Cardiff Combination League

Premier Division

Friday 3rd December 2021

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.01

Tiger Bay 7 Aberystwyth Exiles 2, attendance 126

1’ 1-0

9’ 2-0

14’ 2-1

24’ 3-1

29’ 4-1

44’ 5-1

60’ 6-1

75’ 7-1

83’ 7-2

@ Canal Park

Loudon Square

(Enter via Dumballs Road)

Cardiff

CF10 5UZ

No Admission or Programme.

This was the first time I had seen a game in the Cardiff Combination League. The ground here has been in place for years, but it has undergone a transformation from a grass pitch, into a 3G facility and is now fully enclosed and has two seated stands on one side, one emblazoned with the badge of Tiger Bay and the other with that of fellow ground sharers A.F.C. Butetown, who play one step higher, in the second division of the South Wales Alliance League. It was the first home game Tiger Bay have played this season, due to the alterations taking place.

The match was third bottom versus second bottom in the league table, but the two clubs results so far this season certainly indicated it would be entertaining, to say the least. There had been 48 goals scored in the six matches involving the hosts, whilst the ten games played by the visitors had produced 68 goals. The reverse fixture had seen Exiles beat Tiger Bay 6-5.

We didn’t have to wait long for the first goal, Tiger Bay scoring in the first minute, before making it 2-0 before we had played ten minutes. Exiles did pull it back to 2-1 five minutes later, but by halftime it was 5-1 and game over. The hosts added two more goals in the second half, before a cracking shot on the turn saw Exiles make it 7-2 with seven minutes left.

British Universities & Colleges Sport

South Eastern 6D

Wednesday 1st December 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02

University West London 1 London South Bank University 4, attendance 6

9’ 1-0

18’ 1-1

28’ 1-2

67’ 1-3

81’ 1-4

@ Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub, 3G Pitch 1

Popes Lane

Acton

London

W3 8LQ

No Admission or Programme.

I came here hoping that the game would be played on one of the grass pitches, but instead it was on one of the two 3G pitches here. It was played on Pitch 1, the nearer of the two parallel artificial pitches to the main building. Each pitch has a spectator viewing area that are back to back and luckily this one was facing east, so the chilly wind and light rain, that fell for the last 20 minutes of the first half, were at our backs.

This was 3rd versus 2nd in the league table, just a point separating the two. West London were in front early, scoring from close range after a free kick wasn’t cleared. South Bank soon levelled and it was no surprise when they made it 1-2 before the half hour mark. Midway through the second half the visitors made the game safe, hooking in from a tight angle, to go 1-3 up, before rounding off the scoring with a cracking 25 yard free kick from the angle of the 18 yard box, beating the ‘keeper at his near post.

Isthmian League Development South

Monday 29th November 2021

Kick Off 19.30/19.45 ? Actual 19.34

Sutton Common Rovers U23 2 Hastings United U23 5, attendance 22

8’ 1-0

22’ 1-1

27’ 1-2

44’ 2-2 (pen)

64’ 2-3

74’ 2-4

83’ 2-5 (pen)

@ David Weir Leisure Centre

Middleton Road

Carshalton

SM5 1SL

£5 Admission

£2 Programme, 16 pages.

It had gone under the radar, until a few weeks ago, that this ground was being used for football, hence half the crowd tonight being ground hoppers. If it had been known beforehand that they were producing a programme, then I expect this number would have been far higher. Despite being an athletics track venue, the elevated view from the seated area (the only area open to spectators) didn’t feel too distant from the action, which is not normally the case at this type of ground.

SCR went in front early, but a cracking 25 yard free kick and an unchallenged header from a corner saw Hastings go 1-2 up. They had a chance to add a third goal, when they were awarded a penalty, but it was well saved by the ‘keeper, before SCR levelled it up at 2-2 late in the half with a penalty of their own.

It was 2-3 just after the hour mark, before SCR had a player sin binned, during which time Hastings made it 2-4 and the scoring was rounded off seven minutes from time, when the visitors made it 2-5 from the penalty spot, in what had been a really entertaining game.

