State of Stowmarket Town pitch takes Walsham-le-Willows manager by surprise
Walsham-le-Willows boss Fergus O’Callaghan admitted he was ‘quite shocked’ by the state of the Stowmarket Town pitch ahead of the decision to postpone the weekend’s derby game.
The Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division leaders were all set to host The Willows in both sides’ final fixture of the year on Saturday, before officials deemed the pitch unplayable with just 10 minutes to go until kick-off.
It left a bumper crowd at Greens Meadow frustrated to miss out on the derby which, at the time of going to press, had not yet been rescheduled.
But, in some ways, the call-off was a blessing in disguise for the visiting side on a two-match winning streak and having scored seven goals in that timeframe.
“Obviously we wanted to play, ” O’Callaghan said. “But at this time of year it can be hard going.
“It’s how you pick up injuries playing on pitches like that and, although it is a leveller in some ways, I agree with the referee’s call to cancel it. Player safety is paramount really.
“The late decision was a bit frustrating to be fair, but it was the correct decision in the end, I was quite shocked how bad the pitch was; it was like quicksand in the middle.
“We were really looking forward to it though – it’s a bit of a free game where anything is a bonus and it would have been a good run-out. We are itching to get back on the pitch and keep the momentum going.”
Walsham (13th) are due to host sixth-placed Norwich United tomorrow (3pm) in their first match in a fortnight, and their first of 2020.
It is the first fixture in a run of five consecutive home matches in the league, and O’Callaghan sees it as an opportunity to get more points on the board.
“It’s always great to play at home,” he said. “We get great support and we make it difficult for teams here.
“I’m quite excited about the next few games at home, if we can have a good Christmas and new year period then we can really push on.
“Norwich are a very good side, so it will be very tough. They are very good in front of goal and are well drilled; we will have to defend well to keep them out.”
Norwich have netted 10 goals from their last two outings in the league while shipping just one. But, since O’Callaghan took over the Summer Road club 11 league matches ago, the side have lost just twice to sit sixth in the standings over this period.
He added: “The boys have responded well but the getting used to me period is done now, so we need to keep up the good work.
“The table is really tight so we’re aware that one or two slip-ups could send us back down to the danger zone and the risk of relegation.”