Cheshire League

Division 1

Wednesday 30th May 2018

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.04

Windle Labour 2 Middlewich Town 3,  attendance 61

2’ 0-1

16’ 1-1 (pen)

22’ 2-1

31’ 2-2

78’ 2-3

@ St. Helens College Sports Academy

Bobbies Lane

Eccleston

St. Helens

WA10 5AL

No Admission

£1 Programme, 8 pages.

For what looks like being my last match of the season in the English Pyramid, it was another horrendous journey up the M6 to finish things off. The last midweek trip to St. Helens, when visiting St. Helens Town F.C. had taken 7 hours, so the fact that it only took 6 hours 7 minutes tonight makes it look so much less stressful !

At least the match tonight still had something riding on it. With a reorganisation of things in the leagues above for next season, it meant that 5 teams would be promoted from this division, so Middlewich would need a draw to make it into fifth place.

After a superb first half, where it was difficult to tell just which one of these two was the one going for promotion, they went in all square at 2-2, with both teams having been ahead at one point. The second half never really sparked into life, but Middlewich wrapped things up with the winning goal twelve minutes from the end, which saw them finish off the season in third place in the league table. Windle remained seventh.

North Bucks & District League

Premier Division

Tuesday 29th May 2018

Kick Off 18.45 Actual 18.44

Stewkley 1 Potterspury 8,  attendance 64

6’ 0-1

14’ 0-2

19’ 1-2

25’1-3

65’ 1-4

74’ 1-5

75’ 1-6

85’ 1-7

90’ 1-8

@ Stewkley Recreation Ground

Soulbury Road

Stewkley

LU7 0HN

No Admission or Programme.

So, the relentless pursuit of Towcester Town at the top of the league table is over. Potterspury had three games left once Towcester had completed their fixtures and knew they would have to win all three to take the title by a point. Having seen all three of the matches, it certainly can’t be said that it was an easy task and there was certainly no point where their opposition rolled over for them.

The two early goals tonight looked like it would be over very early on, but Stewkley pulled one back and despite conceding again to go in at the interval 1-3 down, they certainly weren’t out of it. When goal number four went in for the visitors that was it and Potterspury have now won the league for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time in the last six years !

North Bucks & District League

Premier Division

Saturday 26th May 2018

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.59

Duston Dynamo 2 Potterspury 3,  attendance 27

19’ 1-0

36’ 1-1

48’ 2-1

55’ 2-2

79’ 2-3

@ Duston Sports Centre

Cotswold Avenue

Duston

NN5 6EX

No Admission or Programme.

Having seen the reverse fixture of this on Thursday evening, which Potterspury had won 4-0, it was certainly easy to make this my choice of match for today. Potterspury would have to win here, then take maximum points from their final match to overhaul Towcester Town at the top of the league table.

Duston certainly made them work for the three points, which is great credit to them, as they are only eighth in the table. They actually led twice and with the score at 2-2 had a goal disallowed. Potterspury finally got the winning goal they required with just eleven minutes left. As the ball was hooked back across the 6 yard box the ball looked to have gone out of play, but having struck the post, the ball fell perfectly for the incoming striker to smash the ball past the ‘keeper.

The win now guarantees Potterspury second place, but if they win their final match at Stewkley on Tuesday night they will retain their title.

North Bucks & District League

Premier Division

Thursday 24th May 2018

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.31

Potterspury 4 Duston Dynamo 0,  attendance 31

6’ 1-0

25’ 2-0

44’ 3-0

82’ 4-0

@ Potterspury Sports Ground

Meadow View

Potterspury

NN12 7PJ

No Admission or Programme.

Potterspury came into this in fourth place in the league table, but knew that if they won their last 3 matches then they would pip Towcester Town (currently top, eight points ahead, but having completed their fixtures) to the title.

I was a bit concerned whether eighth place in the table Duston would bother turning out for this, as they have nothing left to play for, but turn up they did, along with five substitutes.