Surrey County Intermediate League (Western)

Saturday 27th November 2021

Kick Off 14.00. On Time !

Ottershaw 1 Manorcroft United 1, attendance 16

9’ 1-0

84’ 1-1 (pen)

@ Egham Cricket Club

Vicarage Road

Egham

TW20 8NP

No Admission or Programme.

The attraction of this game was not based on league positions, as this was a mid table battle, with 10th hosting 11th, but was purely to complete the league. It also helped that it was only half an hour drive from the morning match, although this took a little longer than expected due to heavy traffic trying to cross the River Thames near Hampton Court Palace, before heading west towards Egham. The only downside was that I had been unable to confirm that the game was definitely going ahead and it didn’t help that the club didn’t bother to reply to a Twitter message in regard to this. It was a relief to pull into the car park 35 minutes before kick off and see both teams warming up.

The game itself was lacking somewhat in goalmouth action. Ottershaw scored within ten minutes of the start, from what turned out to be one of the few chances of the half, scoring at the second attempt following a good save by the ‘keeper from the initial effort. They looked to have made the game safe with six minutes left, ‘scoring’ with an angled shot across the ‘keeper, which hit either the wheel on the portable goal frame, or the stanchion, before bouncing back out of the net and being cleared downfield. The Referee ruled the shot had hit the inside of the post, but it certainly looked a goal from our position, which was closer to the incident. From the clearance, Manorcroft broke away and their striker was upended in the box by the ‘keeper, resulting in a penalty, which was dispatched to make it 1-1.

Arthurian League

Premier Division

Saturday 27th November 2021

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.04

King’s College Wimbledon Old Boys 2 Old Wykehamists 1, attendance 7

68’ 0-1

73’ 1-1

87’ 2-1

@ Imber Court Sports Club

Ember Lane

East Molesey

KT8 0BT

No Admission or Programme.

Imber Court Sports Club is also home to Southern League Premier Division South club Metropolitan Police F.C. They play on the stadium pitch here, whilst there are three parallel pitches on the open part of the sports ground, behind the left hand goal, with this morning’s game taking place on the furthest of the three from the entrance, which has a more enclosed feel than the other two.

Today’s match was 7th versus 3rd in the league table. It was a little disappointing that Wykehamists turned up with just ten players, although an eleventh did make up the numbers three minutes before halftime. An even first half finished goalless, but there had been plenty of chances.

Wykehamists broke the deadlock midway through the second half, the striker who scored all six of their goals when I saw them win at Old Harrovians a few weeks ago, firing his shot left footed across the ‘keeper into the far corner of the net. King’s were level within five minutes, when a one-two on the edge of the box was poked past the ‘keeper and they won it late on, when a free kick was headed back across the box and nodded in from close range. The win sees King’s leapfrog Wykehamists in the league table.

British Universities & Colleges Sport

South Eastern 6D

Wednesday 24th November 2021

Kick Off 14.00. On Time !

London South Bank University 7 University Greenwich 3rds 3, attendance 5

2’ 1-0

11’ 1-1

26’ 2-1

29’ 3-1

30’ 3-2

32’ 4-2

42’ 4-3

64’ 5-3

80’ 6-3

84’ 7-3

@ Peckham Rye Park

Colyton Road

Peckham

London

SE22 0NP

No Admission or Programme.

I had seen London South Bank University play at home before, when they lost 2-3 to Canterbury Christ Church Univesity, in a game played at Dulwich Sports Ground in Turney Road, back on 18th March 2009. They have dropped three levels since then and can’t drop much further (there are 7 tiers in the SE section). The ground here at Peckham Rye Park is basic, to say the least, and very poor by comparison to many university set ups, but it was a bonus that there are no parking restrictions, or charges, in the roads surrounding the park. At least they had goal nets today (I know someone who did their last home game and they played without nets!), although not enough pegs to pin them down at both ends. They didn’t have corner flags either.

