Northern League
Division 2
Wednesday 22nd September 2021
Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.47
Sunderland West End 2 Billingham Synthonia 1, attendance 145 (official)
1’ 0-1
14’ 1-1
85’ 2-1
@ Ford Quarry Football Hub, Pitch 1
Keelman’s Lane
Sunderland
SR4 0HB
£5 Admission
No Programme.
This wasn’t my intended match tonight. I had planned to visit St. Mary’s 1947 for their North Riding League Premier Division match versus Thirsk Falcons, due to be played on the 3G pitch at Trinity Catholic College, the same complex where they normally play on a grass pitch. However, during the day, they tweeted that the match was now being played at the Herlingshaw Centre, in Eston, a ground I had already visited, seeing Boro Rangers play there under lights in October 2018, although it was known as Middlesbrough F.C. Foundation then. There are actually two floodlit grass pitches here, my game being played on Pitch 1. I could have taken a chance that I might pick up the other pitch, but photos on Twitter confirm the match was on the same one I’d done.
I had very little time to check out the Sunderland West End game, although it was confirmed as going ahead on Twitter, which was good enough for me. I did, however, know that I would need a QR Code to gain access to the complex, which is one of these dreadful 3G hubs which are springing up all over the place, this one consisting of three cages, with tonight’s match on Pitch 1, which is the ‘show pitch’. It’s not much of a ground, as you’d expect from a cage. There are a couple of Atcost seated stands plonked on the halfway line and the spectator access is limited to three sides, but at least all the spare goals for the small sized pitches are on the far side, so don’t affect the view. Not impressed by the various other coloured markings on the pitch though. Not having a QR Code was not a problem. You simply write your details on a form and then receive the details by e-mail once processed.
Sunderland West End used to play on a grass pitch here, before the site was redeveloped into it’s current configuration. The old pitch ran the opposite way to the new one, but there is a 50% overlap of the original footprint. I never got to see them play here, but did see them host Kirkbymoorside in a Wearside League match on 20th February 2013, a game played midweek at Leyburn Grove, Houghton-le-Spring, due to a lack of floodlights at Ford Quarry back then.
Tonight’s match was 4th versus 2nd in the league table, between two very evenly matched teams. Synthonia opened the scoring inside the first minute, but West End levelled, when a miss hit cross sailed over the keeper and dropped in the far corner of the net inside quarter of an hour. Defences were certainly on top and Synthonia looked the more likely of the two to go on and win it. They had a great chance to take all three points sixteen minutes from time, but the West End ‘keeper saved the penalty, pushing it onto the post and out for a corner. With three minutes left, West End had a free kick out near the corner flag. The ball was clipped into the 6 yard box, evading everyone and finding its way into the net via the far post. Two goals for the hosts, both from flukes, but they all count.
West End now leapfrog Synthonia into second place in the league. They trail leaders Heaton Stannington by 5 points, but do have a game in hand. They also seem to be picking up a decent level of support now. I counted just two fewer than the official crowd given of 145. It is certainly an improvement on the paltry 19 that watched the game I saw them play in Houghton-le-Spring.
