F.A. Wales Trophy

1st Round

Saturday 17th July 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.59

Bryn Rovers 1 Giants Grave 1 (6-7 pens), attendance 46

70’ 1-0

83’ 1-1

@ Cae Criced

Bryn Avenue

Upper Brynamman

SA18 1BD

£2 Admission, including Programme, 8 pages.

It was back down to Wales for today’s match, but at least it was as a passenger. The match was Neath & District League Premier Division (Tier 5) versus West Wales Premier League (Tier 4). Unlike the previous three matches I’ve been to this season in Wales, where there were no checks whatsoever, this match was subject to the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Welsh F.A. This meant a 100 crowd limit, manual Track and Trace (no QR code available) and temperature check, although these were done by the bloke on the gate, so not sure how accurate they are (the driver showed 33.4 degrees Celsius on the first attempt. 36.1 to 37.2 is generally the norm), if at all. It was far easier to enforce it here, as there was just the one entrance and it wasn’t possible to view from outside the ground either.

The two teams were very evenly matched and put on a decent show considering the searing heat. They were so well matched, that it looked like neither side were going to be able to make the breakthrough. With twenty minutes left, a speculative shot was totally misjudged by the visiting ‘keeper and the ball somehow evaded him and trickled over the line to give Bryn the lead. Giants Grave pushed hard for an equaliser, and it came seven minutes from time, when a header came back off the crossbar and the rebound was smashed into the net from six yards.

We headed straight to penalties at the end of the ninety minutes. Giants Grave won the shootout 7-6 (18 penalties taken). Yet again, as with last night, the Welsh F.A. and media appear unable to report the correct score. The Cymru App gives it as Bryn Rovers 7 Giants Grave 8, whilst All Wales Sports has it as Bryn Rovers 3 Giants Grave 3 (4-5 pens). I know rugby is the main sport here, but come on………

F.A. Wales Trophy

1st Round

Friday 16th July 2021

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.03

Trinant 0 Treowen Stars 7, attendance 98

6’ 0-1

35’ 0-2

61’ 0-3

74’ 0-4

83’ 0-5

84’ 0-6

85’ 0-7

@ Trinant Recreation Ground

Llanerch Lane

Trinant

NP11 3LH

No Admission

£1 Programme, 8 pages.

This was my only option for a competitive match tonight, which meant taking a gamble that it would go ahead. Games in Wales have been called off at a high rate in the last week, due to players/officials having to self isolate, (the ‘guilty’ clubs then forfeit the tie) having been contacted by the N.H.S. Track and Trace COVID-19 app. With this in mind, I decided to travel on my own, rather than have the hassle of having to cancel or abort the trip at short notice. As it turned out, if I had taken passengers, then I wouldn’t have made it to the game anyway. The M25 was queuing from Junction 9 clockwise and even by taking the short cut via the M3 didn’t help, as it took me an hour and a half just to get to Bracknell. The M4 was then closed between Junction 14 and 15, due to a lorry fire, so I only arrived 23 minutes before kick off, with the 155 mile journey taking 4 hours 47 minutes! The return journey was only two and a half hours.

The game itself was a local derby, the two clubs being just three miles apart. On the field there was a three level gap, with Trinant being in the Gwent Premier League Division 2,(Tier 6 in Wales) whilst Treowen Stars are in Ardal League South East (Tier 3). The early goal for the visitors set the tone, but they only managed to add one more goal before halftime, to take a 0-2 lead into the break. They comfortably doubled their lead in the second half, before a three goal burst late on gave a final score of 0-7, which was a bit harsh on Trinant. For some reason, both the new Cymru App and All Wales Sport have the score as 0-8, but it was definitely only seven!

Friendly

Wednesday 14th July 2021

Kick Off 19.15 Actual 19.18

Benfleet 3 Rayleigh Town 1, attendance 42

28’ 1-0

39’ 2-0

70’ 3-0

85’ 3-1

@ Woodside Extension

Manor Road

New Thundersley

SS7 4PB

No Admission or Programme.

At the start of the 2018/19 season, Benfleet made the move up to Step 6, having gained promotion to the Eastern Counties League Division 1 South, despite playing in the Essex Olympian League Division 2 (Step 9) the previous season. In doing so, it meant moving to ground share at Canvey Island F.C. in order to meet the ground grading requirements. Their traditional home ground is now only used by the Reserves and Youth teams, so tonight was a chance to see the first team here, as they still use the ground for hosting friendly matches. The pitch used tonight (the only one currently marked out) runs parallel to what was the old first team pitch (brick dugout bases still in place) and is beyond the former, furthest from the changing rooms. There is room for a third pitch, which is to the left, running the opposite way.

