Garden Walk, home of Gornal Athletic based in the West Midlands and play their trade in the West Midlands Regional League Division One. Nicknamed the “Peacocks” with one featuring on the club crest.
Strong rumours of the club moving grounds and with this featuring in Mike Bayly’s 100 grounds book, this one simply CANNOT be missed!! It’s Thursday and not a normal night for football but Gornal have a home cup tie in the J W Hunt Cup against Wolves Sporting CFC. It’s now or never!
Onto the M1, to the M42 leading on to the A42, onto the M6… COME ON TRAFFIC… Onto the M5… I’m missing kick off here… Into the ground with about 9 minutes played… Traffic… £5 to get in here! Fantastic!
It’s still 0-0 thankfully! 20th minute and here come Gornal, it’s played through into the box and the striker and keeper chase it… BOSH! That was more than a collision… Wolves furious and the keeper will need treatment. The Referee goes over to his assistant… Red Card! The Gornal man is off and the Gornal bench are furious!
30 minutes now and Gornal hit a long ball forward, it falls nicely for Luke Sidaway on the edge of the box and he goes for goal… Oooooh! Just over the bar!
A relatively poor first half inevitably ends 0-0.
Second half, 54 minutes now and Wolves come forward, it’s played to the Wolves man in the box in space and he shoots… Saved! Gornal clear.
60th minute and Gornal have a corner, in it comes… It’s cleared but Gornal have it back on the edge of the box and the shot comes in… It’s parried and it’s fallen to Nathan Jones for Gornal SURELY… OH! He’s hit the bar… Wolves clear but how has he missed that?!
72 minutes gone and Wolves have a free kick in a good shooting position, the shot comes in… OFF THE POST! Nearly inch perfect that!
The game is hotting up nicely here with flying tackles going in all over the pitch and a few yellow cards! Gornal are looking the most likely here as the game goes on.
83rd minute and Gornal come forward, Darragh Bustin has space inside the box and he shoots… Saved! Corner, in it comes… Straight into the keeper’s grasp.
Gornal continue to press… But it finishes 0-0 and it will be a Penalty Shootout!
Wolves to go first… Goal! Gornal now… He scores! 1-1!
It’s Wolves again… IT’S SAVED ONTO THE POST!! Brilliant save! Gornal for the advantage… They have the advantage! 1-2!
Wolves need this one… They do! Gornal again… He scores! 2-3!
Dangerous territory for Wolves now… But he scores! Gornal for match point… They have it! 3-4!
Wolves must score now… And he does! Gornal to win it… OH NO! HE’S HIT THE POST! 4-4!
Wolves for the ascendancy… He scores! Gornal must score now… He does! We go on!
Wolves again… Goal again! Gornal have to score again… SAVED! Wolves are through!
FT: Gornal Athletic 0-0 Wolves Sporting CFC (Wolves win 6-5 on Penalties)
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 4/10 – A group of boys had a little sing but the community spirit certainly spurred Gornal on tonight!
- The Ground: 10/10 – Love it! It will be a sad loss to the football ground world… Love the terrace with gives it a proper upper tier view and the stand opposite is really something but for the level it’s at it really is unheard of! Cracking ground this!
- Expense: 10/10 – £5 is fab! No goals but a Penalty Shootout nonetheless!
- Overall Experience: 7/10 – Love Penalty Shootouts but not 0-0s…
31/40