St James Park… How many of these are there? Not to be confused with Newcastle United or Exeter City, this St James Park is the home of Brackley Town based in Northamptonshire and compete in the National League North. Nicknamed the “Saints” as they play at St James Park.
Play-Off season is among us!! It’s York City who travel to Brackley today with the winner of this game going into the final for a place in the National League! 600 York fans will be making the trip after selling out in just 2 minutes and after Michael who I met at Spennymoor let me know of a spare ticket going, I am delighted to be joining Gary again and making the trip down with them!!
It’s going to be a long day of football!! York at 3pm, Liverpool in the FA Cup final at 4:45pm and then I’m back in Block Q tonight for Mansfield in the play-offs for League One!! What a day this could be!! Surely one will win right…?
The trip to Shirebrook train station now for me after Gary’s strong recommendation of S80 Coffee House in Creswell being the best choice for a breakfast! Let’s hope he’s not wrong! 2 stops on the train later and here I am in Creswell! The short walk down the street and there is Gary sat at the window seat! He’s here along with his son Adam, his friend Will and Gary’s friend Jamie! “The best sausages ever here!” A sausage sandwich with BBQ sauce it is for me… OH MY WORD!!
- S80 Coffee House: 10/10 – What a breakfast that was!!! Delicious!! Gary wasn’t wrong there!! Very friendly service too!
Time to get on the road now! Sunshine, Beers, football, new friends and some loud Indie music as we cruise down the M1!! Do Saturdays get much better!!? 1 hour 30 minutes later and we are parked up in Brackley… Now what? Do we A: have a drink in the local bars in town? Or B: Get in the ground early and get a spot and have a few drinks in the away end bar? After little deliberation we’re going with B!
Thanks to Michael! £13 to watch this National League North tie! Spicy! The away end bar is closed… Oh dear! I try not to get too angry and I don’t want to sound too similar to Chris Tarrant hosting Who Wants to be a Millionaire here when I say: Brackley… You’ve just lost… A significant amount of money… Because City are MASSIVE everywhere they go and would have spent a fortune here today had the bar been open!!
So it’s Hot Chocolate, a sausage roll and possible sunburn after choosing factor 30 instead of 50 this morning… Hopefully that will be enough! This is my 4th time watching York this season with the previous 3 all being York wins and only conceding once which was an own goal! Could this have been a reason why Michael offered the ticket to me instead of one of his own fellow loyal Minstermen? More importantly will the run continue?
Out come the players to warm up! Starting to wish we had all stood in the stand as it is a hot one! The atmosphere is building up nicely in the away end!! “Red army! Red army!” Out come the teams!! Red rolls and Balloons come flying out!!
Kick Off! “City are massive everywhere we go! City are massive everywhere we goooooooo! Everywhere we go!” 1 minute gone and Brackley have a throw in on the right hand side, it’s a long one… It comes to Shepherd Murombedzi on the volley… Over! Not a bad effort!
4th minute now and York play down the left with Kouhyar, he gets into the box and plays it across… Did that come off a Brackley hand there? Referee not interested… It certainly looked like it from here! Very outstretched! Brackley have got away with one there I think!
1 minute later and Brackley play forward now, a long pass is flicked on to Lee Ndlovu who chases it, Jameson charges out of his goal… Ndlovu gets there first and shoots… It’s blocked by the chasing York defender, Ndlovu gets it back and he goes for the lob…… It’s wide! So close! “We’re the red & white army!” A bit of noise from the Brackley fans now!
12 minutes now and York have a corner, “Hi Ho City! City Hi Ho!” It’s played short to Hancox who sets up Kouhyar to shoot… Saved by the keeper’s legs! Brackley clear.
15 minutes on the clock and Brackley have a corner now, in it comes… Headed at goal… Off the line! Brackley get it back and shoot… Deflected out for another corner, in it comes… Punched away by Jameson!
A fairly bright start to the game has slowed down with little to shout about… 38 minutes now and Brackley have a free kick in their own half, it’s played forward, flicked onto Matt Lowe who breaks free on the left side of the edge of the box and he goes for goal on the turn… Over!
42 minutes now and York have a throw in on the right, it’s flicked on to John-Lewis in the box on the right… He’s hacked down there… Referee waves it away! A certain Penalty for me there surely!! York fans not happy with the Referee and I wouldn’t be neither! 2 minutes later and York come forward down the right wing, it’s played across to Hancox and he plays it through to John-Lewis and he shoots… Keeper saves but John-Lewis is there again… HE ROLLS IT IN!!!!! IT’S A GOAL FOR YORK!!!!! Crazy scenes in the goal and behind it!! Advantage York!! 0-1!!
Play goes on and Lenell John-Lewis looks like he’s hurt himself from those celebrations… Into stoppage time in the first half and Brackley play down the right wing, it’s played across low… The Brackley man is hacked down there… Penalty!! I agree it is but if that’s a Penalty then what about John-Lewis’ challenge? Jimmy Armson steps up… HE’S SAVED IT! He’s saved it!! Pete Jameson to the rescue!!! It’s looking like York’s day here! That is the last action of the half and York are still in the lead at half time.
Second half, “Oh when the Reds go marching in!” York fans still going strong! 51 minutes gone and Brackley have it down the right, it’s crossed in, it’s headed back across goal to Jordan Richards who shoots… Over! 60 minutes now and Brackley have a free kick on the right it’s crossed in… The header from Gareth Dean… Over!
66th minute and York break forward, it’s played to Kurt Willoughby on the left, he cuts inside on the edge of the box and shoots… Blocked! But he gets it back and he gets into the box to shoot again… Saved! York win it back and it’s played to Barrow on the edge of the box to strike… Wide!
70 minutes now and Brackley have a corner, in it comes… Headed away but not far and it’s head tennis now… Brackley flick one on to Matt Lowe to volley… Jameson gets his fingertips to it and it’s another corner, in it comes… Punched away but the Referee has given a free kick to York.
“We’re on our way we’re on our way! To the National League we’re on our way!” York fans growing in confidence but they’ve still got to weather the Brackley storm for the next 15 minutes plus stoppages…
78th minute and Brackley have a throw in on the right, long throw, it’s headed around in the York box, it comes to Matt Lowe in the box on the right and he goes for the near post… He’s hit the post! Close!
Brackley are throwing the kitchen sink at York now but York’s defence are coping with the endless Brackley pressure here. We’re into stoppage time now and the Brackley keeper hits it forward, Ollie Dyson gets there and clears for a throw in on the left for Brackley, it’s a long one into the box again… Cleared by York… THAT’S IT!!! That is it! The show goes on and York City have a part to play in it!! One win away against either Fylde or Boston from the National League! The play-offs prove to be one game too far for Brackley once again… They will not want to play in them again! The run goes on for me watching York! Can they finish the job next week?
FT: Brackley Town 0-1 York City
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 6/10 – York fans the better of the 2 I have to say! A bit of noise from the Brackley fans as well!
- The Ground: 7.5/10 – It’s a nice setup! Maybe a bit beyond it’s current level but it’s still a good ground I think! I especially like the standing terrace behind the home goal!! I would’ve loved to see the away bar open though!
- Expense: 9/10 – £13 is a good price for the play-offs! It was a decent game as well with a good crowd here too!
- Overall Experience: 10/10 – Really enjoyed my day with Gary and Co. once again!! Great to see York progress and I enjoyed the drama at the end of the first half!!
32.5/40