Eastern Counties League

Division 1 North

Friday 5th January 2024

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.47

Needham Market U23 0 Haverhill Borough 1, attendance 42

79’ 1-0

@ Bloomfields, 3G Pitch

Quinton Road

Needham Market

IP6 8DA

£6 Admission

No Programme.

I had visited Needham Market back in October 2004, to see a first team game on the main stadium. They have since built a 3G pitch behind one goal, which is at right angles to the main ground and is where the U23 team play in the Eastern Counties League, at Step 6 in the pyramid. Although it is a cage, there is spectator viewing along one side and behind one goal end. There is a seated kit stand and a pair of dugouts on the far side. The entrance is via the main stadium, entering the cage through a gate by the clubhouse, where there is also a raised covered viewing area.

This fixture was originally scheduled to be at Haverhill, but the wet weather put paid to that and as the teams hadn’t played each other yet, the game was reversed to be played here at Needham Market instead, with the return game due to be played next month.

It was a real relegation battle, as 18th hosted 21st (bottom) in the league table. They had only managed eight wins between them, from 47 matches (-87 goal difference combined), so things didn’t look too promising, but it turned out to be a decent game, even though it looked like it might not produce a goal. It was end to end and kept the interest throughout. The game seemed to pass by very quickly, which is a sign it couldn’t have been that bad. Haverhill saw a header come back off the post, before sending the rebound well over the crossbar, midway through the second half, but finally got the breakthrough with eleven minutes left, with a cracking 25 yarder into the bottom corner. Needham Market thought they’d levelled with three minutes left, but the ‘goal’ was disallowed for offside.

Isthmian League

South Central Division

Monday 1st January 2024

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.58

South Park Reigate 1 Guernsey 1, attendance 141

38’ 1-0

84’ 1-1

@ St. George’s Field

Whitehall Lane

South Park

Reigate

RH2 8LG

£5 Admission*

Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

With no ‘new’ grounds available today, I just decided to stay very local and chose a game on 3G. Heavy rain was forecast from kick off through to beyond the scheduled finish time and although it rained from about the fifteenth minute onwards, it was never really anything more than light. The ground here at South Park is still unchanged from my last visit here. Nothing more than functional and very unlikely to ever change much, if at all.

The match had a bearing on both ends of the table. South Park were ninth, three points off a play off place, whilst Guernsey were third from bottom, but had won their last two games, so came into this in good form. South Park were well on top in the first half, but only managed to get a single goal in the process, scoring with a near post finish eight minutes before half time, after a cut back from the left. Guernsey came into it more as the game went on. South Park did hit the post early in the second half, but were made to pay for not adding a second goal, when Guernsey grabbed an equaliser with six minutes left, when a diagonal cross in from the left was finished with a cushioned volley from six yards that found the far bottom corner, going in off the inside of the far post.

*At the pay gate I just said “one please” and paid by card. It was only when I was looking at Twitter that I noticed that I’d only been charged the concession rate! I hope that starts at 60 here…..surely I couldn’t possibly look 65?….