Anglian Combination

Premier Division

Monday 17th April 2017

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.02

Spixworth 1 St. Andrews 3,  attendance 97

28′ 0-1

52′ 1-1

61′ 1-2

72′ 1-3

@ Village Hall

Crostwick Lane

Spixworth

NR10 3NQ

£2 Admission, including Programme, 20 pages.

This was 1st v 9th and a real surprise result, although fully deserved. The last fifteen minutes was played mainly in the St. Andrews half of the pitch, but they stood firm and even had to endure almost nine minutes of stoppage time as well.

Spixworth came into this having won 25 of their 26 league matches, the other game being a 1-1 draw at home to Acle United. Despite this superb record, they can still be overhauled by Harleston Town, who are 8 points behind, but with two games in hand and they too have only lost once this season, 2-0 at Spixworth. The return fixture is the last game of the season, so if both teams continue to win their remaining games, they will go into the final game separated by just 2 points !

Gloucestershire County League

Saturday 15th April 2017

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.59

AEK-Boco 5 Lebeq United 0,  attendance 102

7′ 1-0

8′ 2-0

16′ 3-0

63′ 4-0

87′ 5-0

@ True Clarity Pavilion

Greenbank Road

Hanham

BS15 3RZ

No Admission

£1 Programme, 20 pages.

A rather typical end of season mid table match as twelfth entertained seventh in the league table. This was the final game of the season for Lebeq, this defeat dropping them two places in the table, whilst AEK-Boco still have five league matches, plus a cup final, to play.

A blistering start meant it was game over a quarter of an hour in, and a straight red card five minutes from time simply rounded off a bad day for the visitors.

Kent County League

Premier Division

Tuesday 11th April 2017

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.17

Guru Nanak 0 Greenways 6,  attendance 38

2′ 0-1

23′ 0-2

30′ 0-3

66′ 0-4

76′ 0-5

77′ 0-6

@ Guru Nanak Sports Ground

Khalsa Avenue

off Trinity Road

Gravesend

DA12 1LU

No admission or programme.

This went as expected. Guru Nanak had lost all 24 league matches they had played this season, although it is hard to see how they have failed to avoid defeat at least once, as they didn’t look as bad as their record suggests. Greenways meanwhile, arrived in third place in the table. They are now second, five points adrift of the leaders, Punjab United, but with a game in hand. Crucially, they still have to play each other, at Greenways, on the penultimate Saturday of the season.

West Midlands (Regional) League

Division 1

Saturday 8th April 2017

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

Darlaston Town (1874) 2 St. Martins 0,  attendance 70

38′ 1-0

90′ + 4, 2-0

@ The Paycare Ground

Bentley Leisure Pavilion

Bentley Road North

WS2 0EA

£3 Admission

£1 Programme, 24 pages (3 were blank)

So, a second successive Saturday visiting a ground in the West Midlands (Regional) League Division 1, this time for a league fixture, which was seventh versus tenth in the table. It was the last home game of the season for Darlaston, although they do have three away matches left.

This must be one of the most expensive places to watch football at this level, being double the price paid at Old Wulfrunians last week, although buying a programme is not compulsory.

Another even match, played in the unusually warm April temperature of 22 degrees. Darlaston looked like winning it by the only goal of the game, having  missed a penalty a couple of minutes from the end, saved by the St. Martins number 9, who had replaced the injured ‘keeper with ten minutes remaining, but did get the second goal with the last kick of the match.

Mid Sussex League

Premier Division

Wednesday 5th April 2017

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.16

Copthorne 5 Forest Row 0,  attendance 36

6′ 1-0

52′ 2-0

71′ 3-0 (pen)

88′ 4-0

90′ 5-0

@ King George V Playing Field

Copthorne Bank

Copthorne

RH10 3JQ

No admission or programme.

Another mid table battle, as ninth hosted sixth in the league table. It was pretty even until the third goal went in and the two late strikes don’t really give a true reflection of the match.

