So, for the second successive night, a no show in the South Devon League, but unfortunately, no chance of reaching anywhere else this time. It was 3rd versus 2nd in the league table, with WBB needing a win to secure promotion. The game had been mentioned by both clubs on social media, albeit not for a few days and was still showing as being on at 17.15 when I last checked the fixture on F.A. Full Time. Arrived at the ground at 18.30, only to find it deserted, apart from a fellow ‘hopper from London. A check on F.A. Full Time now had the match missing from the fixture page, but was showing in the results page instead….as an away walkover. A bit later WBB posted on their Facebook page that they’d been promoted following Mount Gould being unable to raise a team. Couldn’t be bothered to raise a team would be a much better way of describing it.
I am supposed to be watching another game in this league tomorrow, where the away team need to win, as well as win again on Saturday, to pip the current leaders by a point, but am currently leaning very heavily towards not bothering, as I highly suspect that will also be the attitude the home club will take…..
This hadn’t been my intended game tonight, but having turned up at Ilsington Villa (where 5th were hosting 2nd in the Premier Division) to find it deserted (turns out the hosts couldn’t be bothered to raise a team), it meant a mad dash to Ashburton instead, some six miles further south west, but due to kick off fifteen minutes earlier than my first choice game. Luckily for me it kicked off seventeen minutes later than scheduled, otherwise I’d have missed the kick off. It was also good to squeeze into the last parking space too, otherwise it would have been a hike back up the hill, in sweltering heat, as the ground is in a very tight lane, on the eastern side of the A38 from the town.
It’s a very pleasant setting, with the car park raised behind the entrance side goal and the clubhouse/changing rooms in the near right hand corner. A pair of dugouts are on the right hand side, whilst tall trees run along the opposite touchline, offering welcomed shade, with a gentle side to side slope running down towards here. The match was 3rd versus 2nd in the league table, with neither able to catch already crowned champions Signal Box Oak Villa. The visitors were guaranteed the runners up spot regardless of tonight’s result, but Ashburton needed to win, as they could still be overhauled by fourth placed Drake, who are three points behind them, but with a game in hand and this was Ashburtons final game of the season.
It was played in a very competitive manner, with both teams fully committed for the entirety and an excellent game to watch as a neutral. Babbacombe led 0-1 at the break, courtesy of a twentieth minute penalty, with the best chance for Ashburton coming just before halftime, when they saw a header cleared off the line. Babbacombe doubled their lead just after the hour mark, curling a shot into the far corner from just inside the box. Ashburton pulled it back to 1-2 with nineteen minutes left, when a corner from the left was flicked in at the near post, but were unable to force an equaliser.
It was good to get a game at this time of the season with something still on it, in this case the league title, as 2nd hosted 1st in the table. If Ashtead won, the title was theirs. Any other outcome would see New Elm win it. There were at least thirteen other ‘hoppers here and even better for me, it was just ten miles from home.
There’s a small car park as you enter off Barnett Wood Lane, with the brick built changing room directly in front of you. The pitch runs lengthways away from here, rising slightly towards the far end, where there’s another pitch beyond a hedge which I believe has also staged some of Ashtead’s home games this season, due to the main pitch being waterlogged for long periods. No such problems today, with the game played in scorching heat, on a rock hard, dusty pitch, with a drinks break taken during each half.
Ashtead got the job done early, scoring from a close range effort after just four minutes and doubling their lead seven minutes later, tapping in a right wing cross at the near post. Ten minutes before halftime they made the game safe, with the goal of the game, when a cross from the right was finished with a cushioned volley back into the far corner. A cross from the left wing was flicked in at the near post to make it 4-0 just before the hour mark and they rounded off the scoring with thirteen minutes left, with another tap in from close range. There was still time for New Elm to have a man red carded nine minutes from the end, but the outcome of the match was decided long before that.
Stock United 2 Hutton Development 1, attendance 17
6’ 1-0
43’ 1-1
80’ 2-1
@ St. John Payne Catholic School
Patching Hall Lane
Chelmsford
CM1 4BS
No Admission or Programme.
