October 12, 2024
Today’s Saturday afternoon entertainment was a Southern League Division One South game between Didcot Town and Yate Town, in which 7th hosted the league leaders.
Despite both sides being in the higher echelons of the division, neither had been prolific goal scorers, and just 34 goals had been scored in their combined 16 league games, so a goal-fest hardly looked in prospect !
Both sides had 1-0 home wins over Larkhall Athletic, so the form guide suggested a close encounter today.
Didcot Town Latest
These diaries covered Didcot’s opening game of the season, in which they edged to a 1-0 victory over Larkhall. A disastrous 1-5 thumping at Malvern Town followed, but since then Diddy had been difficult to score against.
Didcot started the day with a 4-2-2 record but with a goal difference of minus one due to the result at Malvern. Their home record was an impressive 4-1-0 with just two goals conceded, but with only six goals scored. Three of the home wins had been by a margin of 1-0 although Bemerton Heath Harlequins had been beaten 2-1 in their last fixture.
Didcot’s participation in Cups this season had been brief. Although a 2-0 win was achieved at Royal Wootton Basset in the FA Cup, they were eliminated in the next round after a 0-3 loss at Taunton Town. In the FA Trophy, Cornish side Helston Athletic left the Loop Meadow with a 3-1 victory.
Didcot’s average home attendance so far this season was 225, although that had been boosted by a remarkable 492 for the match against Cribbs FC. Josh Davis was their leading scorer in the league with three goals. The 1980’s DJ sounding Jenson Wright had returned to club in August after a spell with Hanwell Town.
Yate Town
Yate is a town in South Gloucestershire, located 12 miles from both Bristol and Bath, and is estimated to have a population of around 35,000.
Its football team are known as The Bluebells and play at the 2,000 capacity Lodge Road. Founded in 1906, Yate Town initially played in the Gloucestershire League, and then the Hellenic League, before winning promotion to the Southern League for the 1989/90 season. Since then, they have fluctuated between the various guises of Division One and the Premier Division.
In 2018/19 Yate beat Cinderford 3-1 in a promotion play-off to move up to the Premier Division South but were relegated again at the end of the 2022/23 season. Last season they finished in 8th place in Division One South.
I had seen Yate Town on one previous occasion, when they were well beaten at Oxford City in February 2009 in the Southern League Premier Division, when goals from Alex Fisher, James Faulkner, Andy Gunn and a penalty from Darren Pond gave The Hoops a 4-0 victory. The only notable name in the Yate line-up that day was ex-Northampton, Stockport County, Bristol Rovers and Hartlepool midfielder Ali Gibb, who was on loan from Bath City after recovering from a major injury. Yate were relegated at the end of that season.
I have never seen a match at Yate’s Lodge Road Stadium, but I have parked in their car park. A company I was working for had moved their head office and factory to a new facility in Yate, but as so many dignitaries, media and customers were attending the grand opening, the rank-and-file were instructed to park at Yate Town and walk to the office, which was 10-15 minutes’ walk away. It was raining when I arrived !
Yate Town This Season
Yate had made a strong start in their bid to achieve promotion this season, possessing a 6-1-1 record but with only 10 goals scored and 5 conceded. The only reverse had come at Exmouth Town ( A 0-2 ) and they were held to a 1-1 draw at Willand Rovers.
Yate have had some success in Cup competitions so far this season, beating Holyport ( H 2-0 ) and Kidlington ( A 4-0 ) in the FA Cup before narrowly falling to Step 3 side Hungerford Town ( A 0-1 ).
In the FA Trophy, Yate had to play Bemerton Heath Harlequins twice after an initial 5-0 away triumph was over-ruled due to an “administrative error” forcing the game to be replayed, with Yate winning 3-1 second time around. In the subsequent rounds they beat Bideford ( H 2-0 ) and Melksham Town ( H 3-0 ) and now have another trip to Hungerford to look forward to.
The average attendance from their three home league games so far was 433, a significant increase on the 306 from last season.
The most notable name in the Yate Town squad was 33-year-old striker Marlon Jackson, who had played for Bristol City, Newport County, Tranmere Rovers, Hereford and Oxford City amongst others but was an injury doubt for today and only made the substitute’s bench.
Midfielder and Welsh Under 21 international Lloyd James had made over 350 EFL appearances in a career with Southampton, Colchester United, Leyton Orient, Exeter City and Forest Green Rovers.
