Essex Olympian League

Senior Division 1

Saturday 17th February 2018

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Great Baddow 2 Runwell Sports 0,  attendance 17

24’ 1-0

62’ 2-0

@ Great Baddow Recreation Ground

Baddow Road

Great Baddow

Chelmsford

CM2 9RL

No Admission or Programme.

I picked this match purely for the fact that it would make it possible to do a double. It was second in the league table versus bottom, although Runwell would not be bottom if it wasn’t for a 2 point deduction. The visitors lost their ‘keeper to injury after just sixteen minutes, being replaced by an outfield player, but it didn’t have any bearing on the outcome of the match. Runwell battled well, but didn’t really look like scoring, whilst Baddow took their chances and also hit the crossbar with a couple of other efforts. The win puts  Baddow top of the league, leapfrogging Buckhurst Hill, who didn’t have a match today.

The match was played on the pitch furthest from the clubhouse, on the far side of the cricket square. The pitch outside the building has slightly smaller dimensions and was hosting a match involving the Veterans team. Being on the far side of the park also meant that everyone stayed on the pitch for halftime and with the fact that we kicked off a little early as well, this was all over by 15.37, which left me more time than I was expecting to do the six minute drive to my second match of the day.

British Universities & Colleges Sports

Midlands Conference Plate Quarter Final

Wednesday 14th February 2018

Kick Off 13.00 Actual 13.14

Brooksby Melton College 6 University East Anglia 3rds 1,  attendance 6

13’ 1-0

17’ 1-1

39’ 2-1

53’ 3-1

66’ 4-1

68’ 5-1

78’ 6-1

@ Brooksby Melton College, 3G Pitch

Brooksby

LE14 2LJ

No Admission or Programme.

Brooksby Melton College have a link up with League Two club Mansfield Town, which means they have players that are far too good to be playing at the level in the B.U.C.S. competitions that they are currently at.

They are top of Midlands 6A, having won every match they have played this season in league and cup, including wins of 14-0, twice, 12-0 and 10-0 in their home games, with away wins of 5-0, 4-0 and 4-1. With the visitors being in Midlands 5C, one level higher than the hosts, I thought this might be a harder test, which it was, until the score went to 3-1 and then it was a case of just how many B.M.C. would score.

Welsh Premier League

Phase 2 ‘Top Six’

Sunday 11th February 2018

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.36

Cardiff Metropolitan University 0 Connahs Quay Nomads 2,  attendance 154

35’ 0-1

60’ 0-2

@ Cyncoed Campus, 3G Pitch

Cyncoed Road

Cardiff

CF23 6XD

£6 Admission

£1 Programme, 24 pages

Team Sheet, free.

I had visited Cyncoed Campus for a match previously, when the club were known as University Wales Institute Cardiff ( 3-2 versus Goytre United, Welsh League Division 1, 23rd October 1999). That day the match was played on a grass pitch, which is still there, with the new 3G pitch running parallel.

Back in November, these two played each other here in the league, again on a Sunday afternoon, but as it was a weekend where the M4 was closed due to roadworks, I decided to give it a miss. Good decision as it turned out as it finished 0-0 !

Today, the match was in Phase 2 of the league, being a Top Six play off. Although The New Saints will probably go on to win the title yet again, there are still places up for grabs in the U.E.F.A. Europa League for the clubs finishing behind them. These two were still in with a shout for those slots, as this was 5th v 3rd in the league table.

Nomads took the lead through Michael Bakare, who celebrated his goal by running over to the corner flag and slapping the pole with his hand. Unfortunately, he managed to snap it off at the base, earning himself a yellow card in the process and causing a delay of just over two minutes whilst a replacement was found. When Nomads scored their second, on the hour mark, it was game over. Met were pretty toothless up front and a poor day was rounded off for them when striker Adam Roscrow was sent off for dissent a couple of minutes from the end.

