Meon Milton came into this having won 1 and Lost 2 of their opening three games, whilst Hedge End Town were undefeated, having picked up a win and two draws from their matches so far.
The game as a contest was all over by halftime, as Meon Milton opened up a four goal lead. It may have been different if Hedge End hadn’t sent a penalty high and wide after sixteen minutes, when it was still only 1-0. The hosts added two more in the second half, with Conor Mansfield rounding off the scoring by completing his hattrick, with goal number six in the dying minutes.
Chalvey (W.M.C.) Sports 2 Maidenhead Town 3, attendance 48
17’ 1-0
32’ 1-1
52’ 2-1 (pen)
69’ 2-2
90’ + 6, 2-3
@ Eltham Avenue Recreation Ground
Eltham Avenue
Slough
SL1 5UP
No Admission or Programme.
Still staying relatively local following my recent cardiac arrest and once again chauffeured to the match by my wife. Despite being just 37 miles from home, it took close on an hour and a half to drive, due to Bank Holiday weekend traffic clogging up the M25.
Chalvey had opened the season with a 4-3 win at home to S.B. Phoenix last week, but came up short in this one, as Maidenhead got their first points of the season, having gone down to Reading City U23 last week. Considering the bone hard pitch, both sides put on a decent show. Chalvey opened the scoring when the ’keeper was beaten with a lob from just outside the 18 yard box after seventeen minutes, with Maidenhead drawing level fifteen minuets later, heading in a corner at the near post.
Chalvey went back in front seven minutes into the second half, scoring from a penalty that was awarded for a handball, before Maidenhead levelled it up at 2-2 with just over twenty minutes left, when a corner was only cleared to the edge of the box and a shot was fired back into the bottom corner of the net. Six minutes into stoppage time the visitors grabbed the winner, cutting inside from a long ball, before finishing with an angled shot past the ’keeper.
Having played at Slough Town’s Arbour Park last season, Chalvey are now based here at Eltham Avenue Recreation Ground. When I saw them lose 2-5 at home to Eton Wick in an East Berkshire League Premier Division match back on May 11th 2011 they played at the Recreation Ground, High Street, Chalvey.
I managed to watch my first match since suffering a cardiac arrest whilst on holiday in St. Ives, Cornwall on 19th July, resulting in a lengthy hospital stay, finally being discharged on Thursday afternoon. Restrictions on being able to drive meant being chauffeured here by my wife, with this game fitting the bill perfectly, being around forty five minutes drive from home.
It wasn’t the greatest game, to be fair, but a very dry pitch didn’t help either side. It looked all set to finish goalless, until a through ball in stoppage time saw the striker brought down by the ’keeper just inside the box and the resulting penalty kick sent the ’keeper the wrong way to win it for the visitors.
Illogan Royal British Legion 1 Sticker 1, attendance 44
48’ 1-0
53’ 1-1
@ Oxland Parc
Richards Lane
Illogan
TR16 4DQ
No Admission or Programme
Today’s match was St. Piran League West Division (Step 7) versus South West Peninsula League West Division (Step 6). I had previously planned coming here when Illogan were playing in the South West Peninsula League, but they pulled out of their home game at just a few hours notice, which meant I ended up at Wendron United instead that day and they subsequently left the league at the end of that season. They are the current St. Piran League West Champions (I was at the St.Day versus Mullion game, as were most of the Illogan team, where Mullion beat the hosts, which as a result handed the title to Illogan), but have remained at Step 7, rather than have another go at a higher level.
The game certainly wasn’t played as a gentle kick about in the sun. Both teams went at it full pelt and at times the tackles were flying in, especially from Illogan, who seemed to enjoy the physical approach to the game. The first half ended goalless, but the deadlock was broken just three minutes after the interval, when Illogan scored with a cracking left footed shot from the corner of the 18 yard box, which the ’keeper got a hand to, but couldn’t prevent it from finding the top far corner of the net. Sticker drew level five minutes later, when one of their strikers controlled a long diagonal pass, before shooting first time into the bottom corner from just inside the box.
Above : There can’t be too many stands smaller than this.
Tonight’s match was National League South (Step 2) versus Southern League Division 1 Central (Step 4). The two clubs play league games on the stadium pitch here, where I had seen Cheshunt lose 0-2 against Horsham in an Isthmian League Division 2 match on 22nd March 1997, but this was played on the 3G pitch at the rear of the complex, with a spectator area along two thirds of one side. Parallel to the cage there is a railed off grass pitch, as well as another grass pitch beyond the far goal, which runs the opposite way and is roped off through wooden posts. Both have dugouts.
