Old Alleynians II 2 Old Kimboltonians 1, attendance 72
5’ 0-1
49’ 1-1
90’ + 4, 2-1
@ Merchant Taylors’ School War Memorial Sports Ground
Running Track Pitch
East Drive
Northwood
HA6 2HT
No Admission
Programme free, 8 pages.
The second final of the day was also played on the pitch inside the running track and this time involved two teams from Division 2 as 5th played 4th in the league table. A lob over the ‘keeper, from just inside the box, saw Kimboltonians take an early lead and they came closest to adding to the scoring when they saw a cross/shot finger tipped over the crossbar just before halftime. Four minutes into the second half Alleynians levelled the scores, when a one-two on the edge of the box was finished with a shot that went in off the underside of the crossbar. The game flowed back and forth as both sides had chances to win it. Alleynians thought they’d won it late on, when they headed in from a corner, but it was ruled out for a foul. Four minutes into stoppage time they did finally get a winner though, when another header, again from a corner, was put in at the far post.
Old Haberdashers 4 Old Brentwoods III 2, attendance 49
17’ 0-1
24’ 0-2
29’ 1-2
53’ 2-2
58’ 3-2
88’ 4-2
@ Merchant Taylors’ SchoolWar Memorial Sports Ground
Running Track Pitch
East Drive
Northwood
HA6 2HT
No Admission
Programme free, 8 pages.
Today I decided to do ‘Finals Day’ in the Arthurian League, where all three cup finals were being staged at Merchant Taylors’ School. I had been here back in October 2021, when I saw O.M.T. play on the Colts Cricket Club Pitch, which is the furthest pitch in the far right corner of the sports ground when entering from the car park/buildings. This mornings match was being played on the pitch inside the running track, which is still about 300-400 yards walk and was between two teams in Division 4. It was 1st versus 3rd as far as league positions go.
Brentwoods got off to a great start, opening the scoring after seventeen minutes, finishing off from close range after the ‘keeper failed to punch clear from a corner. They doubled their lead seven minutes later, finishing off a break down the right with a side foot finish from 10 yards. A shot on the turn saw Haberdashers pull it back to 1-2 after half an hour and eight minutes into the second half they made it 2-2, squeezing in a shot at the near post. The turnaround was complete before the hour mark, when a free kick from just outside the angle of the 18 yard box sailed over the ‘keeper into the far top corner. The killer fourth goal, aided by a deflection, saw them finally make it safe when they made it 4-2 with a couple of minutes left. There was still time for Brentwoods to have a man red carded in stoppage time, but the game was out of reach for them by then anyway.
I hadn’t been too keen on coming to this, as I prefer not to watch games including reserve teams, especially when the match involved two mid table teams (9th v 6th) with no chance of making a promotion push. However, I needn’t have worried. I had a quick reply from the home club via Twitter (most clubs never bother replying at all) that the game was going ahead okay. It was impressive that both teams had four substitutes and the pitch, apart from a few undulations, was in superb condition and looked freshly cut and marked out. It was an added bonus that there was a good sized overhang on the front of the changing rooms, which was certainly needed during the early stages as light rain fell and it was a bitterly cold wind. It soon cleared though, making way for blue skies overhead, but never really warmed up that much.
The game itself could easily have finished with both teams scoring double figures. As a neutral it was a great watch. Willingham scored within two minutes, but their lead was short lived as Alconbury levelled after five minutes. Willingham then scored twice to go 3-1 up after just seventeen minutes, but a four goal reply, in a fifteen minute spell, saw Alconbury lead 3-5 and we still had nearly ten minutes to go before halftime. The goals still flowed freely at the start of the second half and by the time we reached the hour mark it was 4-7. The last half hour was end to end stuff, but surprisingly the last goal of the night didn’t come until stoppage time, when Alconbury made it 4-8.
Bisterne United 5 Bournemouth Electric 1, attendance 39
6’ 1-0
18’ 2-0
19’ 2-1
69’ 3-1
85’ 4-1 (pen)
86’ 5-1
@ Bisterne Sports Club
Christchurch Road
Bisterne
BH24 3BN
No Admission or Programme.
Bisterne United came into this game knowing that a win would give them the league title as they would be out of reach of second in the table Stalbridge and also of tonight’s visitors Bournemouth Electric, who despite starting the night in sixth place, would still finish top if they were to win their last 5 games.
