That's the point

A point at last at Hampton on Tuesday night to stop the run of defeats, whether this will be a pitstop on the race to the bottom or a veritable turning point will be made clear by the time Hampton make the return trip to York Road on April 9th.

I always enjoy the trip to Hampton.  Although London based I consider them a village team.  This is not a derogatory label merely a nod to their pleasant riverside hamlet location which comes as a relief after travelling through miles of middle class suburban homes in Hounslow and Hanworth. The village feel continues with the friendly welcome by faces which are generally familiar due to the Magpies longstanding rivalry with the Beavers. Not sure what message the barmaid was trying to pass on though with the obscene stencil she made in the top of  my pint of Guinness.  Certainly wasn't a shamrock.

The ground itself is an architecturally curious collection of structures which reflect the steady development of the Beveree.  The absence of a thematic look to the stadium is no bad thing and is a pleasing contrast to the smooth antiseptic lines which are increasingly common at grounds at this level such as Ten Acres or Ship Lane.  A broken printer and PA system are hardly a disaster and a reminder that this is a match between two clubs run by amateurs, again no bad thing.

The game itself was not one for the purist, perhaps a bad advert for non league football, with the key influence being shared between Wimbledon FC and Wimbledon tennis as the ball pinged back and forth through the air.  Then again the dry bobbly surface meant any attempt to avoid playing on it was definitely excusable.

A tactical switch by Johnson Hippolyte to 4-3-3 proved very effective in increasing the number of chances for the Magpies and they deservedly took the lead through Jefferson Louis. Hampton's swift equaliser reflected their committed performance and the influence of the impressive David Tarpey on the right side of midfield. It was inevitably scored by ex Magpie Lawrence Yaku.  Both sides had very good chances to win the game so a draw was the fairest result, the 1-1 scoreline neatly trailing my journey back into London on the 111 bus. With St. Albans' points deduction being confirmed its now up to United to try and get some momentum from this result by turning this into a full blown recovery in the six pointer at Lewes this afternoon.