Thames Valley Premier League

Division 4

Monday 19th April 2021

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.14

Berks County Rovers 3 Finchampstead Development 2, attendance 29

7’ 1-0

32’ 2-0

37’ 2-1

52’ 3-1

54’ 3-2 (pen)

@ Great Hollands Recreation Ground

South Road

Great Hollands

RG40 3DW

No Admission or Programme.

Despite both teams and Referee being ready well before the scheduled start time we somehow managed to kick off fourteen minutes late. The match was 4th versus 9th (out of 11) and despite an awful pitch it was a decent match. The visitors opening goal was a superb overhead kick, but this was outdone with a thunderous shot from the edge of the box for the hosts that put them 3-1 up. Finchampstead replied with a penalty to make it 3-2, before Berks County lost their ‘keeper to injury. The stand in managed to keep a clean sheet and they held on to the 3 points, despite having to play out eight of an additional eleven minutes of stoppage time with 10 men, having had a man sent off for a second yellow card offence.

East Sussex League

Division 4/Division 5 Cup Group Match

Saturday 17th April 2021

Kick Off 16.30 Actual 16.29

Welcroft Park Rangers 4 Hooe 2, attendance 34

35’ 0-1

44’ 0-2

49’ 1-2

90’ 2-2

90’+ 2, 3-2

90’+ 3, 4-2

@ Berwick Recreation Ground

Rear of Village Hall

Station Road

Berwick

BN26 6TF

No Admission or Programme.

Welcroft Park Rangers normally play their home games at the ground of Southern Combination League club Hailsham Town, but restrictions due to COVID-19 have seen them schedule their home games in the end of season cup competition to the ground here in Berwick, which is where their reserves play their home matches.

The match was between two teams from Division 4, both having won their opening two matches in the cup. When the league was brought to a halt this would have been 3rd versus 1st in the league table. Hooe looked well in command having gone 0-2 up right before halftime, but Welcroft Park Rangers reduced the arrears within minutes of the restart, which set the game up perfectly. The game looked to be heading for a 1-2 win for the visitors, but they somehow threw it away in a mad four minute spell as we reached the ninety minute mark. The Welcroft Park Rangers No. 7 scored his second goal to make it 2-2, then their No.9 put them in front two minutes into stoppage time, before the No. 7 completed his hat trick a minute later to make it 4-2 and complete a remarkable comeback.

East Sussex League

Premier Division/Division 1 Cup Group Match

Saturday 17th April 2021

Kick Off 13.00 Actual 13.01

Victoria Baptists 1 Rye Town 1, attendance 18

10’ 0-1

55’ 1-1

@ Old Town Recreation Ground

Bodmin Close

Old Town

Eastbourne

BN20 8HZ

No Admission or Programme.

With the F.A. advising that matches today should avoid clashing with the funeral of H.R.H. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, it meant there was a possibility of getting two matches today.

Old Town Recreation Ground perfectly fits what ‘parks football’ is all about. A pitch that sloped both end to end and side to side, with various undulating areas thrown in for good measure. Both 6 yard boxes were as hard as concrete and badly worn and the pitch in general was in poor condition and is in need of some rain to soften it up. Despite this, the two sides put on a really good contest that had 100% commitment throughout.

These two sides both play in Division 1 and when the season was brought to a halt the league positions would have been 9th (bottom, without a win) versus 4th, so the visitors would have been slight favourites to win this. Indeed, they took an early lead, but having been unable to get the second goal, were pegged back early in the second half. Rye had enough chances to have won it in the last half an hour, but it was Baptists that came nearest to winning it when a shot from the edge of the 18 yard box hit the angle of post and crossbar, bouncing across the goal towards the other post. Somehow the ‘keeper managed to get across and flick the ball away as the striker was about to nod it into an empty net.

Mid Sussex League

Division 5 North East

Thursday 15th April 2021

Kick Off 18.00. On Time !

Old Oxted Town 0 Caterham 2, attendance 33

49’ 0-1

83’ 0-2

@ South Godstone Sports & Community Association

Lagham Road

South Godstone

RH9 8HN

No Admission or Programme.

I never got round to visiting this ground when South Godstone played here and these days they only have a Veterans team, so this was an ideal opportunity to finally tick it off. It was also quite unusual at this level for a match to not involve at least one reserve team (or lower!), as these two are the only first teams in the division.

The result certainly didn’t go to form. League leaders Old Oxted Town looked very poor. Caterham had started the day second bottom in the league table, but played nothing like the team I saw lose 0-5 at home just twelve days ago. In fact, if you arrived at the ground as a neutral and saw red and black goal nets and corner flags, coupled with a team wearing red and black kit that were well worthy of the win, then you may have thought it was the table toppers that won the game, rather than a team one place off the bottom that actually took the points.

Despite the defeat, Old Oxted Town remain top, but their lead is now just four points, whilst Caterham rise to the heady heights of fourth from bottom.

