Sheddocksley, AAFA Premier League, 10/6/24
Me 312
Woodside Amateur Football Club
A circumstantial bonus game for me due to an early bed for the Wee Wee Man. This at a municipal which goes against the grain of usual fitba watching habits as I am not one for municipal places. But when there is still a league to be won and could have been on the night it would have been rude not to swing in past. Its been a long time since I have been to Sheds for a game. Back in the juvenile days it was the fitba equivalent of the Helmand Province. Always volatile with skirmishes breaking out. Tonight you had the added bare sandy pitch to make it more authentic. I really dont miss playing there in the slightest but I have some great memories from over the years. More noticeably on the night, it was the first game since July on home soil that I have been to without my sidekick. A bit strange to be honest.
With defeat to Echt and dropping to second on Saturday, Cowie went into this with two games to overturn a 2 point gap over a fixture complete Echt. A healthy 127 were in attendance to see if a win v Woodside would claim their 4th trophy of the season. It was obvious there was a big crowd before I managed to get out the car as the main car park was full and the adjacent Springhill Road was complete with a glut of rogue parking . This leading to arriving just on kick off. This was never going to be a classic with it be played on a Sheddocksley pitch in June and this was to be the case. Not the bonniest on the eye but there were plenty of things to like about the match. The size of the crowd, the stakes that were clear to see, the difference in styles of play. A great advert for amateur fitba. Cowie were the better team early on creating a couple of half chances and also rattling the bar. The woodwork strike coming just before the Stonehaven side took the lead, this when Craig Buchanan in space struck a low bobbly drive across goal into the bottom corner. The large Cowie support were in raptures. But Woodside got better from here and had a go. They had a plan and it was clear. I said to the guy next to me that they were going to score as Cowie were struggling to cope with the balls played in on keeper Miller. The defence were stuck trying to do two jobs where they were trying to protect their keeper while trying to defend too. The goal didn’t come in the first half but it was clear Woodside were not going to be blank on the night. They really should have scored when striker Smith was two yards out with the goal gaping but somehow managed to put the ball wide. As a side note, going back to keeper Miller. Not long before the half was over he caught the ball, he then bounced it a couple of times and proceeded to drop it and then pick up again. This is a foul and how the referee didn’t give it seemed really strange. I was behind the goal at the other end and I saw it clearly. Woodside’s usual keeper Paul Noble who was on the side line also remonstrated and was entirely correct in what he was saying. Not detrimental to the game but rules are rules.
HT 0 v 1
The first half wasn’t hugely filled with entertainment but the second made up for it. Woodside were clearly there to piss on Cowie’s chips and were the better team. This led to them scoring early when Steele nodded in a set piece off the bar (we think it was him and I am going by the word of a certain Echt lad but was there another touch?). It didn’t matter as it was all square and as it stood the league was not won. Woodside kept at Cowie and continued to bombard Miller with balls in at him and it looked that they were not finished with the scoring. The looked like they should have been awarded a penalty mid-half when a corner seemed to strike a hand at the back stick. Despite having the ball in the box numerous times causing havoc the home side just couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net again. One thing that was evident was Woodside were more physical and Cowie didn’t like it. Woodside weren’t breaking any rules with it, they were just more streetwise with players putting themselves about and in simple terms, getting stuck right in. They really should have taken the lead when Wallace headed over from a couple of yards. It was a proper sitter. But Cowie to their credit despite walking a bit of a tightrope they got themselves in front with their first real chance of the half when Cammy Gray smashed home from the edge of the box. The fans celebrated on the pitch, the goal scorer shushed the Woodside touchline and gave a bit of a “get it round you” type celebration and as I saw this, I said it was far too early for that and it turned out to be the case. This because Woodside grabbed a late equaliser when in an amazing coincidence Wallace scored by accident. A coincidence as when we watched them v AC Mill Inn a couple of weeks ago he miss hit a cross which went in. This time his cross took a nick on the way into the box changing the direction leaving the ball to lob Miller who seemed flat footed leading him to dance on his line only to see the ball drop in at the back post. Cowie fashioned a couple of chances but couldn’t breach the well protected Woodside goal which was defended very well throughout the game. Should they have conceded a penalty late on though? Quite possibly. But as the saying goes “these things even themselves out”. Both teams should have had a pen for handball. Both teams didnt get one. On an amusing note, every time the ball went out on the Woodside touchline at 2 v 2, nobody was retrieving it to wind down the clock, whether it was Woodside folk, Echt folk which there were many or even the small band of Kincorth players watching. The ref blew for time and the league race had gone into its final game with Cowie playing Kincorth on Wednesday night where they must win to secure the title to avoid a playoff with Echt. A draw will create a playoff as both teams are on 20 wins and its games won as opposed to goal difference
As mentioned, it was circumstantial that I ended up at Sheds tonight and an enjoyable circumstantial bonus night watching the non-non-league it was. What a finish to the last league standing in the Northeast. I harp on about the lower levels of fitba. Sometimes I am proved right in my rants and tonight and this league as a whole this season are why. Disappointed with the lack of scooter neds though.
Entrance – Free
Attendance – 127
Pie – N/A
Pint – N/A
FITBAWBAG 