St. Piran League

Premier Division East

Saturday 19th April 2025

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.29!

Gunnislake 6 North Petherwin 2, attendance 45

5’ 1-0

8’ 2-0

43’ 2-1

49’ 3-1

60’ 4-1

64’ 5-1

68’ 5-2

87’ 6-2

@ Butts Meadow

The Butts

Albaston

PL18 9SD

£3 Admission

No Programme.

With the game at Nanpean finishing by 12.45, it gave plenty of scope for an afternoon match, although knowing whether games had survived the weather was another thing, especially as very few of my options had up to date social media accounts. However, I’d been tipped off that Gunnislake were definitely going ahead okay, so I decided to head there. It was a drive back east of just under an hour, with the SatNav choosing a very rural route, rather than the more obvious A30, but it was traffic free, so no problem. They actually play in the middle of nowhere, south of the village of Albaston, which itself is south of Gunnislake. Entering the ground there is plenty of parking on the grass, with the changing rooms immediately to the right, where there was also a tea bar in operation. The pitch is about fifty yards away, running widthways and enclosed by wooden fencing, with plenty of advert boards and a pair of brick built dugouts on the far side. No cover, but thankfully it remained dry throughout and patches of blue sky started to appear as the game wore on.

North Petherwin had little to play for, sitting fifth in the league table, but with no chance of winning it. It was a different story for Gunnislake, as they were second from bottom (two go down), but with games in hand on the three clubs above them, know a couple of wins could be enough to see them pull clear. They got off to a flyer and were 2-0 up after just eight minutes, lobbing the ‘keeper from just inside the box for the first, before a cross from the right was blocked by a defender, but fell perfectly for a player following in to grab the second. The visitors pulled a goal back just before halftime to keep the second half interesting. A cross from the left was finished at the far post to put Gunnislake 3-1 ahead just four minutes into the second half and although the visitors hit the crossbar, Gunnislake made it 4-1 on the hour mark, rounding the ‘keeper after beating the offside trap. Within five minutes they made it 5-1, but a flicked header, from a corner on the left, saw North Petherwin get one back. They never looked like adding to it and Gunnislake rounded off the scoring, when a first time shot from the edge of the box looped over the ‘keeper to make it 6-2 with three minutes left.

St. Piran League

Division 1 East

Saturday 19th April 2025

Kick Off 11.00 On Time!

Nanpean Rovers 6 Roche 0, attendance 432

5’ 1-0

35’ 2-0

37’ 3-0

85’ 4-0

86’ 5-0

90’ 6-0

@ Victoria Bottoms Playing Field

Fore Street (B3279)

Nanpean

PL26 7YE

£4 Admission

£3 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

This was the only ground I’d be visiting on the organised ‘hop weekend. Any doubt over whether the game would go ahead okay were soon put at ease by an early tweet from Nanpean that the pitch had survived the heavy rain of yesterday and that the pitch was playable. Nanpean were formed in 1901 and over the years have played in the Cornwall Combination, South Western League, East Cornwall Premier League and they’re now in the St. Piran League, where they currently sit second in Division 1 (level 2 of the league), only trailing league leaders Looe Town on goal difference, although they have played one game more. With visitors Roche sitting bottom of the table, with just one win and a draw from their 23 games so far, today was a good opportunity to not only pick up the three points, but also try and make up some of the goal difference deficit too.

It only took them five minutes to make the breakthrough and if it wasn’t for a number of saves by the Roche ‘keeper, they could have been out of sight early on. However, they didn’t score their second until ten minutes before halftime, flicking in a corner at the near post and quickly followed this with a finish into the bottom corner to see them lead 3-0 at the break. Despite creating a hatful of chances, their fourth goal didn’t arrive until five minutes from the end, but it sparked them back into life. Within a minute they scored again, with a shot from the edge of the box that gave the ‘keeper no chance, before scoring a sixth in the last minute, when what looked like a cross in from the left evaded everyone and went into the far corner of the net.

