Today saw the opening round of matches in the new Ardal Leagues, which sit at Tier 3 in Wales. At least it was only 45 minutes drive from Tregaron, to the north east of Aberystwyth, following an overnight stop for this one.
Bow Street dominated the first half, but only managed to score the one goal, which came just before the half hour mark, when a cross from the right was tapped in from close range. They began the second half much the same, but totally against the run of play, Kerry levelled the scores just before the hour, when a striker was put clear and he beat the ‘keeper with a shot inside the near post. Bow Street edged back in front when they scored a penalty with just over twenty minutes left and the game was finally made safe when they added a second penalty three minutes from time.
For the third consecutive Friday night it was a battle with the M4 westbound into Wales. It was a five hour slog, but that is pretty much what I would expect to come this far west, especially with holiday traffic.
Tonight’s game was the season opener in this division. Apart from games versus Aberaeron, this is as near as these two get to a local derby, and despite being just 32 miles apart, it is still an hours drive between the towns.
Both teams went at it from the off, fully committed and certainly not holding back. It had been evenly fought for the first thirty six minutes, then Tregaron hit three goals in ten minutes, which saw them home and dry. Ifan Jones got the opener, when he found the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box, then Daniel Owen headed in at the far post, before completing the scoring with a superb 25 yard curler into the top corner. Newcastle Emlyn lost their discipline in the second half and were lucky to end the game with eleven men, but Tregaron hung on comfortably for a well deserved win.
Tonight’s match was between two teams from the Mid Sussex League, this being Division 5 North versus Division 6 South. Despite being low on quality, it was high on entertainment value. Fairfield led at the break, but a 20 yarder, that went in off the underside of the crossbar, levelled it up at 1-1 with eighteen minutes left. Three minutes later Scaynes Hill went ahead, but were then reduced to ten men for the final ten minutes, having a player red carded for swearing at the Referee. Three minutes from time Fairfield made it 2-2, scoring at the second attempt, when a free kick wasn’t cleared from the 6 yard box.
Carver Barracks is an Army base on the former site of R.A.F. Debden, about a mile north of Debden. The pitch used tonight was to the west of the old North/South runway (used for car parking tonight) and was the southernmost of the two pitches there.
Carver Barracks Wimbish only compete in Army F.A. football, whilst Debden are in Cambridgeshire County League Division 1A (4th level in league) which is Step 10. The game started off as a very even contest, CBW taking an early lead, but Debden levelling it up after eighteen minutes. Half an hour in, the Referee blew his whistle and it became apparent this was going to be one of those dreaded 3 x 30 minute matches. If I had known this beforehand, then I wouldn’t have bothered coming. It really is time these matches were outlawed by the F.A.
As is the case with the shorter period games, it was very disjointed and the match just never really settled into any pattern. Surprisingly, it was the Army side who appeared to tire, as Debden rattled in four late goals to take a comfortable 1-5 win.
This was between two teams from the Central & South Norfolk League, as Division 1 hosted Division 2. The league feeds into the Anglian Combination League and sits at what is notionally Step 13.
It had been dry all day, but it started raining fifteen minutes before kick off, quite heavy at times, which continued until just before halftime. Both teams created plenty of chances, Yaxham edging in front just before the break, when a cross was volleyed in at the near post, before they doubled their lead just after the hour mark. When Hockering pulled a goal back, with a shot on the turn into the bottom corner of the net, there was only going to be one winner. The equaliser arrived courtesy of a bullet header from 6 yards, before a stray pass towards the ‘keeper was intercepted and the ball was smashed in to win it 3-2 for the hosts.
Brickfield Rangers 0 Saltney Town 3, attendance 32
17’ 0-1
32’ 0-2
53’ 0-3
@ Clywedog Park
Homestead Lane
Wrexham
LL14 4HE
£2 Admission, including Programme, 20 pages. (Wrong date on cover)
I had seen Brickfield Rangers play home games twice before, both times for matches in the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Premier Division and both games ended in 1-2 defeats. On 23rd May 2001 I saw them play Penycae at New Broughton Recreation Ground, before seeing them host Brymbo Broughton on 1st May 2003, where the match was played at Court Road, Wrexham. They are now playing here at Clywedog Park, which is off the A525 when entering Wrexham from the A483 by-pass.
I was a bit concerned that I hadn’t noticed the Referee around twenty five minutes before kick off, but was told that he had phoned to say that he was running late, but would be here by twenty to two. He wasn’t, but he arrived at 14.01 and had the game underway just three minutes later. If he hadn’t turned up, we would have been ok, as both the No.10 and No.12 of Saltney Town could have done the job, as each combined the role of playing and refereeing for the entire 90 minutes!
As far as the game went, it wasn’t really a contest, despite both clubs playing in Ardal League North West (Tier 3). Saltney dominated from the off, scoring early with a shot into the top corner of the net from 12 yards, before adding a second just after the half hour mark, when the ‘keeper spilled a free kick and the rebound was tapped in from close range.Eight minutes into the second half it was 0-3, when a shot on the turn found the bottom corner and the game was safe. Saltney pushed forward at will and deserved a couple more goals, such was their dominance, whilst Brickfield just never looked like scoring.
