Suffolk & Ipswich League

Division 1

Saturday 23rd December 2023

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.03

Saxmundham Sports 1 Woolverstone United 1, attendance 67

32’ 1-0

75’ 1-1

@ Saxmundham Sports & Recreational Club

Carlton Park

Main Road (B1121)

Saxmundham

IP17 2NL

No Admission or Programme.

A weekend away at Aldeburgh, on the Suffolk coast, meant this was an easy fifteen minute drive inland for this afternoon’s game. It was dry and windy and the home club had mentioned a welcome to the ‘Carlton Park carpet’ when advertising the game, so there was no concern with getting a late call off. A driveway leads to the car park, with the social club/changing room building to the left, with a covered viewing area at the front, although set back from the pitch. It is a large sports ground, with the main pitch (absolutely immaculate) running widthways in front of the building, roped off through a combination of wooden stakes and metal posts, with a pair of dugouts on the far side.

The match was a mid-table clash, as 4th hosted 6th. It was a decent game, where both sides had spells on top and the action was end to end from start to finish, with neither side just settling for a point. Saxmundham had a man sin binned after twenty eight minutes, but still managed to break the deadlock just four minutes later, when a goal kick was flicked on and the striker raced clear to finish with a lob over the ‘keeper from 25 yards. Woolverstone also had a man sin binned early in the second half, surviving without conceding a second goal whilst down to ten men and with fifteen minutes left they snatched an equaliser, scoring direct from a corner, swung in from the right and finding the far corner.

Luckily, it was a bright day, so no problem with the light, despite being so far east, as the game didn’t finish until 15.58