Thames Valley Premier League
Premier Division
Saturday 23rd November 2019
Kick Off 14.00 On Time !
Wraysbury Village 2 Woodley United Royals 2, attendance 18
9’ 1-0
30’ 1-1
56’ 1-2 (pen)
85’ 2-2
@ The Memorial Ground
The Green
Wraysbury
TW19 5NA
No Admission or Programme.
Once again it was a wet Saturday, so the objective was to avoid having to watch a game on a 3G pitch if possible and when Wraysbury tweeted early on that their match was on, it was decision made. Despite it being only 35 minutes drive round the M25 to Wraysbury, it was a ground that was going to have to be visited on a Saturday. Rather than play home midweek matches at The Memorial Ground, which would be a 6 o’clock start, they switched their two early season midweek matches to the 3G pitch at Bedfont & Feltham F.C. which enabled a later kick off time.
Today’s match was 10th versus 12th (out of 14) in the league table. Despite having rained during the morning, I arrived to find the pitch in good condition, although the grass was far too long and could do with a cut, but both teams tried to play a bit and they put on an entertaining game. An early Wraysbury opener was cancelled out on the half hour mark, to see the teams go in level 1-1 at halftime. A trip inside the 18 yard box saw Woodley awarded a penalty, which was smashed past the ‘keeper, to put them 1-2 ahead on 56 minutes, but Wraysbury got a deserved equaliser five minutes from time, when their striker cut inside and fired a shot inside the near post to make it 2-2, which was the way the reverse fixture also finished, three weeks ago.
There was only a five minute spell of drizzle during the first half, but the remaining twenty minutes of the match were played under rain that increased as the afternoon wore on and it was pretty gloomy towards the end, whilst the pitch looked no worse for wear than it had at kick off.. The pitch is only accessible on one side, but this means that you have the added entertainment of the constant stream of aeroplanes, heading into the nearby London Heathrow Airport, as a backdrop.
