2pm 12 January 2013
Isle of Man League, Division Two
Ayre United 7 Malew 1 (att 36)
This was my fifth game in the Isle of Man, but the first time I've watched football outside the Premier League.
There's quite a gulf between the island's two first team divisions (Premier League and, refreshingly, Division Two), as shown by some very one-sided scorelines in last weekend's Manx FA Cup matches, and the standard at Ayre United was a long way short of the previous night's game at St John's.
That's not to criticise though, Ayre played some neat football and scored some decent goals on their way to a predictably easy win again the league's bottom side.
Ayre were 4-1 up by half time, and should have scored more in a first half when Malew struggled to defend and kept giving the ball away.The visitors were more solid after the break, and it took a while before Ayre added their fifth, after which goals six and seven soon followed.
Ayre United are based in the village of Andreas, to the north of to the island. The main appeal of the game for me was the venue, as having a hire car it made sense to visit a ground that was likely to be awkward by public transport.
The Andreas Playing Field is in the grounds of the local school. The pitch is open, but there's a clubhouse, including a tea bar, and advertising boards behind one goal, and a floodlit training area, so it does feel like a football venue.
Isle of Man League, Division Two
Ayre United 7 Malew 1 (att 36)
This was my fifth game in the Isle of Man, but the first time I've watched football outside the Premier League.
There's quite a gulf between the island's two first team divisions (Premier League and, refreshingly, Division Two), as shown by some very one-sided scorelines in last weekend's Manx FA Cup matches, and the standard at Ayre United was a long way short of the previous night's game at St John's.
That's not to criticise though, Ayre played some neat football and scored some decent goals on their way to a predictably easy win again the league's bottom side.
Ayre were 4-1 up by half time, and should have scored more in a first half when Malew struggled to defend and kept giving the ball away.The visitors were more solid after the break, and it took a while before Ayre added their fifth, after which goals six and seven soon followed.
Ayre United are based in the village of Andreas, to the north of to the island. The main appeal of the game for me was the venue, as having a hire car it made sense to visit a ground that was likely to be awkward by public transport.
The Andreas Playing Field is in the grounds of the local school. The pitch is open, but there's a clubhouse, including a tea bar, and advertising boards behind one goal, and a floodlit training area, so it does feel like a football venue.
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