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jonbs48 92 |
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paynie 90 |
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Timmins24 49 |
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Kubrickhammer 4 |
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A very cold and rainy afternoon in Hampshire coupled with an uninspiring 2-0 win to the home side doesn''t exactly sound like a nice way to spend one''s Saturday but it''s the first of I hope a long and pointless journey across England and Wales in this ground-hopping adventure and so there was a sense of excitement and relief at having finally got round to visiting a ground. The ground itself was sparsely populated on this day, but those fans who attend seemed as enthusiastic as any and all were smiling and in good humour (albeit, given the result this is hardly surprising). I sat right beside the dugout, with clear views of Dean Holdsworth, the Shots manager, and co. but more importantly of the players, who included ex Premier League golden boy James Beattie and Nicky Hunt of Bolton (oh, how the mighty have fallen). All the action in the first half (and there wasn''t much of it, to be honest) took place in Accrington''s half, and Aldershot''s pressing (thanks in large part to man of the match Kieron Cadogan) paid off with a scrappy goal. The second half was more even (and duller) yet an own goal gave Aldershot the lead towards the end, and as it turned out, the win. The ground itself was small, enclosed, enveloped by a train track behind the South Stand and a busy roundabout to the West. Aldershot itself is an empty, military town, the only sight I managed to see being the statue, once proudly standing above Marble Arch, of Wellington, by the road in a nice looking green park. Nonetheless, I enjoyed myself, the programme sellers were amiable and the journey to and from Aldershot smooth and straight-forward. My mood was only dampened by the result at the Stadium of Light, and my second half was, I''m ashamed to say, spent feverishly waiting for the results to refresh on my phone, hands shivering, eventually giving up after realising West Ham had gone 3-0 down.
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