10.15am 30 September 2023
Manchester Saturday Morning League
Fielden Park 3 Withington Hope CF 2 (att 7)
Two new venues, or at least a pair previously unvisited by me, have appeared in the Manchester Saturday Morning League this season.
This one, at Manchester College's Openshaw Campus, is a bit of a mystery when checking Google Maps. Not only is it so new that it doesn't appear, but there's no obvious place where it could fit.
It's actually been built on the site of some now demolished buildings and a former car park, as part of a revamp and upgrade of the college. It's an enclosed and floodlit 3G pitch but, unlike most such grounds, spectators are well catered for.
Six steep and wide steps of open terracing line half of one side of the pitch, providing an excellent view and the option to sit. There's also a pair of dugouts, making it an impressive facility.
It's a new home for Fielden Park, who were playing at the much more basic Hough End when I visited them in 2019.
The Manchester Saturday Morning League is down to a single division this season, and both these teams went into the match towards the wrong end of the table. Withington Hope were looking for their first point, and will have thought they had a chance of getting it when they opened the scoring.
The home side were level before half time though, and then took a grip on the game in the second half. Two goals put them 3-1 up, Withington rekindled some hope with late goal back, but they couldn't equalise.
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