Surrey Premier County League

Saturday 4th September 2021

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

A.F.C. Walcountians 2 Spartans Youth 3, attendance 37

42’ 0-1

45’ + 3, 0-2 (pen)

55’ 1-2

73’ 1-3

84’ 2-3 (pen)

@ Walcountians Sports Club

Carshalton Road

Woodmansterne

SM7 3HU

No Admission or Programme.

I decided to head north, back up the M23, for my second game of the day, where a 26 minute drive saw me arrive at the only ground I hadn’t visited in this league. A.F.C. Walcountians are new into the Surrey Premier County League (formerly Surrey Elite Intermediate League) having been promoted from the Surrey South Eastern Combination League. They had won their opening match at the higher level 4-2 at home to N.P.L., whilst this was the first match of the season for Spartans.

The ground here hosts a number of sports. As well as football, there is also hockey, rugby and cricket (there were two matches going on today, one behind each goal end) with the football pitch being a fair distance from the changing rooms, which will prevent them rising up the pyramid any further as things stand.

The two teams were very evenly matched and it was one of those games that looked like it might not produce a goal, as the defences were certainly on top. However, just before halftime, the deadlock was broken when Spartans went in front. A corner was blocked at the near post, but the rebound was put in from close range. They then doubled their lead in stoppage time, scoring with a penalty.

Ten minutes into the second half the hosts pulled it back to 1-2, but a mix up between a defender and the ‘keeper saw Spartans regain their two goal lead with seventeen minutes left. Walcountians reduced the arrears with a penalty of their own, to make it 2-3, and they came close to equalising, when a shot smashed off the crossbar with the ‘keeper well beaten, but Spartans hung on to take the three points.

Mid Sussex League

Division 3 North

Saturday 4th September 2021

Kick Off 12.30 Actual 12.31

Horley A.F.C. 4 Forest Row Reserves 1, attendance 8

1’ 1-0

6’ 2-0

32’ 3-0

45’ 3-1 (pen)

54’ 4-1

@ Court Lodge Playing Fields

Thornton Close

Horley

RH6 8RJ

No Admission or Programme.

This was an early kick off due to the Reserves also being at home today (there are two other pitches here, but they are both narrower than the main one) and meant an opportunity to take in a second game later in the afternoon, even if it would be a very limited choice, as the majority of lower level leagues kick off at 2 o’clock around these parts. After the long drive back from Mid Wales last night, it was nice to only have to drive sixteen minutes to get to this game.

Horley scored with the first attack and a cracking finish from the edge of the box saw them double their lead after just six minutes. I feared this would become a real thrashing, but despite scoring a third goal, just after the half hour mark, they failed to add to it and Forest Row pulled it back to 3-1, scoring a penalty in the last minute of the half. Nine minutes into the second half it was 4-1, when a diagonal free kick was swept in at the far post and that was it as far as where the three points were heading.