A business trip down to North-East Somerset on Wednesday gave me the opportunity to look at games in the South-West, or at least somewhere between the office and Oxfordshire. My chosen game was a Gloucestershire County League game between Quedgeley Wanderers and Sharpness. I'd been meaning to visit Quedgeley since the days of the Cricklade Cup during lockdown. Wanderers Reserves took part in the competition but I didn't get chance to visit their ground at the time. I had seen Sharpness play at Gala Wilton, scoring twice in added time to take all three points in a very entertaining game, (Shark Bite).
I was beginning to think I may not get chance on Wedneday either. My journey to Somerset was made in pretty awful conditions and, although the rain slowed for a while, when I left for the journey through Bristol to Gloucester, it was still comign down quite hard and showing no signs of stopping. Despite that, the pitch had passed an inspection, so I continued my journey, fully expecting a late postponement. Even after I arrived to find the teams warming up, I was still sceptical. Obviously, I wasn't aware of the excellent drainage at Quedgeley.

​The Ground
Quedgeley play at The Waterwells Sports Centre situated in the Southern reaches of the city of Gloucester, in an area that is a bit of a non-league hotspot with Tuffley Rovers, Tredworth Tigers and fellow County League Hardwicke, all very close by. The ground, just off the A38, is in the midst of a business park, bounded on three sides by businesses and on the other, by housing. There is a reasonably large car park and parking on Stephenson Drive. The clubhouse, a sports hall and players changing facilities are situated between the car park and the main pitch. There are also a number of small-sided pitches and another full size pitch as well as a floodlit astro 5-a-side pitch just to the left of the club house. There has been a huge amount of work done on the ground in the past decade or so  - Google street view still shows a photo from 2009 when there was little but a small part of the clubhouse building in place. 
The clubhouse has a tea and snack bar from which you can see most of the pitch. The staff were very welcoming and helpful (thank you for the team sheet), and they do a very good cup of tea. They also sell a nicely produced match day programme. At £1 it's well worth getting a copy. 
As I mentioned above, I was not aware of the excellent drainage in place at Quedgeley. In fact, I was only told about this when chatting to a former club chairman during the half-time break. It had clearly done its job today because the surrounding area was absolutely sodden but the pitch looked to be completely playable, as shown when the referee went out to do a final check just before kick-off.
One of the most noticeable things about Waterwells is the sheer number of advertising boards surrounding the pitch. There doesn't appear to be any spaces, except directly behind each goal. I've not seen this level of advertising at a Step 7 ground before and have rarely seen it higher up the pyramid. Whoever arranges this for the club is doing magnificent job. I speak from experience when I say that attracting this level of investment into a club takes an enormous amount of work. I have to say, all in all and despite the appalling weather on the day, Quedgeley Wanderers is a great club to visit. It has the air of a well run, loved, club that clearly enjoys plenty of local community support.

​The Background
At the start of pay there was no doubt which team needed the three points more. Sharpness sat comfortably in 10th spot with 29 points from their 19 matches. However, Quedgeley's position was not so secure. They occupied thee 15th place in the league, second from bottom. They had a single point advantage over bottom side Henbury but had already played a game more. After this evening, they would only have seven games remaining, none of which feature teams currently in the lower half of the table. Last Saturday Quedgeley's game at Wick was postponed whilst Sharpness went down 2-0 at Cheltenham Civil Service.
The sides have met twice this season already. The league encounter at Hamfields on the opening day saw Sharpness run out 4-2 winners, both Quedgeley goals coming from Oliver Curtis. The cup match, also at Hamfields, finished 3-2 to Sharpness with, once again, both the visitor's goals coming form Oliver Curtis. Clearly a player that The Sharks needed to keep an eye on.
Recent history was also not on the side of the home team. last season's two fixtures saw heavy defeats both home and away for Wanderers. They went down 5-1 at home, thanks largely to a Will Lacey hat-trick for Sharpness. Another Sharks player, Harrison Jack Reeves, scored three in the reverse fixture as Sharpness went one better, running out 6-1 winners.

