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Bush Hill v Sway

2pm  6 January 2018

Hampshire Premier League, Senior Division
Bush Hill 5 Sway 2 (att 60)

While the opportunity to see a morning game at Southampton's training ground was welcome, it did give me a potential headache of finding something to watch in the afternoon, especially as a number of local fixtures were being postponed as early as Friday.

My first choice was Bush Hill, and they expected their Mansel Park pitch in Southampton to be playable. Their confidence was well placed, as although some of the grass surrounds were boggy the playing area was fine.

It's a basic venue, but the club have done well to create football ground in part of what is a large public park. The pitch is railed off, there's a pair of dugouts, and hard standing for spectators along one side of the pitch.

Changing rooms, as well as toilets and a tea bar, are housed in a pitchside building that's designed to be secure. It could look a little too austere, but painting it in Bush Hill's black and red colours is a nice touch and adds to the feel of it being a proper football ground.

On the pitch Bush Hill are good, and their current mid table position owes more to having games in hand than results. They took a while to get going against  Sway, but after leading just 1-0 at half time they raced into a 4-0 lead in the second half.

Maybe they thought the game was won at that point, as they eased off and allowed Sway to score two quick goals to set up an interesting final 10 minutes. The visitors were unable to reduce the arrears further though, and it was Bush Hill who got the game's final goal.









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