Game 10

Hall Road Rangers V Scarborough Athletic
NCEL Premier Division
Dene Park
17/03/12
att:146

The massive clubhouse

Wow what an afternoon I had at Dene park.  On arrival the ground wasn't open however the clubhouse was and on entry they have what can only be described as a cinema screen showing the Ev**ton V Sunderland game.  For £3 something I got a cheeseburger and chips and it was superb.  Cathederal city cheese on the burger ( well it made me happy). 

The entrance

Entrance to the ground was a wonderfully reasonable £5 and would go on to prove to be probably the best fiver ever spent at a football ground.  The ground itself is very simple and has a small seated stand behind the goal.  Either side of this are a number of un used porta cabins.  The Home and Away dugouts are on either side of the pitch.  Hall Road had put on their website that a larger than normal crowd was expected for the game.  So ive got to ask where was the programme?  My expectations were low after reading Wheres the tea hut? ( my ground hopping bible) and amazingly the excuse was exactly the same.  The same printers I presume had let them down again.

The stand

The game was superb entertainment from the start.  Scarborough raced into a 2 goal lead with goals from Ryan Blott and a superb free kick from Paddy Miller.  As with last weeks game I was dissapointed with players trying to get each other carded and the level of abuse being thrown at each other.  Following a shocking dive from one of Hall road's players the Scarborough player Paddy Miller was subjected to a torrent of abuse from the Hall Road bench.  It was constant and in my opinion quite disgusting and the manager for me should have been sent away as it was clear the referee could hear what was being said.

Hall road pulled the game level before half-time with 2 goals of their own leaving the majority of the crowd stunned ( Scarbough outnumbered the home fans about 14-1).  The 2nd half saw Hall Road go 3-2 in front following a horrendous mistake by Kevin Martin in the Scarborough goal.  As if feeling left out the Hall Road keeper made an equally horrendous mistake leading to a Scarborough equaliser for Ryan Blott.  Ryan then went on to complete his hat-trick by putting Boro 4-3 up.  The goals were finished but the action kept coming.  As Scarborough were making a substitution prior to taking a corner something kicked off in the Hall Road goal mouth.  The keeper appeared to have hold of one of the Scarborough players by the throat.  Despite not really seeing the incident as they were concentrating on the sub coming on, the ref and his assistant took the decision to send off both players.  Towards the end of the game another Hall Road player saw red after throwing an elbow into the face of a Scarborough defender.  The final whistle went and as the players left the field the Hall Road manager appeared to be carded by the ref ( about 45 minutes too late).  7 goals and 3 reds what amazing value for £5.