This could certainly be classed as a local derby, as Danson Sports play 500 yards further north along Perry Street. The game was played on the pitch in front of the clubhouse and was railed off along the majority of the near touch line. There is a second pitch running parallel beyond this, that has a pair of brick built dugouts on the far side.
Crayford went ahead early on, when a free kick was knocked down and finished with a first time shot. Danson levelled just before halftime with a neat lob from just inside the 18 yard box. Both teams should have scored more goals from the chances on offer, missed through poor finishing and a number of good saves by both ‘keepers from one on one efforts. Crayford edged back in front late on, with a tap in after a header came back off the post, and they rounded things off with a breakaway goal deep into stoppage time, to secure a 3-1 win.
Cuxton have moved across the road from Cuxton Recreation Ground to their new facility that is next to the Cuxton Social Club, with this being their first competitive fixture played here. Unusually, despite there being just one entrance and the ground being fully enclosed, they don’t charge admission, but do produce a decent programme, although as we know, not everyone buys one. They would be better off charging an entrance fee and giving away the programme, therefore getting something from everyone and if this is to be their normal sized crowd, then surely it would benefit them greatly.
Guru Nanak started the more brightly, in a first half that slowly turned the way of the hosts. A corner played towards the angle of the 18 yard box was hit first time into the bottom corner of the net to give Cuxton the breakthrough late in the half. The second half was more dominant for Cuxton and it would have been more comfortable for them if they had put away just one of the numerous chances they failed to convert. They did add a second goal, from the penalty spot, to finally make the game safe in the last quarter of an hour. Both teams contributed to what was a good game to watch as a neutral.
The drive from St. Asaph took just over forty minutes, the only downside being that it was further from home. Bethesda Rovers play at the ground of Bethesda Rugby Club, using the second pitch. It is part railed along each side and the football goals are placed in front of the rugby posts. It is also floodlit, but they are unlikely to play games when these are required. The place was very busy, as it doubles up as a campsite (in excess of 100 tents), due to the close proximity of Snowdonia National Park.
Bethesda Rovers were only formed in the summer and were a late addition to the league. They are finding life very difficult so far, having lost their first two matches, both at home, by 3-9 and 0-8. When Waunfawr went 0-4 up inside twenty minutes, it looked like Bethesda might be on the end of a far bigger thrashing, but a goal for the hosts just before halftime meant it was only 1-4 at the break and a combination of Bethesda being more competitive, and Waunfawr taking their foot off the pedal, saw the visitors score just twice more in the second half.
Thankfully, there were no motorway closures coming home, so it was only four and a half hours drive back.
St. Asaph City 2 Blaenau Ffestiniog Amateurs 2, attendance 27
53’ 0-1
61’ 1-1
90’ 1-2
90’ + 2, 2-2
@ Roe Plas
off High Street
St. Asaph
LL17 0RF
No Admission
£1 Programme, 16 pages.
The chance of a double in North Wales was too good to miss, that is, if you are interested in football, rather than just programmes. The fact that there would be no programme at the evening game meant I was making the near ten hour return trip on my own, so I started the day at a ground most others had already visited, as it was part of a ground hop some years back, rather than visit a ground that others still needed.
The ground is developing nicely. It is fully railed and has hard standing along one side and behind the goal at the entrance end. A brand new seated stand was opened at the last home match, but they charge £3 (you get your programme free) to sit in it, so only three people made use of it, despite it raining for the majority of the first half. It seems odd to charge, when a pathetic crowd of just 27 were here for a game in Tier 3 of the Welsh pyramid.
When I arrived an hour before kick off, I saw two people run to a car and drive off hurriedly. Apparently, one of the Blaenau players had forgotten his boots, so they were heading into Rhyl to buy a new pair, making it back just minutes before kick off. It was a good job they did, as they only had a 12 man squad today.
The match was fourth bottom versus second bottom, with both teams feeling this was a winnable game. They created plenty of chances and it was a surprise that it was still goalless at halftime. Blaenau broke the deadlock early in the second half, a free kick that hit the wall was driven back into the bottom corner, giving the ‘keeper no chance. Having already used their substitute, the visitors were down to ten men on the hour mark, when a player had to leave the pitch for a brief spell due to injury and within a minute St. Asaph levelled it up at 1-1. Both sides went for the win and as we hit the 90 minute mark Blaenau looked to have scored the winner, with a deflected free kick, but two minutes into stoppage time St. Asaph netted a deserved equaliser.
This now leaves me with just Llanuwchllyn and Saltney Town left to visit in order to complete the top three tiers in Wales.
I had done the three grounds across the road in Queen’s Avenue (Wavell Ground 3G Pitch, Army Rugby Stadium and Aldershot Miltary Stadium) for football, with this being a chance to complete the set. The pitch used is directly opposite the Military Stadium, nearest to the concrete driveway that separates the football and rugby pitches from the Aldershot Polo Fields. Unusually, it is partially floodlit, with all three pylons along the same side of the pitch and the lights were on for the duration of the match.
Tongham play in the Guildford & Woking Alliance Premier Division, whilst Ash United Reserves are in the Reserve Division of the Surrey Elite Intermediate League. It was very competitive, between two evenly matches teams. Tongham led 1-0 at the break and began to dominate as the the second half went on. They added two more goals before Ash got a late consolation goal to make it 3-1.
Wirksworth Ivanhoe 0 Mickleover Royal British Legion 1, attendance 83
60’ 0-1
@ Wirksworth Recreation Ground
off Millers Green
Wirksworth
DE4 4BL
No Admission
£2 Programme, 8 pages.
Going back 20 odd years ago, the Central Midlands League was a competition I tried to keep up to date with and enjoyed watching games in. Nowadays, I’m not so bothered, as it is nowhere near the standard it once was and is one of a handful of leagues that I feel are no longer required (along with Spartan South Midlands League Division 2, Hellenic League Division 2 and Southern Combination League Division 2). Regional leagues that are on the same level as the county leagues are just pointless, meaning unnecessary extra travel for clubs and the standard of football is no better than playing within their own county.
Tonight’s match did little to change my opinion on how the standard of football in the Central Midlands League has dropped over the years. This was very poor, as expected, and it was a relief that we actually managed to see a goal at all. The winner came on the hour mark, when the visitors striker took the ball wide of the ‘keeper before finishing with a shot into the far corner of the net.
Bearley United 0 A.F.C. Alcester Town 3, attendance 43
20’ 0-1 (pen)
56’ 0-2
70’ 0-3
@ Bearley Sports & Social Club
Snitterfield Road
Bearley
CV37 0SR
No Admission or Programme.
Tonight’s match saw Division 2 host Division 1. I think the award for ‘worst team seen this season’ will take some beating, even at this early stage, with Bearley United having one hand firmly on the ‘trophy’. They were absolutely dreadful, although to their credit, they never gave up, but they were so inept in every department. The real mystery is how a team from a level above only managed to beat them by three goals!
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.
Above : Butchers Arms about to head in the equaliser.
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.
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.
