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Henbury v Tuffley Rovers

3pm  25 August 2012

Gloucestershire County League
Henbury 3 Tuffley Rovers 2 (att 45)

The standard of football in the Gloucestershire County League rarely disappoints, and this cracking game more than lived up to my high expectations.

Even at this early stage in the season, Henbury and Tuffley look likely to be among the league's better sides. Henbury inflicted Tuffley's first defeat of the campaign after coming back from 2-0 down. Remarkably, all five goals were scored within the first 30 minutes.

Although there was no further scoring, the two sides continued to play good attacking football, with chances at both ends. By the final whistle, I thought Tuffley were unfortunate not to come away with a point.

I last visited Henbury, a Bristol suburb, in 1998. Back then they were known as Henbury Old Boys, and played on a roped off pitch close to the main Henbury Road. Although the ground address remains the same, Arnall Drive Playing Field, the new first team pitch is parallel to the old one, but on a plateau and much closer to the clubhouse. As the old and new pitches don't overlap, by my rules another visit was required to "tick" the ground.

The pitch was good condition, and coped well with the first half downpour that accompanied a thunderstorm. The pitch is fully railed off, with dugouts, but there's no cover for spectators, apart from a shelter for smokers immediately outside the clubhouse and with a very restricted view of the pitch.






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