I have a list put aside every season of clubs to try and get along to visit, sometimes that list grows through the season from clubs inviting me along, the rumour of a superb burger on the premises or something else that is just intriguing about that club.
I try and get to all the clubs I write a column for; some are closer than others and only two of the nine I won’t get to see this year, my way of a thank you for taking my work.
My South Coast living means it’s a trek for getting to most places, no opportunity to go south of course and a fair distance north before I can reach a road network that opens up the rest of England and beyond for me.
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Saturday was the second longest road trip this campaign, although that depends if you count Brixham AFC which was tied into a small family holiday.
This one was tied into a day on the coast with my two girls and back in the home county of Kent. Deal Town are a new addition to the programme column portfolio this season, a long two and a half hours from door to door but one I wanted to make when the weather was kinder.
Fortunately, it was and more luck than judgement as I was running out of time to fit a game in before the end of this month. A bit of crazy golf and ice cream before we arrived at a sun kissed Charles Sports Ground.
The hosts have enjoyed a calm and impressive first ever season at Step 4, putting down some strong foundations for the future build. The visitors from my current neck of the woods are still in the hunt for the play-off places for the second year running but the margin of error runs fine as we head towards the end of the season.
A bobbly pitch wasn’t a great help to either side during the afternoon although as you might expect the home side played the conditions better. And they were in front after just two minutes, the ball falling to Jack Paxman some 25 yards out and he unleashed a strike that sailed past Will Tillman in the Bridges net, possibly a little unsighted but a great hit, nonetheless.
That seemed to set the tone for the afternoon, Bridges shell-shocked early and not able to recover. The pitch certainly didn’t help their passing game, used to their new 3G surface at Jubilee Field they struggled to mix it up and get to grips with the game.
They did have a couple of chances however, Town keeper Adam Malloy needing to tip over one shot on target and one bouncing effort that did beat the keeper also beat the crossbar.
The home side doubled their lead just before half time, Tom Chapman firing home after the ball eventually found him in space inside the penalty area, Bridges with a bit to do in the second half.
But the game was effectively put to bed only two minutes into that half, Tillman unable to control a routine back pass, the slice off his foot presenting Chapman with the chance to roll the ball into the empty net which he duly took.
Neither side managed to put together much more for the remainder of the game, Tillman making one excellent save to deny Deal a fourth whilst Malloy was relatively untroubled, Bridges top five hopes dealt a blow.
A slightly surprising result maybe but it’s not really a surprise when some results do come in, especially with those sides used to playing on artificial surfaces where they can pass comfortably better than most.
Bridges do have a few in their ranks able to mix it up a bit and the result might have been different had they not conceded so early in both halves. They’re not out of the play-off race yet but will probably need to win all their remaining games and rely on Merstham and Beckenham Town to slip up.
Great to catch up with Bridges boss Jamie Crellin before kick-off, a guest on our SNLF podcast a few months back as his side were in rich form then, I’ve long said that if they had spent the full season at home and not the first part at Chatham Town then they would more than likely have been a top five side for the full campaign, the quality is there even in a very young side.
The hospitality from Deal Town chair Natalie Benville was top class all afternoon, so well looked after. It’s not something I ever go looking for, there are enough friends within the game where I could get in for free every weekend if I so wanted to, but that’s not the reason I go to watch football. But it is always appreciated when it’s offered and nice to take it up every so often. And always a nice surprise when the food is also excellent, great burgers from Burger Box Kent before kick off so if food is your thing then I’d put it on the list of places for next season.