This once again completes visits to all the grounds in the Welsh Premier League.

Kent County League

Premier Division

Saturday 10th February 2018

Kick Off 14.45 Actual 14.52

Greenways 1 Kennington 5,  attendance 18

4’ 0-1

15’ 1-1

45’ + 2, 1-2

46’ 1-3

47’ 1-4

79’ 1-5

@ Old Southfields

Nursery Mews

off Cedar Avenue

Gravesend

DA12 5JT

No Admission or Programme.

This was the game of the day in the Kent County League, with second in the league table hosting the leaders. Greenways, who were unbeaten in the league this season (11 wins, 3 draws), started the day six points adrift of Kennington, but had two games in hand.

I arrived around 50 minutes before kick off (although the match then kicked off seven minutes late due to the second Linesman not arriving until 14.42) just as the Referee had completed his inspection. Despite being very wet, he felt the pitch was perfectly playable, although “it might be a bit muddy at the end”. Kennington scored early on, but Greenways soon levelled. The visitors edged in front with the last effort of the first half, before netting twice in the opening 90 seconds of the second half to wrap up the points. They have now won ten consecutive league matches and look favourites to go on and win the title.

As the game went on, the rain continued and the wind increased. The pitch certainly looked worse for wear at the final whistle, but not as bad as my umbrella, which was totally destroyed, having been blown inside out on half a dozen occasions !

British Universities & Colleges Sports

South Eastern 2A

Wednesday 7th February 2018

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

Brunel University 0 St. Mary’s University 4,  attendance 19

14’ 0-1

57’ 0-2

77’ 0-3

84’ 0-4

@ Brunel University Sports Park Athletics Track

Kingston Lane

Uxbridge

UX8 3PH

No Admission or Programme.

St. Mary’s won this with four goals of real quality. Even if Brunel had scored with a penalty that was easily saved, when it was only 0-2, it probably wouldn’t have affected the outcome of the match.

Wessex League

Division 1

Tuesday 6th February 2018

Kick Off 20.00. On Time !

Hythe & Dibden 4 East Cowes Victoria Athletic 0,  attendance 41

26’ 1-0

42’ 2-0

68’ 3-0

83’ 4-0

@ Clayfields Sports Centre

Claypits Lane

Dibden

SO45 5TN

£5 Admission

Programme free, 16 pages.

Hythe & Dibden moved here in 2014, having previously played at Ewart Recreation Ground, which I had visited on 20th January 2004, when they lost 2-4 versus Portsmouth Royal Navy in a Hampshire League, Trophyman Cup 3rd Round match.

Tonights match was moved to an 8pm kick off at the request of the visitors, to better suit the ferry times from the Isle of Wight. It was a basement battle, with it being third bottom versus fourth bottom in the league table, although the win lifts the hosts a couple of places. It was pretty comfortable once the deadlock was broken and the third goal of the night was the pick of the bunch, when a poor clearance was hit back over the ‘keeper from 40 yards.

Belgium

Division 2 Amateurs  A.C.F.F.

Sunday 4th February 2018

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

R.F.C. Meux 1 Solieres Sport 0,  attendance 142

28’ 1-0 (pen)

@ Stade des Vert et Blanc

Rue Janquart 16

5081 Meux

€10 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

This was another trip where the driver was going to a match at a ground I had already visited, his destination being A.S.E. Chastre (20th February 2014, 1-1, versus F.C. Limelette, Brabant Provincial 3B) in Brabant Provincial 1. As R.F.C. Meux were the nearest Belgian League Ground to Chastre that I still hadn’t been to, I decided to be dropped here, as did the other two passengers, and it would only be a 25 minute wait until we were picked up afterwards.

The match was 13th v 8th in the league table and it could have been more comfortable for the hosts had they been more composed on a couple of break away attacks towards the end of the match, but the penalty they scored, just before the half hour mark, was enough for them to take a valuable three points and edge them away from the relegation places at the foot of the table.

