Steve Jupp, BA11's Club Historian, ponders a busy few days for the Robins over Christmas.
Boxing Day brings a big Badgers Hill basement battle as the Robins, on the crest of a wave following three straight wins and three clean sheets, take on the great unpredictables, Plymouth Parkway.
The Devon outfit avoided relegation last season by the skin of their teeth on goal difference and they currently find themselves one place and three points above Frome in the drop zone.
Their last two home fixtures have produced big wins over Marlow (5-0) and an eyebrow-raising 6-0 trouncing of high-flying Gloucester City on Saturday in which Mitch Beardmore achieved the rare and remarkable feat of a double hat-trick.
Away from their Bolitho Park base, however, they have won just one of ten Southern League outings, including the ignominy of a 9-3 hammering at Hungerford back in September.
Recent Frome v Parkway encounters:
Season Competition Home Away
2021-22 Southern League Division One South W 1 – 0 D 2 – 2
2023-24 FA Cup W 2 – 1 D 2 – 2
Both of those FA Cup ties last term were memorable clashes…180 minutes of cut-and-thrust football culminating in that dramatic stoppage-time penalty save from Kyle Phillips.
The Scarlet Runners have not fared well in contests against fellow strugglers (odd goal defeats to Tiverton, Winchester and Marlow come painfully to mind) but if they can replicate their fine form of late in front of a big Badgers Hill backing, there’s every chance that December will continue to be magic.
With less than forty-eight hours to draw breath, they will be back in action on Saturday with a trip to Bottom Meadow, home of Bracknell Town who currently lie in eighth place.
The Berkshire Robins have become something of draw specialists this season, sharing the points in more than half of their league contests, but they came away from the Hill with all three in a 2-1 triumph when the sides crossed swords back in August.
Having made the play-offs in both of the last two campaigns, their record this term of just three defeats so far suggests they may be in with a shout of making it three in a row.
Frome fans, though, can take heart from their team’s only previous visit to Bracknell, a 2009 Division One South & West encounter in which goals from Simeon Allison, Tom Piotrowski and Luke Ballinger secured a 3-2 success.
More of the same would be the icing on the Christmas cake.
The latest information on ticketing according to Bracknell's website is as follows:
Adult - £10.00
Concession (65+, NHS, Military and Students)- £6.00
U18s - £2.00
U16s - £1.00
U12s - Free
All U16s must be accompanied by an adult.
N.B. The above are online prices which will increase by £2 if bought on the gate.
Listen to the latest episode of the Dodge The Question podcast!
This week Steve & Zeb chat to Chelsea fan and new club vice-chairman,Courtney Fong, all the way from Chicago, Illinois.
You can also listen on Frome.FM radio every Friday at 5pm (repeated on Saturday 3pm)
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