A mild and wet Friday evening saw me visiting my parents, so travelled to watch Southam United of the Hellenic League Division 1, play against Abingdon United, with my father.

Southam United’s ground boasts a wide range of free parking, a two storey clubhouse, changing facility and standing area with a seated grandstand on the opposite side of the pitch. The stadium announcer was on form tonight musically, playing the Smiths and the Specials but needs to learn to switch off the microphone when chatting to his friend!

Abingdon United came into tonight’s match in eleventh place. Goals have been hard to find for the away side this season, with their top scorer being John Mills, with 14 goals from 30 games and Harry Ackland, with six goals in 14 games. Manager John Mills would have targeted tonight’s game as a chance to move into the top half of the table.

Southam United sat below Abingdon in thirteenth place coming into tonight’s game. They have seen their goals come primarily from Josh Dixon (14 goals in 25 games), Craig Watkin (10 goals in 30 games) and Jay Lawes (8 goals in 14 games). Manager Richard Kay would have hoped his side could use tonight’s fixture to climb closer towards Abingdon in the table.

The game started with both sides struggling to control the ball on a wet and slippy surface. In the eleventh minute Abingdon United went ahead with Dan Chalmers finishing after a scramble from a Dylan Conlan free kick.

In the 29th minute Southam United’s Kyle Linford was sent off for a professional foul when an Abingdon player was through on goal. Tempers erupted just five minutes later before the referee calmed things, brandishing three yellow cards.

On 40 minutes Abingdon missed a chance to go 0-2 up when one of their strikers hit the post, when through on an open goal. At the break the teams went in with the scores separated by the single goal.

In the 57th minute, Abingdon United were 0-2 ahead when Harry Ackland produced a fine header from a Lewis Dix cross to score.

Three minutes later Southam United’s centre forward was sent off, for a second yellow card offence, reducing Southam United to 9 men and effectively ending their chances in the game.

On 66 minutes Abingdon United went 0-3 ahead when Dylan Conlon broke and finished confidently. exploiting the two man advantage.

The game was tied up in the 88th minute when Harry Ackland made it a brace, with a clinical header to seal the fixture at 0-4.

At fulltime it was the away side who took all three points and whose clinical football made them look a class apart from Southam United, on a difficult pitch. Southam lost their discipline and in doing so handed the game to Abingdon United.