Essex & Suffolk Border League

Division 1

Saturday 30th August 2025

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.03

Clacton Regent 6 Prettygate 5, attendance 27

8’ 0-1 (pen)

11’ 1-1 (pen)

21’ 1-2

30’ 2-2

33’ 3-2

36’ 4-2

39’ 4-3

66’ 4-4

79’ 5-4

85’ 6-4

89’ 6-5 (pen)

@ Clacton Leisure Centre

Vista Road

Clacton-on-Sea

CO15 6DB

No Admission or Programme.

As with Dovercourt, I’d had a prompt reply from the home club confirming kick off time and venue. The game was indeed at Clacton Leisure Centre, but not on the 3G pitch that I assumed it would be on, but on ‘the grass pitch next to the school’ according to the text. It was a thirty minute drive from Dovercourt, arriving here nine minutes before the scheduled kick off, although it kicked off three minutes late, so ample time in the end. There’s a large car park and toilets are available inside the main building. The changing rooms are in the next building, whilst the pitch is through a gate to the right, where there’s a single pitch, running lengthways away from the buildings, with a number of picnic tables dotted around the perimeter.

The pitch was well grassed, but rock hard and in desperate need of some rain. Despite this, the game turned out to be a real cracker. After eleven minutes it was already 1-1, both teams scoring from penalties and it was one of those games that looked liked producing goals with every attack. Prettygate went 1-2 up, but by the half hour mark Regent had levelled at 2-2. Two more in the next six minutes, both down to ‘keeper errors, saw them lead 4-2, but within minutes Prettygate were back in it, heading in from a free kick to see an end to end first half finish 4-3. Midway through the second half the visitors made it 4-4, when a diagonal free kick was finished with a diving header at the far post. With eleven minutes left Regent were back in front, courtesy of a deflected shot that totally wrong footed the ‘keeper. With five minutes left they made it 6-4, with another close range finish and looked to have the game sewn up, but a last minute penalty for Prettygate made for a nervy couple of minutes stoppage time, but Regent held on for the win and with it second place in the league table.

Essex & Suffolk Border League

Division 1

Saturday 30th August 2025

Kick Off 12.30 Actual 12.31

Dovercourt Rovers 3 Gosfield United 3, attendance 18

22’ 1-0

35’ 1-1 (pen)

40’ 1-2

76’ 2-2

84’ 2-3

85’ 3-3

@ Harwich & Dovercourt High School, 3G Pitch

Hall Lane

Dovercourt

CO12 3TG

No Admission or Programme.

I only noticed the change of kick off at about midnight, so an early text message to the home club this morning, with an instant reply, confirmed that both kick off time and venue stated on F.A. Full Time were correct. The reason for the switch was that the council had failed to get their normal home venue at Low Road Playing Fields ready for use in time and the early start was due to there already being a 3 o’clock kick off scheduled here today. I’d left early, so was surprised to queue at the Dartford Crossing for over a mile. Perhaps everyone was making the most of the current toll prices, which will be increased again from Monday. Anyway, I arrived at the ground about an hour before kick off, grabbing the last space in the car park, although street parking was plentiful. It’s a standard cage set up, hidden behind the buildings, with spectator access along three quarters of the near side. There are toilets available, but that’s it as far as facilities go.

The match was 10th versus 2nd in the league table. There was little of note happened until Dovercourt broke the deadlock midway through the first half, when a break down the right finished with an easy side foot finish at the far post. Ten minutes before halftime Gosfield hit the crossbar and from the rebound there was a foul, resulting in a penalty, which levelled the scores. Five minutes later a long throw in wasn’t dealt with and the ball was crossed back in for a shot on the turn to give Gosfield a 1-2 halftime lead. Dovercourt made it 2-2 as we entered the last quarter of an hour, when a ball over the top was smashed past the ‘keeper at the near post. With five minutes left Gosfield went back in front, with a 25 yarder that went straight over the ‘keeper, but their lead only lasted a minute and after a cross from the left came back off the far post, the rebound was put into the bottom corner to make it 3-3.

I could have done without the six minutes of added time in the first half, then another three in the second, but as everyone had stayed out on the pitch at halftime, we were still finished for 14.18. My intended second game was half an hour’s drive from here, so no real need to panic too much…..