​The Game
The game got under way a couple of minutes ahead of schedule, much to the relief of the 72 hardy souls present who, even at this early stage, were probably already thinking about the warmth and dryness of the clubhouse as the rain comntinued to hammer down.
Almost from the first whistle it was clear that the visitors were not only up for this game but also had a style much more suited to the conditions. Short, accurate passing with an assured first touch, exactly what was needed on a very difficult playing surface. Sharpness got their just rewards for their good start after only 8 minutes. Callum Dummelow delivered the ball in from the right-hand side and Tom Frankham was on hand to smash the ball past Nathan Charnock. 0-1
Only a minute later th Sharks doubled their advantage. Thsi time the cross came in from th left, low and driven across th six-yard box for Marley Thomas to clip past Charnock for 0-2.
Charnock ws called into action again on 17 mintes whe  his fingertips were all that came between Sharpness and a third goal. Sadly for the Wanderers stopper, it was a shot-lived reprieve as the resulting corner was met by the head of Callum Dummelow and it was 0-3 with less than 20 minutes played.
At this point, with Sharpness knocking the ball around with plenty of confidence, it looked as if the evening could become a nightmare for Quedgeley. However, credit to them. They were reeling form the three goals but did manage to steady the ship somewhat and managed to press forward a few times themselves towards the end of the half, without unduly worrying Gough.

HT Quedgeley Wanderers 0 Sharpness 3. Some great football from Sharpness early on, easing themselves into a three goal lead before the twenty minute mark. They dominated play for much of the half, especially in the midfield area where Tom Paterson seemed to be everywhere for them.

​A minute into the second half George Thomas conceded a penalty when Rory Hunt was felled in the box. Hunt stepped up to take the kick himself but was thwarted by a fine save from Jamie Gough who was up quick to also block the follow up. Great goal-keeping.
Almost immediately after the penalty Charnock had to be at his best again  to keep it at three. Then, with the game now looking a little more open, Harry Reynolds saw his speculative effort deflected by a Sharpness defender and roll agonisingly wide of the post with Gough scrambling across his goal.
As the rain began to slow and eventually stop, the game descended into a scrappy affair. Sharpness, maybe due to being three up, had completely lost the snappiness of their first-half play. Passes were going astray and first touches were eluding them now. This was allowing Quedgeley to come into the game more but, unfortunately for them, they still could not manage to muster a goal back. maybe if the penalty had been converted it could have been different. As it was, they had to thank goalkeeper Nathan Charnock again in the 70th minute when he produced the fourth excellent save, this time preventing Marley Thomas from notching his second of the game.
Six minutes later though, Charnock was powerless to prevent The Sharks grabbing their fourth goal. Tricky winger Will Lacey, who came on as a substitute for Sharpness, drove up the left and drilled a low cross into a dangerous area. With Sharpness attackers lining up to finsish it the ball was diverted into the net by a home defender desperately trying to clear his lines. 0-4
Once again and to their credit again, Quedgeley didn't let their heads drop. Twince in the close ten minutes Jamie Gough was calle dupon to keep his sheets clean, once from Luke Holder and the second, a superb stop as he sprinted off his line to block from Ollie Curtis.
There was still time for Lacey to almost grab a fifth goal when he sprinted clear before sliding the ball past Charnock only to see it come back off the foot of the post.
Then the referee blew to signal the end of what had been, given the conditions, a decent game of football.

FT Quedgeley Wanderers 0 Sharpness 4. The damage was all done in the early stages of the first half. Sharpness settled well and played some great stuff to put themselves pretty much out of site before the halfway mark in the first period. Quedgeley never gave up the game but were beaten by the better team on the night.
The result sees Sharpness climb to 7th spot ahead of two matches in four days, both against the team one place above them, Little Stoke. They have met in the cup already, a 1-1 draw that saw Sharpness edge through 4-3 on spot-kicks. Meanwhile, Quedgeley are in a spot of bother near the bottom of the table. Bottom side Henbury are just a point behind and now have two games in hand. To add to that, Wanderers face a tough game at home to league leaders Cribbs Reserves at the weekend. The reverse fixture ended 4-0 to Cribbs but Quedgeley will be desperately want to put that right in their quest to avoid the bottom spot.