Victoria Bottoms is a cracking ground, certainly in the ‘quirky’ category, with raised viewing on three sides and a rather unique piece of cover behind one goal, with a viewing area on top of it’s roof. The pitch held up well and we had no rain at all, which was certainly a bonus. A good turnout too, although it didn’t feel quite as big as the official attendance given.

Perry Street & District League

Bill Bailey Cup Final

Friday 18th April 2025

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 10.56!

Merriott Moretti 3 Charmouth United 2, attendance 135

5’ 1-0

9’ 1-1

12’ 1-2

21’ 2-2

52’ 3-2

@ Beaminster Memorial Playing Field

Hogshill Street

Beaminster

DT8 3AA

£2 Admission

No Programme.

After an overnight stop in Weymouth, it was an easy 40 minute drive north west to Beaminster, for today’s Perry Street & District League Bill Bailey Cup Final, which is for teams in Division 2 of the league, between champions Merriott Moretti and fifth in the table Charmouth United and played at the ground of Dorset League club Beaminster. It’s a ground shared with cricket and has a covered area on the front of the clubhouse/changing room building. The pitch, which was in excellent condition, was roped along the clubhouse side of the pitch and round as far as the goal at the entrance end, with car parking around the edge of the cricket pitch and hot food and drinks available throughout the game.

Merriott had won the two league meetings between them by 5-0 at home and 7-1 away, so came into this as firm favourites. It all looked to be going to form when they went in front after just five minutes, cutting in from the right, before finishing left footed low into the near corner. Four minutes later Charmouth were level, touching in a corner from the right at the near post and three minutes later they went ahead, powering in a header, from another corner on the right. We’d only had twenty one minutes when Merriott made it 2-2, when a corner eluded the ‘keeper’s attempt to punch clear and was headed in at the far post.

A minute into the second half Charmouth hit the crossbar, but that was the last time they looked like adding to the two goals they’d scored already and Merriott soon went 3-2 in front, when a cross from the right was met with a header that the ‘keeper saved, but was followed in from close range. They also hit the post late on, but that was it as far as the scoring went. It was an excellent game, played in horrible weather, with rain that started early in the game and gradually got worse. No problems with the pitch though, as it was in superb condition.

I had planned to do a second game today and was heading for an afternoon cup match at Uplowman United in the Devon & Exeter League, but it was postponed whilst en route.

Gwent Premier League

Premier Division

Wednesday 16th April 2025

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.19

Rogerstone 0 Monmouth Town 1, attendance 75

59’ 0-1

@ Newport Fugitives Athletic Club

High Cross Road (B4591)

High Cross

NP10 9AE

No Admission or Programme.

When I last saw Rogerstone play at home, it was at their former Welfare Ground, where they lost 1-2 to Newport Corinthians back in August 2018. They’ve since moved to Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, which is a venue shared with cricket. From the clubhouse/changing rooms the pitch is on the far side of the cricket field. The pitch is railed off and has a pair of dugouts on the left hand touchline. Hard standing is along one side and part of one end. Behind the near goal end, towards the corner, is a 100 seat stand that is still under construction and currently out of bounds, although they were welding the roof framework during the early stages of the match, so it won’t be too long before it’s in use.

The match was 4th versus 3rd in the league table. Cwmbran Town have already won the league, winning 27 of their 28 games played and are unbeaten with just two games left. Monmouth Town can still overtake second in the table Lliswerry, who they trailed by 13 points coming into this, with five games in hand. It was an excellent game that could have gone either way. Both teams went at it from start to finish. Monmouth had a miss hit cross that came back off the far post and Rogerstone had one cleared off the line and then missed a one on one chance late in the first half, but it remained goalless at the break. Monmouth grabbed the winner just before the hour mark, when a back pass fell short and the striker nipped in to poke it past the ‘keeper into the far corner. Rogerstone pushed hard for an equaliser and despite a ridiculous eleven minutes of stoppage time added, Monmouth held on for the win.

