The Saturday before Christmas. Unable to get to a Boxing Day fixture this year that weekend was to be the festive offering but a spanner was almost thrown in the works.
Not un-football related, but the opportunity of a different match to watch instead. I had planned in a long while ago Holmesdale vs Glebe in the Southern Counties League Premier Division, a chance to head towards Bromley and catch up with a couple of Ravens supporting mates Eddie Mackintosh and Rob Shirley.
The spanner was thrown by Isthmian League sides Littlehampton and Cray Valley who rearranged their week previous meeting to the same Saturday, a few minutes journey or one and a half hours, beers with friends in Kent or Sussex, it was a tough choice.
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However, having seen both the Golds and Millers twice each this season already I stayed with the original choice and headed to Kent for the first journey of three inside four days.
A biting wind but dry afternoon in the Garden of England was the setting for the delivery of early Xmas presents for the footballing family, a fairly decent attendance had barely settled into their spots when the visitors took the lead after just three minutes.
A cross in from the left hand side should have been collected by Dale keeper Liam Northwood, but missed and Rodney Eruotor had a simple finish at the far post for the opening goal.
Worse was to come for the home side after 11 minutes, another ball across from the left found Eruotor on the edge of the penalty area and a controlled low finish into the corner gave Northwood no chance.
With the title chasers in full control, the question already was how many they would go on to score with Holmesdale unable to get out of their own half to create any chances.
A great save from Northwood denied Jamie Philpot a third which surely would have put the game to bed soon after the half hour mark and five minutes before half time the home side were back in the game, a corner kick headed in by a Glebe defender to reduce the deficit.
Just as it looked like the Foxes would go into the half time break with the lead, up popped Ronnie McLean with a superb finish a minute before the interval to level the scores, that after both sides had a goal disallowed for offside, a scoreline that looked miles away after 11 minutes, 2-2 at the break.
Whatever was said by Dale boss Andy Constable during the 15 minute breather certainly did the trick in the second half as the home side went in front for the first time in the match, seven minutes in and Manny Oshinowo was set clear, one on one with his defender and having cut back inside the penalty area beat Sheikh Ceesay at his near post.
Philpot had the chance to level the scores again midway through the half, but his lobbed effort hit the top of the bar as it went over the top of the target. Twelve minutes from time Glebe gave away a sloppy penalty, but Ceesay was equal to the shot and saved the effort.
That should have spurred the visitors on to gain another equaliser but a lack of urgency and chances created meant the home side held on to take the Xmas points and put a little dent in the title hopes for the Foxes.
A thoroughly entertaining game which certainly swung both ways through the 90 minutes and a great advert for the Southern Counties East Premier Division.
A draw between the sides in first and third meant a not too damaging defeat for Glebe, they will certainly feel they should have come away with the win after the opening 15 minutes but full credit to the Dalers for their comeback.
Great as always to catch up with Eddie, a shame Rob couldn’t make it but no doubt that’ll happen during the second half of the season, good also to see Grace and Rocky McMillan who run Glebe, and of course one of the matchday programmes that feature my work every home game.
After the match I caught up with Holmesdale chairman Simon Kidby who I’ve known for a few years but the first time we’ve sat down for a chat and to understand the vision for the Dalers.
Like a lot of clubs at that level the budget isn’t great and of course attendances don’t just rise overnight either, the Vase run is helping financially with their 4th Round tie at home to Highworth Town on 13th  January.
There are plans to do more but it’s a work in progress for Simon and the club, you can see already in a short space of time more people in roles at the club, the ground has a sponsor and the social media is beginning to take off as well. Having been visiting Oakley Road for the last couple of years for at least one game it’s another welcoming club that can build on the foundations being laid now, certainly plenty of chimney pots around to attract more people, who knows they might be Wembley bound in May, now that would attract a few more regularly.
