The BuildBase FA Trophy - Preliminary Qualifying Round
at Julius Martin Lane, Soham
Soham Town Rangers (0) 0
AFC Mansfield (0) 0
Admission £9. Programme £2. Attendance 139
Point and hope photo gallery link HERE
Josh Pope, Lewis Endacott (Callum Russell 51), Will Gardner, Erkan Okay (Alfie Connor 76), Lee
Chaffey (C), Jack Mochalski, Jon Kaye, Ryan Auger, Michael Baulk, (Marcus Hall 72), Sam Mulready, Joe Carden
Unused subs - Ally Conway, Rob Mason
AFC Mansfield:
Jason White, Liam Marsden, Mark Dudley, Phil Buxton, Jack Broadhead, Jordan Annable, Cameron
Dear, Jimmy Ghaichem (C) Kieran Wells (Nick Guest 69), Brad Wells, Charlie Dawes (Anton
Daniels 82)
Unused subs - Ellis Wall, Brad Peace-McDonald, Tyrone Burton
The current side came into being in 1947, when the two original clubs merged and opted to use Julius Martin Lane (which had been Town's ground since 1921), as their home; while Rangers former enclosure became farming land.
Today's Cambridgeshire based hosts, currently ply their trade in the Isthmian League North Division, which is one of three feeder leagues to the Isthmian League Premier Division, which in turn offers a promotion pathway to the National League (South).
The 'Greens' currently occupy the bottom spot in the Bostik League (North), while the 'Bulls' are tootling along in fourteenth place, in the EvoStik Northern Premier League (East Division), as they look to establish themselves at the highest level of the football pyramid that they have ever played at... for the time being at least.
On the subject of firsts, this was also my own personal maiden voyage to Soham Town Rangers FC, which means that Julius Martin Lane is the eighteenth previously uncharted (by me) territory that I've ticked off so far this season, towards my intended target total, of forty 'new' grounds, before the end of the 2018-19 campaign. So I've still got quite a long way to go towards that work in progress, but I'm getting there, slowly but surely.
Entertainment on the way down was provided by a number of team members getting up and doing a solo turn on the microphone, as part as a team bonding and spirit raising exercise. Some were better singers than others, but at least some of them had the nerve to give it a go, Jason White's girlfriend was very polished and professional... and much to the amusement of everyone present (and a whole load of people on social media), Brad and Kieran Wells deconstruction of a Vanilla Ice number, proved that they have got what it takes, if they ever wanted to give up football and become full time entertainers, they have got the potential to make it all the way to the top. In fact they reminded me no end of an already proven and multi-talented singing duo: Zig and Zag. See video link HERE
probably blown all of the grey clouds away.
The weather, was the only winner out on the field of play today, on what must've been a challenging afternoon at times, given the lightweight construction of modern day footballs. But though both defences, and goalkeepers in particular, ruled the roost for the majority of the game, both sides had their moments and will probably feel equally frustrated that they didn't nick a result.
Soham Town Rangers proved to be a very welcoming and friendly host club, they have got some smashing people in situ and a great set up at the club, I hope that they get home a bit quicker than we did this evening, when they head up to Mansfield on Tuesday night.
The first goal-scoring chance of the afternoon fell to Kieran Wells (sponsored by THE66POW), after Cameron Dear had won a corner out on the right, from which Charlie Dawes picked out the prolific striker on the edge of the six yard box, who got his shot away, despite the close attention of Jack Mochalski, but though the home sides keeper Josh Pope probably wouldn't have been able to get to the ball, through a scrum of players, Michael Baulk was covering the post and cleared the ball away from virtually off the line. Baulk, the 'Greens' number nine must've covered every blade of grass on the pitch this afternoon, popping up here, there and everywhere over the course of the game... in fact I actually checked at one point to see if Soham only had the one player with a 9 on the back of his shirt.
Liam Marsden was creating no end of problems for the hosts defence, with a succession of crosses, free kicks and long throw ins, that were causing havoc as they moved about in the stiff wind; but the weather dictated conditions, were also giving the visitors forwards a hard time, much as they battled on, with Brad Wells in particular chasing everything and running himself into the ground, while never giving up on the ball as a lost cause.
(K) Wells moved into a withdrawn position to lose the attentions of his marker and slipped a quality ball through into the path of Dawes, who was odds on to break the deadlock, until the impressive Mochalski moved swiftly to block the resulting effort and clear the ball away.
Another long throw from Marsden was met by Jack Broadhead,whose flick on across the face of Pope's goal dropped inches wide of the far post.
(B) Wells' persistence saw him win the ball just inside the Soham area and he rolled it back into the path of Phil Buxton, who drilled a snap shot over the bar.
However, it was the home side who had the best two chances to break the deadlock before half time, but the former Mansfield Town keeper Jason White pulled off a couple of great saves to repel: Joe Carden in the first instance, after Sam Mulready had put him through on goal, and then any even better block from close quarters, when Lewis Endacott had instigated a flowing forwards move via Baulk and Jon Kaye, before continuing his run to get on the end of Kaye's nudge into the area, before he was thwarted by the 'Bulls' keeper.
HT: Greens 0 v Bulls 0
If anything, there was less goal bound traffic after the game, but the visitors almost stole the lead, when Pope fumbled a long shot from Dawes that he looked to have covered ad let the ball slip from his grasp, but it rolled harmlessly past the upright.
Will Gardner motored forward for Soham and laid the ball out wide to Baulk, who had made a good position for himself out on the right, but Mark Dudley had read his intentions well and intercepted the return ball towards Gardner.
Ryan Auger linked up with Carden, whose cross was dealt with by Jordan Annable, who is showing maturity beyond his years, since being converted to central defence from his preferred role of full back. You get the impression that he'd be happy to play in any position as long as he was regularly getting a game.
(B) Wells broke into the left hand side of Soham area and played the ball to his right where he found Buxton, whose dipping shot crashed into the stand behind Pope's goal. I'm sure, that one of these days, one of those Buxton shots is going to find the top corer of the net. But when Dawes created a similar chance for him a few minutes later, the wind helped the ball on it'sway over it's intended target.
Dawes saw his shot deflect past the post and when he took the corner himself, he picked out Ghaichem on the edge of the area, who steadied himself and launched a shot that flew inches wide of the right hand post.
Lee Chaffey went close for the home side, but his header from Callum Russell's throw in, ended up on the roof of the net.
Annable blocked Alfie Connor's shot then raced forward to join in with the 'Bulls' attack, as the play switched quickly from one end of the field to the other. The young defender challenged for the ball from Marsden's long throw from the left wing... and the Soham captain Cheffey must've been very relieved to hear the whistle blow for an apparent infringement in the area, as he got to ball a fraction before Annable and it skimmed off of his head, for what would've been an own goal.
I personally thought the match officials had a decent game in what must have been trying conditions.
Right at the death the referee, Jeff Aldous, blew for another foul in the Soham area and gave the hosts a free kick, but just for a moment I thought he might have been awarding a penalty in lieu of Mochalski performing the Heimlich manoeuvre on Anton Daniels, while he wrestled to break free on the goal line.
And that was that, all round to the Forest Town Arena on Tuesday night for the replay.
FT: Soham Town Rangers 0 v AFC Mansfield 0
Replay details:
Tuesday 16th October 2010, 7.45PM kick off, at Forest Town Arena, Clipstone Road West, Mansfield, NG19 0EE.
Entrance to the car park at the ground is via Second Avenue, which can be found down the side of the Co-op store oppositee the Prince Charles public house.
