Kent County League

Premier Division

Saturday 10th February 2018

Kick Off 14.45 Actual 14.52

Greenways 1 Kennington 5,  attendance 18

4’ 0-1

15’ 1-1

45’ + 2, 1-2

46’ 1-3

47’ 1-4

79’ 1-5

@ Old Southfields

Nursery Mews

off Cedar Avenue

Gravesend

DA12 5JT

No Admission or Programme.

This was the game of the day in the Kent County League, with second in the league table hosting the leaders. Greenways, who were unbeaten in the league this season (11 wins, 3 draws), started the day six points adrift of Kennington, but had two games in hand.

I arrived around 50 minutes before kick off (although the match then kicked off seven minutes late due to the second Linesman not arriving until 14.42) just as the Referee had completed his inspection. Despite being very wet, he felt the pitch was perfectly playable, although “it might be a bit muddy at the end”. Kennington scored early on, but Greenways soon levelled. The visitors edged in front with the last effort of the first half, before netting twice in the opening 90 seconds of the second half to wrap up the points. They have now won ten consecutive league matches and look favourites to go on and win the title.

As the game went on, the rain continued and the wind increased. The pitch certainly looked worse for wear at the final whistle, but not as bad as my umbrella, which was totally destroyed, having been blown inside out on half a dozen occasions !

British Universities & Colleges Sports

South Eastern 2A

Wednesday 7th February 2018

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

Brunel University 0 St. Mary’s University 4,  attendance 19

14’ 0-1

57’ 0-2

77’ 0-3

84’ 0-4

@ Brunel University Sports Park Athletics Track

Kingston Lane

Uxbridge

UX8 3PH

No Admission or Programme.

St. Mary’s won this with four goals of real quality. Even if Brunel had scored with a penalty that was easily saved, when it was only 0-2, it probably wouldn’t have affected the outcome of the match.

Wessex League

Division 1

Tuesday 6th February 2018

Kick Off 20.00. On Time !

Hythe & Dibden 4 East Cowes Victoria Athletic 0,  attendance 41

26’ 1-0

42’ 2-0

68’ 3-0

83’ 4-0

@ Clayfields Sports Centre

Claypits Lane

Dibden

SO45 5TN

£5 Admission

Programme free, 16 pages.

Hythe & Dibden moved here in 2014, having previously played at Ewart Recreation Ground, which I had visited on 20th January 2004, when they lost 2-4 versus Portsmouth Royal Navy in a Hampshire League, Trophyman Cup 3rd Round match.

Tonights match was moved to an 8pm kick off at the request of the visitors, to better suit the ferry times from the Isle of Wight. It was a basement battle, with it being third bottom versus fourth bottom in the league table, although the win lifts the hosts a couple of places. It was pretty comfortable once the deadlock was broken and the third goal of the night was the pick of the bunch, when a poor clearance was hit back over the ‘keeper from 40 yards.

Belgium

Division 2 Amateurs  A.C.F.F.

Sunday 4th February 2018

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

R.F.C. Meux 1 Solieres Sport 0,  attendance 142

28’ 1-0 (pen)

@ Stade des Vert et Blanc

Rue Janquart 16

5081 Meux

€10 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

This was another trip where the driver was going to a match at a ground I had already visited, his destination being A.S.E. Chastre (20th February 2014, 1-1, versus F.C. Limelette, Brabant Provincial 3B) in Brabant Provincial 1. As R.F.C. Meux were the nearest Belgian League Ground to Chastre that I still hadn’t been to, I decided to be dropped here, as did the other two passengers, and it would only be a 25 minute wait until we were picked up afterwards.

The match was 13th v 8th in the league table and it could have been more comfortable for the hosts had they been more composed on a couple of break away attacks towards the end of the match, but the penalty they scored, just before the half hour mark, was enough for them to take a valuable three points and edge them away from the relegation places at the foot of the table.

For the first time in ages, The Tunnel ran on time both ways !

Below photo : The only goal of the match.

Surrey Elite Intermediate League

Saturday 3rd February 2018

Kick Off 15.00. On Time !

Tooting Bec 1 Chessington Kings Centre 2,  attendance 4

3’ 0-1

19’ 0-2

44’ 1-2

@ Tooting & Mitcham F.C. 3G Pitch

Imperial Fields

Bishopsford Road

Morden

SM4 6BF

No Admission or Programme.

It took around 35 minutes to drive here from Hampton. The 3G pitch is behind the main stadium of Tooting & Mitcham F.C. with the changing rooms for the synthetic pitch being in the building beneath the main stand.

Tooting Bec were unbeaten in the league before today, with 10 wins and three draws, from their first thirteen matches. Chessington were far better than their 10th position in the league table suggests, although it was very much backs to the wall for most of the second half, including eight minutes of added time, but they hung on for a deserved, if not expected, win.

Bec now trail league leaders Royal Holloway Old Boys by 5 points, but do have three games in hand.

Arthurian League

Division 1

Saturday 3rd February 2018

Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.08

Old Bradfieldians 6 Old Malvernians 2,  attendance 1

7’ 1-0

12’ 2-0

15’ 3-0

21’ 4-0

39’ 5-0

45’ 6-0

48’ 6-1 (pen)

87’ 6-2

@ Hampton Sports Centre, 3G Pitch

Hanworth Road

Hampton

TW12 3HB

No Admission or Programme.

With it already raining by 10 o’clock and the forecast for it to continue until the early evening, I decided to settle for an easy option and do a couple of matches on 3G pitches.

Old Bradfieldians kept up their 100% winning start to the season with their twelfth win, in a game that was over as a contest in the first quarter of an hour. Old Malvernians remain second bottom in the league table.

For the second time this season, I was the only spectator at the match !