Cambridgeshire County League

Premier Division Cup 1st Round

Saturday 26th October 2024

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

Witchford 96 1 Over Sports 6, attendance 52

12’ 0-1

25’ 1-1

44’ 1-2

45’ 1-3

65’ 1-4

74’ 1-5

86’ 1-6

@ Witchford Sports & Social Club

Bedwell Hey Lane

Witchford

CB6 2JN

No Admission or Programme.

The journey from Highgate to Witchford, just south west of Ely, saw me arrive an hour before kick off, for what was the only ground I hadn’t yet visited in the Premier Division of the Cambridgeshire County League. Minutes later the two teams emerged from the changing rooms to begin their pre match warm ups and the pitch was looking good. The Witchford Sports & Social Club was busy and not just with those here for the football. There are four pool tables and four dartboards too, with the bar serving hot and cold drinks and the normal snacks you’d expect. Not the biggest of car parks, but plenty of room on the road outside. There’s just the one pitch here, running widthways when looking from the building, set back about 50 yards. It’s railed along each side with a plastic barrier and has a pair of dugouts on the far side.

As far as league positions go, this was 9th versus 5th and until the last couple of minutes of the first half, it would have been hard to say which way it would go. Over went ahead after twelve minutes, but an angled shot into the far corner saw Witchford draw level midway through the half. Over then hit them with a quick fire double right at the end of the half, scoring first with a first time finish from twenty yards, quickly followed by a curled finish into the far top corner, to see them go in 1-3 up at the break. Over hit the crossbar early in the second half and three more goals followed at ten minute intervals to see them run out resounding 1-6 winners, which was a fair reflection of their dominance.

Arthurian League

Arthur Dunn Cup 1st Round

Saturday 26th October 2024

Kick Off 10.30 On Time!

Old Cholmeleians 3 Old Merchant Taylors 2, attendance 23

20’ 0-1

22’ 1-1

39’ 2-1

46’ 3-1

77’ 3-2

@ Highgate School

Bishopswood Road

Highgate

London

N6 4NY

No Admission or Programme.

The Arthur Dunn Cup offers a rare opportunity to visit the proper home grounds of the host teams, rather than the normal random venues dotted around London that they play their league matches at. I managed to park right opposite the entrance to Highgate School in Bishopswood Road. On entering, the football pitch is in the far right hand corner, running lengthways (parallel with Bishopswood Road) away from you, with the far goal backing onto Hampstead Lane. The players get changed in the main cricket pavilion (there is a small one behind the far goal too) which is to the left, on the far side of the cricket pitch from the football and toilets were available in here.

With the early kick off, it meant ample time to head to a second game, even allowing for the possibility of extra time and penalties being needed. On paper, that didn’t look like being a problem, as this was Premier Division versus Division 2, although it only just went in favour of the hosts. OMT volleyed in from close range to take the lead after twenty minutes, but Cholmeleians levelled within two minutes and then hit the crossbar a minute later, before taking the lead six minutes before halftime. When they made it 3-1 a minute into the second half, sliding in to finish at the near post, it looked like job done, but OMT still looked dangerous and made for an edgy finish, when they pulled it back to 3-2 with thirteen minutes left, with an angled shot into the far corner.

With the game finished by around 12.15, I was able to stick to my preferred afternoon match, heading north to Cambridgeshire, where I’d hopefully be completing the top division of the Cambridgeshire County League.