Kickoff: 14:00 Saturday 18 November 2017
Competition: TWR Wearside League
Weather: cold, clear, dry, very light breaze, 8°
LOCATION REPORT
SatNav: TS9 5NY
Staff: gate/coffee guy + clubhouse staff
Parking: large on site car park, 60+ spaces
Public transport: bus #81 Marske-Redcar-Guisborough-Stokesley or #28A Middlesbrough-Stokesley
More information: Twitter (@stokesley_sc)
Entry: £3 (£1 U16s)
Refreshments: teas and snacks at pitchside kiosk
Toilets: clubhouse and pitchside
Stands/Terraces: full covered stand for 200+ plus metal lean-on barrier around most of the pitch, partly covered in places
Programmes: free team sheet
Floodlights: yes, 4 per flank
MATCH REPORT
Approx crowd: 10 rising to 15 + dog
Full-time [h/t] score (colours):
1 [0] Stokesley SC (red/black stripes)
2 [1] Gateshead Leam Rangers (yellow/green)
Bookings: 0
Sent Off: 0
NORVENMUNKI's COMMENTS
It's been a longer journey than I expected, through the winding country roads into Stokesley. As I arrive, the players are milling around after a prematch practice session. There are just ten minutes to spare before kick off. Still, I needn't worry about missing much or about queues forming at the cute turnstile cabin. I'm actually the only visitor so far... and am warmly welcomed, as my arrival doubles the crowd!
It's a handsome facility here. Absolute Radio is playing out professionally over the pa system, and the music echoes around the ground, bouncing off the multiple structures of stands, barriers and pitchside units. Save for the invisible crowd, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were much higher up the FA pyramid.
The man at the gate greets me with a friendly smile and self-effacing humour. As he shows amiable (and, seemingly, genuine) interest in tales of my Quest, he gives me a potted history lesson about the club.
Apparently, a few years earlier, the North Riding FA were forced into a relocation from their previous base in Northallerton and, upon choosing Stokesley as a new home, they agreed to fund the building of a club house and new ground in order to have the necessary facilities to host the level of matches and events typical to a county association. Thanks in part to this improved profile, in recent years the Stokesley team enjoyed an unprecedented rise all the way up to the dizzy heights of the Northern League Division One, but then gradually drifted back down to the Wearside, where they are likely set to settle for a while.
Currently, they are suffering from lots of injuries and recent form has been poor. Today, they cannot even name a full bench of substitutes due to lack of fit players.
Also, it doesn't help that the manager has been banned for three matches, so he's not currently in the dugout during games.
After a few minutes of good interesting conversation, I felt like a well-informed adopted regular.
I take a stroll around the pitch. The site is easy to find, sited on the main road out of the village, co-located with cricket and other sports clubs. The road noise directly alongside seems quite invasive at first, but I suspect that is just because there's no roar from the crowd!
Curiously, there appears to be a gate in the perimeter fence that is wide open, and could let anyone through... yet, today at least, nobody comes!
The rural setting is very pretty, sitting in a bowl surrounded by the Cleveland Hills, with the recognisable landmark of the Captain Cook Monument proudly erect upon the far peak, along the Cleveland Way to the south east.
On the pitch, the teams are led out by the match officials. Following the customary handshakes, the peep of the whistle shatters the still air. We're underway.
Immediately, there's early pressure from Leam. They are keen to get the psychological advantage from the outset. The Stokesley goalkeeper dashes out over-eagerly but his defender is on hand to head away the Gateshead effort.
Then, following good use of the ball from Leam, a nice tackle from the Stokesley right-midfielder quells another early attack. The initial period of the game is typified by high clearances and powerful headers; the ball is in the air much more than on the turf.
After a while, the home side gets going. The red-shirted midfielder plays a great long through-ball down their right, but the Stokesley striker's first-time shot glides past the right-hand post.
Again, Stokesley get forward. Some good interplay is followed by a deep cross from the left which frustratingly finds the striker offside.
Soon after, the Stokesley striker again breaks clear, but this time the Leam defence pulls back in droves; when the cross arrives in the box, the keeper can only fingertip it and, after it bobbles in the six yard area, the defence finally manage to hoof it clear.
Then, up the other end, there's a Leam free kick on the edge of the box, but effort raps into side netting. Shortly after, a clearance soars over the perimeter fence and into an adjoining garden.
