Tuesday 27th October 2020
Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds
Goole AFC 0
Yorkshire Amateur 0
Attendance: 179
I arrived in Goole a little over ten minutes before kick-off, having aquaplaned my way through the excess water on the M18 and M62, still wearing my sopping wet overalls from work, which I wrestled my way out of like Harry Houdini, on Marcus Street, in the front seat of my luxurious changing facilities (a Ford C-Max), before heading briskly to the turnstiles dressed in my wind stopper work issue long johns, that look like tracksuit bottoms in a certain light (I hope), to watch my third wet and/or windy game of football at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds in Goole this month.
Each to their own innit!? And tonight my vice of choice was watching the Vikings against the NCEL league leaders Yorkshire Amateur, in my underwear, safety boots and a work mucky hi-vis jacket, all topped off with my previously very stylish pork-pie hat, that had recently been squashed flat in the back seat of my car by persons unknown and was a little misshapen as a consequence.
Subsequently my practical (if nowt else) ensemble provided me with a striking resemblance of a cross between two legendary comedians of yore, namely: Freddie Parrot Faced Davies and Max Wall... younger readers, ask your grandparents who these funny men were, but trust me, I wasn't packing a particularly glamorous look.
In such circumstances, a face-mask was definitely a mandatory requirement,.. not due to any social distancing requirements (believe me, nobody came anywhere near me tonight anyway, possibly because I looked like an escaped mental patient and still hummed a bit after finishing my shift late), but because I didn't want anybody to recognise me.
But five yards into the ground and my cover was already blown: "Hey up Rob! You here again? You'll be needing a Goole season ticket soon at this rate pal!"
I often suspect that I'm being punished on a regular basis for sins that I must've committed in a previous life... but there's no possible way that I could ever actually have been naughty enough to deserve such a fate as that.
Mrs W rang as the game got underway, with her usual impeccable sense of timing (cough), asking me to pop in Tesco on the way home for a packet of Welsh cakes. Plodding around the aisles of a supermarket dressed like this wouldn't usually be a problem... and I'm sure that they'll have seen stranger things in Goole before anyway, but while she was talking my phone battery died. The same phone that I was using to make notes on and take photos with tonight.
Oh no, I'll have to use pictures from previous visits I've made to the VPG , convert them to black and white and then attempt to darken them up a bit... hopefully nobody reading this blog will even notice.
Tonight, the host side deserved, at the very least, a draw against their illustrious opponents... and although this was probably a fair result given the overall balance of the entire ninety-plus minutes, there was a general feeling around the place, that Goole had been unlucky not to emerge from this well contested game with all three points.
In an evenly matched first half, chances were few and far between at either end as the Vikings set themselves up to counter the threat of the NCEL Premier Division's highest scoring side. Luke Sharry in particular caught the eye for the Ammers and was, in my humble opinion, their standout player on the night.
But it wasn't all about and organised defence and containment from Goole, who had the best opportunity to break the deadlock, when Reggie Waud, who'd already had a goal bound shot blocked just a few minutes before, broke forward into the box, straight through the middle and was bundled to the ground by the visitors keeper Kyle Trenerry.
"Book him!", "Send him off", "Chop his effing head off!", called out a few vociferous and enthusiastic locals in response to Trenerry's transgression. But the referee decided that the awarding of a penalty was punishment enough for the clumsy foul... and the home crowd were further vexed when Trenerry got down well to keep out Waud's spot-kick.
Once again, as so often happens, the rub of the green and fine margins factor came down on the side of the team who were placed highest in the league... it's a proven phenomena that happens across the playing fields of the nation each and every week.
After the interval, Goole put in a performance that was the polar opposite of Saturday's second half.
Tonight the visitors came at them in waves, especially down the left hand side, but the Vikings put bodies in the way, stayed focussed and went toe to toe against a very well drilled Ammers team, who plugged away looking for an opening, but were thwarted by the sheer numbers of home players, covering each others backs and grafting for one another... and with the end of this lively encounter coming in sight, it was definitely going to be a case of staying 'til the end of the game to applaud the hosts off for their unstinting efforts to reverse recent trends at this very ground.
If any of the 179 crowd who were present did leave early, then they would've missed a proper palaver in the final climatic exchanges of the game, when Trenerry was involved in a dramatic moment of controversy.
Trenerry was booked... and even people who were there supporting Yorkshire Amateurs knew that was the wrong decision and said as much too. Waud had been arriving at ramming speed and the deliberate handball had prevented a goal-scoring opportunity, nuff said.
Trenerry then saved Waud's free-kick and held onto the ball, at the second or third attempt ,and Goole were denied the chance to put the icing on a hard working a battling shift.
Of course, there is no guarantee that Goole would've claimed the win if the Ammers had been reduced to ten men, but I've spent a lifetime trying to find any evidence to back up the time worn expression that claims: 'These things balance themselves out over the course of a season'... and as of tonight that search goes on.
FT: Goole AFC 0 v Yorkshire Amateur 0
At this rate goalless draws will be getting themselves a good name for providing us with a high level of entertainment.
I think it is now even safer to say that Goole AFC will continue to pick up points by displaying the kind of work-rate that they employed tonight. While Yorkshire Amateur, who remain at the top of the table, will know that they had been in a game at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds.
Goole AFC TV You Tube footage: click HERE
The Ammers are due to travel to Jarrow at the weekend for a FA Vase tie, while the Vikings set sail for Knaresborough Town, who they leapfrogged in the table tonight by virtue of picking up a point, to reach the giddy heights of fifteenth.
Of course all weekend games are subject to other factors at present, so check before you set off anywhere and brace yourselves for a rack of last minute alterations and cancelations.
Enjoy your football, but more importantly, stay safe.
