Brodsworth Welfare v Louth Town Saturday 28th August 2010 NCEL Division One

With it being Bank Holiday weekend I’d decided a while ago to revisit Brodsworth which is situated on the outskirts of Doncaster. I’ve been to the Welfare Ground before in 2008 but I like it there and so was happy to go back. I parked up outside behind the Louth team bus and made my way to the turnstiles. Only thing being that they were not open, entry being through the car park this time. Programmes had already sold out, which was not a total surprise as Broddy have a reputation with their programmes!
By entering the ground here you find yourself behind one of the goals.

This end has hard standing running its total length and a breeze block wall separates you from the pitch.
I make my way anti-clockwise around the ground and the side of the ground is the same again, hard standing along the length of it. The floodlights are set back and there is a large area of grass running to the boundary of the ground.

The end opposite the one I came in has a three step covered stand behind the goal and the Louth fans have already set up their flags in here.

The next side of the ground has a seated stand sat astride the half way line with the dug outs set either side of it. There are two floodlight pylons on this side and a building towards the end of the ground, which I presume is a storage area. The seated stand has several rows of benching in it and some white boarding in a couple of places, for what purpose I’m not too sure.

As you reach the end you arrive at the dressing rooms, toilets and some further buildings, one of which is the tea hut. I head inside, buy a coffee and head back to the seated stand and wait the game.
Broddy were the whipping boys of the NCEL Premier for a couple of years and they have already concede 19 goals in four league games before today and with league new boys Louth having won all three of their games so far I was expecting only one result.
Louth were quickly into their stride and had their first chance after 4minutes but the striker blazed over the bar. Wes Thompson made the first of his many saves a minute or so later from a header by Fairburn. Broddy nearly scored themselves after a quarter of an hour when Wherry saved Davison’s embarrassment when he nearly put through his own goal. The windy conditions were making it difficult for good football to be played and both sides had difficulty at times with their passing. Thompson in the Broddy goal continued to pull off some good saves but he was beaten at last after 25 minutes. Broddy defender Sharp kicked Crossley of the visitors in revenge for an incident a moment or two before. The referee spotted the infringement, awarded a penalty to Louth and booked Sharp. Sam Smith placed his shot low and hard into the corner of the net, giving Thompson no chance. Louth extended their lead on 33 minutes when a free kick was played low into the box and Danny Stevens fire home. Only a great save from Thompson on the stroke of half time kept the scoreline at 2-0.

Broddy nearly had a scoring chance from the kick off in the second half when Sharp burst through on goal but brave keeping by Wherry kept him out. At the other end Thompson continued his good form and kept Louth at bay almost single handedly. The conditions continued to make it hard for both teams and we even had some rain just to make life a bit more difficult. Louth continued to have chances and they had a big shout for a penalty when a Broddy defender appeared to punch the ball away from a corner but the men who matter did not see it and so no penalty. No further score saw Louth run out 2-0 winners, a deserved victory on the day, but Broddy put in a gritty display and had a lot to thank man of the match Thompson for.

More pictures of the Welfare Ground here.

Brodsworth Welfare 0-2 Louth Town
Att: 54
Admission: £5
Programme: £1.50 (I think)