It's entertaining stuff. On sixteen minutes, the deadlock is broken by a goal from the visitors. Resulting from nice work around the box, a cross fizzes into the danger area and the striker coolly side-foots home.
Almost instantly, Stokesley try to equalise but, agonisingly, the ball outruns the left-sided attacker and goes out of touch.
On balance, Leam are hungrier, more aggressive. Stokesley are more hurried, hitting long balls and clearing wildly. Still, the reds are nonetheless well in the game, and the lofted balls over the top to the pacy forwards may yet pay dividends.
Leam earn a corner from their left, but squander it, followed by two in quick succession from the right, the second producing a free header from the spot area.
I go and sit in the stand, away from the slight breeze so that my fingers are loose enough to carry on writing! The impressive stand will hold around 200 probably, but today it only hosts around seven!
It seems that the young Stokesley forward is struggling with an injury. He can't assist his forward colleague who gets a nice through ball and fashions a shot that zooms across the keeper and wide. Now the injured lad goes to ground in a heap. He gets treatment, goes off for a while then returns to the fray, jogging gingerly and constantly holding his stomach.
Leam push forward, looking to extend their lead. After some close control, they momentarily think they have succeeded as the ball is bundled into the net in a clumsy crunch with the keeper, but it's offside and disallowed.
The injured boy is prone now. He is in pain, and the team bagman can't really help but give him a bottle of water! He clearly can't go on, yet another name on their endless injury list; a substitute comes on.
When play resumes, a deep cross from Leam right evades everyone, but the oncoming striker blasts it high into the safety netting above the goal.
The first half closes with a mazy run from the Stokesley left, but the final shot goes wide.
Half time. 0-1. Game finely poised.
I grab a nice hot chocolate from the friendly gate guy. We get chatting again about groundhopping. In the coming weeks, Stokesley are visiting Annfield Plain. I think I might do likewise and catch up with him. He tells me that he knows the Consett area from being a steel man, and recounts an anecdote about being caught in the snow there once.
Meanwhile, half a dozen new arrivals bolster the crowd including, of course, the obligatory 'man with dog'. Everyone is warmed up with teas and coffees from the kiosk. It's a lovely, friendly spirit everywhere.
The teams are back out and the second half kicks off. Can Stokesley get back into it?
Their very early efforts suggest a bit more bite to their play, quicker into tackles, swifter passes. A couple of neat moves come to nothing.
Then, behold, it's 1-1. Stokesley equalise with a cool finish after a nice passing move. The original shot ricochets off a colleagues back but the momentum carries them through and the loose ball is slotted home.
Gateshead are rattled now, shouting at each other.
Stokesley are creative, quick feet and quick thinking: this is better from the home side.
Leam are strong and show lots of character. From their perspective, they need to find that extra yard of space that they were enjoying in the first half.
Around us, the shadows lengthen as the sun dips beyond the ridge. The dusk is not far off, but the mighty spotlights are not coming on here. Hopefully the daylight will hold out just a wee while yet.
Leam are pressing again. The ball is in the reds net, but it's another disallowed goal.
Then Stokesley clear and break at speed, but a questionable offside flag curtails that.
A clumsy reds' tackle in the centre circle halts play; a sub comes on. The ensuing Leam free kick comes to nothing. Enjoyably, the game is back and forth now, unpredictable.
Leam attack. A Stokesley defender takes a smack on the head, but Leam play on and a dipping shot is turned acrobatically over by the red keeper. The injured man limps off and the defending side is a player down as the resultant corner is prodded home by Leam. They're back in front: 1-2.
Courageously, Stokesley are not deflated. They go straight up the other end but are agonisingly unable to convert. Then another piece of nifty play by the nimble left-sider opens up a chance but no reward. A Stokesley free kick comes to nothing. Stokesley are leaving gaps as they go for the equaliser.
A Leam attack ends with a cracking point-blank shot. A goal, surely? No! An outstanding save from the Stokesley keeper: spectacular.
We're into the final seconds. A scything reds tackle abruptly thwarts late danger and the Leam striker picks himself up off the turf for the token free kick.
The referee blows. 1-2.
It's possibly a bit harsh on Stokesley, who played with endeavour and no small amounts of skill.
However, Leam will know that they certainly earned those points and the journey back north will be all the sweeter.
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