The ground here at St. John Payne School is just an open pitch, in pretty poor condition, hidden away behind the buildings, with one end backing onto Partridge Avenue. Car parking was at the front of the building, with access through to the pitch being via a gate that was opened around an hour before the scheduled start, although the game actually got underway ten minutes late.
The match was 3rd versus 9th (out of 11) in the league table, with the hosts in contention for the runners up spot, behind already crowned champions Social Club Birchanger 1985, whilst the visitors couldn’t finish any lower in the table, but could still actually get themselves a fifth place finish. Stock United took a sixth minute lead, heading in a corner from the left. Hutton drew level two minutes before halftime, with a goal that looked to have had a handball in the build up, but play was allowed to continue and the ball was fired low into the bottom corner. Stock were then awarded a penalty, but it was saved, meaning it was still all square at halftime. The winning goal for Stock arrived ten minutes from time, finishing a through ball low into the bottom corner.
The journey to Essex had the usual two to three mile queue at Dartford Crossing and the return saw traffic held for almost ten minutes, again at Dartford Crossing, whilst two lanes were being closed off for roadworks.
Upper Hale 1 Farnborough North End Athletic 0, attendance 42
85’ 1-0
@ Aldershot Traction Athletic Club
Weybourne Road
Aldershot
GU11 3NE
No Admission or Programme.
Aldershot Traction Athletic Club, known locally as ‘The Traco Club’, has two pitches, with tonight’s game played on the one adjacent to the clubhouse, running lengthways away from the building and roped along part of the pitch along the right hand touchline. There’s a small car park here, with very few spaces, not helped by the adjoining bowls club being very bust tonight, but got there just in time to bag one of the last remaining spots.
The match was 4th versus 1st in the league table, with the visitors having clinched the title after being awarded three points for their match away at Burpham, where the hosts couldn’t be bothered to raise a team, which saw them come into this still unbeaten for the season. Upper Hale had only lost one game themselves and the reverse fixture, which was only played on Saturday, had finished in a 1-1 draw.
It was a game between two evenly matched teams, producing few real clear cut chances. Upper Hale relied heavily on a long throw in merchant, but just couldn’t take advantage of it. Farnborough looked the more dangerous on the break, but just couldn’t find the breakthrough. Just as it looked liked it’d end up goalless, a quick break down the left saw a cross met with a side footed shot that diverted the ball low into the far corner to win it for the hosts and inflict the first defeat of the season on the champions.
Remarkably, a clear M25 and A3 in both directions, which is a real rarity these days.
With the DCBL Stadium (it was plain old Naughton Park when I saw Widnes beat Batley 56-6 in a Regal Trophy match there in December 1990) unavailable, this match was moved to Robin Park Arena, an athletics venue adjacent to the Wigan Athletic/Wigan Warriors stadium (it was J.J.B. Stadium when I visited for both sports), where I’d already seen football played, having visited for a Wigan Athletic Reserves match here back in September 1999. It’s not ideal for watching any sport other than athletics, due to the 10 lane running track, as well as jumping pits, that means the view of the pitch is very distant. Spectator access is limited to this side of the pitch, where there’s a seated stand, offset, due to it catering for the finishing line of the track and flat standing along the remainder. Mobile catering was available, as was car parking, but rather than pay the £6.20 charge, I used street parking, just under ten minutes from the ground. There was a crowd limit of 1,000 enforced, with the match being all-ticket, with none available on the day, but easy to purchase on-line. In the end, there were fewer than 600 in attendance, which is well down on the crowd Widnes normally attract for home games.
The game certainly fitted the ‘game of two halves’ category, with 4th hosting 2nd as far as league positions go. Newcastle Thunder were the whipping boys last season, but are much improved this time round, whilst Widnes Vikings are a far cry from their glory days as Premiership and Challenge Cup winners of the 1980’s as well as their World Club Challenge win in 1989, when they beat Canberra Raiders 30-18 at Old Trafford.
