South West Peninsula League

Premier Division

Tuesday 6th November 2018

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.31

Sticker 1 Helston Athletic 3,  attendance 63

20’ 0-1

48’ 0-2

53’ 1-2

80’ 1-3

@ Burngullow Park

Burngullow Lane

off St. Stephens Road

Sticker

PL26 7EN

£5 Admission

Programme, free, 10 page shell with 4 page insert.

Thankfully, Sticker have an excellent pitch that drains well. If I had believed the BBC Weather forecast, there is no way I would have risked travelling to Cornwall tonight, as they had shown rain all day, but the Met Office were only showing 3 hours of heavy rain, but that it would be gone before kick off, then remaining pretty much dry for the rest of the evening. Apart from three or four heavy showers during the match, it did remain dry for the large part and the pitch was in superb condition.

Sticker are really struggling this season and are rooted to the foot of the league table, failing to win any of their 19 league games so far, although they have managed 4 draws. Helston came into this in fourteenth place, so I thought this might be a match that Sticker had a chance of getting something from. Despite conceding the first goal, Sticker could have been in front before halftime, as they hit the crossbar twice with the ‘keeper well beaten both times and with a bit of luck it could have turned the game round. When the visitors made it 0-2 early in the second half I thought that was it, but Sticker reduced the arrears within five minutes and were well in the game until Helston finally made it 1-3 with ten minutes left. The run of games without a win for Sticker now extends to 20, although having won games in the cups this season, surely it is only a matter of time before they break their duck in the league.

This now completes the top division for me and was also the last of the floodlit grounds I had left to visit in the league. It leaves just Bere Alston United, Ludgvan and Waldon Athletic to do now and as none of them have floodlights, then it may be a while before I get to any of them.

The journey home was very wet and windy. It rained constantly from Bodmin to the M25 and despite the A30 being closed near Tedburn St. Mary, I was still home for 01.30.