The journey from the earlier game at A.F.C. Solihull, on a surprisingly quiet M42/M5/M6/M54, saw us arrive here around 45 minutes before kick off. The ground here, shared with the local bowls club, is good for the level, being railed off on two sides and hemmed in by hedges on the other two, which are out of bounds to spectators and there’s a pair of dugouts too. Grass banking at one end gives an excellent view of the game as well as of the backdrop of The Wrekin to the west. Hot food and drinks were served in the clubhouse building throughout the game.
5th in the table Albrighton (they’ve since risen a place following the League awarding points from previously postponed fixtures) were hosting a Cannock Dynamo team that had already finished in a promotion place, but needing a win from this, their final game, to take the title, as second placed Newhall United still have two games to play and were only five points behind them. An early penalty set them on their way and they got the crucial second goal three minutes before halftime, finishing with a shot across the ‘keeper after controlling a ball in from the left. The game was put beyond doubt two minutes into the second half, when a downward header at the far post made it 0-3.
The journey round the M25 and then up the M40 as far as High Wycombe was in very wet conditions, but further north it looked more promising and by the time we arrived at the ground, just north of Earlswood, off Junction 3 of the M42, the sun had appeared. A.F.C. Solihull had moved here to the ground of Leafield Athletic, (who play in the Birmingham A.F.A. League) part way through the season, so it attracted a fair number of ground hoppers today. We arrived a good ninety minutes before kick off and the clubhouse was already open, with a good supply of hot drinks and food on offer, as well as the usual chocolate/crisps etc. There are two pitches here, both part railed, with the game taking place on the main one, running widthways in front of the clubhouse.
The hosts had wrapped up the league title already, with the trophy presentation taking place after today’s game, whilst Feckenham were fifth, but could still finish third. A pretty uneventful first half ended goalless, but when Solihull broke the deadlock twelve minutes into the second half, things changed completely and they totally dominated for the remainder of the game. They made it 2-0 with sixteen minutes left, heading in at the near post and added two more in the last seven minutes to round off the scoring, with a tap in from six yards followed by an angled shot into the far corner. The win sees Solihull finish the season six points clear of Northfield Town at the top of the table.
Today’s game was 4th versus 6th in the league table. It was the last game of the season for Nelson, but if Tongwynlais were to win here today, then beat top of the table Cwmbach Royal Stars in their final game, then they would be the ones taking that fourth place. Tongwynlais got off to the perfect start, going ahead after eleven minutes, finishing high into the near top corner of the net, after a through ball beat the offside trap. They doubled their lead twelve minutes into the second half, when a cross from wide on the left was left by both ‘keeper and defender, but it dropped to a striker at the far post, who finished with a cushioned volley. They could have added a third minutes later, but a 25 yarder hit the crossbar. Nelson got a consolation goal a minute into stoppage time, heading in at the far post, from a corner on the left and they could have grabbed an unlikely looking point in the dying seconds, when they had a headed goal disallowed for offside and another effort cleared off the line, with the ‘keeper stranded, but the visitors held on for the win.
Home to Nelson Cavaliers is Wern Park. The changing rooms/car park are as you enter off Caerphilly Road, whilst the pitch is down below, hidden from sight. It is railed on both sides and along the majority of both ends, with the dugouts on the side of the steep grass bank that runs along the near side, where there is a small section of three steps of wooden ‘terracing’ (people sat on it), but the view of the pitch was badly obscured by the dugouts.
Tonight’s game was between two teams safely sitting in the higher mid table positions in the league, with 5th hosting 7th. Lymm hit the post and St. Helens had an effort come back off the crossbar early on, but it was the hosts that broke the deadlock just before halftime, when a miss kick by the ‘keeper, following a back pass, led to an easy finish from 12 yards. Goal number two came eight minutes into the second half, with an angled shot into the corner and the scoring was rounded off in stoppage time, when a fumbled cross by the ‘keeper was tapped in from close range to make it 3-0.
Home to Lymm Rovers is the 3G pitch at Lymm High School. A typical cage set up, with spectator access along three quarters of one side and a pair of portable dugouts, placed on opposite touchlines. A good display of flags from the St. Helens contingent adorned one goal end, which is an indicator of their more illustrious past. They were inaugural members of the North West Counties League and were F.A. Vase winners at Wembley Stadium back in 1987, where they beat Warrington Town 3-2 in the final.
Five Oak Green 3 Tunbridge Wells Foresters Reserves 0, attendance 37
11’ 1-0
49’ 2-0
64’ 3-0
@ Five Oak Green Recreation Ground
Falmouth Place
Five Oak Green
TN12 6RD
No Admission or Programme.
