Kent County League

Division 1 West

Saturday 3rd January 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.03

Equinoccial 4 Orpington 1, attendance 10

34’ 0-1

45’ + 2, 1-1

55’ 2-1

63’ 3-1

90’ 4-1

@ Meridian Sports & Social Club, 3G Pitch

Charlton Park Lane

Charlton

London

SE7 8QS

No Admission or Programme.

I’d been putting off a visit here, due to its unappealing set up, but by 12 o’clock, with all my preferred options on grass biting the dust (or should that be snow/ice), it was at last the day to play the ‘3G card’. It’s every bit as bad as you’d expect. It’s just a caged pitch, with no designated spectator area, but thankfully, helped by a very sparse crowd, there was no problem standing inside the fence. It’s part of the same complex where I’d seen Bridon Ropes play on the stadium grass pitch back in 2008 (they were also at home this afternoon, kicking off at 3 o’clock), with the cage on your left as you enter off Charlton Park Lane, with the two grounds separated by the clubhouse building.

The match was top of the league table, with just one defeat so far, versus seventh and went to form in the end, but Orpington certainly made the hosts work for the points. The visitors took an unexpected lead just after the half hour mark, breaking down the left before cutting inside to get in a shot that was fumbled by the ‘keeper and followed in from close range. Equinoccial had a shot tipped onto the post three minutes before halftime, before getting an equaliser two minutes into stoppage time, meeting a corner from the right with a bullet header from 6 yards. Ten minutes into the second half the hosts saw an angled shot go in off the far post to put them ahead and eight minutes later they added a third, cutting in from the left before beating the ‘keeper low at the near post. They made it 4-1 right on ninety minutes, following in on a blocked shot and also had a fifth goal chalked off in stoppage time as it was offside.

It was bitterly cold throughout, especially when the sun began to drop and the temperature only rose to between 2 and 3 degrees for the entirety.