Cheshunt looked much sharper early on. They went in front after just three minutes and soon doubled their lead, when a mix up between ’keeper and defender left an easy tap in. A penalty saw them go 3-0 up after half an hour. Masses of substitutions took place during the second half and F.C. Romania came into it more. They had an effort hit the post, then saw a free kick hit the crossbar, before pulling a goal back when a cross from the left was finished from close range.
Tonight’s match saw Essex Olympian League Premier Division (Step 7) host Eastern Counties League Division 1 South (Step 6). The cage here, which has spectator access along all bar 25 yards of one side, is Shenfield’s normal home venue and not one that I feel is worth ’wasting’ a Saturday on to visit, but perfect for a friendly!
This was a really good open game and an enjoyable watch. The two teams were in the same division last season, with Basildon Town gaining promotion following a second placed finish. The visitors opened the scoring midway through the first half, breaking quickly after defending a corner, before doubling their lead ten minutes before halftime, scrambling in from close range after the ’keeper had saved an unmarked header from a corner on the right. Three second half goals, all scored from inside the six yard box saw them round off a resounding 0-5 win. It could have been more, but a combination of some resolute defending and a couple of decent saves by the Shenfield ’keeper kept the score down, as Basildon piled on the pressure in the last fifteen minutes or so.
Tunbridge Wells 2 Eastbourne Town 0, attendance 79
35’ 1-0
85’ 2-0
@ Hayesbrook Academy, 3G Pitch
Brook Street
Tonbridge
TN9 2PH
No Admission or Programme.
Tonight’s match was between two Step 5 teams, Tunbridge Wells in Southern Counties East League Premier Division and Eastbourne Town in Southern Combination League Premier Division. It was played at the neutral venue of Hayesbrook Academy, where the cage has a spectator area along two thirds of one side, although high sections of fencing mean only about half of this is of use.
The opening goal came ten minutes before halftime, when a cross from the left was met with a powerful looping header into the top corner from just inside the 18 yard box. The second goal came five minutes before the end, when a shot across the six yard box, which looked to be going well wide of the target, was diverted into the net by the ’keeper as he tried to scoop the ball clear. It was a comfortable win for Tunbridge Wells, helped by the fact that Eastbourne Town offered very little threat going forward.
Liss Athletic play in Hampshire Premier League Senior Division (Step 7), whilst Headley United play one step lower, in Division 1 of the same league. This was another neutral venue, which despite all the signage being for Liss Cricket Club, it appears to now only host football, with the cricket pitch totally overgrown and looking like it has been unused for quite some time. The football pitch has also been turned to run the opposite way to which it did when the cricket pitch was in use.
Considering the relentless heat, which meant a drinks break during each half, this was a decent game, played at a good pace throughout. Headley led at the break, having gone in front when a striker managed to nick the ball off a defender, before shooting low into the bottom corner. Liss levelled early in the second half, when a mix up between defender and ’keeper on a backward header that fell short, saw a striker nip between them, guiding in a header from the edge of the box. The winner came midway through the half, when a corner from the left went in at the near post, perhaps via the ’keeper, as he tried to punch the ball clear.
Sungate are in Essex Olympian League Premier Division (Step 7), whilst Great Wakering Rovers are in Isthmian League Division 1 North (Step 4). This was another game played at a neutral venue, where despite there being no official spectator area, there was no problem with watching from inside the cage. Both teams had a large squad, so it was a bit of a surprise that the match was played as just 2 x 40 minute halves.
Sungate were the better side early on and led 1-0 at the break, before deservedly adding two second half goals to lead 3-0. Great Wakering pulled a goal back, with a free kick into the top corner that went over the top of the defensive wall, before adding a 25 yarder that made it 3-2 with five minutes left. If they had played the full ninety minutes, they would most likely have drawn level, as they were well on top in the dying minutes.
Unbelievably, considering that Warlingham is just a village, this was the sixth ground I have now visited here for football and despite having seen Warlingham F.C. play on two of those grounds, I have yet to do the current ground where they play their Surrey South Eastern Combination League matches.
Tonight’s match was again played at a neutral venue and was between two Step 5 teams, with A.F.C. Croydon Athletic in Combined Counties League Premier Division South and Holmesdale playing in the Premier Division of the Southern Counties East League.
Holmesdale looked much sharper than a Croydon team that were much changed from the one that I saw last night against Elmstead, with far fewer trialists, involved. The opening goal came within a minute of the start and Holmesdale were on top for the majority of the first half, volleying in a second goal, before a shot that beat the ’keeper at his near post saw them lead 0-3 at halftime. Croydon pulled it back to 1-3 on the hour mark, rounding the ’keeper before finishing from a tight angle, but Holmesdale restored the three goal margin seven minutes later, scoring from the penalty spot to make it 1-4.
