Somerset County League

Premier Division

Monday 22nd April 2019

Kick Off 15.00. On Time !

Chilcompton Sports 6 Worle 2, attendance 103

4’ 1-0

11’ 2-0

13’ 3-0

16’ 4-0

19’ 4-1

25’ 5-1

82’ 5-2

90’+2, 6-2

@ Chilcompton Recreation Field

Wells Road

Chilcompton

BA3 4EZ

No Admission or Programme.

Having lost my intended match for today, which has been rescheduled to tomorrow night, I decided on this match, as it involved only going slightly off route when heading back home and it also had something on it, with Chilcompton Sports looking to retain their title.

Coming into this they were in third place in the league table, five points adrift of leaders Nailsea & Tickenham, but with three games in hand. Worle are seventh and had nothing to play for, which was certainly reflected in how they approached the game.

It was all over after sixteen minutes, by which time it was already 4-0. Worle did pull one back, but by the 25th minute mark it was 5-1, with the game becoming very pedestrian from here onwards. Worle somehow managed to make it 5-2 in the last ten minutes, but Chilcompton rounded off the day’s scoring when they added their sixth goal in stoppage time.

It is still all to play for as far as the title goes. Nailsea & Tickenham have 62 points (2 games left) goal difference +33, with Fry Club on 61 points (1 game left) goal difference +43 in second place. Chilcompton are now on 60 points (4 games left) goal difference +43. The title could well be decided when Nailsea & Tickenham host Chilcompton Sports next Tuesday.

South West Peninsula League

Division 1 West

Saturday 20th April 2019

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.57

Ludgvan 0 Wadebridge Town 5, attendance 42

9’ 0-1

10’ 0-2

52’ 0-3

81’ 0-4

83’ 0-5

@ Jubilee Hall Community Centre

Fair Field

off Long Lane

Ludgvan

TR20 8ES

£3 Admission, including Programme, 8 pages.

I was a bit concerned that this match might not take place, as Ludgvan are having a terrible season, having lost every one of the 24 league matches they have played, as well as having points deducted for failing to fulfil another two of their matches, so they sit bottom of the league table on minus 6 points. Just for good measure, they have also forfeited two cup matches as well.

It looked like this might be another hammering, as fourth in the table Wadebridge scored twice in the opening ten minutes of the match. With Ludgvan having conceded 189 goals before today, it looked like the 200 could easily be reached before the day was out, but they somehow managed to drag the visitors down to their level and tightened things up at the back. When they conceded the third goal after 52 minutes, it looked like the floodgates might open, but they stood firm and only conceded the last two goals inside the last ten minutes. As bad as they were, at least Ludgvan turned up, even if one of their players was 60 or 61 years old, depending who you spoke to, and they also had two substitutes.

Having visited Bere Alston United yesterday, this now completes Division 1 West for me. On Monday, the plan was to have visited Waldon Athletic, of Division 1 East, to complete all three divisions of the league, but their fixture has now moved to Tuesday evening, so it looks like it will now be next season before the full set is completed.

Devon & Exeter League

Premier Division

Friday 19th April 2019

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.58

Upottery 0 Exwick Villa 0, attendance 46

@ Glebe Park

Hemyock Road

Upottery

EX14 9RH

No Admission or Programme.

It was a 70 mile journey back East, with arrival a good forty minutes before kick off, for what was 7th versus 1st in the league table, and the last ground I hadn’t visited in this division.

This was the penultimate match for Exwick Villa. They came into this with a nine point lead over second in the table Newtown, who still have 6 matches to play, so they really needed to win this to have a realistic chance of taking the title. Both teams created plenty of chances, each having efforts that struck the post, but it was one of those days where the defences came out on top.

South West Peninsula League

Division 1 West

Friday 19th April 2019

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 10.59

Bere Alston United 1 Plymstock United 5, attendance 57

30’ 1-0

44’ 1-1

52’ 1-2

77’ 1-3

79’ 1-4

86’ 1-5

@ The Recreation Ground

The Down

Bere Alston

PL20 7HQ

£2 Admission, including Programme, 12 pages.

