I decided to complete the top division of this league with a game between two sides who’d won their opening league games. Blunsdon had finished fifth last season, whilst Kingsdown Lions (they’ve now dropped the ‘Lions’) are newly promoted, having finished second in Division 1. The ground is shared with cricket, but with no pitch overlap. The pitch is only accessible to spectators on one side and behind the goal end backing on to the changing rooms and tightly hemmed in by trees and fencing on the other two.
It was a decent game, keenly fought, but produced very few goal scoring opportunities. It was a relief to see Kingsdown break the deadlock three minutes into the second half, as it looked odds on to finish scoreless up until this point. Blunsdon deservedly levelled it up with nine minutes left, finishing off a free kick that was played square across the box with an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner that gave the ‘keeper no chance.
It was a pleasant surprise to not have a single traffic problem in either direction. Not too many times that can be said!
C.E.Y.M.S. had finished fourth in the league table last season, whilst Gorleston Reserves are newly promoted, having finished as Division 1 runners up. It turned out to be a really decent game, that could have gone either way. C.E.Y.M.S. took an early lead when a break down the right was pulled back for a side footed finish. Gorleston levelled nine minutes from time, when following a blocked shot on the edge of the box, the striker switched from left to right foot before hammering his shot past the ‘keeper into the bottom corner.
Due to sharing with the local cricket club, the main pitch (to the left of the square) nor the alternate second pitch (to the right) are used during early season games, so this was played on the furthest of two pitches that are in the field away to the left, through the hedge that runs behind the main ground. Spectator access is limited to the near side, with the other three hemmed in by hedges. At least it is roped on this side and there are were also a pair of portable dugouts.
Wakering Sports 4 Beacon Hill Rovers 2, attendance 35
6’ 0-1
18’ 1-1
25’ 2-1 (pen)
27’ 2-2
33’ 3-2
42’ 4-2
@ Cupids Country Club
Poynters Lane
Great Wakering
SS3 0AX
No Admission or Programme.
This was the opening game of the season for these two and was 11th (bottom) versus sixth as far as last seasons final positions went. Wakering avoided relegation as their Reserves finished in a promotion position in Division 2, but were unable to go into a division above the first team, so they have both remained where they were.
It was certainly a game of two halves. The first half was end to end stuff, with chances galore. BHR went ahead early, but Wakering levelled with a header and then went in front from the penalty spot, but within two minutes the visitors made it 2-2 when a fumble by the keeper was tapped in from close range. An angled free kick into the far top corner then put Wakering back in front just after the half hour mark and three minutes before halftime they made it 4-2, finishing side footed after a defender failed to cut out a cross. The second half never matched the first. Very few chances at either end, not helped by BHR having a man red carded just before the hour mark and both teams seemed to settle for what they had.
The ground here is certainly good for the level. There is hard standing along the near side and behind the right hand goal, with these two sides railed off, whilst the other two sides are roped off through wooden stakes. There is a seated stand on the near side, set back from the pitch, although everyone stood in front of it, so not much use. There are also a couple of rows of open seating either side of this, with a pair of dugouts on the far side.
Having completed the Ardal South West last night, today it was a trip to one of the two grounds I hadn’t yet visited in Ardal North West, the other being Llannefydd. Quite how this can be classed as a North West regional league is beyond me. Saltney is on the English border, only a few miles from Chester and couldn’t be any further North East in Wales and tonight’s visitors Hawarden are only four miles west of here themselves!
Saltney had opened their season with a 2-2 draw at Conwy Borough, whilst Hawarden had been hammered 1-7 at home to Llangefni. Saltney got off to a great start and were two goals up in just sixteen minutes, the first scuffed into the far corner after a ball over the top and the second followed in after a cross into the box wasn’t cleared. Hawarden had a man red card with seven minutes left, before a looping header from a corner went in off the underside of the crossbar to round off the scoring a couple of minutes from the end.
The pitch here is fully enclosed with solid boarding and plenty of adverts and a pair of dugouts on the far side. The now all too common kit stand on the near side and the changing rooms are a hundred yards away, out of site and adjacent to the very small car park. Not so much as a tea bar either!