Yate’s leading goal scorer was Lucas Tomlinson, who signed in the summer from Barry Town and had scored three times in the league and six times in all competitions. Jackson had scored five times but only one of these had been in the league, and Stan Wyatt had scored five times, all of which had been in Cup matches.
Matchday Information
The journey from Yate to Didcot is just under 70 miles, down the M4 and up the A34, and should normally take an hour and twenty minutes.
Ticket prices for the game were £12 for adults, £8 for OAPs ( over 65 ), £3 for Under 16s, with Under 5s being allowed in free. The matchday programme was £2 but had sold out by the time I arrived.
A cup of tea was £2, whilst Hot Dogs were £3.50, Burgers £4 and Chips £1,
After showers in the morning, the weather at the 15.00 kick-off was blue skies but the temperature was a chilly 12 degrees.
Didcot played in their usual all red kit and Yate were in all light blue. At first, I thought Yate had the player’s names on the back of their shirts, but as they were all named Picksons I concluded this was a sponsor. With my eyesight though, from a distance is looked like Porsche !
Both sides made one change to their starting line-ups, with
Dylan Conlan replacing Conor McGrath for Didcot and Wyatt replaced Ollie
Dewsbury for Yate. Dewsbury had been called up to play for Wales Under 17s.
Match Report
Didcot had the first attack of the match. Cameron McNeill won the ball near the halfway line and headed down the left-hand touch line. Dan Dempsey headed the cross away but appeared to push Josh McConnell out of the way in the process.
Yate were forced to make an early change when left-back Lewis Hall had to leave the field in the fourth minute, with James Byrne taking his place.
A minute later Yate right-back James Taylor went on a good run and although his left-footed shot from just outside of the area was mis-hit, it found striker Ross Stearn who in the act of shooting was thwarted by a good tackle from McNeill, and the ball was picked up by the Didcot keeper.
For Didcot, Wright’s ball into the area from the right wing was overhit and presented an easy catch for keeper Aaron Sainsbury. Yate’s Tomlinson was then too strong for Sam Barder but his ball inviting Taylor to cross from the byline was too heavy and the linesman deemed the ball had gone out of play for a goal kick.
The midfield battle was already very competitive, and Didcot forced Yate into a number of unforced errors. Conlan tried his luck from 35 yards, but the ball sailed gently for Sainsbury to easily catch above his head. The Yate keeper then nearly blotted his copybook with a pass straight to Wright, but rather than first time sending the ball back over the keeper’s head and into the empty net, the Didcot midfielder looked to find a team-mate and was tackled as he dithered.
The first yellow card of the match arrived in the 19th minute. McNeil played a quick ball down the left-hand channel for Josh Davis to run onto, but William Lavin hauled him to the floor. The free kick was sent to the back post, but Sainsbury was able to punch away under pressure from Davis.
Back down the other end Joe Guest released Taylor on the right, but his cross was headed off for a corner by Luke Carnell. The corner was played to Jerry Lawrence lurking outside the area, and his fierce 25-yard shot heading for the top corner was matched by a flying save from Leigh Bedwell who got his right hand to the ball, which then hit the bar and went over for another corner. Yate again looked for Lawrence from the next corner, but this time his 20-yard effort went a few feet over.
Shortly after, McConnell picked up the ball just outside his own area and ran deep into the Yate half only to overhit his pass to Davis on the left, forcing the striker to turn and play the ball back to support, enabling Yate to get numbers back to defend.
Yate’s Larvin then attempted to do something similar for his side, but his run ended with a fine tackle from McNeill. There didn’t appear any obvious danger in the 28th minute when Stearn lined up a long-range free kick, but the Yate forward produced a tremendous strike forcing Bedwell to another top diving save, pushing the ball off for a corner low at his right hand post.
Didcot’s response was for McConnell to embark on another surging run to release Wright, who was crowded out before he could cross to Davis.
Yate though were starting to get on top and after a flowing move down the left, the ball across the pitch was dummied by Guest to give Stearn sight of goa,l but he fired just over the bar from the edge of the area. In the 35th minute Wyatt played a delightful ball from the left over Carnell for Stearn to run onto with just the keeper to beat, but his left-footed shot across the goal went just wide. It was a big let off for the home side and a bad miss.
Wyatt then slipped a pass through the Didcot backline for Lawrence to run onto, but Bedwell was alert and dived at the feet of Lawrence to claim the ball. In between, Dempsey had been dis-possessed by Wright, but Sainsbury came to the rescue of his centre-back.