Quedgeley Wanderers: Charnock, Taylor, Webb, Holder(c), Bright, McLean, Rory Hunt, Cummings, Colling, Reynolds, Curtis. Subs: Woodland, Ryan Hunt, Wright, Cooke
Sharpness: Gough, Cooper, Priday, Dummelow, Rouse, Thomas, Cawkwell, Paterson, Thomas, Frankham(c), Turner. Subs: Lacey, Hewer, Hodges, Higgs, Bennett

Ground Number: 356
Att: 72
Entrance: N/A
Programme: £1.00

After Kidlington's game with Eversley fell foul of the weather, Sunday's focus was fully on the South as the top two went head to head to decide the title. However, next weekend we do have a D1N league game and the chance to see champions Woodley in action at Woking in the Chairman's Cup.

Kidlington P-P Eversley & California

AFC Stoneham 1-4 Badshot Lea
A crowd of over 150 saw The Purps take an early lead in this game, only for Badshot Lea to storm back and lead 2-1 at the break. Two more in the second half saw Badshot Lea run out 4-1 winners, giving themselves an unassailable four ponit lead at the top. The Baggies' goals on the day came from Lucy Cook(2), Nicola Moore and Emma Gregory-Barns.
Massive congratulations to Badshot Lea, not only winning the league but achieving back to back titles and promotions. Also, giving me the chance to use "Baggies Are Champions" as the blog title. As a former West Brom season ticket holder, the headline has a pleasing ring to it.
There are some great photos from both Sheena Booker (@girltinyshooter) and James Prickett (@prickettpics). Both well worth taking a look at.
​
League
Eversley & California v Penn & Tylers Green
Postponed from two weeks ago, at least this gives me a chance to use #AmpersandDerby again. Eversley have two games in hand on Caversham United, who have completed their league season. They are just a point behind them and will no doubt have an aim to finish above them. Penn are there points clear of Long Crendon and will be looking to consolidate their third place finish. In the reverse fixture two goals from Henna Hussain and another from Sasha Smith gave Penn a 3-0 victory.
ESA, Fox Lane, Eversley RG27 0NS

Chairman's Cup Semi-Final
Woking v Woodley United
With the D1N title already in the bag, Woodley will be pushing hard to add a Cup Final to an already superb season. However Woking, safe in mid-table of D1S, have nothing but this cup left to focus on as well. They've managed to get to this stage without playing a game in the competition, receiving a bye in Round 1 and then a walkover in the Quarter-Final. The winners of this tie will face a tough task against either D1S champions Badshot Lea or Premier League champions Abingdon United. 
Woking College 3G, Rydens Way, Woking GU22 9DL

I left this Tuesday's match selection until the very last minute, mainly because of the recent weather. I had originally earmarked a trip to Friar Lane & Epworth again. However, for the second time in a couple of weeks, their game fell foul of the conditions. In some ways, that was a blessing in disguise, because it meant that I didn't have to make a decision between that game and my other choice, the Hellenic League Floodlit Cup Final 2nd-Leg, between Pershore Town and Mangotsfield United. Although, strictly speaking, this would be a re-visit, my only other venture to WR10 was a 2019 pre-season friendly against Evesham United. Pershore's move into the Hellenic League structure seems to have suited the cub and after a fifth place finish last season, they are currently heading Division One and have three games in hand on their nearest rivals.

​The Ground
Pershore's AIM Community Stadium is located on the Eastern edge of the town, wedged between the town's retail market and the River Avon. There is ample parking available either at the ground or at the retail market car park and surrounding streets. The entrance to the ground is through the double gates leading to the car park where a group of club officials will take your money and sell you a programme (I had the last one this evening). Anyone getting there early enough to park behind the goal could, if they chose to, watch the game from the comfort of their vehicle. All of the facilities are on the town side of the ground, to the right of the car park and entrance. The clubhouse, toilets and snack bar are all within the same building. The snack bar hatch is just to the right of the entrance and, on busy night's such as this evening, it can get quite congested. However, they do a very decent cup of tea.

