Ben Rhydding Sports Club, home of Ilkley Town based in West Yorkshire and play their trade in Step 6 of the non league pyramid in the North West Counties Football League Division One North. Nicknamed the “Baht’atters” named after a local bar in Ilkley.
It is part 2 of the Groundhop as me, the Merry Miller, Ben and Mick Docking make the short trip from Steeton over the hills to Ilkley for their game against Garstang! Off we go! A struggle up the hills but we are here with 20 minutes to spare!! £6 to get in here! Tremendous! Some lovely Ilkley brewed beers on show! Shame I’m driving… Some good looking food on sale too! £2 for a delicious Sausage Roll!!
Everyone else from Steeton is here and so is Martin, Joe Gibbons and Officer Kizz!! It is 2:30pm and it’s time for kick off… But where are the teams? Looks like a delayed kick off so we can get everyone in on time I suppose. 2:40pm now and here they come!
Kick Off! Ilkley have started the better of the 2 teams so far but no clear cut chances at the minute. 15 minutes in and Ilkley’s Joseph Edmonds drives forward, he gets to 25 yards out unchallenged and he shoots… Keeper saves but is not happy! “How easy is that!!?” Questions need to be asked of Garstang after letting him in like that!
4 minutes later and Ilkley play down the left with George Gomersall, he plays it across low, it’s fallen into the path of Kevin Gonzalez Mele… He’s scuffed it and it rolls wide… Big chance there! 27th minute and Ilkley have a corner, in it comes… Matthew Swift gets a head to it and it’s loose in the air, it drops down for Kevin Gonzalez Mele… He’s dragged down… Referee waves it away… Definite Penalty for me!! Hoyland John certainly agrees! So does the Merry Miller!
The loose ball is cleared for another corner for Ilkley, it’s whipped in… Over everyone but Ilkley retrieve it on the far side, Garstang can’t win the ball back and concede a free kick on the far right hand side, it’s played in… Garstang clear.
It’s been a poor half of football to say the least… Ilkley started the better of the 2 teams but have slowed down more as the half has gone on with no chances so far for Garstang. Into stoppage time in the first half and Ilkley have a free kick on the right side of the box, it’s played short to Nathan Hunt… Garstang intercept and break forward, Andrew Murphy has it and he drives forward, he gets into the box to the left of the goal and he shoots… Wide! That would be the last action of the first half with the score at 0-0… Come on… This is the year it doesn’t happen!!
Second half, 55th minute and Ilkley play down the right wing with Thomas Smith, he plays it across low and here is Kevin Gonzalez Mele at the near post… He’s missed!! He should at least hit the target but he puts it wide… 4 minutes later and Garstang win a free kick on the left hand side, it’s played in… Keeper punches away.
68 minutes on the clock and Ilkley have a corner, it’s played in towards Gonzalez Mele… Header blocked and Garstang clear. 1 minute later and it’s the same player played through down the left for Ilkley who gets into the box with the keeper committed… He’s put it wide… Another wasted chance! I’m certainly starting to think that no nil nils in 2022 is going to be over in March… Especially with the 0-0 Maistro stood next to me… Great to see Vaughany at a game once again!!
74 minutes now and George Pearson picks it up on the left, he glides past the Garstang defenders and gets into the box on the left, keeper comes and the shot comes in… Keeper saves and it’s a corner, played in… Comes to Josh Parker at the back stick… He plays it too far and George Gomersall can’t keep it in on the far side.
79 minutes played now and Garstang have a corner, played in… Ilkley clear and Joseph Edmonds breaks forward for Ilkley down the right flank, the defender gets to him and forces a goal kick… But the Referee has given a corner… A certain goal kick for me and Garstang a furious! In comes the corner… The keeper has to get there and he does, he’s tipped it wide for another, in that one comes… Gonzalez Mele with the header… Wide!
84th minute and Ilkley are chasing the winner here now! Can they get it? The ball is played to Charlie Nixon in the box on the left and he shoots… Keeper saves again! 87th minute and it’s all Ilkley now! There’s tension in the stands as a rule of thumb for some groundhoppers is if it’s a 0-0 they have to revisit… Pretty damning especially with how far some have travelled… But here come Ilkley again and the ball is played to George Gomersall 20 yards out to shoot… OH! It’s just curled wide! So close!
89 minutes now and Ilkley have a corner… It’s been just like the famous England song “Meat, Pie Sausage Roll” here! “They’ve got a corner… OOOSH!” Is this the one where they break the deadlock? In it comes… Keeper punches it and it’s loose… It falls to Charlie Nixon!! NO! He’s put it wide! Isn’t that the story of Ilkley’s day…?
Ilkley continue to chase the winner… A growing frustration is mounting in the stands with the result… But Groundhop UK’s Laurence Reade is loving it!! I certainly wish I had his enthusiasm for a 0-0 like him! Into stoppage time and Garstang come forward, a through ball is played… The keeper collects and he hits it long but it goes out for a throw in, in it comes… That’s it! Game over! It’s finished 0-0… Maybe it will be my year in 2023…
FT: Ilkley Town 0-0 Garstang
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 1/10 – Again sadly like Steeton, it was dead…
- The Ground: 5/10 – Another decent little setup with a little seated stand and standing area but for me it’s all about that view at the far end of the ground! Beautiful scenery here in Ilkley!!
- Expense: 8/10 – £6 is not too shabby but we didn’t see any goals sadly and that’s what is all I’m missing…
- Overall Experience: 7/10 – Once again I enjoyed seeing everyone and they have made my day for certain!! But the game here really was a let down unfortunately… Ilkley’s finishing not good enough today and all us groundhoppers were all as sick as each other with the result at the end… Apart from Laurence anyway!
21/40