Easington Colliery FC

 A Friday night game awaited vs lowly opposition in the form of West Allotment Celtic. Welfare Park, the home of Easington is a very strange ground from the outside. The road that leads to it has automatic bollards and an intercom, with a sign stating no access except farm traffic. When I arrived the bollards were down, so I went for it, however there is zero parking, luckily I just managed to get back out again and minutes later the bollards went up, my advice, don't attempt to drive upto the ground. Just on the main road opposite the Co op is a small free car park for 20 cars or so, this is where I chose to leave the car and a 5 minute walk back up the parkland path.


There's no obvious sign directing you to where the ground is, look for the bollards and you can't go wrong. Food wise I didn't even entertain the options in the ground, I'd looked up Jill's fish and chips beforehand and it didn't disappoint, 8 scampi that were the size of tennis balls and delicious brown homemade old fashioned style chips. Just the job and highly recommended, it's only downhill towards the sea from the ground, 2 minutes by car. 


Once in the ground it's a tidy little place, the pitch was in excellent condition, much to their credit in the middle of January and after some hefty rainfall. There's a small covered stand with some benches and the rest is open terracing. A small club house with toilets and is spotlessly clean and tidy. The food hut does an excellent cup of tea for £2 which warmed me up pre match.


Onto the match, I'd seen Easington on boxing day at Horden. They missed a hateful of chances that day and ended up losing to 10 men, this game started in the same vain, they were completely on top, the number 11, as talented as he is, misses a hell of a lot of chances, however he opened the scoring as he slotted home across goal for a composed finish. The second came from a scruffy header from a corner. West Allotment had no out, it was wave after wave of pressure they faced, I wonder how bad Whickham are to be under West Allotment in the league. It wasn't for the want of trying for their number 10 who was a credit to himself, both playing as centre forward in the first half and defensive midfield in the second.


Allotment came out with a bit more purpose after the break but still barely tested the keeper, if at all. They were 3-0 down with another scruffy goal from a corner, the player seemed to mis kick it but got a second chance and poked home from a yard out. Plenty of subs followed as the game was wrapped up. In the last minute of stoppage time an excellent ball sent the Easington forward through, he was brought down by the last man, penalty and red card. The resulting penalty was slotted away but it wasn't without controversy, the referee allowing it to be taken before the sent off player had even walked off. It surely should have been re taken but it wasn't, instead he just blew for full time. Crowd of 147 on a cold night, Easington continue the chase for the play offs whilst Allotment are left to scrape the points needed for survival.


To get to the ground it's within really easy reach off the A19, take the Easington Village turn off and just follow the road straight for about a mile, upon reaching the Co op, find anywhere in the vicinity to pull up and park and head to the ground on foot, 5 minute walk tops. 


For any pin badge collectors there didn't seem to be any merchandise on sale so try ebay beforehand to make sure.


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