There was just the one passenger today. He had already been to Brickfield, so I dropped him off a couple of miles away at F.C. Queens Park, who play at The Dunks, a ground I had already visited some years ago. It was nice to have a trouble free drive to Wales for a change, with traffic very light in both directions.
Merthyr Saints 0 Penydarren Boys & Girls Club 3, attendance 443
7’ 0-1 (pen)
32’ 0-2
53’ 0-3
@ I.C.I. Rifle Fields
Bryniau Road
Pant
Merthyr Tydfil
CF48 2SR
£3 Admission
£1 Programme, 28 pages (2 blank). Very poor and a waste of money.
Back on 24th August 2002 I saw Merthyr Saints lose 1-3 to Bridgend Town in a Welsh League Division 2 match. When looking from the clubhouse/changing room building, the pitch used that day was to the right (Still there, the two photos below taken tonight). During the last year or so, the pitch 50 yards to the left has been developed, now being fully railed off and floodlit, as well as having a seated stand on the far side.
Tonight’s match was a local derby, as South Wales Alliance League Premier Division (Tier 4) hosted Ardal League South West (Tier 3). The visitors took the lead with a penalty after seven minutes, but it looked like they would really have to work hard to hold on, after they had a man red carded just 24 minutes in, but they still led 0-1 at the break. Six minutes into the second half they doubled their lead, the home ‘keeper spilling a free kick which was tapped in from close range, then two minutes later it was 0-3, this time the ‘keeper being beaten by a shot at his near post. Saints never looked like ever getting back into it, even with the extra man and they were easily beaten by a team who outfought them in all departments.
As with last Friday, the traffic on the trip down to Wales was horrendous. I left home at 12.30, taking an hour and a half to drive to the meeting point in Slough. It then took just seven minutes short of four hours to cover the 148 miles from there to Merthyr Tydfil.
@ The College of Haringey, Enfield & North East London (Enfield), 3G Pitch
73 Hertford Road
(enter via The Ride)
Enfield
EN3 5HA
No Admission or Programme.
This was my second visit here, having been previously on 23rd June 2019, when I saw Enfield Borough 2 Rising Ballers 4, in a friendly, but that match was played on the grass pitch that is beyond the 3G cage used tonight, running parallel.
Tonight’s match was Essex Senior League (Step 5) versus Isthmian League North (Step 4). The game could have done without the constant whinging at every decision, with both sides equally guilty and we got the inevitable free for all half an hour in, which had been brewing from the start. It was a shame, as it was a really good game when they concentrated on the football.
Romford raced into a two goal lead inside ten minutes, striker Christian Adu Gyamfi scoring both, the first from the penalty spot. They had the better of the exchanges, with both sides hitting the post, and going close a number of times, but no more goals followed in the first half. It wasn’t until sixteen minutes from time that Romford went 0-3 up, when Gyamfi completed his hattrick. Clapton netted a consolation goal in stoppage time.
This is the nearest ground from home in the North Wales Coast East League, but it is still a round trip of 480 miles! At least I didn’t have to drive, apart from getting to the meet up point, which was made more awkward than it needed to be, following the refusal of the other passenger to get himself to where the driver was starting from, even though he lives 20 minutes drive east of where we were meeting!
Cerrigydrudion is twenty miles west of Llangollen, on the A5, and although the ground is very basic, it is certainly up there with the best as far as scenery goes and you get to see the sun setting over Snowdonia as well.
Caer Clywd started well and it was against the run of play when Cerrigydrudion took the lead from the penalty spot. By halftime it was 2-0, but the visitors were still well in the game. The second half was one way traffic, helped by the fact that Caer Clwyd gave up once the score line was 6-0 and they deserved the double figure hammering they got. Goal of the match was the fifth, which was curled into the corner of the net from 20 yards.
The win sees Cerrigydrudion go top of the league table, ahead of second placed Llandudno Amateurs on goal difference. Caer Clwyd are fourth bottom, having taken just two points from their first four matches. The bottom three clubs have yet to pick up a point.
Above : Cerrigydrudion open the scoring from the penalty spot.
The Graham Edwards Memorial Trophy is named after the former Weston Rhyn and Gobowen player, who died from leukaemia when he was just 21 years old. It was first played for in 1975, with all matches played at Gobowen Playing Field, home to Shropshire County League side Gobowen Celtic. There are two groups of 4 teams, who play each other once, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi finals.
These two had both lost their opening matches, Four Crosses 0-5 versus Gobowen Celtic and Ellesmere United 0-4 to Morda United, so it was vital to pick up a win today, if they were to have any chance of staying in the competition. The skill level wasn’t great, but both sides gave it their all and it made for decent entertainment as a neutral. It can’t have been much fun playing in that heat, so fair play to them. Ellesmere took an early lead, but by halftime they trailed 4-1 and looked out of it. They recovered well in the second half and pulled it back to 4-3 with eleven minutes left, but were unable to nick an equaliser, before Four Crosses made the game safe, with a penalty three minutes from time to give them a 5-3 win.
The original plan had been to stay for the second match, between Gobowen Celtic and Morda United, but with the kick off being put back by half an hour to 15.30, we decided to give it a miss as the 30 degree heat was unbearable, especially with so little shade. As it turned out, we were leaving Warwick Services, on the M40, just as the game would be about to start, so it felt like we’d made the right decision.
