Swindon & District Community League

Division 1

Tuesday 7th April 2026

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.13

Spectrum 3 Ramsbury 5, attendance 26

5’ 1-0 (pen)

23’ 1-1

44’ 2-1

72’ 2-2 (pen)

74’ 2-3

76’ 2-4

90’ + 2, 2-5

90’ + 2, 3-5

@ Nalgo Sports & Leisure Community Club

610 Cricklade Road

Penhill

Swindon

SN2 7AP

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s game was in the second level of the Swindon & District League, played at Nalgo Sports & Leisure Community Club. There are two full sized pitches here, with the one to the north of the cricket square hosting the game, where 6th in the league table hosted 4th.

Spectrum are the only team in the division yet to draw a game this season, whilst Ramsbury were unbeaten, having won 11 of their 12 games coming into this, so it looked unlikely to be goalless and it certainly went to form. Ramsbury had two goals ruled out for offside in the opening three minutes, before a fifth minute penalty saw Spectrum go in front. Ramsbury levelled midway through the half, having seen a penalty saved, but scoring from the rebound. A minute before halftime Spectrum went back in front, when an attempted header back to the ‘keeper fell short and a striker nipped in to lob the ball in from the edge of the 18 yard box.

Both teams were attacking at every opportunity, leading to loads of chances, but the game swung dramatically in favour of the visitors when Spectrum had a man sin binned with 18 minutes left, arguing the decision to award a penalty to the visitors. Ramsbury certainly made the most of the extra man. They duly dispatched the penalty, before grabbing the lead two minutes later, with a shot on the turn from 20 yards that flew into the top corner. Two minutes later it was 2-4, when a shot bobbled into the bottom corner from twenty yards and despite being back to full strength a few minutes later, there was no way back for Spectrum. A deflected shot, that wrong footed the home ‘keeper, saw Ramsbury make it 2-5 a couple of minutes into stoppage time and right from the restart the ball was launched towards the goal, hitting the crossbar and then the back of the ‘keeper and across the line to make it 3-5. The final whistle came seconds later.

Ramsbury are now up to third with this win, with the top two being promoted. They trail leaders Purton Kingsdown Development by just two points now and still have six games in hand! They’re only a point behind second placed Lambourn Sports Reserves too, who they have three games in hand over, so they now look nailed on for promotion and more than likely the league title too….although you never know in football.

No hold ups in either direction, which is very rare these days. An earlier than scheduled kick off, as well as a halftime of just under ten minutes, meant the game was finished for 19.57 and home for 21.30.

Somerset County League

Division 3

Monday 6th April 2026

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.01

Axbridge United 3 Chew Magna 3, attendance 66

11’ 1-0

17’ 1-1

21’ 2-1

34’ 3-1

38’ 3-2

90’ + 4, 3-3

@ The Furlong Recreation Ground

Penn Way

Axbridge

BS26 2DQ

No Admission or Programme.

A few days away in Cornwall was rounded off with this game in Somerset en route home. It’s a basic venue, with a roped off pitch that runs lengthways in front of the changing room building, sloping down to the far goal end and having a couple of portable dugouts on the right hand side. The small car park soon filled up, but plenty of parking available in Penn Way.

The match was 2nd versus 3rd in the league table. Axbridge came into this level on points with leaders Castle Cary, who they’d lost 3-0 to on Saturday, to relinquish top spot, but have four games in hand on them, so are still likely to finish top. Chew Magna currently occupy the final promotion place, two points ahead of fourth placed Broad Plain House, but having played a game more.

As expected, there was very little between the two sides today and was a quick chance for Axbridge to gain revenge for the 3-2 defeat they suffered away at Chew Magna nine days ago, which was their first defeat in the league this season. They got off to the perfect start today, going ahead after eleven minutes, with a 20 yard shot that just eluded the ‘keeper as he tried to tip it wide of the goal. A cross from the right, touched in at the near post levelled the scores six minutes later, but Axbridge soon regained the lead, with a corner played to the edge of the D that was met with a shot that was diverted with a header that flew over the ‘keeper. They thought they’d added a third goal a couple of minutes later, but it was ruled out for a handball. They soon did get a third goal though, when a free kick from wide on the left was met with a close range header that went in off the underside of the crossbar. Seven minutes before halftime Chew Magna pulled it back to 3-2, when a diagonal free kick was touched in from close range.

The second half was end to end stuff, with both teams creating plenty of chances. When the visitors had a man sin binned with three minutes left, it looked like they’d blown their chance of getting back into it, but four minutes into stoppage time the ten men grabbed a deserved equaliser, when a cross from wide on the right was finished with a stooping header at the far post and seconds later the Referee blew the final whistle.

So, that’s this division completed, leaving me just Isle of Wedmore, who are currently third in Division 2, to complete all four divisions of this league now. An excellent day was rounded off with delays of under ten minutes on the drive home, all on the M5 heading north back towards Bristol, before picking up the M4.

St. Piran League

Premier Division (West)

Saturday 4th April 2026

Kick Off 14.30 On Time!

Pendeen Rovers 1 Ludgvan 4, attendance 110

8’ 0-1

29’ 0-2

35’ 0-3

41’ 0-4

90’ + 4, 1-4

@ Borlase Park

Calartha Road

Pendeen

TR19 7DX

£3 Admission, including 16 page Programme.

