Barwell 0-1 Banbury United (Southern League Central Division)
Newtown Unthank is the home of Poundstretcher. It's the sort of useless knowledge you wouldn't even know about had you not needed to go to villages like Barwell in Leicestershire to watch some seventh division English football.
I'm driving past the home of the budget retail giant and down the winding bumpy roads through Kirkby Muxloe and Earl Shilton, it's little over 30 miles but an hour's drive, as I'm thinking to myself, Barwell, is actually Leicestershire's second highest ranked team after Premier League giants Leicester City. A quick fact check has Harborough Town in the same division this season following their own promotion to the Southern League Central Division but gone are the days when the likes of Hinckley and Coalville stood tall. The county not known for its stronghold of soccer establishments.
Banbury is in Oxfordshire which is also not exactly your English footballing hot bed. Oxford United did gain promotion to the Championship last season whilst Oxford City were relegated from the National League. The Puritans themselves suffered relegation from the National League North after a two year stay and three different managers. I was really impressed with the football they played under first boss Andy Whing who went on to get the Solihull Moors job after a seventeenth place finish in 2022/23, United had earlier flirted with promotion that year but last season couldn't get it right under Mark Jones then Kevin Wilson who eventually steered the side down towards relegation, now in charge is Simon Hollyhead, employed in the summer to get the team back on track, he brings with him an excellent CV which includes a UEFA pro license and the assistant managers job at Malmö, Brann, Odense and Stevenage previously.
Barwell Manager Jimmy Ginnelly is more your bread and butter non-league gaffer back for a second spell at Kirkby Road. He was doing well at Nuneaton Borough until the club folded last season, luckily for Barwell he's managed to bring a few players with him.
One player not with him though is Beck-Ray Enoru a high speed striker with tons of ability and one I've long had my radar on, he got a summer move to Tamworth but is here tonight, in the crowd, I’ve said before that Barwell is ‘a lovely club’ and it feels like everyone is welcome, past and present the fanbase is a real mix and it’s a good strong crowd in for this Monday night home opener of the new season.
The Venue
I’ve pulled up outside Kirkby Road Community Park before walking past the bowls club, the cricket club, and a decent looking boozer all connected indirectly to the football ground. A real community hub, the setting is idyllic and as you walk through the turnstile you find yourself in a pleasantly fenced venue with one large stand on half way, its enclosed and modern with a 3g pitch, not a lot to it, but some good numbers are in tonight and it makes for a warm and cosy village club feel. A real good atmospheric home.
The Game
Barwell lost on Saturday against Royston Town (3-2) whilst Banbury drew their league opener with Sudbury (1-1), the away side are much changed from the team I last saw last season with three seventeen-year-olds in their starting eleven, Barwell a few familiar faces and one or two taken from Nuneaton’s recent demise.
The game starts at a frantic pace but there’s not much quality on show, Banbury’s goalkeeper makes an early error in trying to clear the ball which ricochets to Leroy Lita who puts into the empty net but is given offside.
The ball is bouncing around left to right without any real conviction, a few stoppages, a couple of cards, plenty of throw-ins and free kicks, it’s far from classic but a big chance is spurned by Ball who hits a post for Banbury on 26.
I’ve had a pound on the Golden Goal and got 47 minutes so am pleased when the referee calls time on the first half with the score still nil nil, not many chances with defences on top but it’s a real full bodied game of guts and determination, just lacking that bit of quality in the final third.
The Score
The second half is much of the same as the time passes my lucky dip selection, neither team really look like scoring but a half-cleared corner is pumped into the box by young Archie Hollyhead, it’s headered back into the danger zone where Highland punches away, he looks to have connected with a Banbury striker and the referee signals for a penalty, after a delay for Highland’s injury, AJ George steps up and calmly slots home as he did at the weekend to the same effect.
That slender lead gives Banbury something to cling on to and cling on they do, Barwell don’t really threaten as their talisman Brady Hickey is having an off day, he can’t get things going which is largely down to some very good defending by the away side, in the end they see out the game with a strong defensive display and might have even added to their lead late on, when on the break they couldn’t capitalise on the home team sending numbers forward.
The Stars
AJ George was the best player on the park, the matchwinner was lively from the get-go and shown speed and positivity when in possession, the Antiguan international has been around the non-league circuit but if he stays at Banbury this season he could play a significant part in them doing well.
His experience will be needed, a relatively young squad that included teenagers Keon Lewis-Burgess, Archie Hollyhead and Dylan Reason amongst others, out of those I was most impressed with midfielder Hollyhead who made good decisions on the ball, Banbury were solid defensively with former Oxford United defender Nico Jones and another well-known non-league centre back Yaw Ofosu doing well, they look to have something about them under Simon Hollyhead with scouts sure to be heading to the Spencer Stadium this year.
Whilst Barwell evidently missed their magician in attack of the now departed Enoro, they shown plenty of spirit and have a lot of good solid players, in defence I found centre halves Scott McManus and Lathaniel Rowe Turner combative and aggressive as they were when they partnered each other at Nuneaton, left back Deen Master is a player I like, uncomplicated and who puts in a good delivery, Lamine Sherif in midfield is one who get’s about and plays things simple, whilst Brady Hickey in attack, is sheer quality, even if it wasn’t to be on the night.
The Verdict
Barwell will be ok, they have signed some good players and you feel the club has a good comradery with players, fans, staff, a community and spirit that will get you a long way, although I’ll be surprised if they finish any higher than half way this season.
Banbury too could easily finish mid to lower table but there seems to be something brewing under Simon Hollyhead which I like, he has some very exciting but very young gifted players, a bit of quality and experience too, if it gels right they could be a team to watch, but we all know in non-league football ‘anything’ can happen, lose one or two players it could be very tough, sign one or two more and they could even end up leading the promotion charge.
The Teams
Barwell: Will Highland, Jahdian Fridye-Harper (Johnson Gyamfi 87), Deen Master (Ciaron Keane 70), Lamine Sherif, Herve Pepe-Ngoma, Scott McManus, Leroy Lita (Tristan Burke 70), Jahvan Davidson-Miller, Brady Hickey, Ethan Hill (Olly Brown-Hill 70), Lathaniel Rowe-Turner.
Banbury United: Jack Harding, Harry Reilly, Kgosi Ntlhe (Claudio Dias 60), Tai Fleming, Yaw Ofosu, Nico Jones, Keon Lewis-Burgess (Matty Donaldson 60), Archie Hollyhead (Charlie Donaldson 71), Dylan Reason (Harvey Westwood 65), AJ George, George Ball (Prince Henry 75).
7:45pm Kick Off. Monday 12th August 2024, Kirkby Road, Barwell (att 477).
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