F.A. Wales Trophy

2nd Round

Saturday 7th August 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

Butchers Arms 1 A.F.C. Porth 3, attendance 44

11’ 0-1

14’ 1-1

55’ 1-2

74’ 1-3

@ Deep Duffryn

Duffryn Road

Mountain Ash

CF45 4AQ

No Admission

£2 Programme, 16 pages.

I wouldn’t have considered this game if I had been driving, as I’m not a fan of watching games in Saturday competitions where teams have stupid names, or are named after a pub. Having been offered a lift, I took a little persuasion, but decided to come along. Anyway, it would make a nice change, as I hadn’t been to Wales for three days! The home club had tweeted mid morning that the pitch had passed an inspection and the heavy rain that had been forecast never materialised. There was a ten minute period of rain during the first half and a lighter, briefer spell, in the second.

As far as cup games go, this had all the ingredients you need and it was certainly one of the ties of the round. Butchers Arms play in the Aberdare Valley League Premier Division (Tier 7) whilst A.F.C. Porth are in Ardal League South West (Tier 3). The pitch is part of a large sports complex, flanked by Mountain Ash R.U.F.C. one side (their reserves were at home today), with a 3G cage on the other. The far goal end backs onto the A4059, with the other end, on a higher plateau, hosting a cricket pitch and beyond that, tennis courts.

When A.F.C. Porth went in front after just eleven minutes, I feared this might be a real hammering, but within three minutes Butchers Arms were level, when a cross from the right was headed in from 5 yards. The rest of the half was nip and tuck and it was hard to believe there was such a huge gap in levels between the two sides. When A.F.C. Porth went ahead again ten minutes into the second half, through a huge deflection, it knocked the stuffing from the hosts and killed the game off as a contest. It became 1-3 sixteen minutes from time, when a ball cut back across the box to the far post was squeezed in between crossbar, post and ‘keeper to wrap things up.

Mid Wales League

East Division

Wednesday 4th August 2021

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 18.58

Builth Wells 2 Hay St. Mary’s 0, attendance 96

63’ 1-0

90’ + 3, 2-0

@ Thomas Lant Playing Fields

Love Lane

Builth Wells

LD2 3DG

No Admission or Programme.

I had visited this ground before, when I saw Builth Wells lose 1-7 to Barry Town in a friendly, on 16th July 1994, but the game was played on Pitch 2, which runs parallel to the now enclosed main pitch. I always planned on coming back one day to tick off the main ground, but never thought it would take more than 27 years to do so! It certainly helped that it was on the way home, even if it was still three and a half hours drive from there.

The game was hard fought from the off and could have gone either way. Builth certainly faced better opposition than they had on Saturday, when they beat Llanfyllin Town 15-0 here, and were certainly made to work hard for the three points. Builth finally broke the deadlock just after the hour mark, when a cross from the left was swept in at the far post. With fourteen minutes left Hay had their No.9 sent off, when he picked up a second yellow card and minutes later they were down to nine men, losing a player to injury, having already used all their substitutes. Builth finally made the game safe in stoppage time, with a deflected shot from 25 yards that wrong footed the ‘keeper.

Ardal League North East

Tuesday 3rd August 2021

Kick Off 18.45 Actual 18.44

Penparcau 6 Carno 0, attendance 128

10’ 1-0

24’ 2-0

31’ 3-0

54’ 4-0

61’ 5-0

84’ 6-0

@ Min-y-Ddol

Penparcau

SY23 1RG

£2 Admission, including Programme 16 pages.

A short break in West Wales meant the trip to Penparcau, a mile or so south east of Aberystwyth, was far easier than if travelling from home. These two had contrasting starts to the season, with Penparcau going down 1-4 at Llanfair United, whilst Carno had beaten Four Crosses 3-2 at home.

Penparcau had already gone in front, with a header off the inside of the post, when Carno lost their ‘keeper to injury after just seventeen minutes, which meant an outfield player taking over, as they had no substitute ‘keeper. It was 3-0 just after the half hour mark and there was no way back for the visitors. A penalty, awarded for a handball, saw Penparcau go four up early in the second half and two confident finishes, when the striker was played through one on one with the ‘keeper, completed the scoring.

I had already completed the Ardal South East and South West divisions and tonight’s match added the North East division to the set. Down to just three grounds in the North West division not visited, to complete the top three tiers in Wales; Llanuwchllyn, St. Asaph City and Saltney Town.

