Anglian Combination League
Premier Division
Saturday 8th March 2025
Kick Off 14.15 Actual 14.18
Norwich C.E.Y.M.S. 3 Sprowston 1, attendance 32
22’ 0-1
61’ 1-1
79’ 2-1
84’ 3-1
@ Hilltops Sports Ground
Main Road (B1113)
Swardeston
NR14 8DU
No Admission or Programme.
With the full weekend closure of the M25 in both directions between J10 and J11, I was forced to head somewhere east to avoid the total chaos it would cause in that area and opted for a visit to East Anglia, where I could complete the top division of the Anglian Combination League at Norwich C.E.Y.M.S. I’d actually seen them play a home game here previously, back in August 2023, a midweek game, which due to them sharing a ground that also hosts cricket, meant it was actually played on the training pitch, away to the left, through a hedge. You walked past another football pitch, to the left of the cricket square, which is railed along one touchline and has a couple of concrete dugouts, which is where they used to play their first team games, but they now use the pitch to the right of the cricket square, that runs lengthways away from the clubhouse/changing room building, which was roped off and has a couple of concrete dugouts on the right hand side, with an absolutely pristine pitch. Due to one of the Lakeham Union R.U.F.C. teams playing on a pitch the other side of the clubhouse, there was food/drink available throughout the match, which may not be the case if just the football are at home.
The match was 5th versus 12th in the league table and the reverse fixture of last week’s game, which C.E.Y.M.S. had won 4-2. It looked like Sprowston might have turned things round this week though, as they took the lead midway through the first half, when a long ball over the top was clipped over the ‘keeper from the angle of the 18 yard box. C.E.Y.M.S. thought they’d levelled the scores just before halftime, but the goal was (wrongly) ruled out for offside. They did get an equaliser just after the hour mark though, when a cross from the right was headed in at the far post, hitting the underside of the crossbar before bouncing down over the line. They could have gone in front soon after, but a penalty was sent high over the crossbar, but they did go ahead with eleven minutes left, when a corner from the right was headed down into the bottom corner at the far post and with six minutes left they made the game safe, making it 3-1 by poking it past the ‘keeper from just outside the box after being played through on goal.
Below photo shows location of Training Pitch (red) used on my first visit and current 1st team pitch (green).