Didcot created their best chance of the game to date when Davis did well to get to the left-hand byline despite appearing to be held back by Lawrence, but with Wright unmarked in the centre of the goal, the pass went behind him and the chance had gone.
Didcot’s Owen Smith then played a loose pass and Stearn went on a mazy run, only to tamely spoil his good work with a pass to no-one and the ball rolled off for a goal kick.
With three minutes of the first half remaining Conlan’s through ball from the touchline near the halfway line saw Dempsey bring down Davis, but no yellow card was produced. Barder directed the free kick towards the far post where Carnell got his head to be ball, but it flew just over the bar.
As the game entered first half added time, McConnell won the ball off Lawrence and set-off on another strong run. He found Wright in space on the left, but after being forced wide the cross was headed away and the referee blew for half-time to bring an end to an evenly match half. Yate though had created the best chances, and Didcot had been lacking a decisive final pass.
The second period started with a flowing Didcot passing movement involving McConnell and Smith putting Davis in space but rather than taking a shot a goal, the striker opted to play the ball wide to Conlan, whose cross sailed harmlessly over the bar.
Taylor then did very well close to the Didcot corner flag to escape two markers, but his ball into the six yard area was too close to Bedwell. McConnell then skipped past his marker to lay off to Wright who in turn fed Davis, but the shot went just over the bar.
Wyatt did well on the left wing and his cross was looked to be creeping in at the far post until Bedwell was able to claw the ball away. It fell to Stearn who looked like he must score from close range but he total mis-kicked. A scramble ensued and the ball was bundled over the line despite the efforts of a defender on the line. The goal was credited to Lawrence, who is on loan from Bristol Rovers, and it was 0-1 after 57 minutes.
Despite making two immediate substitutions Didcot were unable to get back into the game, and Yate were in control. Indeed, in the 70th minute a good move involving Lawrence, Stearn and Wyatt saw Taylor get to the Didcot right byline and after McNeill slid in Taylor could easily have gone down for a penalty appeal, but he stayed on his feet only to see his low ball put out for a corner by Adam Learoyd.
A Didcot free kick close to half-way was headed on by Carnell but substitute Luke Preen was slow to react and was crowded out. Wright then wasted a free kick from a promising position with the ball flying off for a goal kick.
With 13 minutes left to play a defensive header from Carnell was bounced upon by Wyatt who played an incisive ball to put Ross Staley clear in the left hand channel, but his left footed shot across goal went inches wide.
Didcot fans were getting impatient with their side’s lack of shots on goal, “Come on, have a shot !” and when Wright put the ball into the Yate area, Osborne couldn’t control and Preen failed to react to the loose ball.
Osborne then did well on the right wing, but Yate substitute Christopher did well to clear the cross before it could reach McConnell. Didcot continued to have set-pieces only to waste them, with the deliveries from Wright and Connor Barratt sadly lacking.
As the game entered the final minute of normal scheduled time, Osborne went on a dangerous run only to be cynically brought down 25 yards out by Guest, who was shown a yellow card as a result. Barratt stepped up and this time the delivery was good, curling the ball over the ball towards the keeper’s left hand bottom corner, but Sainsbury produced a fine diving save at the expense of a corner. The in-swinging corner was met by Sainsbury with a weak punch but the ball hit a Didcot player and went off for a goal kick.
The final piece of action saw Didcot launch a free kick forward from the half-way and although it was met with a diving header by Learoyd, the ball drifted well wide.
At the final whistle, Yate took the three points to maintain their position at the top of the table and register their 10th clean sheet in all competitions this season. The result was deserved as they had created the best chances, and in a game which was always likely to be a low scoring affair, they were relatively untroubled after taking the lead. Didcot lost their unbeaten home record but despite some nice moves they lacked a cutting edge up front, they were unable to find a final pass, and their delivery from set-pieces was often poor.
Didcot Town : L. Bedwell – TJ Bedwell, Carnell, Learoyd, McNeill – Conlan ( Osborne ), Smith ( Barratt ), McConnell, Barder ( Glover ), Wright – Davis ( Preen )
Yate Town : Sainsbury – Taylor ( Christopher ), Larvin, Dempsey, Hall ( Byrne ) – Tomlinson ( Staley ), Guest, James, Lawrence ( Lewis-Hillier ), Wyatt – Stearn ( Jackson )
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