FOLLOWING THE SALTMEN

Holbeach United 0-3 Droitwich Spa

Isuzu FA Vase. 19 October 2024

I’ve just got back from one of the most enjoyable day watching football I have ever experienced. It started at 10am when we boarded the coach, players and supporters mingled in. It’s a long way to Holbeach but initial going was good. That changed when we reached the Peterborough bypass when traffic came to standstill and we were stuck in a traffic jam for around half an hour. This put paid to the scheduled lunch stop for the players as time was no longer on our side. We eventually reached Holbeach United FC at 1.30 where we were met with smiles and handshakes from home club officials who were keen to give us a brief tour of their excellent facilities.

After a short walk, our small group found the nearby Crown, a nice friendly pub with a good choice of drinks and, much to Ben’s approval, an open log fire. After this brief cultural exchange we headed back to the ground and had another pint of cultural exchange ahead of kick off. The clubhouse is exceptionally good. I can’t think of a better clubhouse at any other ground I have ever visited.

The pitch at Carter’s Park has withstood the recent rain very well. The stadium is tidy and well appointed and is a good place to watch a match. Any ground which has a terrace called the Pig Pen gets my vote.

The first half saw both sides probing the other but very few clear cut chances were created. The game came to light in the second half as Spa seized the reins. The deadlock was broken on 56 minutes when Perry Moss’ first touch half volley gave Simpson in the Tigers’ goal no chance, much to the pleasure of the sizeable travelling contingent of Spa supporters among the 166 attendance. A couple of minutes later the mercurial Moss was temporarily denied a second by the inform Simpson who produced a stunning reflex save turning a full blooded close range effort from Moss away to safety.

‘Pez’ was not to be denied for long. On 63 minutes he picked up a loose ball in the Tigers’ box but was felled before he could get a shot away. The referee pointed immediately to the spot and Moss tucked the penalty into to the Holbeach goal via the inside of the post and The Saltmen had a two goal cushion. Holbeach worked hard at reducing the deficit but Dom Rogerson and his back four remained strong. Then on 89 minutes, Spa recovered the ball deep in their own half releasing Josh Hurdman, also still in the Droitwich half, who broke past the United defence before beating Simpson to seal a fine 0-3 victory and a fifth clean sheet of the season.

A strong all round performance by the Saltmen who all put in impressive shifts, particularly so after being stuck on a bus with no toilet for four hours. A special note should be made of Kyonn Evans’ contribution. He stepped up and despite having played very limited first team football this season, led the line admirably.

After partaking in a little more Lincolnshire hospitality we thanked our hosts and trouped back onto the coach for the long journey back to Worcestershire. To pass the time, after a brief music lesson, Mr Carey gave us a General Studies exam paper to sit. It’s thirty something years since I took General Studies ‘O’ level but I’m sure the questions have got harder!

We returned the Spa at 9.30 all culturally enriched and looking forward to the draw for the second round. A home tie would be good but if we have to travel again, let’s hope it is to a club with similar facilities to Holbeach United.

Thank you to Charlie, Rob and Wayne for providing the transport and thanks to the players and coaching staff for putting up with us.

Finally, if you are shopping at an Asda Express in the East Midlands today and you get a faint whiff of alcohol, I have no idea what that could be, but you might want to consider wiping your feet before you get home!

See you next time.

Cheers

Steve