Eastern Counties League

Division One Knockout Cup

2nd Round

Tuesday 9th October 2018

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.51

May & Baker Eastbrook Community 3 Burnham Ramblers 2,  attendance 56

24’ 0-1

42’ 1-1

44’ 2-1

55’ 3-1 (pen)

67’ 3-2

@ Barking R.U.F.C.

Gale Street

Dagenham

RM9 4TX

£5 Admission

£1 Programme, 12 pages.

I arrived here quite comfortably in the end, although it took 1 hour 40 minutes to cover the 18 miles drive from Dulwich. I even had a few extra minutes to spare, as the Referee didn’t even get the players out of the changing rooms until after the scheduled start time, so it was six minutes late kicking off.

Burnham had lost 8-1 here in the F.A. Vase earlier in the season, so I thought this might be a comfortable win for the hosts. Far from it, as they trailed until two goals in the closing minutes of the first half saw them lead 2-1 at the break. Even when they went 3-1 up they were unable to kill the game off, but Burnham could only manage to pull back one goal, so it finished 3-2.

This is the second season that  May & Baker have been playing here, having moved from their original base at the M & B Club in Dagenham Road, which I visited on 8th November 2008. The ground here looks impressive for the level, but it is in fact officially one sided, for football use anyway. The 200 seat stand on the far side is out of bounds, although at least half a dozen watched the match from there and I walked round unchallenged when going to take a few photographs from that side of the ground. The pitch is also poor, which is probably to be expected when it is shared with rugby.

Independent Schools F.A. Cup

3rd Round

Tuesday 9th October 2018

Kick Off 15.30 Actual 15.49

Dulwich College 0 Winchester College 3,  attendance 130

40’ 0-1

40’ + 2, 0-2

79’ 0-3

@ Dulwich College Sports Field

Dulwich Common

London

SE21 7LD

No Admission

Programme, free, 4 pages.

I had previously visited Dulwich College for a match in this competition back on 8th October 2008, when the school used the Trevor Bailey Sports Ground to host the game, which is a couple of hundred yards further along the same road.

The match today eventually kicked off 19 minutes late, due to the incompetence of Winchester, who didn’t arrive until just after 3.10 pm. Despite already being changed, they then spent 18 minutes in the changing room, before coming out and going through a 15 minute warm up !

Once we got going, it looked like this would be an easy home win, but Dulwich failed to take advantage of their dominance. Winchester only attacked three times in the whole of the first half, hitting the post with their first chance, before scoring twice in the last couple of minutes of the half. Neither side looked like adding to the scoring after the break, until the visitors broke away in the last minute to make it 0-3.

The late start meant I might struggle to make it in time for my intended evening match, which although only 18 miles away, it was north of the River Thames, so it would be touch and go whether I’d make it, although I did have two and a quarter hours to play with…….