East Gwent League

Harry Fishwick Cup Final

Saturday 5th April 2025

Kick Off 17.00 Actual 16.56!

Tintern Abbey 0 Severn Tunnel Non Political Club 1, attendance 220

90’ 0-1

@ Sudbrook Cricket Club F.C.

Mill Lane

Caldicot

NP26 5DD

£3 Admission, including 4 page Programme (with wrong spelling on cover!)

The journey back east from Croesyceilliog to Caldicot took twenty seven minutes, arriving in plenty of time for kick off, despite the game starting four minutes earlier than scheduled. There’s plenty of parking and admission was taken at the entrance to the cricket ground, with the pitch away to the left, running widthways and railed on three and a bit sides, with the area overlapping the cricket outfield being roped, whilst there’s a pair of dugouts on the far side. The clubhouse was open and doing a good trade both before and during the game.

The Harry Fishwick Cup is played for by teams in Division 2 of the league, which is the lowest level. Tintern Abbey are fourth in the league table, whilst Severn Tunnel are top, thirteen points clear of second placed Rockfield Rovers, having only lost one league game so far, so came into this as favourites. It wasn’t a great game and produced very little in the way of goal scoring opportunities. Severn Tunnel did have an early goal disallowed for offside and had a second half effort hit the crossbar. They did look the more likely to grab a winner and it came in the final minute, breaking clear from the halfway line before finishing into the bottom corner.

At least the early finish for an evening kick off meant the journey home was completed before the inevitable road work closures kicked in.

Newport & District League

Premier Division X

Saturday 5th April 2025

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.31

Croesyceilliog Athletic 1 Risca Town 6, attendance 30

1’ 0-1

7’ 0-2

8’ 1-2

40’ 1-3

59’ 1-4

65’ 1-5

77’ 1-6

@ The Dyke

Raglan Court

off Cardigan Crescent

Croesyceilliog

NP44 2QR

No Admission or Programme.

With the intention to do a second game at 5 o’clock, this game fitted the bill perfectly. It looked to be a good game too, with second in the league table hosting third. They were both on 44 points coming into this, trailing league leaders Pill Reserves by two points. In fact, Croesyceilliog had been top themselves until losing 0-2 at home to Pill in their last home game.

I’d never done a game in this league before, so wasn’t sure what to expect in either standard of football, or ground, but was pleasantly surprised by how good both were. Google maps just showed an open pitch, but it is fully railed off and has a couple of dugouts too, which although have a roof, are still lacking in any back or sides to them. The only thing that may hinder them in progressing up the pyramid is how narrow the pitch is, being no more than 5 yards from the edge of the 18 yard box to the touchline.

Risca got off to a great start, scoring in the opening ten seconds, following it up with a second goal after seven minutes, heading in at the near post from a corner on the right. A minute later Croesyceilliog pulled it back to 1-2, heading in from a cross that the ‘keeper should really have got to first and they thought they’d levelled the scores five minutes later, but the goal was ruled out for offside. A corner, that was only half cleared, was volleyed into the top corner to see Risca restore their two goal lead five minutes before halftime and by the time they made it 1-4 just before the hour mark, the points were safe. The goal of the game, a curler into the far corner from the angle of the 18 yard box saw them make it 1-5 with twenty minutes left. Shortly afterwards, Croesyceilliog lost their ‘keeper to injury, being replaced by an outfield player and five minutes later he was beaten by a shot on the turn, following a knock down from a long throw in, to round off a resounding 1-6 win for Risca, who now move up to second in the table.