Essex Alliance League

Senior Division

Wednesday 7th September 2022

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 20.08

Kit Out London 3 Rapid Chingford 1, att. 22

45’ + 3, 1-0

51’ 1-1

62’ 2-1 (pen)

68’ 3-1

@ Noak Hill Sports Complex, 3G Pitch

Noak Hill Road

Harold Hill

Romford

RM3 7YA

No Admission or Programme.

This never had a chance of kicking off at the advertised kick off time, as there was a youth team training on the pitch until 8 o’clock, so it finally got underway 23 minutes late. It is a standard caged pitch, with spectator access along three quarters of one side, with viewing not helped by the fact that three of the eight floodlights were not working, which is pretty poor at this level.

The game itself was pretty average, not helped by an injury in the first five minutes to the visitors ’keeper, which resulted in a short delay whilst he was treated, before being replaced. The deadlock was broken by the hosts three minutes into stoppage time at the end of the half, when a break down the right beat the offside trap, followed by a finish across the ’keeper into the far corner.

Six minutes into the second half it was 1-1, when a long ball over the top was finished coolly by the striker as he raced clear. Just after the hour mark the hosts went back in front from the penalty spot, then wrapped the game up six minutes later, again finishing one on one after being played through on goal.

Eastern Counties League

League Challenge Cup

1st Round

Tuesday 6th September 2022

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.32

Stanway Pegasus 3 Haverhill Borough 0, attendance 121 (official)

26’ 1-0

50’ 2-0 (pen)

62’ 3-0

@ The Stanway School, 3G Pitch

Winstree Road

Stanway

CO3 0QA

£5 Admission

£2 Programme, 12 pages.

Stanway Pegasus have made a good start to life at Step 6 of the Football Pyramid, following promotion from the Essex & Suffolk Border League (Step 7) this season. They are top of Division 1 South after their opening eight matches, which have seen them take 19 points, with just one defeat so far. Haverhill Borough are 9th Division 1 North, having won 2 and lost 2 of their first four games.

Stanway should have gone ahead after 25 minutes, heading wide when unmarked, but they broke the deadlock a minute later, finishing side footed after the ball wasn’t cleared. Twice in the final minute of the first half they could have increased their lead, when firstly a miss hit cross clipped the top of the crossbar, before a shot was cleared off the line.

Five minutes into the second half it was 2-0, when the ’keeper was sent the wrong way from a coolly converted penalty and the scoring was rounded off just after the hour mark, finishing with an angled shot into the far corner, to give the hosts a well deserved win.

West Sussex League

Division 2 South

Saturday 3rd September 2022

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Fittleworth 2 Milland 0, attendance 32

19’ 1-0

45’ 2-0

@ Fittleworth Sports Clubs Association

School Lane

Fittleworth

RH20 1JB

No Admission or Programme.

Today’s match was the opening league fixture for these two clubs. According to the final league tables from last season, Fittleworth finished fifth in Division 3 South, so i’m not sure why they are playing in a higher division this season, whilst Milland had finished fifth in this division.

It was pretty even throughout. Fittleworth led 2-0 at the break, opening the scoring nineteen minutes in, with a quick break down the right after successfully defending a corner, before doubling their lead right on halftime, when a cross was headed in from just inside the box. Milland missed a sitter with fifteen minutes left, putting the ball over the crossbar when it looked easier to score. Ten minutes from time they hit the crossbar, with the ’keeper well beaten, before Fittleworth nearly made it three, heading just past the far post in stoppage time.

Hampshire Premier League

Division 1

Monday 29th August 2022

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.09

Meon Milton 6 Hedge End Town 0, attendance 38

3’ 1-0

33’ 2-0

39’ 3-0

42’ 4-0

52’ 5-0

88’ 6-0

@ Cockleshell Community Sports Club

Cockleshell Gardens

Eastney

PO4 9SA

No Admission or Programme.

Meon Milton came into this having won 1 and Lost 2 of their opening three games, whilst Hedge End Town were undefeated, having picked up a win and two draws from their matches so far.

The game as a contest was all over by halftime, as Meon Milton opened up a four goal lead. It may have been different if Hedge End hadn’t sent a penalty high and wide after sixteen minutes, when it was still only 1-0. The hosts added two more in the second half, with Conor Mansfield rounding off the scoring by completing his hattrick, with goal number six in the dying minutes.

Thames Valley Premier League

Premier Division

Saturday 27th August 2022

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.08

Chalvey (W.M.C.) Sports 2 Maidenhead Town 3, attendance 48

17’ 1-0

32’ 1-1

52’ 2-1 (pen)

69’ 2-2

90’ + 6, 2-3

@ Eltham Avenue Recreation Ground

Eltham Avenue

Slough

SL1 5UP

No Admission or Programme.

