1.30pm 9 March 2024
Manchester League, Premier Division
Govan and University of Manchester 0 Royton Town 1 (att 17)
I can be tricky keeping track of which grounds I've been to and when and where I might need to return for a new pitch. I thought I'd visited Govan's base until I read a fellow hopper's report of a match there before Christmas.
Govan, who played as Govan Athletic before joining forces with the students, play on an artificial pitch at the university's Armitage sports centre. Having seen a university game there in 2017 I assumed it'd be the same pitch, but it turns out it's not.
Govan and University of Manchester play their Manchester League games on 'pitch A', which is close to the entrance and at the opposite end of the complex from where I saw my previous match.
It's not a bad venue for a 3G. There's a spectator area the full length of one side, with nothing in the way to restrict the view. If you're prepared to watch through the fence there's also the option of sitting or standing on an open terrace at one end. Dugouts, along with all the spare sets of goals, are out of the way on the far side.
The home team went into this game second in the table, but any hopes of gaining ground on leaders Uppermill were diminished when Royton got the only goal about 20 minutes into the second half.
It was a game of few clear chances for either side. Royton defended well, and although they were hanging on somewhat by the end they deserved what were a hard-earned three points.
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