Newcastle took an early lead when Myles Harrison scored the opening try after four minutes and they doubled their lead eight minutes later, with an almost full pitch length try, which was then converted for a 0-12 lead. Just before halftime another converted try saw them extend their halftime lead to 0-18 and they were well in command. Two minutes into the second half Widnes hit back with a try from Jack Billington and added the conversion to make it 6-18. Thirteen minutes into the half Newcastle opted to kick a penalty, rather than go for a try and despite extending their lead to 6-20, it was the turning point in the match, as they failed to add any further points hereafter. Max Roberts forced himself over the line to start an amazing Widnes comeback midway through the half, quickly followed by a Danny Langtree try under the posts. Sam Wilde went over in the corner to put Widnes ahead with seven minutes left, which was also converted to stretch the lead to 24-20, before a late Jack Owens try, which was also converted, saw the game finish 30-22 and a final score line that no one would have predicted at halftime.
Widnes Vikings join London Broncos, Midlands Hurricanes and Rochdale Hornets in tomorrow’s semi-final draw, where the Broncos is the tie the others will be hoping to avoid.
Apart from a SatNav diversion taking me off the M6 between J18 and J17, it was a traffic free drive back south and home dead on nine o’clock.
At this time of season it’s best to pick a game with something still on it, as many (most?) teams can’t be bothered to complete their scheduled fixtures otherwise. The hosts certainly need to pick up something from their remaining games, in order to avoid relegation, whilst the visitors, who were completing their games today, were ninth and could finish one place higher if they won today, depending on the result at Penrhyndeudraeth going in their favour.
Cae Stanley is on the right hand side of Lon Caeathro, heading eastwards out of the village. Theres plenty of parking, whilst the pitch is railed on three sides and has hard standing as well. It’s just the left hand goal end that lacks both. There’s a seated stand on the near side, with toilets/tea bar/changing rooms behind and there’s a pair of dugouts opposite. There would normally be a good view beyond the dugouts, but not today. There was low cloud/mist and light rain/drizzle that fell for the majority of the game, with the sun really struggling to break through.
Despite the scoreline, this was actually competitive. Cemaes Bay were just far too strong on the day and certainly had their scoring boots on. The visitors hit the crossbar in the opening five minutes, but were lethal from then on. They opened the scoring after fourteen minutes, nicking a throughball past the on rushing ‘keeper, shooting on the turn to find the bottom corner. Six minutes later they made it two, following in after an initial save by the ‘keeper. Three more goals in the final seven minutes of the half saw them open up a 0-5 lead by halftime. Ten minutes into the second half it was 0-6 and both teams hit the woodwork before goal number seven came with fifteen minutes left. The scoring was rounded off with seven minutes left, cutting in from the left, before firing a shot low into the far corner.
The defeat leaves Bontnewydd third bottom in the table, three points clear of Mynydd Llandegai, but still having two games in hand, so they should still be safe, although after today’s result, they now have a goal difference worse by four and have scored fewer goals. They only trail fourth bottom Gwalchmai by three points, so their destiny is very much in their own hands.
It was an early start heading up to Snowdonia, so I encountered no traffic problems whatsoever and an overnight stop in the northwest, followed by a rugby league match on Sunday, meant a leisurely drive back across the A55 afterwards. It just leaves me with Talysarn Celts to do in this Tier 4 league now.
The caged pitch here at Shoeburyness High School has a designated spectator area along three quarters of one side, with the changing rooms being inside the Shoeburyness Leisure Centre, about fifty yards from the pitch. Parking is available at the school, where toilets were also available and there a couple of vending machines just outside the cage entrance.
The match involved two teams from the Essex Olympian League. Wakering Sports are 4th in the Premier Division and Shoebury Town 8th in Division 3 South East, with this being played at the regular home ground of ‘the visitors’. It was a really keenly contested contest and the difference in playing level between the two was not really noticeable. Wakering were ahead after two minutes and hit the crossbar shortly afterwards too. When a lob over the ‘keeper made it 2-0 after twenty minutes, I feared it might be too one sided, but Shoebury hit back within two minutes to make it 2-1. Just after the half hour mark Wakering headed in at the far post, to go 3-1 up, and surprisingly there were no more goals before halftime.
