I like to include something other than the match itself in these posts. Mainly to convince both of my readers that I’m leading a wildly interesting life, but also because there’s no real reason why anyone would have much of an interest in outdated football reports from lower-league games. And rightly so.
However, Jen and I had only returned from Sheffield the day before this game and had done little other than drink in the back garden. Best I can do then is add a picture of Soph’s dogs who had spent the night at our place.
This particular outdated report is from the eleventh tier Northern Alliance League, albeit their Premier Division. I selected it because we had a dawn flight from Newcastle Airport the next morning and Gosforth’s Benson Park ground was only a ten-minute drive from our airport hotel. The Northern Alliance is a feeder league to the Northern League, but neither Gosforth Bohemians or West Moor and Jesmond are challenging for promotion. Neither are threatened by relegation either, so there wasn’t much that either side had to play for.
Gosforth is quite posh. The houses around the ground all had nice gardens and the only noise from nearby was the sound of tennis balls being hit back and forward at the club behind one of the goals. I’m not sure about West Moor, but, despite never having knowingly been there, I’ve always considered Jesmond to be posh too.
Gosforth were in red and white hooped tops. It seemed more like a rugby shirt than a football kit. West Moor and Jesmond were in blue.
Despite it being free to get in, there were only about ten spectators, including Jen and I. I’m not even sure that all of them were there for the game. I think a woman who was sat at a picnic table may have been waiting for someone to finish their tennis session whilst the bloke with the black spaniel looked as if he regularly walked his dog around the edge of the field whether there was a match taking place or not.
The fixture had an end of season air to it with nothing much happening for the first half-hour. The visitors took the lead at that stage with an outside of the foot sliced finish which, if it were intended, was very impressive indeed. The opener spurred West Moor on and they added a second before the break with what was also a decent finish.
Play was a lot more expansive after the restart, or perhaps it was just that everyone simply got tired of defending. Either way, the goals flowed, and we finished up in rapidly fading light with a five-two away win.
Tags: Northern Alliance League, Spaniels
Trail of the Lion King 
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