October 10, 2020
With potentially more Covid restrictions on the horizon in the UK, a visit to another non-league football match seemed appropriate as this might not be possible again for some time......
Looking at the games in my region, I selected Marlow vs Westfield in the Isthmian League South Central Division as being potentially the most interesting, and it would also be an opportunity for a socially distanced meet-up with a friend who lives in Marlow.
I must admit I knew nothing about Westfield, so had to do some homework on them, especially as there is also a club of the same name in Sussex, and Hereford based Westfields play in the Hellenic League. This club play in Woking, apparently the other side of the main road from National League Woking FC, and after a long spell in the Combined Counties League they are now in their third season in the Isthmian League. In 2018/19 they finished 5th, losing in the promotion play-off’s to Bracknell, which is where they also were when the 2019/20 season was abandoned. Wikipedia gives nicknames of The Field and Yellas ( they play in Yellow ) which suggests imagination or creativity is in short supply in that part of Surrey !
Westfield won their first two league matches ( Northwood H 3-0 and Chipstead A 4-1 ) but lost their most recent match 2-3 at home to Hanwell Town, conceding two goals in added on time before a crowd of 95. They were eliminated from the FA Cup on penalties after a 2-2 draw at home to Frimley Green in front of 143 spectators.
Aderi Dede had 4 league goals to his name, whilst Darnell Goather Braithwaite had 3.The only name in their squad I recognised was goal-keeper Renell McKenzie Lyle, who wore a very distinctive outfit whilst playing for Leighton Town at Thame last season. Hanwell’s match report mentioned that only one of the Westfield team played against them last season, so Westfield appear to have virtually a new squad for this season.
Marlow are one of the oldest clubs in the country and are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. They proudly boast of having applied to enter the FA Cup in every season the competition has been organised, although for some reason there was one year when they didn’t actually play a match.
Marlow have won their only home league match this season ( Staines 3-0 ) but are yet to win away, having drawn 2-2 at Barking, and lost 1-2 at Waltham Abbey. They did have a decent cup run, overcoming North Leigh 2-0 at home, winning on penalties at Frimley Green after a 1-1 draw, before going out on penalties at Bracknell after a 2-2 draw in front of 389 spectators. The attendances for Marlow’s two home games have been 201 and 123, compared to an average for 2019/20 of 124.
Marlow have won on all three of my previous visits to the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground but that is unlikely to count for anything in an early season match between 8th and 3rd. On a form line through Frimley Green a close match can be expected. I believe the maximum capacity allowed is 400 but there was no expectation that this is likely to be reached today.
Marlow have introduced a number of changes inside their ground in order to comply with the Covid requirements. The NHS Track and Track QR code was displayed, although as not everyone has a smartphone that can use this app, the previously evePass QR code could be used, and those without a phone were manually recorded with pen and paper.
Temperatures were checked at the turnstiles, and both contactless and cash payments were accepted ( £9 for adults, £5 for concessions and £1 for Under 16s ). Face masks were encouraged but not mandatory although they had to be worn inside the clubhouse.
The bar was open but all drinks had to be taken outside as numbers inside are limited. There was covering for those in the queue ! With the Rebellion brewery less than a mile away their brews ( Smuggler, Roasted Nuts, IPA and Lager ) are naturally available in the club bar so I had a pint of Becks Vier for £3.80 ! No hot food was available although there was a selection of bread rolls for sale. One of the staff was very insistent on everyone using the hand sanitizer upon entering the bar !
As social distancing was apparently an issue in previous home matches, the area behind the dug-outs and the entrance to the clubhouse was now restricted, and during the match there was an announcement for people to move away from that area.
Like a lot of non-league clubs now, the match-day programme is now only available on line, but it is free. At Thame recently, team sheets were readily available to everyone but there was nothing obvious here, although when I asked for one, I was given the “one spare copy” !
https://www.marlowfc.co.uk/downloads/marlow/2020-10-10-MFC_vs_Westfield_FC.pdf
After a feisty opening, Marlow took the lead in the 8th minute, Chapple’s optimistic long range shot from the right being smartly turned in by ex Hungerford and Wealdstone forward James Clark at the near post.
Westfield were back on level terms withing 4 minutes though thanks to a dreadful error by Marlow keeper Simon Grant. For no obvious reason he raced out of his area to chest control an aimless long ball, but only succeeded in making a faint contact and the ball went behind him. Although he got to the ball first, Westfield forward Darnell Goather-Braithwaite, wearing number 5, made a tackle and was left with a simple tap-in to the empty net.
Marlow then had their best spell of the game, Romeo shooting across goal and Bell fired over from just outside the area. Westfield responded with a diving header going inches wide and then Grant saved well from Goather-Braithwaite after he had broken clear.
Against the run of play Marlow regained the lead when Clark again produced a good finish, with a deft left footed flick to a low cross from the left into the far corner.
Westfield again responded strongly to going behind, first spotting Grant again way of his line and a delicate chip hit the bar and bounced down. However, there was no debate over whether the ball had crossed the line as the referee had already blown for a free-kick to Westfield a fraction before the chip was executed. A minute latter, a Marlow defender failed to clear a loose ball and keeper Grant managed to get his finger-tips to Hill’s left footed shot which hit the bar.
Just before half-time, Marlow full-back Chapple, who had demonstrated a robust attitude to defending unsurprisingly finally incurred the wrath of the referee and saw yellow.
Westfield may have felt slightly unfortunate to be behind at half-time, but within seconds of the restart, Grant further deemed himself for his earlier blunder by making a smart save to deny Troy Timothy, but Westfield were soon level. Marlow left back Tuttle failed to control a long cross field pass and Goather-Braithwaite stole the ball off him and was clear on goal. Grant committed himself far too early and Goather-Braithwaite calmly chipped the ball over the keeper and into the net.
Westfield then threatened to race away with the game. Again Grant saved well again, this time from Aderi, a header from the impressive Caleb Wright hit the bar and Goather-Braithwaite’s acrobat effort from the rebound went just over the bar, and from a corner Wright again hit the bar with another header. It was the third or fourth time they had been denied by the woodwork, depending on how you count the chip after a free-kick had been given !
Almost predictably, Marlow took the lead again. A blocked shot fell kindly for Clark and his emphatic left footed effort across the goal gave him his hat-trick.
If Goather-Braithwaite felt any injustice, he responded with 10 minutes to play when a Marlow defender’s attempt to block a cross only succeeded in the ball looping kindly for him to slam home for his hat-trick and make it 3-3.
Both sides pressed for the winner but neither looked like making the break-through.
A bad foul led to an angry response from a Marlow supporter, and a riposte from one of the Westfield coaches resulted with the supporter throwing his beer over the coach. Fortunately, he laughed and the situation passed without further incident.
Then with time just about up, a cynical foul by Marlow’s Jordan Brown prevented a Westfield break. In the resulting melee involving most of the players, Marlow’s Bell was shown yellow but Westfield’s Timothy was shown the red card. Apparently it was a second yellow for Bell but unlike the Westfield player I didn’t see him walk to the dressing rooms !
The match ended soon after with perhaps the draw being a fair result, although Westfield might feel they had done enough to deserve the three points. Overall it was an entertaining game for the above average crowd of 190, with some quality finishing by the hat-trick heroes on both sides, although at times if felt as if the defences have been watching too much of the Premiership with the number of basic errors being made !
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