The journey up was trouble free, but the return saw a diversion via the M1, due to the M40 being closed due to an accident that had occurred sometime during the early afternoon, as it was already closed as I headed north earlier on. Usual M25 closures from J15 to J13 and J11 to J9.
Back in 1999 I had visited Seven Sisters during their days in the Welsh League, playing at The Welfare Ground in Seven Sisters. They have since merged with Onllywyn, a village where they now play their home games. Unsurprisingly, it is called The Welfare Ground. Then again, a lot of Welsh grounds are!
Seven Sister Onllywyn had opened up their season with a 4-3 defeat away at Penydarren, whilst this was the opening game for Llwydcoed. It was keenly fought throughout. SSO took their chances, whilst Llwydcoed never took theirs. The decisive second goal, from the penalty spot just before half time, really sealed the game. Llwydcoed never looked capable of pulling it back from there. They did have an effort tipped round the post in the opening minute of the second half, but minutes later a stooping header at the far post made it 3-0 and it was game over. The fourth goal came twelve minutes from the end.
The game had kicked off nine minutes early, perhaps due to the rain setting in, or perhaps it was just because everybody was there and ready to start? The far end of the ground was beginning to show a few puddles, but thankfully by halftime the skies cleared and it turned out to be a pleasant evening in the end.
It was a trouble free journey down to Wales. Not so good coming home. The M4 was closed from Junction 19 to 18 and the M25 shut from Junction 11 to 9. On a positive note, at least tonight’s game completes both this division and subsequently all of Tier 3 in South Wales for me.
Today was the perfect opportunity to visit league newcomers Dudley Kingswinford, as we had a back up match on a 3G pitch a couple of miles away. In the end, the weather forecast was far worse than what we actually got, although there was drizzle for a fair amount of the match.
Although the teams get changed in the rugby club, the pitch is actually through a gate in the hedge, on an area shown on Google Maps as being the Dudley District Scout Headquarters. It was quite a surprise to be charged £4 admission, something you’d only normally find on a Groundhop U.K. organised ‘hop at this level. The programme* was done by a hopper at the game, which I was told saw three copies given to the club, so don’t expect to get one if you make a visit during the season.
The ground is just a pitch in a field, to the left as you enter, but it is roped along the far side and there are a couple of dugouts on the near side, but they are just benches set inside metal frames. No cover on them at all! The rugby clubhouse was open for drinks and there was a fund raising day taking place, so very busy with stalls and mobile food wagons, but the large car park coped easily.
As for the game, DK went ahead midway through the first half, but Walsall Wood levelled before the break. The visitors went ahead eight minutes into the second half, before making it 1-3 just minutes later. With ten minutes left they made the game safe when they added a fourth goal, but a late penalty saw DK pull it back to 2-4.
I rounded off the trip north of the border with a basement battle in the Midlands League, between two of the four teams yet to pick up a point, where bottom of the table hosted third bottom. It was an excellent game considering they had both had a poor start to the season. Dundee St. James opened the scoring after twenty minutes, when a quickly taken free kick out on the touchline was played inside, chested down and finished left footed from eight yards out. Forfar deservedly levelled with twenty minutes left, heading in a left wing corner from six yards.
The ground here is railed along both touchlines, rather oddly extending well beyond the goal lines and perhaps more unusually, each side are fully laden with advert boards, where both rows face towards the changing rooms side of the ground. The tea bar offered the standard pies, hot/cold drinks and sweets and it has to be said, there can’t be too many better looking pitches than here. It was immaculate.
The S.J.F.A. North Region League Cup begins with 7 groups of 4 teams and one group of 3 to determine who goes through to the knockout stages. Tonight’s teams are joined by Lossiemouth United and Dufftown to complete Group 7.
New Elgin had finished bottom of the North Region Championship Division last season, which is the lowest position in this region, whilst Burghead Thistle had finished six places above them in tenth place. New Elgin certainly didn’t look as bad as their league finish last season suggested they’d be. It took Burghead until just before the hour mark to break the deadlock, converting from the penalty spot. New Elgin deservedly drew level with sixteen minutes left, clipping the ball over the ‘keeper having been played through on goal. Burghead had a chance to regain the lead when they were awarded a second penalty with seven minutes left, but the kick was tipped over the crossbar as the ‘keeper dived high to his right. They were not to be thwarted though, as four minutes into stoppage time a free kick from the edge of the D was hammered high into the top corner to win it. The full time whistle blew immediately after the game was restarted.