Spartan South Midlands League

Division 2

Tuesday 4th April 2017

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.19

M.K. Gallacticos 3 Mursley United 2,  attendance 45

37′ 1-0

48′ 1-1

55′ 2-1

64′ 2-2

73′ 3-2

@ North Furzton Sports Ground

Lynmouth Crescent

Milton Keynes

MK4 1HD

No admission or programme.

Despite this game being 8th v 13th and nothing really riding on it, it turned out to be a really good match. The scoring was opened by Christopher Wreh, the former Arsenal and Liberia striker, according to many of the groundhoppers present. In fact, it wasn’t ‘him’, but his son of the same name !

The score line would have been greater had Gallacticos not missed a last minute penalty, blazed high over the bar, awarded after the Mursley ‘keeper had been red carded for a foul. I couldn’t tell whether it was the right decision or not as it was far too dark to see it properly as it was at the far end of the pitch from where I was stood. Despite only playing 2 x 40 minutes, it was still very dark at the final whistle at 19.51. Little point in playing shorter halves if the officials and both teams then go back to the changing rooms for the half time break.

Belgium

Hainaut Provincial 2A

Sunday 2nd April 2017

Kick Off 17.30, On Time.

R.U.S. Flobecquoise 1 A.C. Estaimbourg 2,  attendance 67

60′ 0-1

64′ 0-2

90′ 1-2

@ Stade Robert Delfairiere

8, Rue Lieutenant Cotton

7880 Flobecq

No Admission or Programme.

It was 16 miles east from Molenbaix to Flobecq, so we were parked up at the ground by 17.18. During my time living in Belgium, I had been here before, again it was to be the second part of a double, but having arrived to see the game was going ahead on the second pitch, due to the main pitch being totally unplayable, I had instead gone a few miles up the road to watch F.C. Ellezellois, where the game was played on a pitch far worse than the one at Flobecq !

No problems weather wise tonight, for a game that was bottom v mid table. In fact, Flobecq had only managed 4 points all season, but were always in with a chance in this one, although having scored their last minute goal, the Centre Forward was then red carded in stoppage time to signal yet another defeat.

Two things of note about tonight’s game. Firstly, it was very unusual for no admission to be charged and just as unexpected to be at a Belgian ground where hot food was available. Only burgers, but better than nothing, which would be the case at 99% of the other grounds in Belgium.

It was a trouble free drive back to Calais, with plenty of time to spare for our 2220 booking on the Tunnel back to Folkestone. Unfortunately, technical problems during loading meant an hour sat there, before being taken off the train and reloaded to a different one that would hopefully work. It did, but another train had broken down in the tunnel, so by the time that had been towed out of the way, we arrived back in England 3 hours later than we should have.

Belgium

Hainaut Provincial 2A

Sunday 2nd April 2017

Kick Off 15.00, On Time.

R.F.C. Molenbaix 5 A.S. Obigies 0,  attendance 95

8′ 1-0

48′ 2-0 (OG)

57′ 3-0

59′ 4-0

65′ 5-0 (pen)

@ 1, Rue du Chateau 

7760 Molenbaix

€5 Admission

No Programme.

So, this was to be the first game of a double header today. It was a nice easy 90 odd mile drive from the tunnel, for a game that was top of the table versus fourth bottom, the points being important at both ends of the league table.

An early goal for the hosts led to a pretty dull first half. They then had a player sent off in stoppage time at the end of the first half, bringing the game to life after the restart. It was hard to believe that it was the 10 men that were handing out the thrashing.

Just a couple of minutes stoppage time were played at the end of the match, so plenty of time to head off for our second game of the day, which was in the same division.

West Midlands (Regional) League

Division 1 League Cup

Quarter Final

Saturday 1st April 2017

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.59

Old Wulfrunians 1 Tipton Town 0,  attendance 39

90′ + 2, 1-0

@ Old Wulfrunians Memorial Ground

253a Castlecroft Road

Wolverhampton

WV3 8NA

£2 Admission, including Programme, 12 pages.

If ever there was a game that perfectly fits the description of ‘cancelling each other out’, then this was it. Even by league position it was 6th v 5th. I think everybody had resigned themselves that we were going into extra time, when a corner was headed in off the underside of the bar to finally break the deadlock with the last effort of the match.