TT No.70: Keith Aslan - Sat. December 8th 2012 (KO: 14.08); Meliden v Nantlle Vale; Welsh Alliance Division 2;   Result: 6-3; Admission: Donation; Programme: £1; Official attendance: 50 (real att: 34 (31 home 1 away 2 neutral).


With the devil incarnate just beginning a totally unjustified two year extension to his franchise to run trains, good news for everyone except passengers, I decided to celebrate by travelling Virgin to tick off Meliden's ground on the North Welsh coast. This proved to be a sagacious choice as not only the railway was behaving itself, but this was about the best game I've seen all season.

 

Meliden is a village a couple of miles or so south of Prestatyn. It took me the best part of an hour to walk it, but most people should be able to knock a good 10 minutes off that. There are three buses an hour from Prestatyn bus station and I got the bus back from the stop which was a minute from the ground for an excruciationg £2.10p for an eight minute journey!

 

Meliden are well into hoppers and they will be a welcome addition to August's Welsh Alliance Groundhop. I was made to feel welcome by the manager, the crowd, the tea lady and various officials. A very friendly club. There were two late arrivals to this game - the programmes and the away team. The programme editor had been to his works Christmas party the previous night and needed extra recovery time to get to the ground. With the tea lady being his mother-in-law she was able to assure me that the progs were printed and he was going to be along with them when he felt well enough. The lack of an away team was more troubling and they (Nantlle Vale) finally put in an appearance at 1:45pm. Their excuse, they couldn't find Meliden (the village not the ground) and they didn't have SatNav. Or a map presumably? Or anyone who could follow signposts? Or anyone who could remember where the place was from when they played last season? Strewth, they aren't crossing the South Pole, they are travelling 25 miles along  tarmaced roads with maps available at every garage! Somehow I managed to find the place without Satnav or a map, I found the signposts to be a bit of a giveaway.

 

The game finally got underway and what a game it was with both teams deserving great credit for producing such a spectacle in very difficult conditions. History was made after 31 minutes when I witnessed what must be the three quickest goals ever scored. I am indebted to a fellow hopper with a stopwatch who informed me that from the first goal going in to the third was 71 seconds!!

 

Nantlle Vale scored first. From the kick off Meliden had a fluid five man passing movement with the equaliser going in without an opposing player touching the ball. Then direct from kick off Nantlle scored again. Hats off to Gavin Davies, I've seen loads of players try to score a goal from the centre circle, but he is the first one I've actually seen manage it. It was all the more remarkable because the keeper was on his line all the time. This was the signal for the Meliden team to surround the referee complaining you can't score a goal direct from kick off. It must be difficult keeping up with all these new fangled rule alterations, but I think when they read their copies of the Laws of the Game (which I'm sure they've all got) they will find scoring direct from kick off became legal about 15 years ago. It always amuses me when people say that refereeing standards would improve if more ex. players took up the whistle!

 

The game continued in it's 'all action' format although understandably the goals became more spaced out. After the three goal flurry Meliden went 2-1 down but went into the break 3-2 up. Nantlle vale made it 3-3 early in the second, but half hour from the end the home side began to pull away and of the six they scored, Darren Hughs got five of them.

 

Refreshments were available throughout, with tea, coffee, soup and hot dogs all on sale at low low prices. The ground, fully railed with no cover has a pleasant situation with the sea visible in the distance while in the other direction is a small mountain (or big hill depending on your viewpoint). All in all an excellent day out. I was trying to get another hopper to accompany me to this one but he said it didn't look like a very good game and he would go when the opposition was "more attractive" I hope he enjoyed his 0-0 draw at Sutton Athletic!

 

contributed on 09/12/12