Pershall Park, home of Eccleshall FC based in Staffordshire and play their trade in Step 6 of the Non League Pyramid in the North West Counties League Division One South. Nicknamed the “Eagles” and they have one on their club crest.
It’s a rare Saturday night game as the North West Counties groundhop is well under way! Rocester, Foley Meir, Abbey Hulton United and now Eccleshall FC who face Barnton FC in the final Saturday game.
So a quick pit stop on the way back from Rushall Olympic to drop Match Days Joe off in Wolverhampton… I think I’ve hit match day traffic here from Wolves vs Tottenham… Well I’m clear of that now and on to the M6 and off onto the A5013 and into the ground car park before all the groundhoppers.
£6 to get in here! Fabulous! Now the wait for all the familiar faces to show up… Let’s have a look around. Meatball Marinara Sub? Thank you! £4.50! Delicious! Pin Badge for £3! Get them in before the rush!
The familiar faces are piling in now and the unthinkable as happened in the last game at Abbey Hulton… A 0-0! Oh dear… The players are ready and out they come, it’s the final game of the Saturday! Let’s finish on a high!
Kick Off! Nothing to report so far… In the game anyway… Lot’s of catch ups with all the hoppers is keeping all of us content at the moment as there are no chances in this one so far… Some good stories shared with Joe Gibbons in the meantime.
31 minutes in… Yes really that long… And Barnton play a ball over the top, Lee Turkington is there in the box on the right and he shoots… Over!
40th minute and Barnton play down the right, it’s crossed in low, Mark Groom gets there to put it behind for a corner, nearly an own goal there! The corner comes in… And it’s cleared. A very poor first half ends 0-0… That’s one of the worst first halves I’ve ever seen!
Second half… Still as poor as the first unfortunately… Surely not 2 0-0s in a groundhop day really?! 61 minutes gone and Eccleshall down the left, Lewis Dunn crosses…… Nearly all the way in and the keeper gets a hand to it and it’s loose in the 6 yard box… The keeper claims the loose ball! Closest so far!
71 minutes on the watch and it’s great to catch up with Laurence Reade here and the ball comes to Mitchell Glover who receives it on halfway and he chests it and goes for the spectacular… Keeper saves it and saves it comfortably in the end.
1 minute later and Barnton have it in the Eccleshall half with Tom Turkington, he goes for goal from around 30 yards out… OH HE’S SCORED!! THAT’S A CRACKING STRIKE!! Top corner! 0-1! We do have a goal here!!
83rd minute and it’s a corner for Eccleshall, in it comes… It’s headed at goal… Keeper parries and Ryan Pickup is there… AND SCORES!! They’re level!! 1-1! Just like that!
1 minute later and there’s tension off the ball here… Luke Lewis for Eccleshall and Tom Turkington for Barnton are butting heads with each other here… They could be in big trouble! The players are getting heated! The Referee is consulting with his assistants… It’s a Red Card for Turkington… That surely means a red for Lewis… Referee is waiting for Turkington to leave and… Another red! it will be 10 vs 10 to see this one out now. This game has well and truly sprung into life!
We’re into injury time now and Eccleshall play down the right, they get into the box, it’s played across to Jordan Flattley who takes a touch… AND HE BELTS IT HOME!!! ECCLESHALL HAVE GOT THAT LATE LATE GOAL!! Barnton have lost it and they can’t believe it… What an ending to the Saturday hop! 2-1!
Play resumes… But Barnton have well and truly lost it at the death! A great win in the end for Eccleshall!
FT: Eccleshall 2-1 Barnton
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 1/10 – Dead despite the high groundhopper attendance…
- The Ground: 5/10 – Not too bad! Got a little stand behind the far goal and a little standing section on halfway. Very basic but not too bad.
- Expense: 10/10 – £6 to get in, I spent others on food and drink and collectibles but £6 was good enough for that ending!
- Overall Experience: 5/10 – Enjoyed seeing everyone here tonight but it was a hard watch for most of the game sadly…
21/40