Tonight’s game now sees the top two divisions of this league completed, with just Thornwell Red & White to do in the bottom division. Surprisingly trouble free journey in both directions, just beating the M25 lane closures by a matter of minutes coming home.

Cambridgeshire County League

Senior B Division

Tuesday 15th April 2025

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.14!

Swavesey Institute 1 Fordham 5, attendance 24

12’ 0-1

23’ 0-2

60’ 0-3

73’ 0-4

82’ 0-5

84’ 1-5

@ Swavesey Recreation Ground

Middle Watch/High Street

Swavesey

CB24 4QU

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight was a trip to Cambridgeshire, just off the A14, to the north west of Cambridge, for a clash between two teams at the bottom end of the league. The ground is on the right when entering the village coming from the A14. No car park, but plenty of street parking, with the ground entrance opposite School Lane. There’s a small sized kids pitch nearest the entrance, with the main pitch beyond, running lengthways away from here. The changing room building is to the right, with the pitch roped along the touchline that side and there is a section of advertising boards running from the near corner to the six yard box. Swavesey Institute were propping up the table, seven points adrift of next to bottom Over Sports Reserves, but still having enough games to get themselves clear of relegation, whilst Fordham were four places above them and knew a win here tonight should see them secure their place in this division for next season.

Fordham went ahead early, heading in after nipping in front of the ‘keeper to beat him to a cross in from the left. They doubled their lead midway through the half, when a corner from the right was touched in at the near post. They made the game safe when they made it 0-3 on the hour mark, with a cracking 20 yard free kick into the bottom corner, before two more in the last ten minutes saw them go 0-5 up. Swavesey did get the final goal of the night though, heading in a corner at the far post.

The game was played in persistent rain from about ten minutes in, which got steadier as the game went on. Despite kicking off a minute early, I made it just 43 minutes played in the first half and 40 in the second, as the Referee blew for full time as soon as we restarted after Swavesey had scored their consolation goal. With a short halftime, where everyone stayed out on the pitch, we were done and dusted for 19.42 with the shortened halves played, although I doubt anyone else will have even noticed.

With problems approaching the Dartford Crossing, SatNav took me clockwise round the M25 instead for the outbound journey, although that was little better in the end and took almost three hours, due to a tedious crawl of traffic from J9 to J18. The return, via M11 and Dartford Crossing, was done in a more reasonable 1 hour 40 minutes.

Thames Valley Premier League

Division 3

Monday 14th April 2025

Kick Off 18.00

Harchester Hawks P Berks County Rovers P (Match Postponed)

@ Waingels College, 3G Pitch

Waingels Road

Woodley

RG5 4RF

So, the first no show of the early kick offs and not surprisingly in one of the worst three leagues in the South East (East Berkshire and Middlesex County would push them close) as far as organisation goes. No one there by 17.45, so gave up and headed home, although game still showing as going ahead on the league’s F.A. Full Time website. However, arrived home an hour later and match now being shown as postponed. Unfortunately, with no way of confirming the game as neither club or league bother with social media and no phone number on F.A. Find a Club either.

Mid Sussex League

Division 3 North

Saturday 12th April 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.03

Caterham 6 Dormansland Rockets 0, attendance 22

31’ 1-0

32’ 2-0

33’ 3-0

52’ 4-0

63’ 5-0

83’ 6-0

@ Caterham Pumas Youth F.C.

Fox Lane

Old Coulsdon

CR3 5QS

No Admission or Programme.

