November 19, 2022
With most of my local teams either playing away or not all, today was an opportunity to make my first visit to Didcot Town since 2015 when I saw them beat Brentwood Town 4-2 in the FA Cup at The Loop Meadow, after which they went on to host Exeter City in the First Round in front of a record crowd of 2,707. Didcot’s nickname is the Railwaymen, although they are often also referred to as Diddy.
I used to watch Didcot a few times a season between 2007 and 2010, in the days when Jack King majestically dominated the midfield before progressing on to Woking, Preston, Scunthorpe and Stevenage. King is now back at the club as an assistant manager at the age of 37. Another regular in those days was defender Jamie Heapy, who made over 800 appearances for Didcot, and is now the manager.
After a couple of indifference seasons, Didcot, who won the FA Vase in 2004/05, have started this season well to be in fourth place going into today’s fixture with a 9-1-4 record. Last time out they drew 3-3 at home in the Oxfordshire derby with Thame United in front of a crowd of 333. New signing Adam Smith, in his first match after signing from Thame, scored the opening goal, whilst ex-Oxford City 1980’s sounding DJ, midfielder Jenson Wright, has found the net 7 times in 9 games since signing from North Leigh.
In contrast, Harlow Town were in 14th place in the table with a 4-4-5 record. Two weeks ago, they were hammered 1-4 at Thame United, but bounced back last weekend to beat second placed Ware 2-1 at home, thanks to goals from Samson Maagbe and Kane Phillip. Their only away success has been a 3-0 victory at bottom of the table Barton Rovers.
Harlow, also known as The Hawks, famously beat Leicester City, then in the Second Division, 1-0 at home in 1979/80 in front of a record crowd of 9,723 after a 1-1 draw at Filbert Street. I have seen Harlow once before, when they won 4-1 at Thame in 2001/02 in the Isthmian League Division One, although to be frank I remember next to nothing of that game !
Harlow’s journey today was nearly 85 miles, or an hour and 45 minutes round the M25/M40 from Essex. The temperature at the 14.00 kick-off was around 10 degrees on a dry, sunny autumn day with an occasional gentle breeze.
The early kick-off was presumably taking advantage of the relaxation in regulations allowing early starts to save money without playing under floodlights at this time of year, and it is surprising that so few other clubs have taken advantage to do so.
Entrance today was £10 for adults, £5 for concessions ( over 60 ) and under 16s got in for free if accompanied with a paying adult. The match-day programme was £2. Hot drinks at the tea bar were £1.50, whilst burgers were £3.50 and chips £2.50.
One change since my last visit was that it is now possible to enter the bar from inside the ground, previously this was only possible at half-time. There are also four benches outside the bar entrance to sit and have a drink. The beers/lagers on tap were Tetleys, Shipyard’s American Pale Ale, San Miguel, Carlsberg and Guinness, and Sky Sports was on the big screen.
The main stand holds 250 spectators, and at the Railway end, two Meccano stands of 100 seats each straddle a covered terrace. The other two sides of the ground are open, with hard standing. The pitch looked in poor condition, with many bare patches, presumably not having recovered from matches being played in July and early August during the drought.
Harlow were playing in their change kit of blue and black, with Didcot in all red, and the visitors had the better of the early exchanges. In the first minute a back-pass bobbled unfavourably for Didcot keeper Strudley, who could only shank it off for a throw-in. From the throw, striker Samson Maagbe with his back to the goal chest-controlled to lay off to McIntosh, who blazed well over the bar from outside the area.
In the 7th minute, the diminutive Terrell Egbri did well to get to the by-line but his cross to beyond the far post was headed just over by centre-back Joshua Steel. The Hawks won the first corner of the match, but the delivery was poor and headed clear by Diddy centre-back Harley Giles.
Little was seen of the home side as an attacking force in the opening 15 minutes and when midfielder Seth Humphries went on a mazy run he was superbly tackled by right-back Sam Bayon, another player who couldn’t have been more that 5 foot 3 inches tall. Harlow continued to press, and Kane Phillip stabbed a ball from the left wing back across the face of the goal and a couple of feet wide. The impressive Egbri then delightfully sprayed a pass across the field to put Phillip clear on the right, but the ball into the area was poor and easily gathered by the keeper.
