Having not been to a match at the weekend, I saw that Clay Cross. Town were playing Ashbourne in the third round of ‘The Derbyshire County F.A. Senior Challenge Cup.

I hadn’t been to Clay Cross since bonfire night in 2019 and I understood that there had been many changes since last there. As I pulled up outside, I noted that it was just 1.5 degrees on a very still night. Fully wrapped up, I entered the ground to immediately see that my expectation was rewarded. A new clubhouse, new café, new seated stand behind one goal, which was still being kitted out, new changing rooms and work on the pitch that had suffered badly in the previous season. The pitch itself had a good grass cover over the undulating surface, which slopes slightly from end to end.

It is suggested that there has been a football team in Clay Cross since 1881 with the current clubs inspiration taken from the team of 1909. It played in local football in different guises until in 2012 when a new ‘Town’ club was reinvigorated. Disappointment in missing out on promotion was finally forgotten when they made it to the Northern Counties East League Division One in 2023 and moved to the United Counties League Division One for this season following a regional reorganisation. They are third in the league with games in hand on the two teams above them.

When thinking about football in Ashbourne thoughts are immediately drawn to what’s known as the ‘Ashbourne Game’. This game that has been played since 1667, on Shrove Tuesday, and may be longer, between large groups of players from two areas of the town, has been promoted as one of the fore-runners of the modern game. The team on show was only formed in 2009 with the merger of Ashbourne United and Ashbourne Town. They have made it to the Premier Division of the Staffordshire County Senior League despite being based in Derbyshire and currently sit in seventh position.

Clay Cross Ton FC 2 Ashbourne 0

Tuesday 3rd December 2024, The Derbyshire County FA Senior Challenge Cup, third round.

Clay Cross Town FC Mill Lane, Tupton, Derbyshire.

The Millers v The Shrovetiders

Clay Cross; Blue and white vertical stripes to front of shirts with white backs and dark dark blue shorts. Ashbourne; Red and white vertical striped shirts and red shorts.

I heard before the game started that the home team had made changes to their line up with an FA Vase game looming on the following Saturday.

Clay Cross playing down hill in the first half had most of the play in the but it was Ashbourne who came closest when against the run of play they grazed the bar with a long range shot. Both teams left the field with it 0.0 at half time with the Millers unhappy with their performance.

Ashbourne’s goal keeper kept making good saves as his outfield players made a defiant rear-guard performance with occasional break aways. This pattern of play continued throughout the second half with the small band of away supporters making the most noise and giving the most encouragement.
But with 85 minutes gone a long ball was latched on to by a player on left who clipped it in and at the second attempt Reece Clegg hit it to the right of the Ashbourne goalkeeper to give Clay Cross the lead.

Ashbourne threw everything forward now and with their previously rigid backline now out of shape, and minutes later Ross Duggan was left on his own to run on to place the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net for 2 nil.

Ashbourne were disappointed, but considering they play at a lower level than Clay Cross they performed brilliantly, for me their number 6, Logan Cuthbert, was the man of the match, he left everything out there on the pitch like all of his colleagues.

The chips were really good, hot, golden, crispy on the outside, tasty, thick and with no greasy aftertaste, a great score of 72.

At half time I decided another hot drink was needed to try to thaw out. I chose a cup of hot Bovril which did the the trick regarding warmth but it was so thick that it seemed more like Bovril soup.

A big shout out to Clay Cross for producing a really magnificent program for a match that was never likely to draw a major crowd. Thank you, others should take note.