Oldland Abbotonians 0 Hengrove Athletic 1
Toolstation Western League Division 1
At: Aitchison Playing Field
Kick-off: 6-30 pm
Attendance: 51
Weather: warm and sunny, blustery wind
Conditions were just about perfect for a late summer evening of football when I visited Toolstation League newboys Oldland Abbotonians during the week before the Bank Holiday. They are based on the eastern side of Bristol and this home game was Oldland’s fourth since promotion to the Toolstation League Division One and local rivals Hengrove Athletic were the visitors.
I got the impression that Oldland were enjoying life in the higher league and their neat and tidy ground certainly impressed. The club Manager Lee Gibbs wrote in the programme: “Saturday was a fantastic day at Larkhall Athletic, one of the best places you visit in this league ... getting three points always makes it feel better.” However, visitors Hengrove won by the only goal scored in the first half before an official attendance of 51.
Oldland Abbotinians FC is the result of a merger in 1998 between St Annes (Oldland) FC and Abbotinians FC. St Annes were founded in 1910 and competed in both the Bristol Premier League and Gloucestershire County League, while Abbotonians FC was started in 1947 by pupils at Hanham Abbots School.
The merged club competed in the Somerset Senior League. They lost just three league games in 2004/05 to become Senior League Division One Champions to gain promotion to the Premier Division. Oldland Abbotonians finished second in the first season (2005/06) back in the Premier Division and last season went one better to gain promotion to the Toolstation League as Champions.
I found the Aitcheston Playing Field a really neat and tidy venue. Clearly a lot of effort had been put in to get the ground ready for promotion. The pitch (orientated west-east) is located on the nearside of the triangular plot of land. Along the touchline nearest the entrance is an area of covered standing around the halfway line which is flanked by the dugouts. To the left of the entrance are the changing rooms and club bar. So far there are no floodlights. There is also a second pitch at right angles to the main railed off pitch
To reach the ground from the M32, exit at junction 1 and follow the A4174 in a clockwise direction (past Mangotsfield) for about five miles. Eventually turn left onto the A420 and turn right by the Griffin pub into Bath Road (A4175) which becomes High Street. The access road to the ground entrance is on the left past the Dolphin pub and between the Chinese takeaway and post office. Continue down this road to the ground entrance.
A 20-page programme was sold for £1 which included notes from the Chairman and Manager, a player profile and news from around the league to complement fixtures, statistics, league tables and line-ups. Teams were announced over the tannoy but, unfortunately, were those listed in the programme and not on the teamsheet. That wasn't a problem for me though.
The low sun shone straight down the pitch into the eyes of Oldland who kicked-off attacking the changing rooms end of the ground.
The home side (blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts and blue socks) created the first decent chance on the quarter hour when Matt Huxley fired over from six yards out. Huxley went close with a couple of other chances but it was Hengrove (green shirts, black shorts and black socks) who broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute, scoring what proved to be the game’s only goal. Ben Crewe sent a long angled drive across the face of goal and into the bottom left corner.
Oldland were reduced to ten men when Aaron Marshall received a straight red card for retaliation. Hengrove were awarded a penalty when Jordan Richards handled Ricky Charlton’s cross. However, Charlton missed the target after sending the keeper the wrong way. Late pressure from Oldland in fading light failed to produce an equaliser.
Teams
Oldland Abbotonians (blue and white stripes / blue / blue): 1. Ruben Holt, 2. Dean Taylor, 3. Seb Spiller, 4. Jon Mayo (capt), 5. Mark Coles, 6. Jordan Richards, 7. James Cobley, 8. Aaron Marshall, 9. Ryan Bernard, 10. Matt Huxley, 11. Jamie Comley. Subs: 12. Tyrone Fudgell (for Comley, 56), 14. Danny Pearce (for Spiller, 77), 15. Tom Coole (for Bernard, 77).
Hengrove Athletic (green/black/black): 1. Richard Jenkins, 2. Shane Cummins, 3. Scott Lewis, 4, Steve Ratcliffe, 5. Scott Collier, 6. Tom Kingston, 7. Luke Crewe, 8. Marcus Maggs, 9. Ben Crewe, 10. Ricky Charlton (capt), 11. Matt Batchelor. Subs: Lloyd Abood (for Ratcliffe, 86), 14. Chris Cowell (for B. Crewe, 86), 15. Andrew Nash.
Referee: I Harley (Somerset).
