TT No.182: Richie Jennings - Sat 26th January 2008, Kent League Premier Divn, Slade Green v Faversham Town, Result: 1-2; Attendance: 77; Admission: £6; Programme: £1, 28pp; FGIF Rating: 3*

My original plan was to go to the Stanway Rovers FA Vase game.  I was dropped off by my good lady wife at the Dartford Crossing and was due to be picked up at 1.15pm.  However, despite some frantic phone calls and directions, my lift gave up the ghost at 2pm.  Luckily, Slade Green is only a few miles from the M25 so a cab ride later took me to the Moat Lane Ground, known as the Small Glen after it's founder in 1946. The ground is easily accessible from the railway station which is only 5 minutes walk away.  The old station pub, the Railway Inn, has now been converted to housing so the only pub worth visiting pre match if you had time to spare would by the Corner Pin on Slade Green Road.   I last visited this ground on a few occasions 8 years ago when I lived just around the corner from the ground. The same familiar faces appeared to be running the club behind the scenes.  I got a friendly welcome on the gate and parted with £7 which included a 28 page A5 programme with the admission.  It was basically a standard 20 page glossy issue with a 8 page black and white insert although I won't knock any issue during the unpredictable January weather. The ground security had been updated with a robust fencing surround as I recall a few instances of vandalism during my previous visits. All the facilities are along the dugout touchline nearside of the ground.  Covered standing accommodation is situated behing the dugouts although this does impede your view a little.  At the back of the stand is the changing rooms, club house and food servery.  The only beverage on tap is Fosters but they do have a good selection of bottles in the fridge.  A limited food and snack menu was available and the club house did have Sky Sports News avaialble for those FA Cup updates (especially our H&W non-league reps).  The pitch is in surprisingly good condition for this time of year and is railed off on three sides with a steep bank restricting access behind one goal. The match was a bit scrappy with no one prepared to spray the ball around.  A typical tussle with two sides in the bottom part of the league table.  Faversham looked a completely different side to the one I witnessed on their reformation two seasons ago.  Slade Green worked extremely hard in the first half and scored just before half time. This would have been a great response as they had lost their last two fixtures heavily.  Faversham responded in the second half to run out 2-1 victors, although Green did hit the woodwork before the end and had chances to share the spoils but to no avail.

contributed on 28/01/08