SLEAFORD MAKE ROUND 4 OF THE VASE IN EXTRA TIME AT YAXLEY

YAXLEY 3 V SLEAFORD TOWN 4 [AET 90 MINS 1-1]
FA VASE ROUND 3 @ THE IN2ITIVE PARK
12 DECEMBER 2015 --- 3PM

BLUSTERY AFTERNOON IN YAXLEY

[Apologies, again, today a shortage of action pictures due to the dark weather and conditions]
Sleaford progressed to round 4 of the FA Vase with a storming extra time victory after taking the tie into the additional 30 minutes following an equaliser in the fifth minute of injury time in normal time against 10 men Yaxley.  Very occasionally you see a game that has everything, who knows what this game would have looked like without the gusting wind, 7 goals, a red card, missed penalty, 9 yellow cards and a red!
Games like this are always difficult to sum up and an overall assessment must credit both sides for their effort and commitment on a horrible afternoon once again for a Saturday football match.

YAXLEY VILLAGE GREEN

Departure from base was to be to Yaxley a decision taken on the Friday evening after further Michael Fish impressions with the weather forecasts.  Once again, 4th weekend running, games were in danger due to the heavy rain forecast and so it turned out with hardly any games around base surviving the downpour on Saturday.  Thankfully we were confident of a visit to Yaxley, south of Peterborough, with their installation of a 3g pitch in the close season.  This was a chance to revisit after the blogs previous visit in May for the UCL cup final a day which was a happy event for AFC Rushden and Diamonds who lifted the silverware.  Yaxley made a good job of the day and clearly during the close season have invested further in their new facilities which are now nicely fenced off with the obligatory green meshed fencing and concrete hard standing replacing the former telephone company concrete pavement covers which made up much of the spectator standing.

OVERVIEW OF THE BUSINESS AREA AT IN2ITIVE PARK

As per usual the blog wont re cover too much of the ground where a descriptor can be viewed in May's blog for the above mentioned final.

EXECUTIVE VIEWING NOW FOR THE WALL AND ROOF!

The day started as ever at base station with the forecast rain now hammering it down on the exposed platforms.  East Midlands Trains supplied a two coach unit and our option of seating was limited to the tip down seats in the doorway, still we did have some.  By the time we got too Nottingham we had the first chance of some seats before the train loaded up again on its departure to Grantham and then our destination of Peterborough.  We took the 1970's style road bridge over to the bus station and departed on the '5' passing Peterborough UTD's London Rd ground as it was readying itself for a home game V Shrewsbury.

COLOURFUL HOME FANS PRE MATCH

Having departed a few stops early around the village green which even on todays dull, but amazingly not raining day, the area summed up an English scene with post box, village pump surrounded by thatched cottages.  Sadly we were now seeing the wind increase in speed something that would affect the afternoons proceedings but not enough to put the game in doubt.  Walking down the road signposted 'Holme' we arrived at the ground via the partially unclaimed road and with the club house offering a smart welcome to the ground we felt ready for the action.
Having paid the entrance fee and obtained some programmes a circuit of the ground was completed with an observation of I believe new seats in the stand which looked very smart.  Following a look around the impressive club house we noticed steam emanating from the snack bar so with no 'eats' so far we made a brisk dash to the emporium for chip cobs and tea.

YAXLEY ST PETERS PARISH CHURCH OVERVIEWING PROCEEDINGS

The new 3g looked impressive and as we have seen over the last few seasons it allowed a game to be played when many others may have been called off not only this but also providing an excellent surface for football on the floor too.

YAXLEY IN INDIVIDUAL WARM UP

Having satisfied our stomachs we got into conversation with some supporters from both sides which was very informative and then managed to catch up with a three UCL officials, including Ian Hughes and the leagues Chairman, who were here today to see their member clubs go into battle.  Once again this was of much interest as the blog does not do many UCL games and with their enthusiasm it does encourage you to pop along and see other clubs.  The time to kick off seemed to fly by following the conversations but the teams were obtained thanks to both clubs and especially Sleaford's secretary who guided me to her contact at Yaxley.
So to the game and with both teams being members of the UCL it was sure to be a good challenge especially with Sleaford having beaten Yaxley twice already this season.  Yaxley managed by former football league player Ian Benjamin would be looking for a positive result and that's how they started when after 10 minutes Dan Cotton lashed a 25 yard free kick off the bar, this was wind assisted with the gust heading toward the Sleaford keepers goal.  The remainder of the first half was much dominated by the home side but they just could not get control of the ball under the conditions.  overall the first 45 minutes was a non event with little in the way of clear cut chances.

