2pm 6 April 2024
Staffordshire County Senior League, Leek Cup, Third Round
AFC Alsager 5 Albrighton 1 (att 25)
The seemingly endless wet weather wiped out my hoped-for hopping during the week, and left me seeking the relative safety of an artificial pitch for a game on Saturday.
There is a grass pitch at Alsager Sports Hub, railed off and where I believe AFC Alsager played previously. For reasons unknown they now use the adjacent caged 3G, which at least meant I could be confident this match would be on.
It also gave me a 'tick', as in 2011 I'd seen MMU Cheshire play on a pitch that broadly overlaps the current grass pitch. The hub has been built on what was the site of Manchester Metropolitan University's Alsager Campus, although it's now unrecognisable.
To be honest I had low expectations. I'd read reports by other groundhoppers of having to watch the action from behind the tall fence that encloses the pitch as, unusually for a team at this level, there's no designated area inside for spectators.
Luckily however it was possible to watch this cup tie from pitchside, albeit by remaining near the corner flag by the entrance.
That meant being at the end AFC Alsager were attacking in the first half, and so where most of the early action took place. They're second in the league's top division, while Albrighton are mid-table two levels lower, so a comfortable home win was always likely.
It took the Alsager about 15 minutes to go in front. Albrighton surprisingly managed an equaliser, but spent most of the half defending and were 3-1 down by half time.
The home side played into the strong wind in the second half, but continued to dominate. That the score finished only 5-1 is testament to some wayward finishing, and a determined performance by Albrighton, whose keeper had a fine game.
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