As expected, it was a comfortable win for Benfleet, against their Essex Olympian League Premier Division opponents. They dominated for the majority of the game, but actually had very little end product, despite scoring three goals. Having missed a penalty at the end of the first half, that smashed against the crossbar, Rayleigh Town did head in a consolation goal late on, to make the score 3-1.

Welsh F.A. Cup

1st Qualifying Round

Saturday 10th July 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Ruabon Rovers 2 Saltney Town 7, attendance 228

19’ 0-1

21’ 0-2

24’ 0-3

27’ 0-4

41’ 0-5

52’ 1-5

59’ 1-6

78’ 1-7

83’ 2-7

@ The Recreation Ground

Maes-y-Llan Lane

Ruabon

LL14 6AE

No Admission

Programme available.

I had narrowed down my choice of Welsh F.A. Cup matches today to four ties (the other options finished 6-2, 0-6 and 6-4!) but settled on this game, which was a Tier 5 versus Tier 3 clash, as North East Wales League Championship division hosted Ardal League North West.

Ruabon Rovers were formed last year, but only played their first competitive match last week, due to COVID-19 causing a shutdown of football in Wales at all levels below the top tier. It also saw football make a return to Ruabon, as the Recreation Ground has been used by previous clubs in North Wales football, although not for a number of years. The town of Ruabon is where the F.A. of Wales was formed back in 1876, and the Wynnstay Arms pub, where the meeting was held, backs on to the Recreation Ground at the goal end where the main road runs through the town. To mark their big day, the Welsh F.A. Cup (or perhaps just a replica?) was on display before kick off. The club had also done a souvenir programme (plenty of photos on Twitter), but at no time did anyone come round trying to sell any and I only saw two people with them, so I assume they were all snapped up by the ground hoppers in attendance, judging by the number of them here.

As with last week at Greenfield, there were little, or no, Covid-19 precautions in place and you just wandered in. Then again, there was little the club could do anyway, as the pitch is in a public place and accessible from at least three entrances. If the ground had been enclosed, then the 100 spectator limit currently in place in Wales would have certainly been a problem.

Their big day went rather flat in the end, although realistically they were unlikely to beat a team two levels above them. Three goals, in a six minute spell midway through the first half, saw Saltney go 0-3 up and by the break it was 0-5. Ruabon did better in the second half, as the teams shared four goals, as well as Saltney having a penalty saved when it was 1-5, giving a final score line of 2-7. I actually thought this was quite an unusual score, but a check of my records showed it’s the fourteenth time I have seen it, and for the third time in my last 20 matches.

Friendly

Thursday 8th July 2021

Kick Off 18.30. On Time !

Eynesbury United 6 Gamlingay United 1, attendance 38

2’ 1-0

17’ 2-0

21’ 3-0

37’ 4-0

42’ 5-0

51’ 6-0

84’ 6-1

@ Alfred Hall Memorial Ground (Eynesbury Rovers F.C.) Pitch 2

Hall Road

Eynesbury

PE19 2SF

No Admission or Programme.

Pitch 2 here is accessed either via the main ground (if you arrived late enough for the gates to have been unlocked) or by entering through a gate off the rear car park of the Ernulf Academy in Barford Road.

I had seen these two play each other in a Cambridgeshire County League Premier Division match last season, but Eynesbury United have made the sideways move into Spartan South Midlands League Division 2 for this season, which suggests they are looking to progress up the pyramid. They already groundshare here at Eynesbury Rovers, so have the necessary set up to match their on field ambition.

The match was pretty one sided, especially in the first half. Eynesbury cruised into a 5-0 lead, with their No.10 bagging himself a hat trick as well as missing a penalty that was saved by the ‘keeper. The second half saw Gamlingay tighten up at the back, conceding just once more and at least they got the final goal of the night, to pull it back to 6-1 late on. They could have added a second, but their No.9 blazed a penalty over the crossbar.

The main ground here is another one that I don’t remember much about. I had seen Eynesbury Rovers beat Kempston Rovers 4-2 here, in a United Counties League Cup 2nd Round match on 14th January 2003. The photos below show what it is like now.

Friendly

Tuesday 6th July 2021

Kick Off 19.15 Actual 19.26

Oakwood 0 Saltdean United 5, attendance 19

3’ 0-1

17’ 0-2

61’ 0-3

71’ 0-4

84’ 0-5

@ Oakwood Sports & Social Club, Pitch 2

Tinsley Lane

Three Bridges

RH10 8AT

No Admission or Programme.