A SELECTION OF SLEAFORD TOWN PLAYERS IN WARM UP MODE

Following an excellent save from Phil McGann in the Sleaford goal it was to be the home side who took the lead after 62 minutes.  Jon Paul Duncliffe and Mat Gearing combining to set up Jon Stead who drove home unmarked at the back stick.
The game enetered a controversial stage now with the referee producing cards galore as mentioned in the introduction.  Referee  Oliver Morris Sanders seemed to be lenient in the first half when a few Sleaford players walked a tight line however when Yaxley sub Wayne Morris was late on a halfway challenge it looked a red card offence but after consultation with his assistant it was just a yellow.  The a few moments later Morris was adjudged to have committed a foul wide on the left upon which the referee produced a second yellow, which looked slightly harshly, and the following red saw Yaxley down to 10 men with 13 minutes to go.

THE MEN IN THE MIDDLE HAD A BIG PART TO PLAY TODAY

The turning point of the game came on 85 minutes referee Morris-Sanders played a good advantage after a very late challenge just outside the Sleaford box, nothing came of it and as the ball was going out of play the man in black awarded a penalty.  This appeared to be for a visiting player handling the ball before it had gone out for a corner.  Here the referee made a rod for his own back when he failed to caution the Sleaford player in the build up but 10 man Yaxley failed to convert the spot kick too.  The kick was taken by Cotton and diving to his right visiting keeper McGann pushed the effort onto the post, Cotton following up but saw his shot blocked.
Yaxley had seen the penalty well saved but they felt aggrieved with the officals and an amazing collection of 3 booking occurred on 88 minutes with Liam Hook, Duncliffe and Andrew Furnell all booked for dissent in the same stoppage of play.  Amazing in that after one player had been booked play was about to re start when another was booked and then exactly the same for the third player. 

Much angst was coming from the home support now and Sleaford were getting ever closer and they did equalise in the 5th minute of stoppage time when the extra man showed in the Yaxley box with Jac Wright converting from close in.
The blog here nearly fell foul to a quick exit only to realise with many of the crowd that we were now about to go into extra time. 

THIRSTY WORK FOR SLEAFORD MANAGER PAUL WARD

What a period of play it was too as the game opened up even more and produced 5 goals.  Sleaford punished the tiring home side.  In the first minute of the extra time Wright hit the post and the Ryan Oliver forced the home keeper Andy Stevens to save well with his legs.
Sleaford were pushing for the lead and it came on 102 minutes when a corner off the left was powerfully headed home by David Hone.

We turned round for the second period of extra time and the game was to give us more goals as Sleaford stormed into a 4-1 lead when Ryan Oliver scored the goal of the game a powerful cross goal shot from 20 yards that flew in off the post and George Asplin tapped the ball in after good work from Harrison Allen in charging down a wide clearance from the home keeper.
Game over.....................not this game.  Yaxley pulled a goal back on 119 minutes to make it 2-4 with Stead getting his second and then in the 2nd minute of stoppage time in extra time Sam Spencer curled in a neat 20 yarder for a further consolation goal.  After a further 2 more minutes of stoppage time referee Morris-Sanders blew his whistle to call an end to this exhausting but massively entertaining encounter.

PITCH STILL LOOKING PERFECT

This was a tremendous affair which has to be credited to both clubs with Sleaford going forward to represent The UCL and Lincolnshire in round 4 but Yaxley must take a lot of credit from this game and can count themselves very unlucky not to get another crack of the whip with a replay.
Having spent some of the extra time period checking our delayed return times for the train we walked away from the ground and that is a challenge in itself very dark with no lighting indeed until returning to the edge of the village there is no pavement also, so it was an hair raising experience dodging the oncoming traffic.
Having secured the 'stripey boys' bus to Peterborough we approached the city to find out that our 1826 train, which we would probably have just missed and joy of joy it was nearly 15 minutes late allowing us to jump aboard for a return to base station at around 2015.  One of the few times when the blog is happy to see its train running late.
The return journey was busy but this had been a good afternoon out at a nice little club who have a cracking little 3g facility if you have not visited In2itive Park put it down for a visit.

DELAINE IN CLASSIC COLOURS THE TRANSPORT END SHOT
DEPARTING PETERBORUGH FOR BOURNE