For the first time in ages, The Tunnel ran on time both ways !

Below photo : The only goal of the match.

Surrey Elite Intermediate League

Saturday 3rd February 2018

Kick Off 15.00. On Time !

Tooting Bec 1 Chessington Kings Centre 2,  attendance 4

3’ 0-1

19’ 0-2

44’ 1-2

@ Tooting & Mitcham F.C. 3G Pitch

Imperial Fields

Bishopsford Road

Morden

SM4 6BF

No Admission or Programme.

It took around 35 minutes to drive here from Hampton. The 3G pitch is behind the main stadium of Tooting & Mitcham F.C. with the changing rooms for the synthetic pitch being in the building beneath the main stand.

Tooting Bec were unbeaten in the league before today, with 10 wins and three draws, from their first thirteen matches. Chessington were far better than their 10th position in the league table suggests, although it was very much backs to the wall for most of the second half, including eight minutes of added time, but they hung on for a deserved, if not expected, win.

Bec now trail league leaders Royal Holloway Old Boys by 5 points, but do have three games in hand.

Arthurian League

Division 1

Saturday 3rd February 2018

Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.08

Old Bradfieldians 6 Old Malvernians 2,  attendance 1

7’ 1-0

12’ 2-0

15’ 3-0

21’ 4-0

39’ 5-0

45’ 6-0

48’ 6-1 (pen)

87’ 6-2

@ Hampton Sports Centre, 3G Pitch

Hanworth Road

Hampton

TW12 3HB

No Admission or Programme.

With it already raining by 10 o’clock and the forecast for it to continue until the early evening, I decided to settle for an easy option and do a couple of matches on 3G pitches.

Old Bradfieldians kept up their 100% winning start to the season with their twelfth win, in a game that was over as a contest in the first quarter of an hour. Old Malvernians remain second bottom in the league table.

For the second time this season, I was the only spectator at the match !

British Universities & Colleges Sports

Western 1A

Wednesday 31st January 2018

Kick Off 20.00 Actual 20.13

University Bristol 3 University Exeter 0,  attendance 60

23’ 1-0

45’ 2-0

82’ 3-0

@ Coombe Dingle Sports Complex, 3G Pitch

Coombe Lane

Coombe Dingle

Bristol

BS9 2BJ

No Admission or Programme.

It took around thirteen minutes to drive here from the match at University West England. I had done a match here at Coombe Dingle  back on 31st October 2009, when I saw Rockleaze Avonside lose 3-6 to Chipping Sodbury Town, in a Gloucestershire County League match. That match was played on a grass pitch, which is to the right of the reception building when entering the complex. With no 3G pitch showing on Google Maps that was marked for football, it was a case of turn up and see where the game tonight was taking place, hoping that the pitch I had previously seen a game on was not now a new synthetic pitch.

Entering the driveway, it was pleasing to see the area to the right of the reception was in darkness, but that there were floodlights on, to the left of the complex. The 3G pitch is sandwiched between the cricket pitch and a synthetic hockey pitch and as well as now being marked for football, it also has Rugby and American Football markings.

It soon became apparent that it would be a late kick off, due to the University Bristol Women’s football running late, finally finishing at 20.06. I needn’t have worried about being tight for time anyway, as the Referee for our game turned out to be the same one who had just done the game I watched at U.W.E. !

Exeter had won all 7 of their matches so far this season, but second placed Bristol were well up for this, backed by a noisy bunch of supporters, which is rare for a University match, although being an evening match would have contributed to this. Two goals from outside the 18 yard box put Bristol in command, in a superb first half.   Exeter rarely threatened in the second half, but the third Bristol goal made the score line look more comfortable than it actually was.

So, the ‘treble’ all fell nicely in to place. The first two matches kicked off pretty much on schedule and the traffic in between behaved itself. Just a pity it was so cold at the last two matches.