As it turned out, it was a comfortable win for Bisterne in the end. A close range finish put them ahead just six minutes in and when they doubled their lead after 18 minutes it looked like it would be plain sailing. Within a minute though, Electric pulled one back, but were never going to be in with a chance of getting a second, as the home club linesman (came on as a second half substitute) flagged them offside every time they came forward, whether they were offside or not! Bisterne were good enough to win without resorting to this and unfortunately, at this level, teams don’t always win relying solely on merit. Electric had a man sin binned just before halftime and no sooner had he returned, Bisterne had a sin bin of their own, but neither side took advantage of having an extra man. The killer third goal came with just over twenty minutes left, finishing with an angled shot into the far corner. Goals number four and five came in the last five minutes, through a penalty and a one on one finish.
F.C. Khalsa G.A.D. 4 Glenfield United 1, attendance 17
37’ 1-0
56’ 2-0 (pen)
69’ 2-1
77’ 3-1
79’ 4-1
@ Judgemeadow Community College
Marydene Drive
Evington
Leicester
LE5 6HP
No Admission or Programme.
This was 11th versus 3rd in the league table and it completed the top division for me. An awful pitch, which was in real need of a cut, didn’t help either team and dragged down the quality of football on offer. Khalsa got the only goal of the first half, finishing left footed after beating a poor attempt at a tackle from a defender. A penalty early in the second half saw them double their lead and despite Glenfield pulling it back to 2-1 with just over twenty minutes left, they never really looked like getting anything from the game. It was 3-1 with thirteen minutes left when a free kick seemed to totally deceive the ‘keeper and the scoring was rounded off two minutes later when Khalsa added a fourth goal, again from a free kick, this time going straight over the ‘keeper into the far corner from the angle of the 18 yard box.
Programme available from original September 10th match date, didn’t bother buying.
This game had twice been postponed when scheduled to take place as part of the Yeovil League ‘Hop, the first time due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, back in September, then the more recent game a few weeks back that was off due to a waterlogged pitch. There seemed to be some confusion as to whether tonight’s game was played on the ‘normal’ pitch or not. It took place on the pitch in the far right corner if looking from the clubhouse. It was very narrow and could certainly do with being cut. The other pitch in question is away to the left, but there were two groups of youth players training on that one, so not really sure which pitch is correct one.
Anyway, it didn’t really matter, as I hadn’t seen a game on either of them. The match was 5th versus 3rd in the league table and was a decent contest throughout, although it has to be said, neither side’s ’keeper gave any impression of being very good. Ilchester opened the scoring with a free kick into the bottom corner, from just outside the angle of the 18 yard box, which the ‘keeper didn’t even make an attempt to save. The second goal came midway through the half, when a long range effort went in. Again the ‘keeper should have done better. Manor pulled one back before halftime, when an angled shot went straight through the ‘keeper’s hands. Both sides had chances, but Ilchester made the game safe with sixteen minutes left, when a ball in from the left was headed in unmarked from 6 yards.
Above : The Manor ‘keeper watches helplessly as the opening goal free kick finds the bottom corner.
The 33 mile drive from Dulwich to Chatham took 1 hour 4 minutes, not helped by roadworks on the A205 South Circular. Once on the A2 and M2 it was plain sailing. I hadn’t got much choice for an afternoon game, especially at higher levels and wasn’t exactly enthused by two visits to synthetic pitches (this was the standard three quarters of one side spectator viewing area and the annoying overhead pitch dividing wire that was hit endless times during the match) but I really fancied this game, as it had a lot riding on it. If Rochester lost, then they were relegated (a draw or win could see them stay up, depending on what Guru Nanak and K. Sports Reserves did in their last games) whereas Cuxton were third in the table, twelve points behind leaders Ashford, but with four games in hand and four points behind second placed Snodland Town Reserves, who they have three games in hand on. Only the top two are promoted.
Rochester went ahead, scoring from a rebound after a penalty was saved, but Cuxton soon levelled. Rochester edged back in front, scoring at the second attempt after a cross from the right. It was soon 2-2 as Cuxton volleyed in from close range. The second half saw Cuxton have a man sin binned, during which time they scrambled one in, after a shot had rebounded off the post, to make it 2-3. Rochester levelled it up at 3-3 seven minutes later, when the ‘keeper punched the ball into his own net when trying to defend a near post corner. Within five minutes Cuxton headed in from a corner to lead 3-4 and this seemed to finally break the resistance of the hosts. The final two goals came on the last eight minutes and Cuxton also headed an easy chance against the crossbar in stoppage time.
So, the defeat sees Rochester relegated. Cuxton remain very much in the promotion race and are still in the running for the title.
Midway through the second half there was an unusual occurrence, when the Referee told the home club linesman to put the flag down and that he would continue without him, following yet another ridiculous attempt to flag for an ‘offside’ that was nothing of the sort!