​A little tip if you want the team sheets. Just past the entrance to the clubhouse there is another doorway. Last night that is where I found the stadium announcer and he was very happy to let me photograph the team sheets before he made the announcement. Nice, friendly chap. Just past the clubhouse is the main stand, providing covered seating. There are no further covered areas for spectators. On a busy night, which this evening certainly was, you can probably get a better viewing position from the opposite side of the pitch. A word of warning. That side is open, apart from a mesh fence, and is only separated from the river by another pitch. When the wind whips up as it was this evening, it can get a bit chilly on that side of the ground.

​The Background
As I said, this was the 2nd leg of the Wiseman Lighting Floodlit Cup Final. The first leg a week previously had finished 0-0 and saw a late red card for Pershore captain Kirk Layton, who would be missing this evening. Both sides, Pershore and Mangotsfield, are new to the Hellenic League structure. For Pershore this is their second season in Division 1. For Mangotsfield it is their first season in the Premier League after relegation from the Southern League One South-West last season. Consequently, neither team has appeared in the Floodlit Cup Final before, meaning we will see a new name on the trophy.
The road to the Final for Pershore has not been easy. After a First Round 4-1 defeat of Moreton Rangers they went on to draw Premier League teams in the next two rounds. First they saw of Roman Glass St George by a goal to nil and the followed that up with a 4-1 win at Longlevens in the semi-final. Mangotsfield also had two Premier League sides in their cup run. They won 1-0 at FC Stratford and then beat fellow Premier League outfit Royal Wootton Bassett Town 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw. The semi-final saw them travel to Premier League leaders Malvern Town, returning with a superb 2-1 victory

​The Game
Both sides looked to start the game on the front foot but it was the visitors who looked the most lively in the opening encounters. Three minutes in Kerem Karakus burst past a couple of players and drove into the home penalty area before unleashing a low strike that beat Cox but smashed against the foot of the post before going to safety. Two minutes later Oli Jenkins was inches from getting on the end of a dangerous ball into the box from a free-kick out on the right, as the Mangos ramped up the pressure. However, a minute later Pershore responded with a break down their left. The ball was delivered into the six-yard box where striker Danny Murphy and visitor's keeper Jakob Glover contested the cross. The keeper coming out on top this time at the expense of a corner. The immediate response to the Mangotsfield threat seemed to invigorate The Plums as they began to push Mangotsfield back. Some good inter-passing on 17 minutes saw a low cross fizz across Glover's six-yard box but Murphy couldn't get enough on his effort to beat the keeper. On 25 minutes Petar Tonchev put in a cross from the right that was just that little bit too high for Murphy to get his head onto. Then just past the half-hour Pershore produced possibly the best move of the game so far ending with the ball being laid into the path of Tonchev who couldn't quite keep his strike below Glover's bar. A minute later, another flowing Plums move saw Steve Webb get set up in a good shooting position but his low effort just rolled wide of Glover's far post. 
On 35 minutes Pershore were made to really regret not taking any of their chances when Mangotsfield went ahead. The ball was played into space on the Mangos left flank. Jaydn Crosbie used his pace to get there ahead of the defender then checked back inside before drilling a shot at goal that had too much on it for Eddie Cox to keep out. 0-1. 
Undeterred, Pershore responded well and Glover had to be at his best, diving low to his left to keep out a Murphy header. However, the more they pushed forward, the more they opened themselves up to the break. This was highlighted on 41 minutes when the Mangos broke quickly again with the ball being fed into the path of overlapping full-back Will Ashton who drove just wide of the far post.

HT Pershore Town 0 Mangotsfield United 1. Pershore on top for much of the half but didn't manage to take any chances. Mangotsfield took the lead against the run of play, and look dangerous on the break.

