The Roman way
Although I spent a year in Rome and was a regular at the Stadio Olimpico during my stay there (following Roma, although I did sneak off to Lazio games when none of my Italian friends were looking) it was a different band of Romans from my past that I paid a visit to on Saturday when I went to see Rocester take on Friar Lane & Epworth.
I didn't know what to expect as the last time I watched the team was a few games at the start of the 2008-9 season when their performances were ropey then to say the least. Neither Rocester or their visitors had been on great form and before the game Rocester were 16th and Friar Lane were 20th in a Midland's Alliance of 23 teams. It wasn't that long ago that Rocester were beaten at home by 7-1 by Coalville, so I was a bit dubious about their ability, however as Coalville beat King's Lynn 3-0 in the first leg of the FA Vase semi final on Saturday maybe I should have given Coalville more credit. That said the heaviest home defeat I have ever seen by a team was also at Rocester a few years ago when they went 9-1 down against Hinckley United.
Many of the Rocester fans were more optimistic than me however, as they had recently got ex-favourite Chris Sterling back on loan from Stafford Rangers and they were obviously hoping that he would have 'The Sheva effect' as his mug was adorning the front of the programme and he had scored against Heath Hayes in the previous game, his second back at the club. I was also told (by my dad) to keep an eye on Jack Langston who despite being the manager's son was 'not in the team due to any nepostism'.
Quite a few other things had changed at Rocester since the last time I had had a chance to go there. They now have a car park that is probably better than most Conference clubs, if only because they have now built the JCB Academy next to the ground and JCB now own the ground too. The fencing around the pitch that JCB paid for was also nearly finished, although wne it will get finished is anybody's guess. The programme in terms of information is probably as good as any at this level and I thought it was nice that everybody connected to the club was named at the front of the programme from the director to the staff in the tea shed. The quality of the print was not the glossy quality of old, but apart from a lot of clubs making this move in order to save money Rocester had lost one of their directors, who owned a printing business, from last time I came.
Another change was that I sat in stand, I think for the first time ever, because I had and still have a gammy foot, and I have to say the seats were the most comfortable I have sat in for a while (I'm not sure where they come from as somebody told me they used to be Port Vale's, but I think that they are from Walsall's old ground from when they moved into the Bescot all of those years ago). One thing worth noting was that despite the Wales v England game being on at 3 and many league clubs changing kick off times to accommodate the internationals and many non-leagues moaning about it the crowd was roughly what Rocester would expect for such a game. I completely sympathise with the non-league clubs complaining that if there is an agreement that Premier League games can't be screened at 3 on a Saturday then neither should internationals, but I am also wondering how much of an effect the England game really had and why more of the leagues didn't alter kick off times (or days) like so many League 1 and League 2 teams did.
Anyway, as you may have guessed after all this rambling that I haven't go too much to say about the game, which to a certain extent is true. It was a good enough match, but it was very one sided. In fact it looked like Friar Lane and Epworth were afraid of attacking although a lot of wasted chances went begging thanks to their number 7 and 10 being so woeful in front of goal despite not being bad players. I'm not sure what their names were as an annoying development at Rocester is that the teams aren't annnounced, whether it's because the PA system doesn't work or the kid who used to do it has now grown up, got a job and can afford to go to Stoke I don't know. The previously mentioned 7 and 10 had some good chances at the start, but Chris Sterling was increasingly to be found in great positions and was also laying off a few nice balls for Jack Langston and Danny Westwood. It was however Sterling who broke the deadlock on 25 minutes when he slid in to poke a Langston cross over the line. After the first goal Rocester started to really dominate and although Friar Lane did have a couple of breakaway moves they never looked like getting back in it and it was really Rocester who were dominating play. On 38 minutes Jack Langston made it 2-0 with a free kick struck from about 40 yards out that the goalkeeper had no chance of stopping. It should have been 3-0 at half time, but it wasn't, when Sterling hit the cross bar when it looked easier to score.
The second half was more of the same with The Romans dominating and Friar Lane's 7 and 10 wasting what few chances the visitors had. Craig Hulme and Ben Fairclough for the home team were equally guilty of wasting chances though it has to be said and with time ticking out it was still 2-0 to Rocester. Towards the end Darren Bullock was making his way further forward for Rocester and was being left unmarked from corners. I was fairly sure that he was going to score, but the third and final goal for Rocester didn't come until the 2nd minute of stoppage time when Jack Langston shot from 30 odd yards out at a time when everyone wanted him to past, however it looks like the rocket shot is a bit of a speciality of his as the ball wne tright into the back of the net past a stunned Friar's Lane Keeper.
So that was it 3-0 to Rocester. Man of the match has to go to Jack Langston. I know I'm always moaning about pundits giving the goalscorer's man of the match becasue they are too lazy to look at what really went on, but in this case credit where credit is due Langston who got 2 and Sterling who got the other were definitely the best players on the pitch. Friar Lane's best player was keeper, Andrew Simpson, which tells its own story.