These two had played each other last week at Greenwich, with South Bank winning 12-2, so I was expecting a few goals today. When South Bank scored with their first attack, after just two minutes, I feared this might be a real thrashing, but it turned out to be a really entertaining game. A very even first half saw South Bank lead 4-3 at the break. The second half was less competitive, but despite being well on top, South Bank only added three more goals, to give them an emphatic 7-3 win.

North West Counties League

Division 1 North

Tuesday 23rd November 2021

Kick Off 20.00 Actual 20.01

Steeton 1 Pilkington 4, attendance 86 (official 78)

24’ 0-1 (pen)

26’ 0-2 (pen)

34’ 0-3

43’ 1-3

54’ 1-4

@ Marley Stadium

Marley Playing Fields

Marland Road

off Airevalley Road

Keighley

BD21 4BD

£5 Admission (if you book in advance, paying online, it is £5.61. Why would anyone bother?)

£2 Programme, 44 pages.

I first saw Steeton play a home game back on 15th May 2002, when they lost 3-4 versus Hall Green United in a West Riding County Amateur League Division 1 match, which was played at Doris Wells Memorial Field in Summerhill Lane, which is in the village of Steeton itself. They now play here at Marley Stadium (on yet another 3G pitch that are all too common in this league) which is part of Marley Playing Fields, where I saw Phoenix beat Field 4-1 in a West Riding County Amateur League Premier Division match back on 3rd September 1999, which was played on the railed off pitch that runs parallel to the stadium pitch.

Tonight’s game was 14th versus 4th (out of 19) in the league table (the programme didn’t even have a league table in it!). A few weeks ago I had seen Pilkington get hammered 5-1 away at South Liverpool, where they were absolutely awful and a time when they were two places higher up the league table than they are now. They were the complete opposite tonight, winning the game without having to get out of first gear.

Two penalties, in a three minute spell midway through the first half, saw them go 0-2 up and it was soon 0-3 as they totally dominated. A corner from the right was headed in to pull it back to 1-3 just before the break, but Steeton never looked like ever pulling back the two goal deficit. Pilkington sewed the game up when they made it 1-4 early in the second half and apart from an effort that bounced down off the underside of the crossbar, before being cleared, Steeton produced very little and were deservedly beaten.

This completed the North West Counties League grounds once more. It would be nice if the next new ground in this league actually has a grass pitch, rather than a boring caged pitch, but somehow, I doubt it…..

Essex Alliance League

Senior Division

Saturday 20th November 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.10

F.C. Baresi 1 Chadwell Heath Spartans 2, attendance 13

17’ 0-1

35’ 1-1

48’ 1-2

@ Britannia Playing Fields

Academy Way

off Billet Road

Walthamstow

London

E17 5BF

No Admission or Programme.

This season the Essex Alliance has gained Step 7 status. Although I have done a few grounds of clubs that play in it, this was the first time I had actually seen a match in this league and with this being 6th versus 1st in the Senior Division, which is the top level (the Premier Division being the second level), then it seemed as good a place as any to start at. It wasnt the greatest first impression though, as just like this morning’s match, it kicked off late, but for no apparent reason.

The pitch is the middle of three pitches, in what is a large playing field, with their U23’s playing on the pitch nearest the changing rooms. The car park is small and with two games taking place simultaneously, finding a space is impossible. Parking restrictions in the surrounding area mean you can’t park between 0800 and 1830, unless you have a permit, so I parked at Sainsbury’s, on the other side of the A406 North Circular, where you can park free for 3 hours, with the walk back to the ground taking twelve or thirteen minutes.

The standard of play was decent, but the game as a package was more what I would expect at Sunday League football. The home team should have concentrated more on the football side of things, but seemed to want to turn it into a physical contest and both teams argued every single decision made by the match officials, where every other word was an expletive. Even the home ‘bench’ stood a yard or two onto the pitch most of the time.