Didcot earned their first corner in the 22nd minute, which was not properly dealt with by the Harlow defence, and when the ball fell to Hedges, he was denied at close range by a superb save by keeper Minter. Harlow’s response was a through ball behind the left-back that put Egbri on goal, but the ex-Southend United man’s effort was blocked by the covering Adam Learoyd.
Didcot eventually had a good spell in the match. In the 24th minute, Wright saw a shot from just outside the area tipped over the bar, and three minutes later a flowing move enabled Jamar Smith the flick across the 6 yard line, but the on-rushing Hedges was crowded out at the back post. In the 34th minute, Bedwell escaped his marker to latch onto Humphries free-kick but his powerful header was pushed away by the diving Minter. The Harlow keeper was called into action again almost immediately after, when he was forced into another diving save to push away a low cross from Humphries.
The final 10 minutes of the half were a hard fought midfield battle, so half-time arrived with the match goalless. Harlow had a greater share of the possession without unduly troubling the Diddy keeper, but their keeper had been far busier.
Harlow started the second half well, and immediately won another corner, and as it was played into the danger zone, it appeared as if Steele had been hauled to the floor in his attempt to make a header. The referee thought otherwise and play continued.
Egbri continued to catch the eye, this time sending a long ball to release Phillips, this time down the left, but his shot went into the side-netting. As Harlow continue to search for the opening goal, McIntosh shot out of the ground after a clearance reached him 20 yards out.
The first goal of the game arrived in the 60th minute and against the run of play it went to Didcot. After a corner was headed toward the left-hand touchline, Adam Smith retrieved it and delivered a good cross to the back post where ex-Oxford City centre-back Adam Learoyd rose the highest to head the ball back across goal into the bottom corner, giving Minter no chance.
Harlow appeared to be stunned by this set-back and quickly came close to conceding a second, first when Wright volleyed into the ground from 18 yards, with the ball bouncing up to be easily gathered by Minter, and then a counter attack gave Didcot a two on one advantage but after Smith played in Wright, Bayon was able to block the attempt on goal, and Hedges flashed the rebound a couple of feet wide.
Harlow’s Folkes then slipped when trying to control a Didcot pass, and after Hedges nicked the ball away from him, Foakes cynical brought the Didcot man down. A yellow-card was shown to the Harlow centre-half, accompanied with some pantomime booing from the crowd. As Didcot increasingly seemed to be in control of the match, Adam Smith volleyed over the bar from 18 yards following a corner.
There didn’t appear to be any danger when Harlow launched a hopefully long ball to the Didcot area, but after it was headed out, Hawks captain Syrus Gordon lashing a fabulous volley into the top corner for an unstoppable equaliser. 1-1 with 18 minutes remaining.
The scores weren’t level for long though. Hedges did well to get to the by-line on the right, and his low cross found Putland unmarked a few yards out at the back post. A goal looked certain, but Minter produced an amazing to stop to keep the ball out. Unfortunately for the Harlow shot-stopper the ball bounced up, and with his back to goal, Putland produced an overhead kick to put the ball into the unguarded net. 2-1 after 77 minutes.
Didcot could have wrapped up the three points two minutes when Adam Smith shrugged off the challenge of a defender to race onto a through ball, and as Minter came out to spread himself, Smith chipped the ball over the keeper, but agonisingly for The Railwaymen it rolled inches wide.
As the clock ticked into added on time, Harlow won a corner, and Minter decided to join the attack. Trying to avoid being noticed at the back post, despite wearing a fluorescent yellow kit, the ball was headed over him, but the keeper was able to get to the ball and send a good cross into the mixer. As the ball bounced to the edge of the area, a Harlow player sent a left footed shot goalwards only from Learoyd to dive and chest the ball off the line to prevent the late equaliser.
Minter decided to stay upfield but Didcot were able to clear the next attack, and after being controlled by Hedges, he passed to Barratt to send the ball into the empty goal from close to the half-way line.
A game of fine margins. It so easily could have been 2-2 at the death, but moments later it was 3-1, a score line that flattered Didcot. Nevertheless, the three points went to Didcot, who remained in 4th place, but Harlow slipped down a place to 15th.
Didcot Town : Strudley – J.Smith, Giles, Learoyd, Glover – Putland, Bedwell, Humphries, Wright - Hedges, A.Smith ( Barratt )
Harlow Town : Minter – Bayon, Folkes, Steele, Luque – Phillip, Gordon, McIntosh, Egbri, Obikol-Simeon ( James ) – Maagbe
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nga0B_R8V00
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