Eddie Merry Memorial Trophy

Semi Final

Monday 2nd August 2021

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 18.59

Fishguard Sports 1 St. Dogmaels 4, attendance 71

38’ 0-1

49’ 0-2

60’ 0-3

67’ 0-4

77’ 1-4

@ Tregroes Park

Manorowen Road

Fishguard

SA65 9QF

£1 Admission, including Programme, 4 pages.

The Eddie Merry Memorial Trophy is hosted annually by Fishguard Sports F.C. and is a four team invitational tournament, with the two semi final winners meeting in the final. I had been to the final of this competition before, back on 8th August 2008, when Pennar Robins beat Maesglas 2-1. That game was played at St. Mary’s Field, but Fishguard have now moved to the out of town Tregroes Park, shared with the cricket club, and named after the adjacent caravan park.

Tonight’s match was between two Step 5 teams, as Pembrokeshire League Division 1 hosted Ceredigion League Division 1. The visitors managed to edge in front late in the first half and doubled their lead four minutes into the second half. Two more goals saw them deservedly go 0-4 up halfway through the second half, before Fishguard grabbed a consolation goal, when the ‘keeper totally misjudged a shot from the corner of the box, that went through his legs as he bent down to scoop up the ball.

St. Dogmaels will now face the winners of tomorrow’s Merlins Bridge v Monkton Swifts (both Pembrokeshire League Division 1) tie, in the final on Friday evening.

Ardal League North East

Saturday 31st July 2021

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.31

Bow Street 3 Kerry 1, attendance 60

28’ 1-0

59’ 1-1

69’ 2-1 (pen)

87’ 3-1 (pen)

@ Cae Piod

off A487 Machynlleth Road

Rhydypennau

SY24 5AW

£3 Admission, including Programme, 12 pages.

Today saw the opening round of matches in the new Ardal Leagues, which sit at Tier 3 in Wales. At least it was only 45 minutes drive from Tregaron, to the north east of Aberystwyth, following an overnight stop for this one.

Bow Street dominated the first half, but only managed to score the one goal, which came just before the half hour mark, when a cross from the right was tapped in from close range. They began the second half much the same, but totally against the run of play, Kerry levelled the scores just before the hour, when a striker was put clear and he beat the ‘keeper with a shot inside the near post. Bow Street edged back in front when they scored a penalty with just over twenty minutes left and the game was finally made safe when they added a second penalty three minutes from time.

Mid Wales League

West Division

Friday 30th July 2021

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.01

Tregaron Turfs 3 Newcastle Emlyn 0, attendance 62

36’ 1-0

43’ 2-0

45’+ 1, 3-0

@ Ysgol Henry Richard Sports Field

Lampeter Road

Tregaron

SY25 6HG

£2 Admission, including Programme, 8 pages.

For the third consecutive Friday night it was a battle with the M4 westbound into Wales. It was a five hour slog, but that is pretty much what I would expect to come this far west, especially with holiday traffic.

Tonight’s game was the season opener in this division. Apart from games versus Aberaeron, this is as near as these two get to a local derby, and despite being just 32 miles apart, it is still an hours drive between the towns.

Both teams went at it from the off, fully committed and certainly not holding back. It had been evenly fought for the first thirty six minutes, then Tregaron hit three goals in ten minutes, which saw them home and dry. Ifan Jones got the opener, when he found the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box, then Daniel Owen headed in at the far post, before completing the scoring with a superb 25 yard curler into the top corner. Newcastle Emlyn lost their discipline in the second half and were lucky to end the game with eleven men, but Tregaron hung on comfortably for a well deserved win.

Friendly

Thursday 29th July 2021

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.12

Fairfield 2 Scaynes Hill III 2, attendance 10

31’ 1-0

72’ 1-1

75’ 1-2

87’ 2-2

@ Warden Park Academy, 3G Pitch

Broad Street

Cuckfield

RH17 5DP

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s match was between two teams from the Mid Sussex League, this being Division 5 North versus Division 6 South. Despite being low on quality, it was high on entertainment value. Fairfield led at the break, but a 20 yarder, that went in off the underside of the crossbar, levelled it up at 1-1 with eighteen minutes left. Three minutes later Scaynes Hill went ahead, but were then reduced to ten men for the final ten minutes, having a player red carded for swearing at the Referee. Three minutes from time Fairfield made it 2-2, scoring at the second attempt, when a free kick wasn’t cleared from the 6 yard box.

