I had hoped this would be my first competitive game of the new season, but having arrived at the ground at 16.20, after a four hour drive, I checked social media and the Cymru app and noticed the game was now showing as having been postponed, about half an hour earlier, due to ‘pitch complications’, (according to a post on Twitter by Bellevue, but no mention whatsoever by Acton!) whatever that is supposed to mean. Very poor and doesn’t reflect well on either the host club, or the league.
No Admission or Programme (They produced a 40 page online one!)
I plumped for this game today as both teams had advertised it on Twitter and just in case there were any unforeseen problems, the 1 o’clock kick off left time to head elsewhere, but thankfully all was good. The pitch here at Sandhurst school is just a basic cage, with no spectator viewing area, but there was no problem watching from inside the fence, even though there were three match officials. Oddly, at least half the crowd chose to watch through the mesh, rather than pitch side.
The game was a clash between two Combined Counties League teams, with Division 1 (Step 6) hosting Premier Division North (Step 5). With the U23/Reserve teams playing each other immediately after the first team game, it meant there was no ridiculous amount of substitutes used, which helped with the flow of the game. I don’t recall anything of note happening, until Holyport broke the deadlock after 27 minutes, heading in unmarked from six yards, after the ‘keeper had failed to make contact with the ball as he attempted to punch a corner clear. Within a minute it was 0-2, intercepting a misplaced back pass, before scoring from a tight angle. A real purple patch saw them score a third goal just four minutes later, playing the ball across the six yard box to be easily converted at the far post.
Yateley made a game of it when they pulled a goal back early in the second half, with an excellent first time finish to a cross in from the right, but struggled to break down a resolute Holyport defence, although they did get it back to 2-3 with an angled finish into the far bottom corner with seven minutes left.
Tonight was a chance to pick up an unusual venue in West Sussex, where this all West Sussex League clash (Premier Division v Championship) took place. Lodsworth don’t appear to have a Saturday team, but football of some level must still be played here, as the pitch was in good condition, although to say that it has a slope, both end to end and side to side, is an understatement! Cricket has been/still is? played here and there was a very busy bowls club adjacent, which meant the small car park was jam packed.
It was nice to finally do a midweek game on a warm, sunny evening, with the temperature hitting 27 degrees at kick off, which meant a drinks break in each half and it was still 21.5 degrees when the match finished and thankfully, the Referee had no problem with the colour clash of the kits, which may not have been the case if it had been a competitive fixture. Petworth won a very well contested game with an early goal in each half, opening the scoring after a ball into the box was laid off perfectly for a finish into the bottom corner and they sealed the win when they added a second, cutting in from the left before beating the ‘keeper at the near post.
This was Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division (Step 7) versus Eastern Counties League Division 1 North (Step 6). Despite only being one level difference between the two sides, the gulf between them was massive, with Tiptree fielding one trialist in their starting eleven, as well as having another five included in their eight substitutes. Stanway took the lead through an early penalty, but were soon pegged back when a ball pulled back from the right was finished into the far corner. Two more goals saw the visitors go 1-3 up just before the half hour mark, before a long range shot, which went in off the underside of the crossbar, saw them increase their lead just before halftime. The second half was very much one way traffic, with Stanway attacking at will and it could easily have been double figures in the end. Pick of the goals was their seventh, a thirty yarder that gave the ‘keeper no chance.
The game was played on the 3G pitch at Philip Morant School & College, which is a standard cage set up, with spectator viewing along three quarters of one side.
This was an all Combined Counties League clash, with newly promoted into Premier Division North (Step 5) hosting Division 1 (Step 6) and played at the neutral venue of Sandgate F.C. There is a changing room/clubhouse building as you enter, with the main pitch being in the far right hand corner, running away lengthways.
Both teams had large squads, but not enough for complete changes, which has happened in a number of the early pre-season games I’ve attended so far, with B.A. having 15 players and Oxhey Jets 19. Oxhey took an early lead, but were pegged back midway through the half, but Oxhey regained the lead to go in 1-2 up at halftime. B.A. hit the crossbar with a header in the early stages of the second half, but fell 1-3 behind just after the hour mark, but pulled it back to 2-3 almost immediately, before levelling it up at 3-3 with just over twenty minutes left, scoring the goal of the game, when a cross to the far side of the box was curled into the far top corner. It looked like Oxhey had won it, when a quick break saw the ball pulled back for an unmarked finish from six yards, but B.A. made it 4-4, scoring from the penalty spot, in what turned out to be the last kick of the match.
This was a clash between two Hampshire Premier League clubs, with Premier Division hosting Division 1, played at the home of Basingstoke & District League champions North Warnborough. The ground is off The Street, accessed only on foot, via a pathway between the houses, on the right hand side as you head towards Warnborough Green. It is a single pitch set up, enclosed by trees and hedges. There is a changing room building on the right hand side as you enter, with covered overhang, as well as a single row of bench seating along the front. There was also a tea bar, but sadly not open today.
Despite playing at different levels, this was very even throughout, but Headley had the more goal scoring opportunities and made the most of them. They went ahead after fourteen minutes, when a misplaced back pass was intercepted on the edge of the box and finished into the bottom corner. Hook nearly grabbed an equaliser early in the second half, but were thwarted by a point blank save by the Headley ‘keeper, tipping the effort over the crossbar and then he made another good save from the resulting corner, which then saw them break clear down the left, before playing the ball across the box for a tap in at the far post.