This was 14th (2nd bottom) versus 7th in the league table. Bere Alston went ahead against the run of play and held out until a minute before the break when Plymstock curled in an equaliser. Early in the second half Plymstock went ahead and it was pretty much one way traffic from here. Three goals in the final thirteen minutes rounded off a resounding 1-5 win for the visitors.

Oxfordshire Senior League

Premier Division

Wednesday 17th April 2019

Kick Off 18.30. On Time !

Cropredy 0 Heyford Athletic 0, attendance 29

@ Cropredy Sports & Social Club

Williamscot Road

Cropredy

OX17 1PQ

No Admission or Programme.

This was 2nd versus 6th in the league table. Cropredy can finish no better than second, but Heyford Athletic still have a chance of finishing top, as they still have another seven matches to play after this.

It soon became apparent that the game was very unlikely to produce a goal. Cropredy never looked remotely like scoring and although Heyford had quite a few chances, most of the efforts were blocked by last ditch tackles, or just missed through poor finishing.

Northamptonshire Combination League

Division 1

Tuesday 16th April 2019

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.26

Higham Town 3 Weldon United 2, attendance 26

8’ 0-1 (pen)

18’ 0-2

46’ 1-2

57’ 2-2 (pen)

60’ 3-2

@ Lancaster Park

Newton Road

Higham Ferrers

NN10 8HN

No Admission or Programme.

Weldon United came into this match in second place in the league table, 7 points behind leaders James King Blisworth Reserves who have completed their fixtures. Weldon still had three matches to play, but could still win the league if they won all three. The fact that their goal difference was so inferior meant that 2 wins and a draw were very unlikely to be enough.

This match was actually scheduled to be played two weeks ago. It did take place, but having been scheduled to kick off at a ridiculously late18.30, just 3 days after the clocks changed, it is not surprising that the match was abandoned after 65 minutes due to bad light, (even though they were only playing 2 x 40 minute halves) with the score being 1-2 at the time. Apparently Higham were happy for the score to stand, despite losing at the time, but the league ordered the match to be replayed.

Despite kicking off four minutes early, the Referee decided to play 2 x 40 minute halves for some reason. Having scored an early penalty, then adding a second goal ten minutes later, Weldon were coasting it and were very comfortable going into the break 0-2 up. Higham had been very poor in the first half and looked no better early in the second half. Out of nothing, they pulled a goal back and the match turned on its head. They levelled it up at 2-2, with a penalty, quickly followed by what turned out to be the winning goal, when they headed in from a corner on the hour mark.

So, the title has gone for Weldon, but at least their guaranteed second place will see them promoted at the end of the season.

North Devon League

Premier Division

Sunday 14th April 2019

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.32

North Molton Sports Club 3 Bradworthy United 1, attendance 19

26’ 1-0

56’ 1-1

57’ 2-1

90’+ 3, 3-1

@ Rocksfield

North Molton Sports & Community Centre

South Holdridge Lane

North Molton

EX36 3HG

No Admission or Programme.

I wouldn’t normally do a floodlit ground for an afternoon match, but with the lights here currently out of use and the fact that it was a day where this was the only unvisited ground available for me, then I made an exception. I took a bit of a risk by staying overnight, as this league is blighted by clubs who fail to fulfill fixtures at short notice, especially as this match had already been scheduled to have been played on a Sunday just two weeks ago!

North Molton came into this in third place in the league table and very much in with a shout of winning the title. Bradworthy are third bottom and could still go down, although it is unlikely that Hartland Clovelly will pull back the four point gap to go above them. North Molton were well on top, but Bradworthy put in a real battling performance and defended superbly. The breakthrough came with a shot on the turn after 26 minutes, but early in the second half Bradworthy scrambled in a deserved equaliser. Within a minute, North Molton were awarded a penalty, but it was saved, then from the resulting corner the ball was headed down and shot through a crowd of players to make it 2-1. The game was only made safe with an unstoppable 25 yard shot into the top corner of the net in stoppage time.

