Surrey South Eastern Combination League
Junior Division 1
Saturday 21st May 2022
Kick Off 14.30 On Time !
South Croydon 4 Banstead Rovers 2, attendance 95
32’ 1-0
35’ 2-0
60’ 3-0
73’ 3-1
75’ 4-1
90’+ 3, 4-2
@ John Fisher Sports Ground
192 Limpsfield Road
Warlingham
CR6 9RD
No Admission or Programme.
The Surrey Premier County League (Step 7) is fed by the Surrey County Intermediate League (Western) and the Surrey South Eastern Combination League. I’ve always preferred the former of the two feeders, both for location of grounds and also the quality of football on offer. Today’s match certainly went a long way in changing my view on the playing standards, at least, in what was a ’winner takes all’ clash in Junior Division 1, which is Step 10, and the third tier of the S.S.E.C., sitting below the Intermediate Divisions 1 and 2.
Old Boys Clapham had finished the season top of the table, with 46 points (+ 25 Goal Difference) from their twenty games. Banstead Rovers came into this in second place on 44 points (+ 24 GD), with South Croydon in third, having amassed 43 points (+ 39 GD). Therefore, a win for either side would give them the title, whilst a draw would see Old Boys Clapham take the honours. Just to add a little more spice, if it was needed, only the top two teams get promoted!
The two sides were very evenly matched, in what was a game full of commitment. South Croydon broke the deadlock just after the half hour mark, glancing in a header at the near post, from a corner on the left, before doubling their lead just three minutes later, steering the ball into the far corner, after a pull back from the right. Four minutes before halftime Banstead Rovers had a chance to get back into it, but were unable to convert from the penalty spot.
South Croydon went 3-0 up on the hour, brilliantly curling in a shot with the outside of the foot, somehow avoiding the two defenders in the six yard box, after having been forced wide when beating the ’keeper to a through ball. Banstead pulled one back with seventeen minutes left, putting in the rebound, after a long range shot came back off the crossbar, but within two minutes, South Croydon restored their three goal lead, bundling in from 6 yards, after a shot had bounced down off the underside of the crossbar, to make it 4-1. Banstead did pull it back to 4-2, three minutes into stoppage time, but despite the Referee adding on a further seven minutes after the goal, South Croydon hung on to take the title and it will be Old Boys Clapham that join them in the higher division next season.
