North Devon League

Premier Division

Sunday 14th April 2019

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.32

North Molton Sports Club 3 Bradworthy United 1, attendance 19

26’ 1-0

56’ 1-1

57’ 2-1

90’+ 3, 3-1

@ Rocksfield

North Molton Sports & Community Centre

South Holdridge Lane

North Molton

EX36 3HG

No Admission or Programme.

I wouldn’t normally do a floodlit ground for an afternoon match, but with the lights here currently out of use and the fact that it was a day where this was the only unvisited ground available for me, then I made an exception. I took a bit of a risk by staying overnight, as this league is blighted by clubs who fail to fulfill fixtures at short notice, especially as this match had already been scheduled to have been played on a Sunday just two weeks ago!

North Molton came into this in third place in the league table and very much in with a shout of winning the title. Bradworthy are third bottom and could still go down, although it is unlikely that Hartland Clovelly will pull back the four point gap to go above them. North Molton were well on top, but Bradworthy put in a real battling performance and defended superbly. The breakthrough came with a shot on the turn after 26 minutes, but early in the second half Bradworthy scrambled in a deserved equaliser. Within a minute, North Molton were awarded a penalty, but it was saved, then from the resulting corner the ball was headed down and shot through a crowd of players to make it 2-1. The game was only made safe with an unstoppable 25 yard shot into the top corner of the net in stoppage time.

The win now puts North Molton (2 games left to play) top of the table with 47 points (Goal Difference 62). Shamwickshire Rovers (2 games left) are second on 46 points (GD 47) and reigning champions Park United (3 games left) are third on 45 Points (GD 48).

North Devon League

Intermediate Division 3 Cup Final

Saturday 13th April 2019

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 17.56

Lynton 1 Kingsley Wizards 2, attendance 178

9’ 1-0

26’ 1-1

32’ 1-2 (pen)

@ Braunton F.C.

Lobb Playing Fields

Saunton Road

Braunton

EX33 1EB

£3 Admission

Programme, free, 4 pages.

With this afternoons match finishing early, it left ample time to make the half hour drive to the home of Braunton F.C. who were hosting the Division 3 Cup Final, which was between the champions (Lynton) and runners up of the division. I had visited Braunton back on 6th March 2005, when they played at the very basic recreation ground, in Wrafton Road. They have since moved to their new home on the western edge of the town, which is beginning to develop into something capable of hosting a higher level of football.

Lynton were well on top from the start and it was no surprise that they opened the scoring with a shot on the turn inside ten minutes. Kingsley levelled it up with a shot through the ‘keepers legs after cutting inside from the left. They scored what turned out to be the winning goal when they scored a penalty after 32 minutes. Neither side looked like scoring again after the break, although Lynton came closest, with an effort that was well saved in the last minute.

North Devon League

Premier Division

Saturday 13th April 2019

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.58

Park United 4 Barnstaple Town Reserves & Pilton 1, attendance 26

2’ 1-0

4’ 2-0

6’ 2-1

12’ 3-1

33’ 4-1

@ Sandymere Road

Northam

EX39 1XX

No Admission or Programme.

This was 2nd versus 9th (4th bottom) in the league table. The visitors, who are a strange amalgamation of Barnstaple Town Reserves (had the ground) and Pilton Academicals (had the team) have taken quite a few thrashings this season, including a 2-6 defeat in the reverse fixture. It looked like being another hammering today, when they went 2-0 down in the first four minutes and despite replying with a goal a couple of minutes later, they conceded again to make it 3-1 after just twelve minutes. Park added their fourth just after the half hour mark, but never really looked like adding to it. The visitors probably just about shaded the second half, but the damage was already done. With the match kicking off a couple of minutes early, combined with the players staying on the pitch at halftime, this was all over by 16.36.

Shamwickshire Rovers remain top of the table, on 46 points, with two games left to play. Park United are second, with 45 points, but with a game in hand and North Molton S.C. are third, a further point back, also having three matches to play, but they have the better goal difference of the three teams, which may prove vital.

Bristol Premier Combination League

Division 1

Thursday 11th April 2019

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.13

Greyfriars Athletic 0 Pucklechurch Sports 6, attendance 36

6’ 0-1

25’ 0-2

33’ 0-3

54’ 0-4

69’ 0-5

75’ 0-6

@ The Mile Straight Sports & Social Club

New Road

Stoke Gifford

Bristol

BS34 8QW

No Admission or Programme.

Even though the match kicked off two minutes early, the Referee only played 43 minutes in the first half and 42 minutes in the second, so we assumed he had decided to play 2 x 40 minutes for some reason, despite it being a nice sunny, clear evening. It was still really light when he blew for full time at 19.45.

Greyfriars are in eighth place in the league table, but Pucklechurch came into this in second place, looking to continue their push for promotion. The opening goal was an unfortunate own goal and despite missing a penalty, Pucklechurch soon added a second, before it became 0-3 just after the half hour. Greyfriars were totally overrun and in the end a bit lucky that they only conceded half a dozen.

Winterbourne United are nine points clear at the top of the table, with the top four all having four games remaining. Pucklechurch now have a lead of eight points over the teams in third and fourth place, so look odds on for promotion now.

West Cheshire League

Division 1

Wednesday 10th April 2019

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.35

Ellesmere Port Town 1 Newton 3, attendance 35

27’ 0-1 (pen)

37’ 0-2

46’ 0-3

85’ 1-3

@ Whitby Sports & Social Club

Dunkirk Lane

off Chester Road

Whitby

Ellesmere Port

CH65 6QF

No Admission

Programme free, 8 pages.