The win now puts North Molton (2 games left to play) top of the table with 47 points (Goal Difference 62). Shamwickshire Rovers (2 games left) are second on 46 points (GD 47) and reigning champions Park United (3 games left) are third on 45 Points (GD 48).

North Devon League

Intermediate Division 3 Cup Final

Saturday 13th April 2019

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 17.56

Lynton 1 Kingsley Wizards 2, attendance 178

9’ 1-0

26’ 1-1

32’ 1-2 (pen)

@ Braunton F.C.

Lobb Playing Fields

Saunton Road

Braunton

EX33 1EB

£3 Admission

Programme, free, 4 pages.

With this afternoons match finishing early, it left ample time to make the half hour drive to the home of Braunton F.C. who were hosting the Division 3 Cup Final, which was between the champions (Lynton) and runners up of the division. I had visited Braunton back on 6th March 2005, when they played at the very basic recreation ground, in Wrafton Road. They have since moved to their new home on the western edge of the town, which is beginning to develop into something capable of hosting a higher level of football.

Lynton were well on top from the start and it was no surprise that they opened the scoring with a shot on the turn inside ten minutes. Kingsley levelled it up with a shot through the ‘keepers legs after cutting inside from the left. They scored what turned out to be the winning goal when they scored a penalty after 32 minutes. Neither side looked like scoring again after the break, although Lynton came closest, with an effort that was well saved in the last minute.

North Devon League

Premier Division

Saturday 13th April 2019

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.58

Park United 4 Barnstaple Town Reserves & Pilton 1, attendance 26

2’ 1-0

4’ 2-0

6’ 2-1

12’ 3-1

33’ 4-1

@ Sandymere Road

Northam

EX39 1XX

No Admission or Programme.

This was 2nd versus 9th (4th bottom) in the league table. The visitors, who are a strange amalgamation of Barnstaple Town Reserves (had the ground) and Pilton Academicals (had the team) have taken quite a few thrashings this season, including a 2-6 defeat in the reverse fixture. It looked like being another hammering today, when they went 2-0 down in the first four minutes and despite replying with a goal a couple of minutes later, they conceded again to make it 3-1 after just twelve minutes. Park added their fourth just after the half hour mark, but never really looked like adding to it. The visitors probably just about shaded the second half, but the damage was already done. With the match kicking off a couple of minutes early, combined with the players staying on the pitch at halftime, this was all over by 16.36.

Shamwickshire Rovers remain top of the table, on 46 points, with two games left to play. Park United are second, with 45 points, but with a game in hand and North Molton S.C. are third, a further point back, also having three matches to play, but they have the better goal difference of the three teams, which may prove vital.

Bristol Premier Combination League

Division 1

Thursday 11th April 2019

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.13

Greyfriars Athletic 0 Pucklechurch Sports 6, attendance 36

6’ 0-1

25’ 0-2

33’ 0-3

54’ 0-4

69’ 0-5

75’ 0-6

@ The Mile Straight Sports & Social Club

New Road

Stoke Gifford

Bristol

BS34 8QW

No Admission or Programme.

Even though the match kicked off two minutes early, the Referee only played 43 minutes in the first half and 42 minutes in the second, so we assumed he had decided to play 2 x 40 minutes for some reason, despite it being a nice sunny, clear evening. It was still really light when he blew for full time at 19.45.

Greyfriars are in eighth place in the league table, but Pucklechurch came into this in second place, looking to continue their push for promotion. The opening goal was an unfortunate own goal and despite missing a penalty, Pucklechurch soon added a second, before it became 0-3 just after the half hour. Greyfriars were totally overrun and in the end a bit lucky that they only conceded half a dozen.

Winterbourne United are nine points clear at the top of the table, with the top four all having four games remaining. Pucklechurch now have a lead of eight points over the teams in third and fourth place, so look odds on for promotion now.