South Park Reigate v Guernsey

Isthmian League

South Central Division

Monday 1st January 2024

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.58

South Park Reigate 1 Guernsey 1, attendance 141

38’ 1-0

84’ 1-1

@ St. George’s Field

Whitehall Lane

South Park

Reigate

RH2 8LG

£5 Admission*

Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

With no ‘new’ grounds available today, I just decided to stay very local and chose a game on 3G. Heavy rain was forecast from kick off through to beyond the scheduled finish time and although it rained from about the fifteenth minute onwards, it was never really anything more than light. The ground here at South Park is still unchanged from my last visit here. Nothing more than functional and very unlikely to ever change much, if at all.

The match had a bearing on both ends of the table. South Park were ninth, three points off a play off place, whilst Guernsey were third from bottom, but had won their last two games, so came into this in good form. South Park were well on top in the first half, but only managed to get a single goal in the process, scoring with a near post finish eight minutes before half time, after a cut back from the left. Guernsey came into it more as the game went on. South Park did hit the post early in the second half, but were made to pay for not adding a second goal, when Guernsey grabbed an equaliser with six minutes left, when a diagonal cross in from the left was finished with a cushioned volley from six yards that found the far bottom corner, going in off the inside of the far post.

*At the pay gate I just said “one please” and paid by card. It was only when I was looking at Twitter that I noticed that I’d only been charged the concession rate! I hope that starts at 60 here…..surely I couldn’t possibly look 65?….