Bude Town v Wendron United

South West Peninsula League

Division 1 West

Saturday 5th May 2018

Kick Off 14.00  On Time !

Bude Town 3 Wendron United 1,  attendance 54

26’ 1-0 (pen)

72’ 2-0

78’ 3-0

88’ 3-1

@ Broadclose Park

Broadclose Hill

Bude

EX23 8DR

£3 Admission

No Programme.

I was quite lucky to notice that the kick off time for this match had been brought forward by an hour. I spotted the time had altered on the league website at around midnight on Friday, but neither club had any mention of it on their twitter accounts. Wendron did tweet about it being a 14.00 kick off at around 9 o’clock on Saturday morning (apparently they wanted to get home early due to a number of their players attending an evening wedding reception), but Bude didn’t bother, which may explain why there were only around 20 people in the ground at kick off, although it did increase over the next twenty minutes or so !

Another thing Bude don’t bother with is producing a matchday programme, which I believe they are supposed to do as a league requirement, but it probably isn’t worth their while with such low crowds.

Bude are bottom of the league table, but only because they have an inferior goal difference to Illogan R.B.L., whilst Wendron are fifth from bottom, but are in no danger of being relegated.

Bude were up for it from the start and should have been two goals to the good before finally making the breakthrough from the penalty spot, with the Referee awarding the penalty for a handball just inside the 18 yard box, which he apparently saw from inside the centre circle from where he was well behind play (only club linesmen in this division, who don’t do anything except offsides and balls in/out).

A cracking dipping shot from 25 yards doubled their lead, before the ‘keeper dropped a high ball to gift a tap in from a couple of yards for the third. Wendron got their consolation goal when their striker coolly slotted past the ‘keeper following a defensive mix up.

So, with Illogan R.B.L. beating St. Blazey 3-0 today, it is on to Bank Holiday Monday, and the last game of the season, where Illogan will host Bude, to decide who finishes bottom of the table. Bude will occupy last position, unless they win the match, so they go into it as slight underdogs. Despite this being a match I plan to watch, I am not convinced that Illogan will actually bother to turn up, as they have already thrown a match against third from bottom Plymstock United, so what is to stop them doing the same here ? The punishment for failing to fulfil fixtures is nowhere near harsh enough, so clubs would rather pay a fine than turn up and play matches…….anyway, all will be revealed on Monday.

Below photo : Bude take the lead from the penalty spot.