My quest to see a first team home game on every venue in the Sussex football pyramid continued today, albeit for a game between two teams from Surrey, on what could just be a one off game played here. It was the third time I’d seen Caterham host, each time being at a different venue and coincidentally, all played in April. First up was 2021, when they lost 0-5 to West Hoathley Reserves in Division 5 North, which was played at Queens Park in Caterham. Next was last year and a 2-6 defeat to A.S. Crawley in Division 3 North, played at Old Coulsdon Colts F.C. and today, it was at the home of Caterham Pumas F.C. in Old Coulsdon. It’s primarily a youth set up, with three separate areas of cover on the main youth pitch, two of which have seats, but today’s game was on what is currently the only full sized adult pitch, which had an excellent playing surface, but nothing else facility wise. It is to the right as you enter the complex from the car park, with the clubhouse/changing rooms in the building in the far left hand corner.

At least the match still had something on it, as far as Dormansland Rockets were concerned. They started the day in third place in the league table, trailing leaders A.S. Crawley by six points and second placed Wakehams Green by four points, but had a game in hand over both, so promotion was very much possible, as indeed was winning the league itself, but they’d need to win their last three games to have a realistic chance of achieving either. Caterham were 7th (out of 9) and already safe from going down, but with games in hand on all the clubs above them, could still manage a fourth place finish.

Dormansland were the better side early on, but failed to take advantage. Caterham broke the deadlock after thirty one minutes, with a first time shot into the bottom corner and amazingly scored twice more in the next two minutes to make it 3-0, firstly with an own goal, high into the roof of the net when trying to block a cross, quickly followed by a ricochet that fell perfectly for a side foot finish from close range. They thought they’d scored a penalty five minutes into the second half, but it was ruled out for ‘encroachment’ according to the Referee. Two minutes later they did score goal number four, when a corner from the left was smashed into the top corner from the edge of the 18 yard box. Just after the hour mark it was 5-0, touching in a cut back from the right at the near post and they rounded off the scoring when they added a sixth goal with seven minutes left, when a spectacular first time shot from inside the centre circle looped over the stranded ‘keeper, who could only turn and watch as the ball sailed over his head into the empty net.

Swindon & District Community League

Division 1

Thursday 10th April 2025

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.20

Poulton 1 Swindon Rovers 2, attendance 19

59’ 0-1

77’ 0-2

79’ 1-2

@ Poulton Cricket Club

Cricklade Street

Poulton

GL7 5HX

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight was a trip to The Cotswolds, for a game in the second level of this league, with 4th hosting 6th in the league table. The first half produced very few chances, but did see the visitors reduced to ten men after thirty two minutes, the player receiving a red card for abusive language, directed towards the Referee following an original awarding of a sin bin. Poulton did have a shot cleared off the line and then hit the post from the resulting corner, but it remained goalless at halftime.

Poulton had a man sin binned nine minutes into the second half and within five minutes Swindon Rovers took full advantage, scoring with a 30 yard free kick that somehow found the gap between the crossbar and despairing dive of the ‘keeper. With thirteen minutes left it was 0-2, when a corner from the right was volleyed in at the near post. Poulton pulled one back within two minutes, when a cross from the right was knocked down and finished with a first time shot into the bottom corner. They almost drew level in the last few minutes when a shot hit the crossbar, but the visitors hung on for the win.

The ground here at Poulton Cricket Club is on the left hand side when entering the village from the south. Access is via a lane adjacent to St. Michael & All Angels Church. There’s plenty of parking, with the pavilion/clubhouse in the near left hand corner, with the cricket pitch nearest the entrance and with the football to the left, the pitch running lengthways away from the building.

Surprisingly trouble free journey in both directions, taking just under two hours each way.

Pembrokeshire League

Division 1

Wednesday 9th April 2025

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.01

Kilgetty A.F.C. 0 Monkton Swifts 4, attendance 48

15’ 0-1

34’ 0-2

35’ 0-3

65’ 0-4 (pen)

@ Kingsmoor Sports & Social Club

James Park

off Carmarthen Road

Kilgetty

SA68 0YD

No Admission or Programme.

