The Hedge

Sporting Markfield  2  Rothley Imperial  0

Leicestershire & Rutland FA Intermediate Cup – First Round

I’ve never been to Brechin City, but I’m told they have an absolute dogs bollocks of a hedge!

Yes, that’s right, down one side of the ground is a fantastic hedge, and for many that alone justifies a several hundred mile round trip. This hedge has got to be something special, because whenever you ask someone who’s ever been what it’s like to visit, you always get one response…

“Oh yes, that hedge”

To be brutally honest, I don’t really care much for hedges, I much prefer a nicely creosoted wooden fence. Hedges are prickly, they need trimming, things that can bite you live in them, and it’s very hard to retrieve objects from a hedge.

Why am I banging on about hedges you might ask?

Well, I wasn’t intending to go to Sporting Markfield on Saturday, I was going to go to Brighouse Sports Old Boys, but then when I found out they were not playing at their normal ground, I had to pick a Plan B.

Plan B was just down the M1 to the Leicester North and Coalville exit, to one of the two remaining Leicestershire Senior League grounds I’ve yet to visit, the Jubilee Playing Fields on Altar Stones Lane.

So, arriving an hour or so before kick off I had a spin up to the ground first of all to check everything was ok with the game, it clearly was, but the first thing that struck me was the impressive nature of the facilities.

A good sized car park, a pitch railed on three sides, and a changing room / clubhouse building. But, the crowning glory was on the fourth un-railed side of the pitch, a massive hedge. Well, not strictly a hedge, more of a tightly packed in row of conifer trees, but from a distance it would pass as a hedge. I suddenly realised I had found my Brechin, and didn’t have to spend twelve hours on the road to get to it!

Hedges aside, once I’d discovered the game was on it was down to the local pub, the Queens Head on Ashby Road, where Landlord Les was entertaining the locals. Suitably refreshed and it was back up the road to watch the First Round tie in the Leicestershire & Rutland Intermediate Cup, which matched up table topping Markfield against fourth placed neighbours Rothley Imperial, in the Second Division that is.

Markfield finished third in the North Leicestershire League last season and have continued their excellent form into the current campaign, winning six and losing two of their eight games.

The game was a tight affair in the first period with both sides having plenty of possession but that much needed class and composure in the final third at both ends of the pitch was lacking a touch, and that was largely why we were goalless at the interval.

The game swung in the hosts favour in the second period when goals from Niall Smith and Karl King saw them clinch victory, and on balance of play it was probably the right outcome in the end.

I must say though, even without the added attraction of the hedge, I really enjoyed my afternoon out. A very nice little ground in a somewhat rural location, a decent game of football and a handy little boozer to kick start the afternoon.

Home by twenty past four as well, in time to see that Brechin City had been held to a 1-1 draw by Stirling Albion. Maybe one day…..