Penistone Church 0-1 Tadcaster Albion, Saturday 28th September 2024

Penistone Church 0-1 Tadcaster Albion, Northern Counties East League Premier Division, Memorial Ground, att. 315

I arrived 35 minutes in. The sweet spot. Just when nobody is on the gate and you can just wander in (sorry Penistone!) I’d just come from Wythenshawe Town’s FA Cup game (KO: 12:30) and was meeting Nozzer at the Memorial Ground prior to giving him a lift back to Barnsley for tonite’s Big Game Live on Sky. Well, that and a pint in the Penistone Tap.

Keeping an eye out for me, Nozzer stood on at the corner flag. Having nipped to the loo, he’d missed the key point in the match. A Church player had just stood on an opponent’s head and been sent off. It would be an uphill struggle for the league leaders today, and one they weren’t quite up to. Albion deserved it, grabbing the winner midway through the 2nd half.

By then, Nozzer and I were on the far side, where flat standing backs onto a fence, hanging out with the Penistone yoof, getting cold. Walking around the perimeter, I’m sure Church had got themselves TWO new (back of the lorry) stands since I was last here, while behind the goal, I hadn’t realised the area squeezed in a full size football pitch. I may have had a beer, but today’s a marathon, not a sprint. I’m driving and I need to choose my one beer carefully...so post-match, we headed to the chippy before a wheat beer in the Penistone Tap. Cracking pub, and busy too. And warm. That was the main thing.

The Damage:
ent free!
= £0