Potterspury got a quick goal to settle things down and had the game sewn up by halftime. The second half became a bit niggly after Duston had a man sent off ten minutes into the half, when Potterspury should have just taken it easy and coasted to the three points. The fourth goal came from a follow up to a saved penalty, before Duston had a second man sent off three minutes from time when their player hacked down a Potterspury player who had been booked for a foul on the offending player a little earlier.

Potterspury now need to win their next two games to win the league. On Saturday they make the trip to Duston, where after the second half goings on tonight the task may now be that little bit harder than it perhaps could have been.

Welsh League

Division 3

Wednesday 23rd May 2018

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.47

Panteg 4 Tredegar Town 1,  attendance 26

27’ 0-1

55’ 1-1

71’ 2-1

83’ 3-1

86’ 4-1

@ Panteg House Sportsground

Greenhill Road

Griffithstown

NP4 5BE

No Admission or Programme.

It is quite a while since I was at a match that kicked off as late behind schedule as this. Apparently Tredegar had been caught up in traffic en route. The pitch is quite a walk from the changing rooms, so at least a bit of time was caught up with both teams remaining pitchside for halftime.

Despite being a mid table match, which was 11th v 10th in the league table, this was a really good match. The two late goals for Panteg gave them a winning margin that really didn’t reflect how even the match had actually been.

At the start of the week I needed five grounds to complete the Welsh League. By a stroke of luck, four of them were playing on successive nights this week, but I think after three consecutive nights over ‘The Bridge’, I will give Bridgend Street a miss tomorrow night. The other ground still needed in this league is STM Sports.

Welsh League

Division 2

Tuesday 22nd May 2018

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.34

A.F.C. Llwydcoed 0 Garden Village 3,  attendance 68

48’ 0-1

54’ 0-2

83’ 0-3

@ The Welfare Ground

Merthyr Road

Llwydcoed

CF44 0YE

£3 Admission, including Programme (from original match date of 31st March), 40 pages.

This was fourth bottom versus seventh in the league table. The first half was very even, but Garden Village totally dominated the second half and well deserved the win.

Welsh League

Division 3

Monday 21st May 2018

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.29

Treharris Athletic Western 5 Neuadd Wen 1,  attendance 70

45’ 1-0

48’ 2-0

65’ 2-1 (pen)

71’ 3-1 (pen)

74’ 4-1

83’ 5-1

@ Fochriw F.C.

Welfare Ground

Pontlottyn Road

Fochriw

CF81 9LS

£3 Admission, including Programme * 16 pages.

* The Programme, if you can actually call it a programme, was doctored from old programmes that had not been used up during the season. There was no mention whatsoever of tonight’s match, but it did contain all the adverts and club history etc.

I was surprised to see it was as far back as 23rd October 1999 that I had visited Treharris at their old Athletic Ground, Commercial Street, which was in their own village (Welsh League Division 3, 2-1 v Abercynon). As this was a noon kick off, I followed it up with U.W.I.C. 3 Goytre United 2, in Welsh League Division 1, which was also played on a ground that the home club no longer use.

This season Treharris are playing at the ground of Fochriw F.C. who currently don’t have a team, having resigned from the South Wales Alliance League at the end of 2015/16 season. Treharris hope to be on their own new ground for the start of next season.

The match tonight had nothing riding on it for Treharris as they will finish in fourth place in the league table no matter what. Neuadd Wen, however, need 1 point from their last two matches in order to climb off the bottom of the table, going above Ely Rangers, who have completed their fixtures, thus avoiding the single relegation place for this season.

It all looked to be going well for Neuadd Wen, until they conceded goals in quick succession either side of halftime. When they scored a penalty, pulling it back to 2-1, they were starting to get on top. Unfortunately, they then conceded a penalty themselves and once that was scored their heads went down and they were lucky they only conceded five goals in the end.

Neuadd Wen now go into their last match requiring a draw to stay up, but they still have a good chance of achieving it as their final match is away at Treowen Stars, who are only third off the bottom of the table themselves.