Surrey County Intermediate League (Western)

Wednesday 14th April 2021

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.18

Keens Park Rangers 5 Milford & Witley 0, attendance 35

5’ 1-0

21’ 2-0

35’ 3-0

68’ 4-0

73’ 5-0

@ Pyrford Cricket Club

Coldharbour Road

Pyrford

GU22 8SP

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s match was 9th versus 10th (out of 13) in the league table. KPR have had a draw and a win from their two games since the league restarted, whilst M & W have suffered two defeats, going down 1-3 and 1-8, so the score line tonight went pretty much as expected. It could have been different had M & W not wasted a glorious chance when it was only 3-0, but within a minute KPR added a fourth goal and there was no coming back from there.

The win sees KPR climb to fifth in the league and whilst M & W remain tenth, they have played more matches than the three teams below them.

Mid Sussex League

Division 4 North

Tuesday 13th April 2021

Kick Off 18.00. On Time !

Handcross Village 0 Horsham Athletic 1, attendance 23

74’ 0-1

@ Handcross Recreation Ground

High Street

Handcross

RH17 6DU

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s match was 7th versus 8th (out of 10) in the league table. It didn’t look very likely that the deadlock was going to be broken, especially as the home ‘keeper was on top form, making three really good saves, but he was finally beaten when the visitors took the three points with a winning goal that was clinically finished into the bottom corner of the net.

The win should ensure Horsham Athletic avoid relegation, as second bottom Copthorne ‘A’ are now ten points behind them, with a far inferior goal difference, with just 4 games left to play.

Yeovil & District League

Division 1

Monday 12th April 2021

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.12

Barwick & Stoford 3 A.F.C. Huish 2, attendance 37

10’ 1-0

22’ 1-1

45’ 2-1

53’ 3-1

79’ 3-2 (pen)

@ Barwick & Stoford Recreation Ground

Whitcross

Barwick

BA22 9TQ

No Admission or Programme.

This was 4th versus 3rd in the league table, in what is the second tier of this league. The two teams met on Saturday, with Barwick & Stoford winning 1-0 leaving the two sides level on points going into tonight’s match.

It was a full blooded affair that was in the balance for the duration and a draw would probably been about right. The win sees Barwick & Stoford (played 10) go level on points with second placed Wyndham Athletic (played 8). Ashcott Reserves (payed 11) are seven points clear at the top of the table.

Mid Sussex League

Championship Division (Top Section)

Saturday 10th April 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02

Ridgewood 0 Reigate Priory 0, attendance 12

@ Convent Field

off Mountfield Road

Lewes

BN7 2XA

No Admission or Programme.

Following the restart of football after the COVID-19 lockdown, the Mid Sussex League decided to complete the season for the top two divisions by splitting the league table into a top and bottom half, with each team then playing each other once, then using a points per game average for the games played so far, which will be added together to determine promotion/relegation places.

With these two being in the top half, they can’t be relegated, but there would still be a promotion place up for grabs along with champions elect Southwick 1882, the league leaders having beaten both these teams 5-0 since the division split. Although Ridgewood are bottom, Reigate Priory certainly weren’t out of it, although the draw today certainly won’t help them.

The game never really got going, but Reigate Priory should have won it. Their No.9 trod on the ball when staring at an open goal from two yards out, when it looked impossible to miss, and they had the ball in the net twice in the final five minutes, but both were disallowed for offside by the home club linesman.

Convent Field is next to Lewes Priory and is accessed via a path from the car park behind the goal end entrance of The Dripping Pan, home of Lewes F.C.

Stratford-upon-Avon Alliance League

Division 2

Thursday 8th April 2021

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 17.55

Tysoe United 1 F.I.S.S.C. Reserves 1, attendance 29

26’ 0-1

83’ 1-1

@ Tysoe Playing Field

Main Street

Middle Tysoe

CV35 0FF

No Admission or Programme.

Everything got underway five minutes ahead of schedule, which is very impressive for a midweek match without floodlights, although it did catch a few out who missed kick off. The ground was very busy as there were two kids matches taking place as well, but it was well organised with each pitch being roped off to ensure there was no problem with social distancing.

The visitors, Farmers Insurance Sports & Social Club, to give them their full name, started the day second in the league table, but with two points dropped here, combined with losing points from their matches played against Evesham Eagles, whose results have been expunged from the records, meant they ended the night down in fourth place. Despite the late equaliser, scored with an angled shot into the far corner of the net, Tysoe remain in ninth place.

Southampton League

Premier Division

Wednesday 7th April 2021

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.01

Knightwood United 1 Priory Rovers 2, attendance 31

10’ 1-0

25’ 1-1

76’ 1-2 (pen)

@ Cutbush Lane Playing Fields

Cutbush Lane

West End

Southampton

SO18 3HY

No Admission or Programme.

Although I have done a number of grounds in this league, this was the first time I have actually done a game in the Southampton League itself. I am always a bit concerned when the visiting team are bottom of the league table, especially tonight, as Priory Rovers arrived having lost all seven of their matches so far, although Knightwood United were only fourth from bottom themselves. I needn’t have worried though. Everyone was there nice and early and the visitors even had 5 substitutes.

The match itself was evenly balanced and Priory just about edged it, finally putting some points on the board at the eighth time of asking.