Hampshire Premier League
Senior Division
Saturday 11th March 2023
Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58
Colden Common 3 Locks Heath 2, attendance 18
7’ 1-0
25’ 1-1
43’ 1-2
55’ 2-2
67’ 3-2
@ Sherfield English Sports Field
Steplake Lane
Sherfield English
SO51 6FP
No Admission
£1 Programme, 32 pages.
I had seen Colden Common play home games on two different grounds previously, but I certainly haven’t brought them much luck in those games….I saw them lose 2-4 to Amesbury Town in a Hampshire League Premier Division match on 29th August 1999, which was played at The Recreation Ground on Main Road and also revisited there on 30th August 2010 (following a late no show for my original game at Upham, before heading to Warsash Wasps in the afternoon) seeing them lose 1-4 to Otterbourne. I next saw them, on 29th March 2017, by which time they had moved to a ground in Boyes Lane, where they again lost, this time 1-2 to Bush Hill. They are now playing home games at Oakwood Park, which I had visited for an Otterbourne match, but damage to the water pipes over the winter has meant the ground is currently out of use, hence them temporarily playing here at Sherfield English, although I gather they may now see out the season here.
The match was 1st (P18 Pts 45) versus 2nd (P20 Pts 42), with the visitors really needing a win to keep their title hopes alive, on a day when the top four were facing each other as fourth placed Clanfield (P18 Pts 38) were hosting third placed Andover New Street Swifts (P20 Pts 42) today.
The match was very tight (they had drawn the reverse fixture 0-0 two weeks ago) and could have gone either way. Colden Common edged in front after just seven minutes, poking in a through ball past the ‘keeper from 10 yards. Locks Heath levelled when a corner from the left was swept in from 6 yards, before making it 1-2 just before halftime, with a 20 yard shot that bounced right in front of the ‘keeper and somehow ended up in the net. It certainly set it up perfectly for the second half.
Ten minutes after the restart it was 2-2, when a cross from the right was headed down into the far corner from eight yards and twelve minutes later Colden Common got what turned out to be the winner, heading in from a corner on the right.
The win sees Colden Common increase their lead at the top to six points, with two games in hand on the two below them. Fourth placed Clanfield, who won the other top four clash today, are seven points behind the leaders, having played the same number of matches.