There are three teams battling it out for the title in this division. Five Oak Green came into this sitting top of the table on 38 points (5 to play), leading Roselands on goal difference (also 5 to play), whilst Tunbridge Wells Foresters Reserves are a further two points back, with one game fewer to play than the other two. Tonight’s teams both have to host Roselands yet, so it could still go right to the wire, whatever the outcome tonight.
The first half was end to end, played at a 100 mph pace. The only goal of the half came after eleven minutes, when FOG finished a break down the right with a shot from just inside the box. They doubled their lead four minutes into the second half, when a striker managed to nick the ball off a defender as he tried to shepherd the ball back to the ‘keeper, leaving an easy finish from eight yards. Just after the hour they made it 3-0, heading in from close range from a corner on the right and there was no way back for the visitors.
The ground here is shared with cricket. Looking from the car park/changing rooms the pitch is to the right of an artificial cricket wicket, with the pitch running away lengthways.
When I last saw Trewern United play a home game, back in 1992, they were playing at the Trewern Community Centre in the village itself, where they lost 0-5 to League of Wales side Llanidloes Town in a Montgomeryshire Cup 1st Round match. These days they play at the rear of Llandrinio Village Hall, some six miles from their base. It is just a pitch, at the far end of the playing field, running widthways, hemmed in by hedges on three sides and a pair of portable dugouts on the near touchline.
Although tonight’s game had nothing riding on it, as 11th hosted 5th (out of 15), it certainly wasn’t played out that way, as you’d expect when local bragging rights are concerned (Four Crosses is only a couple of miles from Llandrinio). It was a game that could have gone either way, though in the end the visitors won it as they made their goal chances count. Four crosses were ahead after just eight minutes, flicking in a free kick from close range, but Trewern levelled four minutes later, following a wayward back pass that gifted an open goal equaliser. Just before halftime Four Crosses were back in front, with a good finish from the edge of the box. They finally made the game safe with eleven minutes left, when a quick break down the right was put in at the far post and they rounded off the scoring with three minutes left, when a through ball saw a challenge with the ‘keeper that resulted in the loose ball being dispatched by a player following in.
This was the only ground I hadn’t previously visited in this division and I’m now left with just Llanilar to do in the south division.
Burscough Richmond 2 Coppull United 1, attendance 48
18’ 1-0
36’ 1-1
55’ 2-1
@ Richmond Park
Junction Lane
Burscough
L40 5SS
No Admission or Programme.
I had to look at the 3 pm kick offs in order to get in a double today and with the two clubs I hadn’t visited in the West Lancashire League Premier Division both being at home this afternoon, my mind was easily made up. I opted for Burscough Richmond (the other being Hurst Green) as it was the nearer of the two to Ince and arrived a good thirty five minutes before the scheduled kick off. The ground is accessed off Junction Lane, where I turned left into the small car park between Nos. 14 and 12 as I arrived from the south. On entering Richmond Park, there is a bowling green to the left, with the clubhouse/changing rooms adjacent, whilst the pitch is beyond, running at a slight angle. It is fully railed and has a pair of dugouts on the near side. The clubhouse had hot/cold food and drinks on offer and had I known just how good the pies were, I’d have had one pre-match, rather than waiting until halftime!
The match was 5th versus 14th (out of 17) in the league table. Burscough Richmond are the reigning champions, but third place will be their best possible finish this time round, such is the gap between them and leaders Thornton Cleveleys and second placed C.M.B. Although Coppull United could still mathematically be overtaken by second bottom Wyre Villa (it would take a freak set of results) they will survive at Step 7 for another season at least.
Both teams played an open game, with both playing attacking football, with no thoughts of negative tactics at all, which made it an excellent game to watch from a neutral perspective. Burscough opened the scoring after eighteen minutes, beating the ‘keeper at the near post with a diagonally hit free kick from 25 yards. Coppull deservedly levelled nine minutes before halftime, when a cross field pass was chested down and finished clinically into the far corner. What turned out to be the winner came ten minutes into the second half when a through ball was flicked on and finished into the bottom corner. Coppull nearly grabbed an equaliser four minutes into stoppage time when a header from a corner was headed clear off the line.
So, a successful day was had and a good way to notch up the milestone of my 6,000th football ground I’ve seen a match at. It certainly feels like it was a long time coming, not helped by the Covid 19 pandemic and of course the cardiac arrest I suffered that certainly slowed things down considerably!
For the record, the others were….
1,000 – 3rd March 1998 Bridgwater Town – Fairfax Park
2,000 – 13th December 2003 Ferryhill Athletic – Sunnyvale Leisure Centre
3,000 – 9th September 2009 Berkshire County Sports – Berkshire County Sports & Social Club
4,000 – 18th January 2014 R.F.C. Xhoffraix – Rue de la Tournerie
5,000 – 11th March 2018 Pont-A-Celles-Buzet- Rue Norte Dame des Graces
6,000 – 27th April 2024 Burscough Richmond – Richmond Park
Hopefully, both me and the blog will still be going strong when number 7,000 needs to be added sometime in the future…..