Still staying relatively local following my recent cardiac arrest and once again chauffeured to the match by my wife. Despite being just 37 miles from home, it took close on an hour and a half to drive, due to Bank Holiday weekend traffic clogging up the M25.

Chalvey had opened the season with a 4-3 win at home to S.B. Phoenix last week, but came up short in this one, as Maidenhead got their first points of the season, having gone down to Reading City U23 last week. Considering the bone hard pitch, both sides put on a decent show. Chalvey opened the scoring when the ’keeper was beaten with a lob from just outside the 18 yard box after seventeen minutes, with Maidenhead drawing level fifteen minuets later, heading in a corner at the near post.

Chalvey went back in front seven minutes into the second half, scoring from a penalty that was awarded for a handball, before Maidenhead levelled it up at 2-2 with just over twenty minutes left, when a corner was only cleared to the edge of the box and a shot was fired back into the bottom corner of the net. Six minutes into stoppage time the visitors grabbed the winner, cutting inside from a long ball, before finishing with an angled shot past the ’keeper.

Having played at Slough Town’s Arbour Park last season, Chalvey are now based here at Eltham Avenue Recreation Ground. When I saw them lose 2-5 at home to Eton Wick in an East Berkshire League Premier Division match back on May 11th 2011 they played at the Recreation Ground, High Street, Chalvey.

Kent County League

Division 3 Central & East

Saturday 20th August 2022

Kick Off 14.45 on Time!

Paddock Wood 0 Gillingham Town 1, attendance 21

90’ + 1, 0-1 (pen)

@ Elm Tree Playing Fields

Pearsons Green Road

Paddock Wood

TN12 6NJ

No Admission or Programme.

I managed to watch my first match since suffering a cardiac arrest whilst on holiday in St. Ives, Cornwall on 19th July, resulting in a lengthy hospital stay, finally being discharged on Thursday afternoon. Restrictions on being able to drive meant being chauffeured here by my wife, with this game fitting the bill perfectly, being around forty five minutes drive from home.

It wasn’t the greatest game, to be fair, but a very dry pitch didn’t help either side. It looked all set to finish goalless, until a through ball in stoppage time saw the striker brought down by the ’keeper just inside the box and the resulting penalty kick sent the ’keeper the wrong way to win it for the visitors.

Friendly

Saturday 16th July 2022

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.58

Illogan Royal British Legion 1 Sticker 1, attendance 44

48’ 1-0

53’ 1-1

@ Oxland Parc

Richards Lane

Illogan

TR16 4DQ

No Admission or Programme

Today’s match was St. Piran League West Division (Step 7) versus South West Peninsula League West Division (Step 6). I had previously planned coming here when Illogan were playing in the South West Peninsula League, but they pulled out of their home game at just a few hours notice, which meant I ended up at Wendron United instead that day and they subsequently left the league at the end of that season. They are the current St. Piran League West Champions (I was at the St.Day versus Mullion game, as were most of the Illogan team, where Mullion beat the hosts, which as a result handed the title to Illogan), but have remained at Step 7, rather than have another go at a higher level.

The game certainly wasn’t played as a gentle kick about in the sun. Both teams went at it full pelt and at times the tackles were flying in, especially from Illogan, who seemed to enjoy the physical approach to the game. The first half ended goalless, but the deadlock was broken just three minutes after the interval, when Illogan scored with a cracking left footed shot from the corner of the 18 yard box, which the ’keeper got a hand to, but couldn’t prevent it from finding the top far corner of the net. Sticker drew level five minutes later, when one of their strikers controlled a long diagonal pass, before shooting first time into the bottom corner from just inside the box.

Friendly

Thursday 14th July 2022

Kick Off 20.00 Actual 20.03

Cheshunt 3 F.C. Romania 1, attendance 73

3’ 1-0

19’ 2-0

30’ 3-0 (pen)

69’ 3-1

@ Cheshunt F.C. 3G Pitch

Theobalds Lane

Cheshunt

EN8 8RU

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s match was National League South (Step 2) versus Southern League Division 1 Central (Step 4). The two clubs play league games on the stadium pitch here, where I had seen Cheshunt lose 0-2 against Horsham in an Isthmian League Division 2 match on 22nd March 1997, but this was played on the 3G pitch at the rear of the complex, with a spectator area along two thirds of one side. Parallel to the cage there is a railed off grass pitch, as well as another grass pitch beyond the far goal, which runs the opposite way and is roped off through wooden posts. Both have dugouts.

Cheshunt looked much sharper early on. They went in front after just three minutes and soon doubled their lead, when a mix up between ’keeper and defender left an easy tap in. A penalty saw them go 3-0 up after half an hour. Masses of substitutions took place during the second half and F.C. Romania came into it more. They had an effort hit the post, then saw a free kick hit the crossbar, before pulling a goal back when a cross from the left was finished from close range.