The ground here is basic to say the least. The pitch is railed off with a wooden barrier, with mesh fencing around the perimeter, with the changing rooms about 50 yards behind the goal nearest the road. The crowd of 58 included 27 who watched the entire match from outside the fence, to avoid paying the club any admission money. They looked to be ‘regulars’ as well. Surely the club could put temporary covers up in strategically placed spots to make watching from outside pointless. Or perhaps losing £150 per game is something they simply accept.
The Inverness & District F.A. league is made up of three divisions (Premier, 1 and 2) where each division schedule games to be played Monday through to Wednesday, each division having it’s allocated day for fixtures.
Tonight’s game was in the Premier Division and looked to be the pick of the bunch. It was 2nd versus 7th (out of 9) in the league table, but was a dress rehearsal for this coming Saturdays clash between the two sides in the Highland Amateuer Cup semi-final, which will take place at Culbokie.
Avoch, pronounced ‘Och’, is on The Black Isle, looking south back across the Moray Firth. The ground is on the right hand side as you enter the village on the A832 if coming from Inverness. The players get changed at the Avoch Community Centre across the road from the pitch and walk the 100 yards or so to the ground ready changed into their kits. The pitch is partly dug into the side of a grass bank, so gives excellent views of not only the pitch, but also the backdrop of the Moray Firth when watching from behind the one goal end. Access is only really on two sides, but a few watched from the entrance side, but it isn’t really wide enough to watch from there. Coronation Park was opened in 1953 and a magnificent set of listed iron gates adorn the entrance, donated in 1959 by Rosehaugh House, following the demolition of the mansion.
The match was very keenly contested and was still an excellent spectacle despite Clachnacuddin having a man sent off after just eleven minutes, for a late tackle that resulted in the injured Avoch player being unable to take any further part. It still took until what turned out to be the last kick of the first half for the hosts to break the deadlock though, when a corner from the left was volleyed in at the far post. Eleven minutes into the second half it was 2-0, when following a mix up between defender and ‘keeper, the ball was chipped to the far post and headed in unchallenged. Clachnacuddin pushed hard and in a two minute spell had a header off the underside of the crossbar and a deflected shot come back off the post, before making it 2-1 with a 20 yard shot curled into the far top corner. Avoch hit the crossbar themselves, before an angled shot into the far corner made the game safe with six minutes left.
It had rained almost non stop since ten o’clock this morning, but finally eased off about an hour before kick off and actually remained dry for the entire match. Despite the amount of rain the pitch was in excellent condition.
Having re-completed the Scottish League grounds four days ago, I was less than two miles away to re-complete the Highland League this afternoon. Again it was at a pretty soulless stadium with a synthetic playing surface. There is a main seated stand with just 85 seats and a couple of sections of covered standing on the opposite side. One goal end has no access at all, whilst the other only gives views through mesh fencing. Official capacity is 876. Judging by today’s crowd, it is plenty big enough for them. Well, at least if they remain in the Highland League. Very few clubs would ever bring numbers anywhere near a sell out ever occurring. Promotion might be another story altogether. Wick only had a couple of dozen supporters here, which is hardly surprising, as a chat with the away team coach driver (who’d done the Inverness to Aberdeen section) revealed that start time from Wick had been at 7.15 this morning for the 207 mile drive south. There is only their game at Brechin City that would be further than this.
This was the opening league fixture. On last season’s finishing positions this was 10th versus 16th (out of 18). The first half was pretty even and very few clear cut chances were created. The only goal went the way of the hosts after fifteen minutes, when a long range shot found the far corner. Banks O’Dee doubled their lead just before the hour mark, finishing with an angled shot into the far corner. They had a man red carded with seventeen minutes left, for an over the top tackle, but still managed to increase their lead within minutes when a cross from the right was poked in at the far post. They rounded off the scoring in stoppage time, cutting in from the right before clinically finishing left footed into the bottom corner.
Summing up the basics. Unusually, car parking at the ground was free. The tea bar was under the main stand and had the usual offerings. No match day programmes, but team sheets readily available at the turnstiles.