@ Ince Rose Bridge Sports & Community Club(Ince Rose Bridge A.R.L.F.C.)
Pinfold Street
Higher Ince
WN2 2DZ
No Admission or Programme.
The early kick off here gave the perfect opportunity for a double today, even though it meant an early start for the 232 mile drive north to Ince, just east of Wigan. Wigan Town play at the ground of Ince Rose Bridge rugby league club, which means I’ll return to see a game here again one day, as under my rules of ground hopping, I like to visit a ground to see each sport that’s played at a venue.
The pitch is fully railed, with plenty of advert board infills and has a couple of dugouts on one side, as well as being floodlit. The small car park is behind the entrance goal end, which also houses the clubhouse (great collection of well known RL player’s signed shirts on display inside), which was open for business well before kick off and a tea bar was in operation as well, serving from a hatch in view of the pitch. Hot and cold food/drinks were available.
Wigan Town are rock bottom of the league table, having lost all bar one of their 27 league games so far (4-3 away win at Sandbach Town Ramblers) and lost the reverse fixture with today’s opposition 12-0 back in September (one of six double digit defeats they’ve suffered this season) so it didn’t look too promising for them. However, they’ve only lost narrowly in their last couple of matches, so perhaps things are starting to turn in their favour now. A lot of clubs, certainly down here in the south east, would have thrown in the towel by now and would have certainly failed to ‘raise a team’ (can’t be bothered to raise a team in truth) on numerous occasions, but full credit to Wigan Town in completing their season today, having played all 28 league fixtures.
The game never set the world alight, but was competitive throughout and no one could begrudge the hosts their first home win of the season (apart from Mersey Valley of course, but they are safe in mid table, so probably not that bothered). The only goal came on the hour, when a corner was cleared to the edge of the 18 yard box and returned with a first time shot that looped into the top corner, despite the ‘keeper getting a hand to it.
The game was over by 13.50, which left me ample time to head off for my second game of the day.
Tonight’s game was 5th versus 12th in the league table, with Silhill still in with a great chance of being promoted. They are in a four way fight for second place, along with A.F.C. Birmingham, Feckenham and Northfield Town. Current leaders A.F.C. Solihull are nine points clear at the top, so look certain to take the title now.
Silhill were the better side throughout. They led 2-0 at halftime and also saw two more efforts hit the post. The second half started in the same way and they hit the post for a third time a matter of minutes in. When Solihull Sporting pulled a goal back just after the hour mark, with a looping header over the ‘keeper from the edge of the 18 yard box, it looked like Silhill would rue the missed chances, but they restored their two goal lead within a minute and never looked like losing it from here. Goal number four came six minutes later, with a last minute penalty rounding off the scoring, with the win lifting Silhill up to fourth place in the league table.
The ground here in Sharmans Cross Road has two pitches. The one right next to the clubhouse/changing rooms was hosting kids training (the parents took up 90% of the car parking, with a lot of the players having to park in the road) whilst the main pitch is a hundred yards away to the left. A couple of brick built dugouts on one side and roped off along the other.
Tonight’s game was a must win game for Spratton. Anything other than all three points would mean they would finish the season second from bottom in the league table and be relegated. Roade, on the other hand, came into this in fourth place, just six points adrift of leaders Corby Strip Mills, but with a game in hand and a point behind second placed Blisworth, having played the same number of games. Earls Barton were third, on the same points as Blisworth, but they only have one game left (as well as having by far the most inferior goal difference) so can finish no higher than second.
Spratton Sports & Social Club has a couple of pitches. As you enter from Smith Street, the clubhouse/changing rooms are to the right, with a small sized pitch in front, whilst the main pitch is to the left, running parallel to the road and was roped off along each touchline. Despite kicking off on time, the Referee decided to play two forty minute halves (plus stoppage time of two minutes first half and one in the second). I’m not sure whether the ‘extra’ ten minutes would have helped Roade improve their goal difference by any more than the six they did manage, but it could come down to the matter of a goal or two that decides the title on the end. As it was, they were 0-3 up by halftime and scored three more in the second half. Considering Spratton lost their ‘keeper to injury after the second goal, replaced by an outfield player, they did well to keep the score down to six. They rarely threatened the Roade goal, but certainly didn’t make it easy for the visitors and put in a fully committed effort right to the end.
So, with three games left, it is still all to play for at the top, with Corby Strip Mills on 60 points (GD +45), Blisworth 58 points (GD +40) and Roade 57 points (GD +44).