Belgium

West Vlaanderen Provincial 3A Eindronde

Promotion Play Off 2nd Leg

Sunday 20th May 2018

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.01

Union Sportive Ploegsteert-Bizet 1 Sporting Club Zonnebeke 3 (AET) (3-4 on Aggregate),  attendance 255

47’ 0-1

58’ 1-1

66’ 1-2

117’ 1-3

@ Stade Vanuxeem

Rue D’Armentieres 146

7782 Ploegsteert

€5 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

Ploegsteert are unusual as they are one of a handful of clubs in Belgium that play their football in a different Province to where they are based. They are actually in Hainaut, but play in the West Vlaanderen Provincial League.

The final league positions of these two was 3rd versus 2nd, but Ploegsteert had won the away leg last Sunday 2-1, so came into this match as favourites to gain promotion, especially as the ‘away goals’ rule was in use. They totally dominated the first half, but missed a hatful of chances. The opening goal for Zonnebeke, early in the second half, still made no difference to the overall tie and when Ploegsteert quickly levelled it at 1-1 on the day they seemed well in control. The visitors then made it 1-2, to level at 3-3 on aggregate, which meant if either team scored another goal then at least we wouldn’t be heading for extra time.

Sadly, neither team had a shot on target in the remaining 24 minutes, so into an extra thirty minutes we went. Again, neither team seemed interested in winning it, but Zonnebeke then had a man sent off with 18 minutes of extra time left, so surely Ploegsteert would take advantage of the extra man, but they just sat back and wasted time at every opportunity. With three minutes left, Zonnebeke played a free kick into the box from out on the touch line and as everyone jumped for the ball it took a deflection of someone’s head and looped over the ‘keeper for the winner, which sees them promoted to Provincial 2 next season.

The Tunnel didn’t behave too badly today, although it wasn’t really that busy. Our 10.20 outbound service was seven minutes late, whilst the 19.20 return (had to book this in case of extra time and penalties) was two minutes late.

Dorset League

Senior Division

Saturday 19th May 2018

Kick Off 14.00. On Time !

Corfe Castle 2 Chickerell United 1,  attendance 64

65’ 1-0

73’ 1-1

90’ 2-1

@ The Millennium Pavilion

Hollands Close

off West Street

Corfe Castle

BH20 5EB

No Admission or Programme.

This was 1st versus 2nd in the league table. Corfe Castle led Chickerell by a point, but this was the last match of the season for the visitors, so a win here would give the title to Corfe Castle. If Chickerell won, then Corfe would have to beat third placed Portland United Reserves away next week to win it, although with them being just 4 points behind themselves, with two matches to play, then they could also still win it. In fact, if Chickerell won today, then they could still win it if the Corfe-Portland United match was drawn.

As it turned out, Corfe won it with a last minute goal. Chickerell had been the better team for the first half, but offered very little after the break. The opening goal came from a long kick from the home ‘keeper which bounced once and was headed over the advancing away team ‘keeper from about 25 yards out. The equaliser came with a shot into the corner of the net from the edge of the 18 yard box.

North Bucks & District League

Premier Division

Thursday 17th May 2018

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.33

Hanslope 2 Towcester Town 4,  attendance 41

33’ 0-1

46’ 1-1

52’ 2-1

72’ 2-2

76’ 2-3

83’ 2-4

@ Hanslope Recreation Ground

Castlethorpe Road

Hanslope

MK19 7HQ

No Admission or Programme.

This was fifth versus first in the league table. Hanslope had nothing to play for, but Towcester certainly needed to get something from the match,as they are in a two way battle for the title with fourth placed Potterspury, who still have 3 matches left to play, whilst this was the final match for Towcester.

With work being carried out on the changing room building it meant they were not available to use. Unbelievably, for this level of football, the players and Referee got changed pitchside and left their kit bags in a pile, which is more akin to Sunday League football. It also looked like the Council hadn’t bothered cutting the grass for months and most of the pitch markings were very faint and could have done with being freshly marked.

This match took a while to burst in to action, but hotted up once Towcester went in front. Hanslope turned it round very quickly in the second half, but Towcester managed to level it up at 2-2 before going ahead again within a few minutes before finally making the game safe with seven minutes left.

Towcester, having now completed their fixtures, are 8 points clear of Potterspury, who will have to win their remaining 3 games to pip them for the title.