Eastern Counties League
Division 1 North
Tuesday 14th October 2025
Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.44
Halesworth Town 2 Framlingham Town 3, attendance 264
8’ 1-0
53’ 1-1
70’ 1-2
71’ 1-3
90’ + 2, 2-3
@ Dairy Hill Sports Complex
Dairy Hill
Halesworth
IP19 8JS
£7 Admission
£1 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.
Halesworth Town are newly promoted into Step 6 and tonight was their first game played under the newly installed floodlights. The ground is still being brought up to standard. The clubhouse is behind the near goal at the entrance end, with hard standing and a small bit of cover directly behind the posts. The pitch, which was in superb condition, is enclosed by wooden fencing, with hard standing continuing along the left hand touchline, where there’s a concrete base in readiness for a seated stand to be installed. The other two sides are out of bounds, with the dugouts on the far side.
Being the first game under lights meant a decent turnout, helped by playing Framlingham Town, who are only fourteen miles away. It was 13th versus 3rd in the league table and the game was certainly improved from a neutral point of view when Halesworth opened the scoring after just eight minutes, with a low finish into the bottom corner. Both sides had chances, but this was the only goal of the first half. Eight minutes after the interval Framlingham drew level, when an original shot hit the crossbar, with the rebound headed in. Framlingham went in front with twenty minutes left, when a cross from wide on the right was slid in from six yards. A minute later they made it 1-3, when a break from midfield saw a reverse pass that was cut back for a left footed finish into the bottom corner. Halesworth made it 2-3 a couple of minutes into stoppage time, when a cross from the right was tipped onto the crossbar by the ‘keeper and dropped perfectly for a shot high into the roof of the net, but the final whistle came seconds later.
Journey up to Suffolk took me via M25 and A12, with the only lost time being around fifteen minutes queuing at Dartford Crossing. With the A12 being closed south of Ipswich, SatNav took me home via A11, M11 and M25, with the only problem being no access onto the M25 due to roadworks, meaning heading in towards London then taking the A406 North Circular back towards Dartford.
Tonight’s visit once again completed the Eastern Counties League for me and was the last ground I hadn’t visited at Step 1 to Step 6 that actually has a grass pitch! Just four 3G’s left now….Darlington Town, FCV Grace Dieu, Guernsey and Jersey Bulls.
