Leamington Hibernian v Continental Star

Midland League

Division 3

Saturday 31st August 2019

Kick Off 14.00 On Time !

Leamington Hibernian 1 Continental Star 2, attendance 16

7’ 1-0

10’ 1-1

17’ 1-2

@ Hampton F.C. Pitch 2

Field Lane

off Lugtrout Lane

Solihull

B91 2RX

No Admission or Programme.

This was a ground I first visited on 6th December 1992 when I saw Lodge Cottrell play here in an F.A. Sunday Cup match. Since then, Hampton, who are in Midland League Division 2, have taken over the ground. In fact, Hampton were playing at 3 o’clock on the main pitch, but I don’t think this had any bearing on our match kicking off an hour earlier, as in a few weeks time, when the clocks change, they will both have to start early as there are no floodlights here.

Three weeks before the season was due to start, Leamington Hibernian were told that they would be unable to continue using the ground where they were based last season, so at short notice they managed to strike a deal where they would play on the second pitch here at Hampton. This now takes the number of grounds I have seen Hibs play home matches on to four, having seen them at Campion School & Community College (3.5.1999), Bishops Tatchbrook Sports & Social Club (20.12.2014) and Cubbington Playing Fields (25.4.2018) on my previous visits.

Hibs have really struggled over the last few seasons and invariably finish at the bottom of the league table, but this season, despite once again occupying that position, they look far more competitive, and only lost by one goal in their last match. This was a real battling performance, against a team that started the day seventh in the table and it could have been so different if they had converted a first half penalty when the score was 1-2. They really dominated the second half and if their two strikers weren’t so lightweight, then they would probably have won this game. Any hope of getting an equaliser disappeared when their No.10 managed to get himself sin binned just as we entered the last ten minutes of the match, and with a man short, it was too much too ask. If there was an award for the ‘most unnecessary item on a pitch’, then it would surely be won by the teenage substitute of Continental Star, who came on wearing gloves, despite it being over 20 degrees.