I didn't know what to expect as the last time I watched the team was a few games at the start of the 2008-9 season when their performances were ropey then to say the least. Neither Rocester or their visitors had been on great form and before the game Rocester were 16th and Friar Lane were 20th in a Midland's Alliance of 23 teams. It wasn't that long ago that Rocester were beaten at home by 7-1 by Coalville, so I was a bit dubious about their ability, however as Coalville beat King's Lynn 3-0 in the first leg of the FA Vase semi final on Saturday maybe I should have given Coalville more credit. That said the heaviest home defeat I have ever seen by a team was also at Rocester a few years ago when they went 9-1 down against Hinckley United.
Many of the Rocester fans were more optimistic than me however, as they had recently got ex-favourite Chris Sterling back on loan from Stafford Rangers and they were obviously hoping that he would have 'The Sheva effect' as his mug was adorning the front of the programme and he had scored against Heath Hayes in the previous game, his second back at the club. I was also told (by my dad) to keep an eye on Jack Langston who despite being the manager's son was 'not in the team due to any nepostism'.
Quite a few other things had changed at Rocester since the last time I had had a chance to go there. They now have a car park that is probably better than most Conference clubs, if only because they have now built the JCB Academy next to the ground and JCB now own the ground too. The fencing around the pitch that JCB paid for was also nearly finished, although wne it will get finished is anybody's guess. The programme in terms of information is probably as good as any at this level and I thought it was nice that everybody connected to the club was named at the front of the programme from the director to the staff in the tea shed. The quality of the print was not the glossy quality of old, but apart from a lot of clubs making this move in order to save money Rocester had lost one of their directors, who owned a printing business, from last time I came.
Another change was that I sat in stand, I think for the first time ever, because I had and still have a gammy foot, and I have to say the seats were the most comfortable I have sat in for a while (I'm not sure where they come from as somebody told me they used to be Port Vale's, but I think that they are from Walsall's old ground from when they moved into the Bescot all of those years ago). One thing worth noting was that despite the Wales v England game being on at 3 and many league clubs changing kick off times to accommodate the internationals and many non-leagues moaning about it the crowd was roughly what Rocester would expect for such a game. I completely sympathise with the non-league clubs complaining that if there is an agreement that Premier League games can't be screened at 3 on a Saturday then neither should internationals, but I am also wondering how much of an effect the England game really had and why more of the leagues didn't alter kick off times (or days) like so many League 1 and League 2 teams did.
Anyway, as you may have guessed after all this rambling that I haven't go too much to say about the game, which to a certain extent is true. It was a good enough match, but it was very one sided. In fact it looked like Friar Lane and Epworth were afraid of attacking although a lot of wasted chances went begging thanks to their number 7 and 10 being so woeful in front of goal despite not being bad players. I'm not sure what their names were as an annoying development at Rocester is that the teams aren't annnounced, whether it's because the PA system doesn't work or the kid who used to do it has now grown up, got a job and can afford to go to Stoke I don't know. The previously mentioned 7 and 10 had some good chances at the start, but Chris Sterling was increasingly to be found in great positions and was also laying off a few nice balls for Jack Langston and Danny Westwood. It was however Sterling who broke the deadlock on 25 minutes when he slid in to poke a Langston cross over the line. After the first goal Rocester started to really dominate and although Friar Lane did have a couple of breakaway moves they never looked like getting back in it and it was really Rocester who were dominating play. On 38 minutes Jack Langston made it 2-0 with a free kick struck from about 40 yards out that the goalkeeper had no chance of stopping. It should have been 3-0 at half time, but it wasn't, when Sterling hit the cross bar when it looked easier to score.
The second half was more of the same with The Romans dominating and Friar Lane's 7 and 10 wasting what few chances the visitors had. Craig Hulme and Ben Fairclough for the home team were equally guilty of wasting chances though it has to be said and with time ticking out it was still 2-0 to Rocester. Towards the end Darren Bullock was making his way further forward for Rocester and was being left unmarked from corners. I was fairly sure that he was going to score, but the third and final goal for Rocester didn't come until the 2nd minute of stoppage time when Jack Langston shot from 30 odd yards out at a time when everyone wanted him to past, however it looks like the rocket shot is a bit of a speciality of his as the ball wne tright into the back of the net past a stunned Friar's Lane Keeper.
So that was it 3-0 to Rocester. Man of the match has to go to Jack Langston. I know I'm always moaning about pundits giving the goalscorer's man of the match becasue they are too lazy to look at what really went on, but in this case credit where credit is due Langston who got 2 and Sterling who got the other were definitely the best players on the pitch. Friar Lane's best player was keeper, Andrew Simpson, which tells its own story.
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