On Saturday I noticed that Forest Row, who groundshare at Oakwood, had played their friendly match on the second pitch, so thought there was a chance that tonight’s match may also be played here. Indeed it was, but with neither team mentioning the match on Twitter, it meant the information was drip fed slowly. Saltdean confirmed the game was actually taking place, then Oakwood supplied the vital information, well to me at least, that it was on Pitch 2 (in the field behind the social club/changing rooms side of the main ground, running at right angles to the main pitch) and it was kicking off at 19.15 ish! In the end it kicked off eleven minutes later, due to a combination of Oakwood looking unprepared and the Referee requesting that an area of the pitch was forked and swept clear of water, following heavy rain during the afternoon that hadn’t soaked in.

This was between two teams from the Southern Combination League, as Division 1 (Step 6) hosted Premier Division. The gulf in class looked more than one division and Saltdean bossed the game throughout. Oakwood changed their entire team at halftime, but it made little difference. The winning margin would have been greater, but for some cracking saves from the Oakwood ‘keeper in the second half.

My visit to the main ground had been back on 2nd November 2007, when I saw Oakwood lose 1-2 to East Preston in a Sussex County League Division 1 match in front of 33 spectators. I can’t say that I remembered much of what the ground looked like, but the photo below shows what it is like now.

North East Wales League

Premier Division

Saturday 3rd July 2021

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.28

Greenfield 2 Cefn Mawr Rangers 1, attendance 26

29’ 0-1 (pen)

34’ 1-1

86’ 2-1

@ Alpha Park

Bagillt Road

Greenfield

CH8 7HG

No Admission or Programme.

At last, I finally got to see a game outside England, following endless restrictions on travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time I managed this was back on 8th March 2020, with a trip to Belgium to see K. Standaard S.V. Denderleeuw and I hadn’t managed a visit to Wales since seeing Pontypridd Town on 17th January 2020. The shutdown of football in Wales feels like it has been going on forever and today’s match was the first competitive fixture for the clubs in 483 days!

I decided to tick off the only ground I hadn’t visited in the Premier Division of the North East Wales League, which sits at Tier 4 of the Welsh pyramid. I was a bit concerned as to whether I would be allowed in to watch the match, as there seemed some confusion over whether there was a limit of 100 spectators (set by the Welsh Government/F.A. Wales ?) and some reports suggested this number included players, etc. I had asked both clubs for confirmation on Twitter, but neither bothered to reply, despite having active accounts. In the end it didn’t matter, as the crowd was a pitiful 26, and you just strolled in through the gate.

Cefn Mawr Rangers started off the better of the two. They opened the scoring half an hour into the game, with a penalty awarded for a handball. Their lead only lasted five minutes. A through ball was taken around the ‘keeper and slotted in to make it 1-1. The second half saw plenty of effort, but neither side looked capable of getting a winner. Then, as we entered the last five minutes, out of nothing, another through ball saw the striker race clear, nicking the ball one side of the ‘keeper, whilst he went the other, and he finished calmly from a tight angle. There was still time for Cefn to have an equaliser bizarrely disallowed. A striker went for a 50/50 ball with the ‘keeper and both ended up on the floor. The ‘keeper stayed down, but wasn’t really injured and was told by the Referee “get on with it ‘keeper, he never touched you”. He stood up, placed the ball on the ground and took a couple of steps back. The striker then tapped the ball into the empty net, but for some reason the goal never stood. There was no whistle blown at any stage by the Referee and he obviously hadn’t awarded a free kick, but Cefn just seemed to accept it. All of us watching, that were nearest to the incident, were in agreement that the goal should have stood. Very strange decision.

Friendly

Thursday 1st July 2021

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.32

Ryedale 0 Pickering Town 6, attendance 114

7’ 0-1

45’ + 1, 0-2

54’ 0-3

60’ 0-4

86’ 0-5

89’ 0-6

@ Ryedale Sports Club

Thornton Road

Pickering

YO18 7JX

£2 Admission

No Programme.

So, my new season started less than 24 hours after the last one finished. The game was between Beckett League club Ryedale and their more illustrious neighbours Pickering Town, who play in the Northern Premier League Division 1 East, which sits at Step 4 of the non-league pyramid.

As expected, it was a large winning margin for the visitors. Pickering changed all eleven players at halftime, whilst the hosts just had a ‘normal’ squad, and it was only as Ryedale tired that the game became one sided.