from the visitors, Hartlepool FC or "FC" as they call themselves (see why in my report from Grayfields). The home defence holds firm. Then Silksworth go forward themselves, earning an early corner, but the resulting shot is off target. Pleasingly, both sides have started well and there's lots of movement and talking. I wonder if it will continue to be such an even game. The players are all determined: when attacking it's end to end stuff using the full width of the pitch with nice switching passes spreading the play to both wings, whilst defensively there are plenty of well-timed tackles and clever footwork.

The weather is pretty miserable today, although until now it had only threatened rain but not yet delivered. Inevitably, the clouds do begin to release some of their grey load, yet curiously remain greyer than ever. The dots on my device screen soon turn into a full on shower. I'm glad I brought my brolly. The nearby posse of ten from FC rush to shelter under the branches behind me. Soft lads.

Back on the pitch, a powerful run from FC's left-sided attacking midfielder, a barrel-chested ginger guy apparently called Scholesy (seems a bit predictable banter, or maybe that's his real name?). He's been very impressive so far, his strong right-footed shot is parried by Silksworth's keeper and cleared by the Reds' defence. This is closely followed by another Hartlepool attack where the Silksworth keeper is caught in no-man's-land, miles outside his area, and the FC striker curls a lovely shot around him but watches as it agonisingly bounces back off the left post... although his blushes are spared somewhat as the lino on the far side raises an offside flag.
Again, there's an instant Silksworth response, but another offside flag. This is a good match for the casual observer; the disinterested are not uninterested, the very definition of 'end-to-end action'. Now, a long-range effort from FC flies in but sails high into the branches of a tree behind the Silksworth goal.

On the tangential subject of lookalikes, I would suggest that the Silksworth captain could pass for Lionel Messi (not playing-wise though!) and their centre-back looks and even walks like Gareth Barry.

You get a palpable sense that pressure is building, surely something has got to give. An FC shot is acrobatically tipped over, followed by another corner, but nothing is giving yet.
Then it's Silksworth's turn to go forward, after which the FC keeper stays down to shouts from travelling supporters for a referee intervention, but the ref is not inclined to caution. Both teams are giving the ref some intermittent friendly verbal but, despite the various stops for fouls, he's doing alright and the book has pleasingly stayed in his pocket.

There's another bit of class from Scholesy, or rather two bits: a clever backheel to set one up for a teammate, then a touch of individual skill as he slams a rocket shot into the keeper's midrift. As the half draws to a close, he's body-checked and wins FC a free kick ten yards outside the box, but his colleague blasts it wide of the left post. Then one last FC move, with some nice passing but the final shot goes wide.
That's been the story of the game so far, really. Half time. 0-0.

The visiting fans wander off for refreshments. I'm tempted by the soup being sold in the onsite building, but decide against it, or indeed the Bovril. For the first time, I realise that the wind is turning a bit chilly, and I should probably think about bringing a coat to matches for this part of the season. My trusty brolly is perfect for staying dry, but it's not much good in the breeze, as it threatens to fold inside out. It's an interesting palette of greys overhead now, and the rain is constant. It's the kind of daylight for which clubs might switch on those mighty floodlights, but I'm sure they'll persevere here and save the leccy bill.

The teams are back out, the game restarts. An FC sub (that's substitute rather than submarine) is on for the second half, with the tactic of turning left-sided dominance into better opportunities. It pays prompt dividends with some early FC chances, but both a corner and a free kick come to nothing.

As the rain continues to fall, I notice a heartwarming vignette on the opposite side as a young local spectator is getting cold and his accompanying adult removes his own hoodie and gives it to the boy; he's nice and cosy now, the adult relies on his thin jacket.

Back on the pitch, there's a heavy tackle by the FC full back, who gets a talking-to from the referee, but again no card gets brandished.
There's another chance for Scholesy: chested down, edge of the box, right foot volley, true tribute to his namesake... but keeper gets it in the stomach. Then he turns provider, a great timed pass to the substitute on the left but the keeper saves the one-on-one.

Finally, a breakthrough. Great work through the midfield with the FC playmakers exchanging several passes then, just as it looked to have been over-elaborated, it's pulled out to the left wing and the deep cross is met first time in the six-yard box. The keeper has no chance this time. It's a good goal and, on the balance of play, it's a deserved reward for the persistence of the visitors as FC have generally been the more impressive when attacking.

A couple of minutes later, it's 0-2. Another great move, this time down the right wing, ends with the FC midfielder coming in on his left foot and drilling a beauty into the bottom corner, beyond the keeper's despairing grasp. Two lovely goals in as many minutes, as FC turn the dial up that subtle notch so as to grab the initiative.
Now a Silksworth substitute gets readied, although it appears to be a defensive midfielder, which seems odd if you're chasing a game. Maybe the home bench fear conceding more?
Yet again there's a nice bit of skill from FC: the deep-sitting forward has his back to goal, he wriggles to engineer room for himself and sends an accurate overhead kick into space for his partner to run on to. The defence manage to snaffle it, but it was clever play.

The watching Hartlepool lads are getting giddy now, running around the pitchside, and get told off by their dad. To be fair, they are actually being very good.
The home supporters shout encouragement and inspire a couple of Silksworth attacks. The FC keeper is busier now, but the ball sails high into the trees again. FC are playing classic counter-attack tactics, another one would kill the game for sure. Still, the boys in red are not crumbling; they are playing with commendable integrity and looking for reward. A corner comes to nothing. Increasingly, the FC defenders are blasting it out into touch or upfield: they're not necessarily rattled, just taking no risks.
It's late on but still time for another FC attack. The ever-lively Scholesy rifles another one into the side netting - despite his match-long commitment and top performance, he may never actually get on the score sheet today.

Into the dying minutes now, and the rain starts to fall more heavily. A canopy of umbrellas appears around the dugouts.
The final whistle. 0-2.

Its been a good match: no cards, good spirit and full value from both sides. Now I'm off to the dry car..... and later to buy a new, more robust umbrella!