Unibond League Division 1 South
At: Farley Way Stadium
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Admission: £6; Programme: £1-50 (40 pages)
Attendance: 152
Weather: cloudy
Duration: first-half: 46:52; second-half: 49:10
I had Junior ‘iwf’ with me today for the first time this season and, out of a number of options offered, she decided upon a chance to see former Stafford Rangers striker Neil Grayson in action once more.
Her choice meant a second consecutive Saturday seeing Quorn in action but I wasn’t complaining. I’d not been to the Farley Way Stadium before and it provided a further opportunity to watch both ex-Stafford man Tom Ingram and the well-known Julian Joachim.
Both Ingram and Joachim have recently joined Quorn and I didn’t know until reading the programme that Ingram had previously played for Quorn’s at Under-18 level earlier in his career. Grayson, approaching his 45th birthday, is a player I really admire. He became a fans favourite at Stafford and joined Glapwell in summer 2008 following Rangers’ relegation from Blue Square Premier. Stafford’s loss was Glapwell’s gain and I wonder whether I would have retired from my press work at Marston Road if the likes of Garyson had stayed with the club.
Since last Saturday’s goalless draw at Borrowash in the FA Cup, Quorn eased through the replay with a 4-1 victory to earn a home tie against Mickleover Sports next Saturday. Both Ingram and Joachim were amongst the scorers and the programme match reporter gave Man of the Match to Ingram.
In the league Quorn were second from bottom with one point from four games and only remained off the bottom because Willenhall Town started the season with a 10-point deduction. Visitors Glapwell (in ninth position with seven points from five games) were looking for a third straight league and cup win following last Saturday’s 3-1 win over Ellistown in the FA Cup and Monday’s Bank Holiday 3-0 victory over Goole.
There was no need for the SatNav today as the directions from the A6 to the south of Loughborough appeared straightforward. From the roundabout to the north of the village where the Loughborough bypass (A6004) met the A6, we took the southbound exit signed ‘Quorn Woodhouse’. At the first set of lights just past the garden centre, we turned left into Farley Way and the ground was no more than 50 yards on the left.
A Quorn FC sign and also matchday advertising board marked the entrance and we parked up behind the near goal. From the car park, the turnstile was to the left of the stand and a programme seller was well positioned on the other side. The pitch (orientated south-east–north-west) ran lengthways with a new area of cover occupying most on the length of the near end, known as the Farley Way end. It had been recently constructed using some of the proceeds of the sell-on clause for former player Luke Varney who moved from Crewe to Charlton in May 2007. An impressive stand was positioned along most of the right hand touchline, containing three rows of red individual tip-up seats. A smaller training pitch was behind that stand. On the left touchline, were the dugouts and another impressive building housing the changing rooms, clubhouse and tea/food bars. The clubhouse has been recently extended, again using proceeds from Varney’s sell-on clause. Four floodlight pylons rose down each touchline.
A plaque on the clubhouse wall commemorated the opening of the Sutton Park Ground (now the Farley Way Stadium) by Frank Clark, then manager of Nottingham Forest, almost 14 years ago.
Before the game we checked out the tea bar – tea in a proper 2007/08 Unibond League mug and as well as cola, chocolate and a lolly for Junior.
A teamsheet was displayed from a clubhouse window and I was pleased to see Messers Ingram, Joachim and ‘the legend’ Grayson all starting. Another familiar name to me in the Glapwell side was another former Stafford man in defender Chris Timons who made five appearances on loan for Rangers during the 1994/95 season.
We decided on a seat in the stand and opted for the middle row near halfway in seat 87 and the unnumbered seat (where 86 would be) next to it. Before kick-off, we chatted to Mrs Grayson and she hoped Neil would score a goal for us.
Teams emerged down a retractable red tunnel in fair play fashion. Glapwell broke to the near Farley Way end and Quorn to the far end. Teams stayed put after the toss and Glapwell (wearing all yellow) got the action underway, attacking from left to right in relation to our vantage point.
The visitors had all the early possession and, in the sixth minute, Quorn keeper Craig Jones produced a fine save to tip over Ryan Goward’s rising 25-yard drive. A long throw from Liam Powell, propelled into the area from the right, led to a chance for Neil Grayson. The veteran turned and forced Jones to excel again with a diving save to turn a low left-foot shot around the right-hand post for Glapwell’s fifth corner during the opening 12 minutes.
Quorn (wearing all red) started to push forward and won a corner on the left when Adam Walker headed out Anthony Marriott long diagonal ball forward. Ashley Robinson delivered the corner into the six-yard box where Russell Peel forced the ball home to put the home side ahead in the 14th minute.