I rounded off my short trip to West Wales by taking in this top division game in the Pembrokeshire League, a league I’ve only done a handful of grounds in, which oddly includes two for Fishguard Sports. Anyway, Kilgetty play at the Kingsmoor Sports & Social Club, in the west of the village. As the name suggests, it’s a multi sport set up, shared with cricket and as well as the main game, there was a youth match taking place on an adjacent pitch. As you enter, there is a small car park, with the clubhouse (opened at 7pm)/changing rooms at the far end. The cricket pitch is right in front, with the football to the left, running parallel to James Park, the road leading into the complex. It was roped off along the near side and round as far as the six yard box at each end. There is a side to side slope and the pitch was dusty and sounded very hard. The far side offered a raised view, with a fence to lean on, but the view from here meant looking directly into the sun, so not ideal, but at least half the crowd watched from here.

The match was 8th versus 3rd in the league table. Kilgetty are safe from relegation, whilst Monkton Swifts are looking at a third placed finish as being the best they can hope for, as long as Tenby don’t win their two games in hand, which would see them leapfrog them. The big two in this league have already sewn things up at the top, with unbeaten Goodwick United crowned champions and Hakin United taking the runners up spot, nine points back, with both teams having one game left.

It was a decent contest, which Monkton Swifts gradually gained control of. They took an early lead, when a diagonal ball into the box was swept in from six yards. They doubled their lead just after the half hour mark, when a cross was pulled back from the right and a first time shot found the bottom corner, despite the ‘keeper getting a hand to it and a minute later they made the points safe when a long range effort made it 0-3. It was a surprise that the second half only produced one more goal, when a penalty was converted to make it 0-4 with twenty five minutes left.

Thanks to a prompt kick off and short halftime, where everyone stayed out on the pitch, I had the bonus of an hour of daylight for the long drive home. Still back ten minutes before midnight, despite the M4 being closed at J12.

Central Wales League

Southern Division

Tuesday 8th April 2025

Kick Off 18.30Actual 18.27!

Llanilar 1 Penparcau 3, attendance 35

7’ 1-0

35’ 1-1

52’ 1-2

62’ 1-3

@ Castle Hill Field

B4575

Llanilar

SY23 4SA

£3 Admission

No Programme.

Having stayed overnight in Newcastle Emlyn, it was a journey of around 50 minutes up the A487 coast road towards Aberystwyth for my second successive game in this league. Castle Hill Field is right in the centre of the village, adjacent to the village shop. The players get changed at the Community Centre, then walk from there, which, including the walk across to the pitch from the entrance, must be a good 250 yards. Not something you’d expect at a Tier 4 ground. The pitch, which had a slight slope, is actually a farmers field, with the playing area fenced off with wooden stakes and mesh wiring acting as infills, helping to keep the ball from going too far when not in play and acting as a barrier to keep the sheep out, as well as their droppings! There are a couple of Perspex dugouts, but that’s it! No toilets. Nothing….apart from a lovely rural setting and scenic backdrop whichever way you looked.

Unusually, considering it was in the same league, tonight’s game was scheduled for an 18.30 start, fifteen minutes later than last night. Everyone was there in good time though and we actually got underway three minutes early.

The match was 10th versus 6th in the league table, both out of the running as far as winning the league goes, but also well clear of the bottom places too. Llanilar went ahead after seven minutes, beating the offside trap before finishing from the edge of the box. Penparcau levelled ten minutes before halftime, when a long ball from inside their own half was met with a cushioned volley from 10 yards that gave the ‘keeper no chance. The visitors went ahead seven minutes into the second half, cutting in from the left and beating the ‘keeper at the near post. Ten minutes later it was 1-3, when a corner from the right was headed in at the far post. Despite the visitors having a man sent off with eight minutes left, picking up his second yellow card, they easily hung on to take all three points, enhancing their chances of a fourth place finish.

Even having kick off 15 minutes later than last night’s game, there was no problem whatsoever with getting the game in before darkness fell and the light was still good at the 20.04 final whistle. Despite being a warm sunny day, it got cool towards the end, as the sun dropped behind the hills. With the last two nights having gone to plan, it leaves me just Bont now to complete the league.