With twenty four minutes left a cross from the right was headed in at the far post for Shoebury to pull it back to 3-2 and it was game on once more. Unfortunately for them, Wakering got the next goal, with an angled shot into the far corner to make it 4-2 just five minutes later and there was no way back from there. A corner from the left was forced in at the far post to make it 5-2 in the last minute, before Shoebury scored their third goal with the last kick of the match.
The 60 mile journey into Essex took a ridiculous two and a quarter hours, not helped by a four mile queue at the Dartford Crossing and very slow moving traffic from the M25 along the A13 towards Southend-on-Sea. Thankfully, totally trouble free on the return, although there were two lanes closed on the Dartford Crossing.
South Woodham Ferrers United 2 Benfleet Reserves 1, attendance 133
15’ 1-0
74’ 2-0
87’ 2-1
@ South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre, 3G Pitch
Brickfields Road
South Woodham Ferrers
CM3 5XB
No Admission or Programme.
Although the ground here at South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre is a cage set up, it’s better than most, as spectator access is along one side and behind both goals, with the ‘benches’ set up on the unused side. There’s plenty of parking, with the changing rooms located inside the main building, about fifty yards from the pitch.
The match was 2nd versus 1st in the league table, with Benfleet a point ahead, with a game in hand, so a win for them would see them crowned champions as SWF only have one game to play after this. It was the hosts who opened the scoring after fifteen minutes, finishing a through ball low into the bottom corner. There were plenty of chances, but it was SWF who grabbed the all important second goal of the game, when a free kick within the centre circle was met with a glancing header just inside the box, sending it into the bottom corner of the net with sixteen minutes left. With five minutes left Benfleet had three consecutive shots cleared off the line, in a desperate attempt to force the ball in, but a couple of minutes later they did pull a goal back, when a cross from the right was headed in at the far post, leaving the hosts hanging on nervously. So, SWF go into their final game two points clear of Benfleet Reserves at the top, but the latter crucially still have a game in hand.
The journey to Essex had the normal three mile queue approaching the Dartford Crossing, whilst the return was only hindered by two lanes being closed, again at the Dartford Crossing.
Bruton United’s Jubilee Park is just a pitch in a recreation ground, but it’s a pleasant setting, with the highlight being the Bruton Dovecote that’s behind the goal furthest from the changing rooms. Raised banking runs along one touchline, with the other side tree lined, separating the main pitch from what looked to be a cricket pitch, down on a lower level. As well as a car park next to the changing rooms, there’s also one behind the far goal, accessed off Dropping Lane.
The hosts came into this in eighth place, safe from relegation, but could still possibly finish a couple of places lower, depending on other results elsewhere. Strode were top, knowing a win here would see them crowned champions, but a defeat could see them overhauled by either Pitney or Wagtail Athletic Reserves, who were playing each other at Wagtail tonight, with this being the final game for all three. If the league table on FA Full Time is correct, fourth in the table Westland Sports Colts could also win it, if they win their last three games. Regardless of all the permutations, it was simple. A Strode win would seal it, no matter what went on elsewhere.
Considering the hosts had nothing to play for, they put up a real fight, which was good to see. They almost went in front after thirty two minutes, but the shot hit the post and a minute later a long clearance from the visitors ‘keeper got flicked on and was cut back inside for a right footed finish low into the bottom corner. Three minutes later Bruton drew level, when a poor attempted clearance from the Strode ‘keeper was intercepted and finished from a tight angle. Bruton missed an absolute sitter right on halftime, somehow failing to convert a ball across the six yard box from no more than two yards out. Just before the hour mark Strode went back in front, tapping in from close range after a cross from the right wasn’t dealt with by the home ‘keeper. The killer goal came six minutes later, when a header made it 1-3 and the home side’s resistance was broken. There was only going to be one winner from here and Strode added a fourth goal nine minutes later, shooting low into the bottom corner to make it 1-4 and the title was wrapped up.
An unusually traffic free M25 and M3/A303 in both directions rounded off an excellent evening.
