Match Information
-
Eccleshall 0-3 Coventry Sphinx
-
When: Saturday 12th November 2022
-
Kick-off: 3pm
-
Where: Pershall Park, Chester Road, Eccleshall, Staffordshire ST21 6NE
-
Competition: The Isuzu FA Vase Second Round Proper
-
Attendance: 128
As I have mentioned in these Groundhopper blogs before, The Isuzu FA Vase is definitely my favourite competition on the whole football spectrum.
Quite simply, every team that enters the Vase has a chance of winning it and there is that huge carrot of battling through to play at Wembley Stadium on Non-League Finals Day.
So ahead of the Second Round Proper, I had a really good look at the fixtures to pick out my match of choice. Those ties that appeal to me most are when two teams from different leagues face each other.
Consequently I opted to watch Eccleshall who were mid-table in the North West Counties League First Division South (Non-League Step 6) against United Counties League Premier Division South promotion contenders Coventry Sphinx (Step 5).
I always like visiting NWCL clubs because they are part of an extremely competitive league stretching from Staffordshire right up to Cumbria and everyone involved is very friendly.
Therefore with all these ingredients percolating in my mind, I set off in eager anticipation on a 300 miles round trip via the M1 and M6 motorways to Eccleshall.
It is a small village containing 650 residents which is located seven miles north-west of county town Stafford.
The football club have been NWCL members for 18 years now. Originally founded in 1971, they previously played in the Midland League and the Staffordshire Senior League.
Ground Description
This is located down a narrow country lane. I admired a distinctive home-made feel of the venue where Eccleshall have obviously added facilities when they have needed to in order to meet strict NWCL ground grading requirements.
It features a sturdy covered terrace on the halfway line plus two other covered areas that combine both seats and standing. There are separate pay huts for spectators at either end of the pitch.
The all-time record attendance at Pershall Park was 475 versus a Stoke City X1 in the Staffordshire Senior Cup back on 16th October 2019.
It is interesting to note that Eccleshall offer their supporters free return minibus transport from the local Old Smithy Pub car park (one and a half miles away) before and after games.
The aforementioned minibus is nicely decked out with a giant club badge.
Programme Details
A digital online edition consisting of 34 pages incorporating excellent use of colour and statistics.
I am an old school traditionalist so I am getting this printed out professionally as I personally need to have a physical programme from each club I visit for my extensive collection of football memorabilia...
Eccleshall manager Liam Kelly set the scene in his editorial column entitled “THE DUG OUT VIEW” by writing: "Good afternoon and welcome to what is a massive game in the history of this football club.
"Our first appearance in the second round of The FA Vase for thirty years with the chance to progress to the third round for the first time.
"I’m incredibly proud of the players for getting to this stage of the competition but we genuinely believe we can progress even further. We are under no illusions about how difficult this home tie will be.
"Coventry Sphinx are flying in the step above, second in their league. We have done our homework as well as a really good training session on Thursday, so we feel we are strongly prepared for the task ahead."
The Match
I enjoyed a tight and scoreless first half where ‘Eccy’ might well have taken the lead.
Up until that point, you wouldn’t have believed the hosts were one level below their opponents in the national Non-League Pyramid.
But it was Coventry Sphinx who proceeded to take control after half-time. In the 49th minute, a flighted free-kick led to James Bryson nodding home their opener.
Twelve minutes later, Jordan Hayward made it 2-0 with a thumping header into the roof of the net. And in the final minute, Hayward added his second and the game’s best goal courtesy of a buccaneering 30 yard dribble followed by an emphatic finish.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 2nd December 2022