The lead lasted just four minutes before a corner led to the visitors levelling things up in the 18th minute. Goward swung the ball in from the right, Grayson flicked it on for Ian Brown to head home. Like Peel’s goal, the equaliser was announced over the crystal-clear tannoy speaker above us.
From the restart, Quorn pressed forward. A long-throw on the left by Robinson was cleared back to the midfielder who hit a rising drive that flicked the top of the bar.
Glapwell appealed for a penalty in the 27th minute. Matt Varley cut in from the left and fired towards goal. The ball hit a defender at the near post but the referee ignored strong appeals for handball.
Another thing that impressed me this afternoon was the excellent playing surface of which the groundsman must, no doubt, be proud of.
With defences getting on top, chances before scare until Quorn were awarded a free-kick 35-yards out as the interval approached. Peel went for goal and saw his shot deflect of the wall for yet another corner. Michael Papparozzi then tried his luck with a rising shot from the edge of the area and defender Kris Matthews attempted an acrobatic overhead kick.
In first-half stoppage time, Marriott was booked for a heavy challenge on Goward.
Players came out for the second half to the sound of ‘Heart of Glass’. Joachim got down the right and did well to cross from on the bye-line but Pell running in couldn’t direct a header on target. Grayson, who impressed the Quorn fans sat immediately behind us, got the sniff of a chance and hammered a rising left-foot shot just wide of the target.
The visitors thought they should have been awarded a 55th minute penalty. Matthews brought down Varley inside the area but the referee awarded a corner instead. Goward appeared to be booked for protesting. From the corner, Chris Timons saw a header blocked in front of goal and Brown hooked the ball wide in the ensuing scramble.
Both sides made their first change at the same time just after the hour mark. Glapwell brought on Conor Higginson in place of Powell (62nd minute) and before play resumed, Quorn replaced Turner with Daniel Wright (63rd minute).
Higginson almost made an immediate impact and Jones did well to keep his side on level terms. The substitute got on the end of a throughball into the area and saw his shot blocked by the advancing keeper.
Jones’ intervention provided crucial as Quorn took a giant step towards winning their first league game of the season by taking the lead in the 67th minute. And I was ex-Stafford man Ingram who applied the finishing touch. Peel delivered a perfect cross from the left and Ingram hooked it home with his left foot from 8 yards out. “The scorer of the second Quorn goal, Tom Ingram!” came the announcement. I was so pleased for the midfielder who scored twice in 29 Stafford appearances during 2007 and 2008.
Papparozzi sent a rising 25-yard shot over the Glapwell bar before it got even better for the home side in the 71st minute. Robinson latched on to a throughball from Ingram and beat two defenders before unleashing an unstoppable 20-yarder which gave Neil West no chance of stopping.
Before the game restarted, Glapwell made a second change (72nd minute). Adam Kimberley, who had impressed me when I saw Glapwell at Brigg back in January, replaced Goward.
Jones produced another vital save to preserve Quorn’s two-goal lead, turning round Steve Kennedy’s downward header from the second of four consecutive corners. Glapwell made a third change in the 76th minute – Nathan Benger replaced goalscorer Brown – and started to throw men forward. Kennedy headed wide from yet another corner.
Quorn made their final two substitutions – Phillip Miller, a lively forward, on for Joachim (81st minute) and Thomas Liberatore for Papparozzi (85th minute). Just as he had for all the goals and substitution, the announcer cleared told fans of the changes. The other sub Wright was booked for a foul just before the latter change.
With the points and a first league win seemingly in the bag for Quorn, the announcer reminded fans of next Saturday’s home FA Cup game with Mickleover.
The referee indicated and the tannoy man announced four minutes of added time and, during it, Quorn made sure that Glapwell couldn’t score one let alone two of the goals needed to force a draw. The home side kept the ball deep in Glapwell territory near the right corner flag with Ingram playing his part down there.
Full time came and the announcer thanked the crowd for their attendance. Before we started walking round, Tom Ingram’s Dad recognised me and we had a brief chat. I was impressed with the part Tom had played in the game and they way he took his goal. We had time to buy that all-important Quorn AFC lapel badge (£3) from behind the bar and set off home.
Two final statistics are the corner count – Quorn 6, Glapwell 13 – and attendance of 152 – the highest from Quorn’s three league games this season and just 13 short of the crowd that saw Tuesday’s replay against Borrowash which was Joachim’s first appearance at Farley Way Stadium.