Friendly

Wednesday 28th July 2021

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.33

Carver Barracks Wimbish 1 Debden 5, attendance 12

8’ 1-0

18’ 1-1

75’ 1-2

78’ 1-3

81’ 1-4

86’ 1-5

@ Carver Barracks

Elder Street

Wimbish

CB10 2YL

No Admission or Programme.

Carver Barracks is an Army base on the former site of R.A.F. Debden, about a mile north of Debden. The pitch used tonight was to the west of the old North/South runway (used for car parking tonight) and was the southernmost of the two pitches there.

Carver Barracks Wimbish only compete in Army F.A. football, whilst Debden are in Cambridgeshire County League Division 1A (4th level in league) which is Step 10. The game started off as a very even contest, CBW taking an early lead, but Debden levelling it up after eighteen minutes. Half an hour in, the Referee blew his whistle and it became apparent this was going to be one of those dreaded 3 x 30 minute matches. If I had known this beforehand, then I wouldn’t have bothered coming. It really is time these matches were outlawed by the F.A.

As is the case with the shorter period games, it was very disjointed and the match just never really settled into any pattern. Surprisingly, it was the Army side who appeared to tire, as Debden rattled in four late goals to take a comfortable 1-5 win.

Friendly

Tuesday 27th July 2021

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 18.55

Hockering 3 Yaxham 2, attendance 35

41’ 0-1

62’ 0-2

74’ 1-2

78’ 2-2

85’ 3-2

@ Heath Park

Heath Road

Hockering

NR20 3JA

No Admission or Programme.

This was between two teams from the Central & South Norfolk League, as Division 1 hosted Division 2. The league feeds into the Anglian Combination League and sits at what is notionally Step 13.

It had been dry all day, but it started raining fifteen minutes before kick off, quite heavy at times, which continued until just before halftime. Both teams created plenty of chances, Yaxham edging in front just before the break, when a cross was volleyed in at the near post, before they doubled their lead just after the hour mark. When Hockering pulled a goal back, with a shot on the turn into the bottom corner of the net, there was only going to be one winner. The equaliser arrived courtesy of a bullet header from 6 yards, before a stray pass towards the ‘keeper was intercepted and the ball was smashed in to win it 3-2 for the hosts.

Welsh F.A. Cup

2nd Qualifying Round

Saturday 24th July 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.04

Brickfield Rangers 0 Saltney Town 3, attendance 32

17’ 0-1

32’ 0-2

53’ 0-3

@ Clywedog Park

Homestead Lane

Wrexham

LL14 4HE

£2 Admission, including Programme, 20 pages. (Wrong date on cover)

I had seen Brickfield Rangers play home games twice before, both times for matches in the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Premier Division and both games ended in 1-2 defeats. On 23rd May 2001 I saw them play Penycae at New Broughton Recreation Ground, before seeing them host Brymbo Broughton on 1st May 2003, where the match was played at Court Road, Wrexham. They are now playing here at Clywedog Park, which is off the A525 when entering Wrexham from the A483 by-pass.

I was a bit concerned that I hadn’t noticed the Referee around twenty five minutes before kick off, but was told that he had phoned to say that he was running late, but would be here by twenty to two. He wasn’t, but he arrived at 14.01 and had the game underway just three minutes later. If he hadn’t turned up, we would have been ok, as both the No.10 and No.12 of Saltney Town could have done the job, as each combined the role of playing and refereeing for the entire 90 minutes!

As far as the game went, it wasn’t really a contest, despite both clubs playing in Ardal League North West (Tier 3). Saltney dominated from the off, scoring early with a shot into the top corner of the net from 12 yards, before adding a second just after the half hour mark, when the ‘keeper spilled a free kick and the rebound was tapped in from close range.Eight minutes into the second half it was 0-3, when a shot on the turn found the bottom corner and the game was safe. Saltney pushed forward at will and deserved a couple more goals, such was their dominance, whilst Brickfield just never looked like scoring.

There was just the one passenger today. He had already been to Brickfield, so I dropped him off a couple of miles away at F.C. Queens Park, who play at The Dunks, a ground I had already visited some years ago. It was nice to have a trouble free drive to Wales for a change, with traffic very light in both directions.