Beat The Odds

The Season So Far:

With Odd Down having taken voluntary demotion ahead of this season, they come into this game as favourites, particularly as their hosts are struggling at the wrong end of the Division One table. Almondsbury had to wait until Match Day 4 before picking up their first point away at Longwell Green, and then remained on a solitary draw until mid-September when they beat Gillingham Town. Last weekend Almondsbury succumbed to a 4-2 loss at Cheddar. Today’s visitors sit in 8th position with a mixed record so far – an impressive 5-2 win over league newcomers Tytherington Rocks sits alongside heavy defeats to Warminster and, in the FA Cup, Alresford Town. 7 days ago Odd Down beat Portishead 3-1 in Bath – revenge for the mirrored result earlier in the season against Portishead.

With all this in mind, my money would be on the away side taking all 3 points today. However Almondsbury will be looking to spring a surprise and kick start their season with a strong performance today.

The Visit:

The Field, home to Almondsbury FC, lies just north of the M5 motorway, and to the west of the M4. It is a goal kick away from the HQ of the Gloucestershire FA – Oaklands Park – which is also home to Lebeq United, also of the Western League; and to Roman Glass St George now of the Hellenic League. I visited Oaklands Park to watch Roman Glass St George back in March 2020, just before Covid-19 caused the leagues to be halted. Now I was in North Bristol to watch The Almonds and found their ground to be at the quirkier end of the scale. A walk past a Sports Pavilion and some tennis courts is in order before reaching the tea hut, toilets, and changing facilities. It is then necessary to climb some steps up to a turnstile and to the playing surface. To your right lies the main seated stand, and further along a smaller covered standing area. This sideline also plays host to the dugouts. Behind this area is where Almondsbury’s reserve team plays, and indeed their was a game in full swing when I arrived. The interesting addition of some ancient-looking wind turbines makes for a slightly unusual view. This, coupled with the noisy presence of the M5, looming over the far goal gives the whole place a restless feel, not to mention some talking points.

There seemed to be a decent following for the visiting Odd Down team, which makes me call into question Full Time’s insistence that the attendance of this game was just 16. Interestingly Odd Down seemed to be warming up in MK Dons training tops – I’d love to know the story there. The match started pretty evenly with the first chance going to the home team’s Harry Greenbury who headed wide at the back post. He probably should have at least hit the target. At the other end Almondsbury’s keeper Neill Di Lucia was called into action, but the shot was straight at him from the visitors’ Number 11. The Almonds’ Joe White received the ball from Ashley Knight but his shot was well saved by Odd Down goalkeeper Chris Blammon. It was end to end stuff and the same Odd Down player as before took aim, but this time his shot grazed the crossbar. 5 minutes later Blammon produced another decent save, turning Isaac Flynn’s shot round the post. The last chance of the half came as Blammon completed a hattrick of saves – a snapshot from Knight from the edge of the area was well gathered. It wasn’t the best 45 minutes of football but Almondsbury would have been pleased with their performance against an Odd Down side who, as I mentioned in the introduction, could easily have been playing at the level above.

Home striker Andrew Williams had the first chance of the 2nd period a minute in. Receiving the ball from Flynn but shooting straight at Blammon. The deadlock was broken on 52 minutes and it was the home side who took the lead! Captain Ashley Knight went on a great run into the box, crossed to Flynn whose shot was beaten away well by Blammon. Unfortunately for the visitors Joe White was there to head home. 2 minutes later it got even worse for the Bath side as Almondsbury doubled their lead. This time Williams took aim from 20 yards and bent his shot into the top corner. Blammon got a touch but it was nowhere near enough to stop that strike. Odd Down were shaken and made a double substitution which saw the introduction of the classy-looking Luke Bryan. On 66 minutes the Odd Down left back thwarted Flynn with a great tackle. There were just 15 minutes remaining when Di Lucia pulled off a great save at the near post after a good driving run from Bryan. Odd Down huffed and puffed but Almondsbury stood strong. That was until the third minute of injury time when Bryan controlled an over-the-top ball well with his toe and lifted the ball smartly over Di Lucia. A note on the aforementioned injury time – every substitute that came on for the home team seemed to run on before the linesman had time to do whatever he needed to do. This meant each time, the player in question had to be called back to the sideline and come back on to the pitch again. By the third time this happened, the linesman threw his flag to the ground and looked like he was about to head home!

There was no time for Odd Down to grab an unlikely equaliser so it was the home side who took all 3 points.