Belgium

West Vlaanderen Provincial 4C

Saturday 6th April 2019

Kick Off 15.00. On Time !

K. Zonnekloppers Dentergem 4 V.C. Ons Genot Stasegem 1, attendance 119

39’ 1-0

67’ 2-0

72’ 3-0

84’ 4-0

89’ 4-1

@ Meulebekesteenweg 18B

8720 Dentergem

€4 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

We were booked on the 09.50 Tunnel from Folkestone, heading for Belgium and what we hoped would be a treble in the West Vlaanderen Provincial League. A lot of clubs had moved their matches to today, in order to avoid a clash with the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour Of Flanders) cycle race, which is of far more interest to the locals than the local football clubs will ever be. Despite being very busy, due to the start of the build up to the Easter Holidays, the trains were running on time, although ours did leave two minutes late.

The match was 2nd versus 11th in the league table. Despite dominating the match, Dentergem were struggling to break the visitors down and were not helped by a very dry and bumpy pitch. Stasegem actually had the best two chances of the first half, but the hosts broke the deadlock just before halftime and a two goal burst midway through the second half saw the game won. They added a fourth goal, six minutes from time, before Stasegem nicked a late consolation.

Bristol Premier Combination League

Premier Division

Thursday 4th April 2019

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.01

Seymour United 2 Cribbs Reserves 6, attendance 25

1’ 0-1

15’ 1-1

19’ 1-2

20’ 1-3

41’ 1-4

48’ 1-5

85’ 2-5

86’ 2-6

@ Coronation Park

Park Road

Cadbury Heath

BS30 8EP

No Admission or Programme.

This was ninth in the league table versus first. Cribbs were far too good, especially their Number 6 Daniel Burgan, who scored five of their goals, three of which were real quality finishes. Cribbs had a man sent off in stoppage time at the end of the first half, but it wasn’t noticeable that they were a man short during the second half. Seymour also had a man sent off twelve minutes from the end, but were immediately awarded a penalty after the game restarted, but it was saved. It wouldn’t have made much difference, as they were 1-5 down at the time. The win leaves Cribbs 13 points clear at the top of the table, although second placed Sea Mills Park do have 3 games in hand.

Hampshire Premier League

Senior Division

Wednesday 3rd April 2019

Kick Off 18.15. On Time !

Athletico Romsey 1 Bush Hill 11, attendance 24

19’ 0-1

29’ 0-2

32’ 0-3

36’ 0-4

41’ 0-5

45’ 0-6

48’ 0-7

52’ 0-8

67’ 0-9

73’ 1-9

77’ 1-10

78’ 1-11

@ Hatches Farm Sports Ground

Romsey Road

West Wellow

SO51 6EB

No Admission or Programme.

This ground has hosted Hampshire Premier League matches in the past, when it was home to Wellow, but I never made it here to see them play. Athletico Romsey had been trying to get this game called off, saying that they were struggling to get a team out for the 18.00 scheduled start, but agreed to play it when the league moved the game back by fifteen minutes to an 18.15 kick off. I feared the worst when I arrived at 17.05 to find the ground deserted and the gate to the car park padlocked. At 17.21 Bush Hill arrived, then over the course of the next half hour the home players arrived in dribs and drabs.

With it being a particularly gloomy night and the fact that it was now raining, the Referee decided to play 2 x 40 minute halves, despite kicking off on time. The rain got heavier as the game went on, but finally stopped with about ten minutes left. With a quick turnaround at halftime, which lasted just about three minutes, the game was done and dusted by 19.39, where the light was still reasonable, but it might not have been if they had tried to get the extra ten minutes in.

Athletico are bottom of the league table, having taken some real thrashings, including an 11-1 hammering against Bush Hill in the reverse fixture. To be fair to them, they never gave up and made Bush Hill work really hard for all their goals and arguably they scored the goal of the match with a thunderbolt of a free kick that gave the ‘keeper no chance.

This win puts Bush Hill (4 games to play) top of the table, ahead of Paulsgrove on goal difference. Paulsgrove only have one match left, at home to Bush Hill, but even if they win that, it probably wouldn’t be enough to take the title. Infinity (5 games to play) are the real challengers, as they are in third place, six points behind, but with a game in hand. They have a goal difference worse by 24, but do have to play Athletico at home yet. If both teams keep winning it sets it up nicely for the last game of the season…….Bush Hill v Infinity.

Banbury District & Lord Jersey F.A.

Banbury Charity Cup 2nd Round

Tuesday 2nd April 2019

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.16

Bodicote Sports 3 Chasewell Park 3 (5-4 pens), attendance 20

38’ 1-0

44’ 1-1 (pen)

51’ 1-2

64’ 1-3

80’ 2-3 (pen)

81’ 3-3

@ Kingsfield

White Post Road

Bodicote

OX15 4AA

No Admission or Programme.

This was my first match of ‘silly season’, but the weather certainly didn’t feel much like we were heading towards the end of the season. It rained and hailed for a good half an hour leading up to kick off and there was also a spell of rain during the second half that also saw the temperature drop.

These two teams are in the Premier Division of this league, currently 4th versus 2nd in the table. There was plenty of effort, but not always a great deal of skill on show, but it was certainly entertaining. It looked like the visitors had done enough to win it when they took a 1-3 lead, but Bodicote scored two goals in two minutes to level it up at 3-3.

Despite only kicking off a minute late and having a short halftime, it was beginning to get a bit gloomy towards the end and the Referee blew his whistle for full time a couple of minutes early, mindful that there was still a penalty shoot out required to decide the tie. Chasewell Park went first and duly missed. The following 9 kicks were all converted, to give Bodicote a 5-4 win.