Arthurian League

Premier Division

Saturday 1st April 2023

Kick Off 11.30 Actual 11.20

Old Cholmeleians 2 Old Brentwoods 1, attendance 8

53’ 1-0

86’ 1-1

88’ 2-1

@ Maccabi London Sports Ground, 3G Pitch

Rowley Lane

Arkley

EN5 3HW

No Admission or Programme.

With the continuous rain of the last few weeks causing the Yeovil & District League Hop to be called off once again, it was the wet weather that gave me this option, as Old Cholmeleians switched their game to the 3G pitch here at Maccabi Lions Sports Ground, due to their own ground being waterlogged. I had done the main stadium pitch here back in 2005. The 3G runs parallel, but is down on a lower level. It is a standard cage set up, with no spectator area, although no problem watching from inside the fence. There is a small area of cover perched at the top of the grass banking on one side, backing onto the stand of the main ground, which just about gives a view over the top of the fence.

The match was 8th versus 6th in the league table. Neither side looked like scoring, so it was a relief when Cholmeleians broke the deadlock eight minutes into the second half, breaking down the right before a cross was finished off with a first time shot into the bottom corner. It looked like this would be enough to win it, as the only real chance apart from this saw Brentwoods head over a chance at the near post with twenty minutes left. Out of nothing the visitors levelled it up at 1-1 with four minutes left, chesting down and volleying in from 6 yards. A draw would have been a fair result, but the hosts grabbed the winner, when a shot deflected off a defender and squirmed through the ‘keepers legs a couple of minutes later.