Barton has been looked at a few times in the last month or so, but when I couldn’t get to Penistone Church to complete the division, I didn’t know whether to save it for next season when I’ll do Penistone Church. When I was looking for fixtures today, I quite fancied a new Football League ground if possible. League One were kicking off at 12:30, and I would have done a double if there as a League One game followed by something close. I looked at Wigan, but there was nothing I could immediately find very close to go after.
In the end, I decided this meaningless game at Barton would be my destination, only a few days after being down this part of the world for North Ferriby. It took a while to get down here, especially considering I decided to go the York, Pocklington, Market Weighton route instead of the M62, but I was still at the ground in plenty of time.
I quite like the ground. It’s tidy and has all the facilities you could want. It’s a brick wall surround the pitch and it’s perfect to lean on/hold a drink.
It’s £6 in, but on the gate, I was told about an offer of admission and £7 worth of food and drink vouchers for £10. It was a no brainer to get that. A cheeseburger and chips with a can of Pepsi Max Cherry was the way to spend the vouchers, with me having to put 90p towards it. The food was good too. The burger was seasoned like it as from a local butcher making it better than your average football burger, and the chips were good too.
I found a few interesting bits to the ground. Behind the goal is an ‘away stand situated next to a ‘home stand’, and every seat in the main stand is labelled either home seat, away seat or family seat, but it definitely wasn’t enforced. There’s a nice scoreboard with a clock in one corner too.
Wren Kitchens mut be a bit supporter of the club. The ground features a Wrens Kitchens Stand, the Wrens Kitchens snack bar and a continuous Wrens Kitchens banner at the top of the perimeter fence of the ground.
As for the game, three offsides in the opening four minutes is what I noted from the very early stages.
It was an entertaining enough start with chances at both ends, but the better of the chances were going Knaresborough’s way.
The opening goal didn’t arrive until the 66th minute when Knaresborough’s Danny Edwards chipped a lovely finish from 18 yards over the ‘keeper and into the net.
Knaresborough’s lead was doubled in the 77th minute. Dom Creamer’s low cross found Aaron White at the back post who converted on the stretch.
With five minutes to play, Knaresborough added a third. A drilled ball from the left was bundled towards goal and Alex Ingham was on hand to smash the ball into the net from two yards.
Full-time: Barton Town 0-3 Knaresborough Town
Next up for me is New Durham vs Billingham Town Reserves on Monday night.
Barton Town: Mitchell, Smaller, Waudby, Heeley (Needham, 81′), Nelson, Clayton, Chapman, King (Winn, 89′), Moody, Brown (Salter, 74′) Coley
Unused sub: North
Knaresbrough Town: Brown, Marsh, Lee, Wildin, Anderson, Parkes (Lee, 69′), Gregson (Heath, 88′), Emmett (Creamer, 74′), Edwards (Ingham, 81′), Walker, White
Unused sub: Parkes
Admission: £6 adults, £4 concessions normally, but I got an offer of £10 for admission and 2x£3.50 food/drink vouchers – bargain!
Attendance: 124
Programme: Online
Cheeseburger, chips and can of Pepsi Max Cherry: £7.90 (£7 food and drink vouchers used)
Referee: Matthew Rose