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.

Friendly

Wednesday 13th July 2022

Kick Off 19.15 Actual 19.14

Shenfield 0 Basildon Town 5, attendance 27

23’ 0-1

34’ 0-2

60’ 0-3

83’ 0-4

90’ 0-5

@ St. Martin’s School, 3G Pitch

St. Martin’s Close

off Hanging Hill Lane

Hutton Mount

CM13 2HQ

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s match saw Essex Olympian League Premier Division (Step 7) host Eastern Counties League Division 1 South (Step 6). The cage here, which has spectator access along all bar 25 yards of one side, is Shenfield’s normal home venue and not one that I feel is worth ’wasting’ a Saturday on to visit, but perfect for a friendly!

This was a really good open game and an enjoyable watch. The two teams were in the same division last season, with Basildon Town gaining promotion following a second placed finish. The visitors opened the scoring midway through the first half, breaking quickly after defending a corner, before doubling their lead ten minutes before halftime, scrambling in from close range after the ’keeper had saved an unmarked header from a corner on the right. Three second half goals, all scored from inside the six yard box saw them round off a resounding 0-5 win. It could have been more, but a combination of some resolute defending and a couple of decent saves by the Shenfield ’keeper kept the score down, as Basildon piled on the pressure in the last fifteen minutes or so.

Friendly

Tuesday 12th July 2022

Kick Off 19.15 Actual 19.16

Tunbridge Wells 2 Eastbourne Town 0, attendance 79

35’ 1-0

85’ 2-0

@ Hayesbrook Academy, 3G Pitch

Brook Street

Tonbridge

TN9 2PH

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s match was between two Step 5 teams, Tunbridge Wells in Southern Counties East League Premier Division and Eastbourne Town in Southern Combination League Premier Division. It was played at the neutral venue of Hayesbrook Academy, where the cage has a spectator area along two thirds of one side, although high sections of fencing mean only about half of this is of use.

The opening goal came ten minutes before halftime, when a cross from the left was met with a powerful looping header into the top corner from just inside the 18 yard box. The second goal came five minutes before the end, when a shot across the six yard box, which looked to be going well wide of the target, was diverted into the net by the ’keeper as he tried to scoop the ball clear. It was a comfortable win for Tunbridge Wells, helped by the fact that Eastbourne Town offered very little threat going forward.

Friendly

Saturday 9th July 2022

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.58

Liss Athletic 2 Headley United 1, attendance 61

17’ 0-1

54’ 1-1

68’ 2-1

@ Liss Cricket Club

The Glebe

Farnham Road

West Liss

GU33 6JU

No Admission or Programme.

Liss Athletic play in Hampshire Premier League Senior Division (Step 7), whilst Headley United play one step lower, in Division 1 of the same league. This was another neutral venue, which despite all the signage being for Liss Cricket Club, it appears to now only host football, with the cricket pitch totally overgrown and looking like it has been unused for quite some time. The football pitch has also been turned to run the opposite way to which it did when the cricket pitch was in use.

Considering the relentless heat, which meant a drinks break during each half, this was a decent game, played at a good pace throughout. Headley led at the break, having gone in front when a striker managed to nick the ball off a defender, before shooting low into the bottom corner. Liss levelled early in the second half, when a mix up between defender and ’keeper on a backward header that fell short, saw a striker nip between them, guiding in a header from the edge of the box. The winner came midway through the half, when a corner from the left went in at the near post, perhaps via the ’keeper, as he tried to punch the ball clear.