Northamptonshire Combination League

Division 1

Saturday 20th May 2023

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.29

Finedon Volta 1 Medbourne 2, attendance 180

36’ 1-0 (pen)

61’ 1-1

90’ + 2, 1-2

@ Finedon Recreation Ground

Wellingborough Road

Finedon

NN9 5JT

No Admission or Programme.

This was the perfect end to the season, with 2nd hosting 3rd in the league table. Whoever won would be champions. A draw would see the title go to current leaders Higham Town. Or, at least that was the case until some time this morning (after I had looked at the league table on the F.A. Full Time website) when it was decided by the league to award Higham Town 3 points from a game they had lost 2-1 away at Corby Siam back on May 6th (why did it take 2 weeks to sort this ?) which subsequently gave them the title. Nobody here seemed to know how many clubs get promoted from this division, so I’m not sure if the game actually had anything on it or not, or whether both clubs had already been promoted, regardless of the outcome. It certainly doesn’t give a glowing impression of the league. Mickey Mouse comes to mind……

Anyway, both teams appeared to be going for it. It certainly seemed to matter to them, even if the league itself comes across as a shambles. At least there were 3 match officials, so whoever came out on top would do so fairly, rather than be aided by some dodgy ‘offside’ call that is far too often the case when ‘club linesmen’ are involved!

The game was very keenly fought, although there weren’t many goal scoring opportunities. Finedon led 1-0 through a penalty, scored nine minutes before halftime. Medbourne levelled just after the hour mark, finishing left footed from just outside the 18 yard box. Two minutes into stoppage time Medbourne scored the winner, when a long range shot seemed to deceive the ‘keeper, sailing over his head, before going in off the underside of the crossbar. There was still time for Finedon to have a man sent off and despite a further eight minutes played after the goal, there was to be no way back for the hosts.

It was a very impressive crowd for this level. The number of ‘hoppers present was in the mid-teens and it certainly helped that the Reserves had a game following on from the main event.