Chadwell Heath went ahead when a corner was headed in at the far post, but Baresi levelled it up ten minutes before halftime, a cross chested down and finished left footed into the bottom corner of the net. The visitors got the winner three minutes into the second half, when the home ‘keeper totally misjudged a 30 yarder that looked a straight forward save. He jumped too early, coming down as the ball got to him, so only got his fingertips to it and the ball ended up crossing the line before he could recover it.

There had already been a mass brawl on the other pitch. Not to be outdone, the same thing happened here, just as we went into stoppage time. It was sparked by a player kicking out in an off the ball incident and ended up with the visitors having a man sent off. It could easily have ended with the game being abandoned.

Arthurian League

Division 1

Saturday 20th November 2021

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.11

Old Cholmeleians 3 Old Rugbeians 2, attendance 3

2’ 0-1

43’ 0-2

71’ 1-2

75’ 2-2

85’ 3-2

@ Old Cholmeleians Sports Ground

Hendon Wood Lane

Highwood Hill

London

NW7 4HR

No Admission or Programme.

Today’s match was 2nd versus 5th in the league table, which kicked off eleven minutes late due to Rugbeians stalling for time as their players arrived in dribs and drabs, four of them getting there after the scheduled start time. It didn’t affect them too badly though, as they were ahead just two minutes in, when a shot from the edge of the box went in off the post. They had a chance to double their lead a couple of minutes later, but spent the rest of the half hanging on desperately to their advantage as Cholmeleians were controlling the game. Out of nothing Rugbeians broke away to go 0-2 up just before halftime.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, Cholmeleians attacking at will and Rugbeians defence standing firm. The hosts finally made the breakthrough with nineteen minutes left and when they headed in an equaliser four minutes later, it was just a matter of time until they got the winner, which came five minutes from time.

North Riding F.A. Senior Cup

2nd Round

Wednesday 17th November 2021

Kick Off 19.30. On Time !

Kader 3 Redcar Athletic 3 (1-4 pens), attendance 73 (official 75)

28’ 0-1

41’ 0-2 (pen)

45’+ 2, 1-2

69’ 2-2

73’ 2-3 (pen)

78’ 3-3

@ Outwood Academy Acklam, 3G Pitch

Hall Drive

Acklam

Middlesbrough

TS5 7JY

£6 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

I had been here before, when it was known as Hall Garth School, seeing Whinney Banks lose 1-3 versus North Ormesby in a Teesside League Division 2 match, which kicked off at 11 o’clock, on 13th December 2003. The game was played on a grass pitch, which is still there, but building work has gone on, as well as a renaming of the facility, since then. Kader have their own clubhouse and cafe here, but the walk from the buildings/changing rooms to the pitch is a good 150 yards. At least the cage had a designated spectator area, the centre section of the near side, with the dugouts opposite.

Kader are struggling this season, sitting second bottom of the North Riding League Premier Division table (Step 7). Redcar Athletic are thirteenth in Northern League Division 1 (Step 5), coming into this having suffered four consecutive defeats.

Redcar went in front just before the half hour mark, when a quick free kick from 30 yards sailed into the corner of the net, with the ‘keeper stood at the opposite side of the goal, still setting up the defensive wall. When they made it 0-2 from the penalty spot just before halftime, it looked all over, but Kader scored in stoppage time to make it 1-2 at the break and set it up nicely for the second half.

Halfway through the second half it was 2-2, when a long throw was flicked on and the ball was hooked in with an overhead kick. Four minutes later though, Redcar were back in front, when Matthew Bell converted his second penalty of the match, completing his hat trick in the process. Not to be outdone, Charlie Paterson made it 3-3 with twelve minutes left, scuffing a shot into the far corner to also complete his hat trick. With no further goals, it was straight to penalties to decide the tie.

Redcar took the first kick (Bell scoring his third penalty of the night) and having scored their first three, they found themselves in with a chance of winning it with their fourth one, as Kader had missed their first two, before dispatching their third. Redcar duly scored their next one, winning the shootout 4-1.