I had been to Whitby Sports & Social Club to see a match before, back on 5th April 2000, when it was known as The Shell Club. That night I saw Shell Tessuti 1 General Chemicals 2, in a West Cheshire League Division 1 match, when the game was played on the railed pitch next to the club building, but that has now been taken over by rugby. To the right of the complex, when looking from the buildings, there are now two railed off football pitches, with the one furthest away being home to Ellesmere Port Town.

On arrival, we received a very friendly welcome from the Chairman and Secretary of the club. As well as a free matchday programme, we were also offered free tea/coffee and Penguin/Kit Kat chocolate bars!

The match was 9th versus 1st in the league table, with Newton needing just 4 points from their last 3 games to win the league, such is their superior goal difference over second placed Rainhill Town. Back in January, Ellesmere Port beat Newton 6-4 in the quarter Final of the Cheshire F.A. Amateur Cup, whilst Newton had won the league fixture earlier in the season 3-1, so they were two pretty evenly matched sides, despite the league positions.

Newton went ahead with a penalty, awarded for a handball, then increased their lead with a shot that beat the ‘keeper at his near post. When they made it 0-3, with a goal in the first minute of the second half, it was game over and the consolation goal for the hosts came too late to have any effect on the outcome.

Gloucestershire Northern Senior League

Division 2

Tuesday 9th April 2019

Kick Off 18.15. On a Time !

Barnwood United 1 Cheltenham Civil Service 0, attendance 18

76’ 1-0

@ Wall’s Sports & Social Club

Hammond Way

Barnwood

Gloucester

GL4 3HG

No Admission or Programme.

It had rained all day in the South East and it wasn’t until we headed north from Junction 15 of the M4 that it stopped and became drier the further we went. There were two puddles in one of the goalmouths, but the Referee was happy to play the match, as long as the two areas were free of water, which by kick off time, they were.

Civil Service came into this in third place in the league table and still had a chance of taking the title, although realistically, second place is more likely, but still good enough for promotion. Despite being in tenth place and having nothing really to play for, Barnwood gave a really battling display and nicked the winning goal when a free kick from their own half was headed over the stranded ‘keeper who was coming out to challenge for the ball.

The defeat leaves Civil Service two points adrift of second placed Whitecroft, although they do have two games in hand, whilst the leaders Woolaston remain 12 points clear. Barnwood move up to ninth.

Belgium

West Vlaanderen Provincial 1

Saturday 6th April 2019

Kick Off 20.30. On Time !

K.S.K. Oostnieuwkerke 1 K.V.C. Deerlijk Sport 1, attendance 172

32’ 0-1

74’ 1-1

@ Cockstraat 24

Oostnieuwkerke

8840 Staden

€7 Admission

Team Sheet/Newsletter, free.

When the trip was originally planned, the middle game of the day was to be a 17.30 kick off, but as the fourth passenger had already been to the ground in question, we did the 18.00 kick off at Beveren-Leie instead. The distance between both choices were around the same from Oostnieuwkerke, but obviously having half an hour less time to cover the distance might be a bit tight, especially as the SatNav was saying it would take 31 minutes to drive it. As it turned out, I dropped the other three at the end of the driveway leading up to the ground, then managed to find a parking space about 150 yards up the road, and I was still in the ground seven minutes before the kick off. Easy!

Oostnieuwkerke were crowned champions last weekend, despite losing 1-3 at home to third placed Racing Club Lauwe, as second in the league table V.K. Dadizele also lost at home. Deerlijk meanwhile, came into this in 13th place in the table, which is fourth bottom, and there is still a chance of them being relegated at the end of the season.

Deerlijk deservedly took the lead with a header over the ‘keeper following a long ball into the box. They looked to be holding firm, but Oostnieuwkerke managed to scramble in an equaliser with sixteen minutes left. The last quarter of an hour was end to end, as both teams pushed for the winner. Just as we went into added time, Oostnieuwkerke were awarded a penalty. It looked like all the hard work would be wasted for the visitors, but their ‘keeper saved the spot kick, diving to his right. Seconds later the final whistle went.

So, Deerlijk go into the final game of the season leading the two teams below them by three points, whilst bottom of the table K.F.C. Meulebeke are already down. Oostnieuwkerke can look forward to playing in the Belgian League next season. As for us, it was an easy drive back to The Tunnel for our scheduled 01.18 return crossing. It left two minutes late and managed to lose a further nine minutes on the journey across!

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Belgium

West Vlaanderen Provincial 2B

Saturday 6th April 2019

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.01

K.S.K. Beveren-Leie 1 V.V. Tielt 1, attendance 83

27’ 0-1

39’ 1-1

@ Leenriestraat

8791 Beveren (Leie)

€5 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

It was only ten miles between the two matches and it took about seventeen minutes drive time. On arrival there seemed to be some sort of confusion, as the gateman charged us all the OAP rate, which for two of the party, no problem, but I can’t see how the other two of us could possibly look that age. Or do we ? Anyway, it was only €1 cheaper, so it wasn’t going to make much difference either way.

The match was 5th versus 8th in the league table, but it wasn’t the best of games. Tielt took the lead with a looping header over the ‘keeper from a free kick, before a 20 yard screamer levelled it up for the hosts. The nearest either side came to winning it in the second half, was when a Beveren-Leie striker had a shot that hit the left hand post, flew across the goal, then hit the right hand post before the ball was cleared.

At least with the game finishing just before 19.50, it meant we were on schedule to make our third match of the day with about ten minutes to spare………

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.