Essex & Suffolk Border League
Division 1
Saturday 30th August 2025
Kick Off 12.30 Actual 12.31
Dovercourt Rovers 3 Gosfield United 3, attendance 18
22’ 1-0
35’ 1-1 (pen)
40’ 1-2
76’ 2-2
84’ 2-3
85’ 3-3
@ Harwich & Dovercourt High School, 3G Pitch
Hall Lane
Dovercourt
CO12 3TG
No Admission or Programme.
I only noticed the change of kick off at about midnight, so an early text message to the home club this morning, with an instant reply, confirmed that both kick off time and venue stated on F.A. Full Time were correct. The reason for the switch was that the council had failed to get their normal home venue at Low Road Playing Fields ready for use in time and the early start was due to there already being a 3 o’clock kick off scheduled here today. I’d left early, so was surprised to queue at the Dartford Crossing for over a mile. Perhaps everyone was making the most of the current toll prices, which will be increased again from Monday. Anyway, I arrived at the ground about an hour before kick off, grabbing the last space in the car park, although street parking was plentiful. It’s a standard cage set up, hidden behind the buildings, with spectator access along three quarters of the near side. There are toilets available, but that’s it as far as facilities go.
The match was 10th versus 2nd in the league table. There was little of note happened until Dovercourt broke the deadlock midway through the first half, when a break down the right finished with an easy side foot finish at the far post. Ten minutes before halftime Gosfield hit the crossbar and from the rebound there was a foul, resulting in a penalty, which levelled the scores. Five minutes later a long throw in wasn’t dealt with and the ball was crossed back in for a shot on the turn to give Gosfield a 1-2 halftime lead. Dovercourt made it 2-2 as we entered the last quarter of an hour, when a ball over the top was smashed past the ‘keeper at the near post. With five minutes left Gosfield went back in front, with a 25 yarder that went straight over the ‘keeper, but their lead only lasted a minute and after a cross from the left came back off the far post, the rebound was put into the bottom corner to make it 3-3.
I could have done without the six minutes of added time in the first half, then another three in the second, but as everyone had stayed out on the pitch at halftime, we were still finished for 14.18. My intended second game was half an hour’s drive from here, so no real need to panic too much…..