After staying overnight in Cornwall, I decided to tick off the most westerly ground in England that I’d yet to visit…..Borlase Park, home of Pendeen Rovers, just ten miles from Land’s End. On a clear day it gives a superb view of the Atlantic Ocean. You could still see the sea today, but it was very overcast and the wind blowing across the pitch was horrendous and never let up all afternoon. At least it remained dry though, as there’s no cover here to offer any sort of shelter. Car parking is pitchside, backing towards the coast, with the clubhouse/changing rooms behind the goal. The dugouts are opposite, either side of the old changing room building, where there would have been an overhang cover at one time, but currently lacking its roof. The pitch is fully railed, with a pitch that slopes sideways, falling away towards the sea.

Pendeen came into this sitting top of the table, level on points with second placed Porthleven, but with a game in hand. Ludgvan were twelfth, having won Division 1 (West) last season and the reverse fixture two weeks ago had only seen Pendeen win by the only goal of the match. They also managed a very credible 2-2 draw at home to Porthleven on Tuesday night too, so it wouldn’t be as easy as the league table suggested.

We’d played no more than a minute before we had a stoppage for dog mess to be removed from the pitch. It certainly didn’t affect Ludgvan too much though, as they went ahead after eight minutes, when a cross from the right was deflected in off a defender at the far post. Just before the half hour mark they doubled their lead, when a wind assisted corner from the right sailed over the ‘keeper into the far corner of the net. Six minutes later it was 0-3, when a 25 yard free kick was bent around the outside of the wall and beat the ‘keeper low into the bottom corner. Incredibly, they then made it 0-4 four minutes before halftime, when another corner from the right was tapped in at the far post. Pendeen never looked like turning things round in the second half, despite having the near gale force wind at their backs. Ludgvan had a man red carded in the dying minutes, following some pushing and shoving after the award of a free kick to Pendeen. It was too late to have any bearing on the outcome, but the hosts did pull a goal back four minutes into stoppage time, when a cross from the right went in via a deflection, possibly off a defender.

Admission was collected by a club volunteer, who came round just after kick off, with programmes given away with the admission fee. It’s worth popping inside the clubhouse at some stage, with the walls decorated in loads of old newspaper clippings and photos that document the history of the club.

This was only the second league defeat of the season for Pendeen, which now sees them replaced at the top of the table by Porthleven, but it could have been worse, as a 1-1 draw at home to St. Agnes only sees them hold a one point lead and Pendeen still have a game in hand. The win for Ludgvan sees them climb above Redruth United into eleventh place.

St. Piran League

Premier Division (East)

Friday 3rd April 2026

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.03

St. Mawgan 0 Kilkhampton 1, attendance 40

78’ 0-1

@ Trevarrian Park

off Morgan Porth Hill

Trevarrian

TR8 4AQ

No Admission or Programme.

There was very little choice for me today, as far as doing a game at a previously unvisited ground went. It was this game or nothing, so it was an easy choice to head down to Cornwall. Staying overnight on Thursday meant the change of kick off at a few days notice, bringing the game forward to 11am from the previously advertised 2.30pm made little difference to me. Trevarrion Park, named after the caravan park that you have to enter through to reach the ground, is progressing into a venue that would see them able to make the step up to Step 6, with floodlights now being the major requirement to tick all the boxes. There’s plenty of parking and you enter in the corner. The clubhouse/changing rooms are behind the near goal, from where the tea bar was in operation throughout the game. The pitch is fully railed and has hard standing behind the near goal and along the left hand touchline, where there’s an 80 odd seated stand, flanked by a pair of wooden dugouts.

The match was 3rd versus 7th in the league table and wasn’t a game that will live long in the memory. A strong wind didn’t help, with both teams struggling to master it, but at least it didn’t rain, as the ground is pretty exposed and it would have made it quite an unpleasant experience. In the end, I suppose we were lucky that we actually saw a goal, which went the way of the visitors, when with twelve minutes left, they sent a free kick left footed around the outside of the defensive wall, but inside the far post to nick all three points. Both teams remain where they started the day in the table.

Bedfordshire County League

Division 1

Wednesday 1st April 2026

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.07

Lea Sports P.S.G. 0 Bedford Albion 0, attendance 8

@ Pirton Recreation Ground

Walnut Tree Road

Pirton

SG5 3PX

No Admission or Programme.

I never got here when Pirton played games here in the South Midlands League back in the early 1990’s, but hardly surprising, as I wasn’t really targeting that level at the time, as I was only recently into ground hopping. Pirton Recreation Ground is now home to Lea Sports P.S.G. (stands for Pirton Shillington Gravenhurst, rather than a nod to the current French/European champions). There’s a couple of football pitches and a cricket pitch, as well as a large clubhouse/changing room building, with tonight’s game being on the pitch with a small stand, which is to the right of the complex when looking from the building/car park.

The match was 11th (out of 13) versus 8th in the league table and despite it failing to produce a goal, it was a very good game that kept the interest from start to finish, with neither side settling for the draw. The hosts came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half, with a header that was cleared off the line. Bedford created the better second half chances, but were denied late on by a couple of point blank saves by the home ‘keeper and another couple of shots blocked by some resolute home defending.

With everyone present and warmed up in good time, the Referee was able to get the game underway eight minutes ahead of the scheduled 18.15 kick off. With everyone staying on the pitch for a quick halftime turnaround, we were done and dusted for 19.42. The light had just about held out, but would certainly have been a problem without the early start.

The M1 was slow, as expected, heading north from the M25/J6A to Luton, but no problems otherwise, whilst the return journey was totally trouble free, which is a real rarity these days.