A look back at my records shows that I have seen a 3-6 score line eleven times before today, but certainly never in back to back games.
King’s College School Old Boys 3 Old Alleynians 6, attendance 13
7’ 0-1
13’ 0-2
15’ 1-2 (pen)
30’ 1-3
49’ 1-4
62’ 1-5
65’ 2-5
66’ 2-6
76’ 3-6
@ Dulwich College, 3G Pitch
Dulwich Common
London
SE21 7LD
No Admission or Programme.
This game was played on the recently installed 3G pitch at Dulwich College. The area wasn’t even under construction when I came here for an Independent Schools F.A. Cup match in October 2018, which was played on a grass pitch in front of the changing room building. The new pitch is at the southernmost tip of the college grounds, running parallel to the railway line and backing on to Hunts Slip Road. Unlike most synthetic pitches, there are no floodlights, or the awful high green mesh fences that surround the all too familiar cage set ups. There is actually hard standing as well, not to mention dugouts. It felt so much better than being caged in and the match experience was all the better for it.
The match itself was 3rd versus 5th in the league table and was great to watch as a neutral. Every attack looked like it would produce a goal. Alleynians led 0-2 early on, before a penalty for K.C.S. made it 1-2 after just fifteen minutes and by halftime it was 1-3. By midway through the second half it was 1-6, but an instant reply saw K.C.S. pull one back and ten minutes later they got it back to 3-6, but the damage had already been done.
No parking restrictions on a Saturday in the surrounding roads, although it was possible to park inside the college itself.
Above : KCS pull it back to 1-2 from the penalty spot.
Neither club bothered to reply on Twitter to confirm where the game was being played, or whether it was actually still on, so I took a chance that the information on the F.A. Full-Time website was correct. The journey east along the M25 was eventful to say the least, going through a massive hailstorm near Clacket Lane Services, where the temperature dropped 8.5 degrees and visibility was very poor, even at 30 m.p.h. with the hail filling in the tracks of the vehicles in front within seconds and I doubted there was any hope of the game going ahead. Thankfully, a few miles on, the skies were blue and the roads were dry.
On arriving at the ground it was good to see players arriving. It wasn’t so good to see no goal posts set up on the railed pitch that runs widthways about 50 yards in front of the clubhouse. Instead, the game was played on a pitch away to the left, parallel to a rugby pitch. It looks at one time if this area may have been separated from the rest of the ground by a hedge, which has since been removed. Not sure if they ever use the railed pitch, or not, but at least the game was on.
It was a vital game for both clubs, as 3rd hosted 4th in the league table, with only the top two getting promoted. Fleetdown United Reserves started the day in second place on 31 points, but have completed their fixtures, whilst the unbeaten leaders Falconwood are a further three points clear at the top and still have four games left. Parkwood Rangers were on 30 points ( 4 games left) with Orpington on 25 points (5 games left), so still all to play for.
It was hardly a surprise that it was still goalless at halftime. There hadn’t really been much of note happening at either end. Within a minute of the restart though, the visitors went in front, beating the goalkeeper at his near post with a shot from the edge of the box. It looked like it would be enough to take the three points, but a minute into stoppage time Parkwood equalised, scoring from close range after the ‘keeper fumbled a ball in from the left. Seconds later the Orpington ‘keeper made up for his mistake, making a great save from a one on one chance, but five minutes into stoppage time the hosts did grab a winner, when a free kick was cleared, but the taker controlled the clearance before cutting inside to drill an unstoppable shot in at the near post.
Once again the weather forecast was absolutely dreadful, but with three potential games within relatively easy reach of each other, this area looked worth taking a chance on. It was certainly worth it for the game, as 2nd hosted 1st in the league table, with Harlington starting the night six points behind, but with three games in hand. Bedford S.A. are also very much in the running for the title too, being a further three points back, but also having three games in hand on Westoning.
The match itself was really good and was played in front of a decent crowd for this level, helped by the fact that the clubs are only five miles apart. A wayward back pass was intercepted and finished into the bottom corner to give Harlington the lead just five minutes in. Westoning levelled fifteen minutes later with a long range effort that the ‘keeper should really have kept out. Westoning looked the more likely to win it, but the nearest they came to adding a second goal was when they hit the crossbar early in the second half. Harlington grabbed the winner with twenty minutes left, scoring from close range when a corner from the left was only half cleared.
The weather didn’t turn out too badly in the end and was only light drizzle when it finally arrived. It was really cold though. The club play behind the village hall. The pitch has a fair side to side slope and is situated beyond the cricket square, in the far right corner from the changing rooms. It looked like it had been cut recently and freshly marked and was in good condition considering the amount of rain recently.
