Stalybridge Celtic v Alfreton Town - FA Cup

Finished work at a reasonable time today (but STILL not reasonable enough to be able to get over to Hyde for the Droylsden game Mr Anonymous (!) - that one finished 0-0 - maybe can make the replay on Monday - dunno yet - epends on boy/ju-jitsu etc etc !). Anyway I digress - made it to Stalybridge Buffet Bar to find a couple of guys with nowhere to go (football-wise) - yes it was Sean and John(Travel Sec) from Ilkeston. I thought they'd possibly come up for the Alfreton game , but no - just a pub crawl round Manchester/Bury/Stalybridge. Had a good natter about the "state of play" in Ilkeston at the moment (obviously not good, but plans are being made for next season - at some level of football, so here's hoping ...), before they shot off to Manchester - I then "cuddled up" to the Alfreton fans (and managed to scab a lift up to Bower Fold on their coach - handy to know peeps innit !!). On arrival, found that the "Hare and Hounds" was shut !! Apparently has been since Thursday - no doubt nasty evil breweries or nasty evil landlords are to blame, but no-one knew the real reason. Never mind - we all went into the Social Club which allowed the Alfreton fans time to "admire" the large pictures on the wall - which were taken by yours truly at the Alfreton Town v Stalybridge Celtic game last season !

To the game - ruined I thought by a very inept set of officials who failed to clamp down on some early "physicals", which turned the whole game into a bit of an unnecessary feisty affair. Nevertheless, it was a fairly evenly-matched 90 minutes, and a 1-1 draw was probably the right result, even though Alfreton finished the game with 10 men when Aden Flint was sent off for a second bookable. There were chances at both ends, but it now goes to a replay on Tuesday (and next Saturday the visitors to Celtic in the league are ... Alfreton Town !).

Some pictures at

Stalybridge Celtic 1 Alfreton Town 1 (FA Cup)

Quiet night in tonight - small boy has some chums round (he's 18 on Tuesday so is making a week of it !!) - tomorrow, it's up at daft o'clock to drive down to Belper to pick up Mrs Smiffy and probably go for a walk in the Peak District somewhere on the way home. Then to do something fancy with a rolled Pork Shoulder joint (I'm getting cider/honey/mustard) on our return to Mossley. Yes that's Mossley who had their trip up to Dunston UTS today in the FA Cup and won 2-1 - don't know too much yet but Michael Oates got both goals - which will done wonders for his confidence I'm sure. Ashton United lost 2-1 at home to FC Halifax Town after taking the lead very early on. So - four of the Six Tame Sides go into Monday's draw. Some "crowds of note" today - over 800 at Chorley (that's what happens when you have a winning team) and nearly 700 at Salford City (God knows how their little portakabin bar coped with the Chester hordes !) - at the other end of the scale on 95 at the Tameside Stadium to see Curzon Ashton beat Woodley Sports 3-1. I must have been very close on the Alfreton Town "Guess the Gate" card today - I went for 360 - actual crowd given as 373 (p.s. 375 at the Hyde/Droylsden game).

Next week - it would be nice to get to the Droylsden/Hyde replay on Monday - but that's dependent on factors noted earlier. Otherwise it's time for Mossley to "kick start" their league season with a home game against Garforth Town on Tuesday night.
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