Anglian Combination League
Division 2
Saturday 5th March 2022
Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.31
Beccles Caxton 4 Norwich C.E.Y.M.S. Reserves 4, attendance 23
15’ 0-1
33’ 1-1
34’ 1-2
68’ 1-3
72’ 2-3
78’ 3-3
82’ 3-4
87’ 4-4
@ Caxton Meadow
Ken Markland Way
Off Common Lane
Beccles
NR34 9BU
No Admission or Programme.
A weekend break in Southwold dictated today’s choice of match. In fact, this one wasn’t even considered, until teams who couldn’t be bothered to play games, along with heavy overnight rain, saw matches disappear at an alarming rate. First choice was Division 4 leaders Mutford & Wrentham versus Hemsby, but the visitors requested a call off, despite the F.A. Full Time website showing them having 83 registered players! This is absolutely pathetic and really reflects badly on the league, let alone the club. Top division games at Norwich C.E.Y.M.S. and Blofield United fell victim to waterlogged pitches, but my other choice at Stalham Town, in Division 1, was still on. The visiting team had tweeted they had been told it was ”still on at the minute. Fingers crossed”. I didn’t fancy taking a chance of a late call off and by the time I had spoken to someone at the home club, my SatNav was giving me an arrival time of just four minutes before kick off. I set off, but had only driven a few hundred yards, when the very helpful Beccles Caxton Secretary returned my call. He confirmed their game was on. It was only 25 minutes drive to Beccles, so no pressure. The only reason I had dismissed this was because it was against reserve opposition, but it turned out to be a cracker.
Every so often, you come across a real gem of a ground and it was certainly the case here. There can’t be too many grounds better than this at Step 9. It certainly made a change from standing in a field! Apart from wooden fencing, on almost three full sides of the pitch, there were dugouts, a stand and even a tea bar. A really good set up. Parking is at the College Meadow ground of Beccles Town F.C. and a walk along the dirt track between that ground and the cricket pitch (to the right), sees Caxton Meadow appear in front of you to the left, beyond a small astro training area that has been converted from some old tennis courts. There is also access from Beccles Station, via a footbridge.
It was 10th versus 12th (out of 14) in the league table. Norwich C.E.Y.M.S. started the brighter and opened the scoring fifteen minutes in. Caxton levelled just after the half hour mark, but within a minute C.E.Y.M.S. were back in front and it remained 1-2 at halftime. When it went 1-3 midway through the second half, it looked all over. Caxton pulled one back, when a scuffed shot totally deceived the ’keeper, before a ball clipped into the box was slid in, on the volley, to make it 3-3 with twelve minutes left. Having fought hard to draw level, Caxton went behind again, a break down the right saw a first time cross, put in at the far post to make it 3-4. Three minutes from time it was 4-4, when a C.E.Y.M.S. defender trying to cut out a cross, diverted the ball past his own ’keeper to see the points shared. Caxton had a man sent off in the last minute, picking up a second yellow card, and despite both teams having a chance to win it in stoppage time, a draw was a fair result.