Yet another full weekend closure of the M25 in both directions between Junction 10 and 11 meant a cross country route into Hampshire via Dorking, Guildford and Aldershot, which surprisingly only took 1 hour 25 minutes.
Hullbridge Sports 2 Catholic United 1, attendance 42
53’ 1-0
67’ 2-0
69’ 2-1 (pen)
@ Hullbridge Sports Club, Pitch 2
Lower Road
Hullbridge
SS5 6BJ
No Admission or Programme.
I’d been to the stadium pitch here at Hullbridge Sports & Social Club back in October 1998, when I saw Hullbridge Sports beat St. Neots Town on penalties, after a 1-1 draw, in a midweek F.A. Vase 2nd Qualifying Round Replay and walking through the stadium to gain access to Pitch 2, I have to say, I have no recollection whatsoever of the ground. Hardly surprising I suppose….
Anyway, once through the stadium, you exit behind the far goal to a number of other pitches, with Pitch 2 running widthways in front of you. It had an excellent playing surface and is roped off and has a couple of dugouts (just frames, not covered) on the near side, whilst there is a small seated kit stand opposite.
The match was Essex Senior League (Step 5) versus Essex Olympian League Premier Division (Step7) with both teams having a squad of around 17/18 players. It was a decent contest and played with no hint of it being just a friendly. It was still goalless at halftime, with Catholic United having had a penalty saved being the best of the chances. Hullbridge broke the deadlock seven minutes into the second half, cutting in from the right, before a one-two on the edge of the box was finished into the near corner. Midway through the half it was 2-0, heading a diagonal cross back across the box for a first time finish into the corner. Catholic pulled a goal back two minutes later, this time making no mistake from the penalty spot.
This was Southern League Division 1 Central (Step 4) versus Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division (Step 5) and was played on the brand new 3G pitch at Kings Langley School. It is a typical cage set up, with standing along three quarters of one side, with both team ‘benches’ setting up on the far side.
It was another game where both teams fielded almost completely different teams in each half. The first half was very tight and after having hit the post midway through, Kings Langley broke the deadlock when a cross in from the right was finished from close range eight minutes before the break. An angled shot into the far corner saw Dunstable draw level six minutes into the second half, but Kings Langley restored their lead minutes later, heading in from six yards. Having added a third goal, they made it 4-1 with the goal of the game, scoring direct from a free kick on the edge of the D, before Dunstable rounded off the scoring with five minutes left, finishing from close range, after a cross from the right was half blocked and followed in to make it 4-2.
Another night of dismal weather, but thankfully the drizzle disappeared early in the second half.
Saffron Walden Town 4 Dunmow Town 4, attendance 49
25’ 1-0
39’ 1-1
47’ 1-2
48’ 1-3
56’ 2-3
60’ 2-4
81’ 3-4
82’ 4-4
@ Lime Avenue Playing Fields
Lime Avenue
Saffron Walden
CB10 2GE
No Admission or Programme.
This was Essex Senior League (Step 5) v Eastern Counties League Division 1 South (Step 6), a clash between two teams who will share the Catons Lane ground of Saffron Walden Town this season. With the main stadium being unavailable, as it was staging a function, this was played at Lime Avenue Playing Fields, a couple of hundred yards to the north and was brought forward to a noon kick off to enable players/supporters ample time to get home for the England game. There are two pitches here, separated by a changing room building and car park, with today’s game played on the most northern of the two.
The journey up the M11 was very wet and it continued to rain for most of the first half, although it did brighten up during the second half. Saffron Walden opened the scoring midway through the first half, but Dunmow drew level six minutes before the break. Two goals within a minute of each other, saw Dunmow open up a 1-3 lead just three minutes into the second half and although Saffron Walden pulled one back, the visitors restored their two goal lead on the hour mark. Saffron made it 3-4 with nine minutes left, cutting in from the right, before finishing into the far corner and levelled it up at 4-4 a minute later, with a cracking finish into the top corner from the edge of the 18 yard box.
I’d visited the main stadium here twice, oddly just six weeks apart, both in 1993, but this was an opportunity to see a game on the 3G pitch here. It is immediately in front of you, as you enter the car park off Davis Lane, running parallel to the stadium. There is a changing room building in the near left corner, with a small section of covered standing on the left hand side, just beyond the halfway line, although the view of the pitch is obscured in one corner, whilst there are a couple of brick built dugouts on the opposite side, albeit not covered! No problem watching inside the fence, with ample room all the way round. The game kicked off fifteen minutes late and with the weather being blustery and grey overhead, as well as a couple of showers in each half, it meant the Referee requested that the floodlights were switched on for the last fifteen minutes, which wouldn’t have been needed had they kicked off when they should have done.
The match was Western League Premier Division (Step 5) versus Somerset County League Premier Division (Step 7), with Clevedon fielding ten different outfield players in each half, as well as a kit change at halftime, which led to a colour clash, whilst Nailsea had the ‘normal’ five substitutes. It was end to end stuff and despite having an early penalty saved, Nailsea went in front midway through the first half, but Clevedon had turned it round to lead 2-1 at the break. Nailsea hit the post with a long range effort, before levelling the score at 2-2 on the hour, edging in front when they scored direct from a corner just two minutes later before soon making it 2-4, following a quick break down the left. Clevedon did pull it back to 3-4 with four minutes left and there was still time for Nailsea to go close to getting a fifth, but a 25 yarder came back off the crossbar.