​With the visitors holding a slender 1-0 lead, the game was still very finely balanced. The biggest compliment to pay Pershore is that, throughout the match, it was impossible to tell which side was the one from a higher division, which bodes well if The Plums do manage to attain promotion. The second period started with neither team being able to assert themselves but, as we got towards the hour mark it was the home side who looked like they were trying to ramp up the pressure. James Baldwin spurned a golden opportunity on 61 minutes, snatching at a ball from the right and failing to make a clean contact.
Once again, Mangotsfield punished Pershore for their profligacy. With just over 20 minutes remaining Crosbie, who had not given the home defence a minute's peace all game, sprung the offside trap before firing high past the onrushing Eddie Cox and into the far corner. 0-2 and a very accomplished finish from the striker.
Pershore were not giving up on the game though. Two minutes after going two down Murphy flew in at the far post and just got a little too much on a cross, deflecting it up and over the bar and The Plums tried to get themselves back in the game.
As with the first half, they were vulnerable at the back the more they pushed forward and they almost gifted Crosbie his hat-trick on 75 minutes. A loose defensive header was latched onto by the speedy striker, he rounded Cox but pushed the ball just a little too far wide of the goal in doing so, forcing him to screw his finish into the side netting.
As much as the home side continued to huff and puff, they couldn't find a way past a very well organised United defence.

FT Pershore Town 0 Mangotsfield United 2. The Plums put up a good fight but, in the end, the big difference between the sides was the speed and trickery of Mangotsfield striker Jaydn Crosbie. Pershore created plenty of chances but failed to take them. Mangotsfield created fewer but, in Crosbie, had a striker in-form. The Plums will console themselves with the prospect of the chance to avenge their defeat in the league next season. They are in prime position to attain promotion back to Step 5 for the first time this century. However, before getting back to league action they have another big cup game on Saturday as they take on another Premier League side, Fairford Town, in the Quarter-Final of the Challenge Cup. Mangotsfield, meanwhile, are back at home in the league, taking on high-flying Corsham Town who are still very much in the mix for the league title.

Pershore Town: Cox, Stoddart(c), Beach, Webb, Nutt, Adams, Tochev, Jones, Murphy, Burns, Baldwin. Subs: Cooke, Hammond, Willis, Clarke, Magee
Mangotsfield United: Glover, Tovey, Ashton, Jenkins, Bence, Binding, Purnell(c), Ridler, Crosbie, Minzamba, Karakus.Subs: Goodwin-Worrell, Flynn, Baker, Trott, Morrison

Ground Number: Re-Visit
Att: 311
Entrance: £6.00
Programme: £1.00

Only one game survived on Sunday and only one game in the Northern section is scheduled for next weekend. Kidlington and Badshot Lea fought out a very tight Chairman's Cup QF. Next Sunday the Greens are back in action at home as they take on Eversley & California in a battle to avoid the second from bottom position.

Chairman's Cup QF
Kidlington 1-1 Badshot Lea (Badshot Lea 6-5 on pens)
The Greens put up a very spirited fight against the leaders of Division 1 South who have not lost on their travels in the league all season. Abi Haynes, assisted by Courtney Sumner, grabbed the goal for Kidlington. Nicola Moore was on target for The Baggies. However, it was not to be for Kidlington as they were edged out of the cup on penalties. Badshot Lea will now face Premier League Champions Abingdon United in the Semi-Final

Fixture(s)
League
Kidlington v Eversley & California
As it stands Kidlington are sitting second from bottom, two points adrift of Eversley. Both sides have two games remaining. The reverse fixture was just last month. It finished in a 3-1 victory for the home side and BotP was there to enjoy the game (Boars Build From The Back). Frankie Boekbinder, Mia Caulcrick with a cracker, and Jo Harfield-Brown scored for the Boars. Courtney Sumner got a second-half goal back for Kidlington.
Essex Park, Crown Road, Kidlington OX5 1AB

Bearing in mind that it is my intention to expand across all Southern Region Leagues next season and, as there is only one D1N game to look at, it seems to be the ideal opportunity to take a quick look at the South. This coming weekend the top two go head to head in a title shootout.
​
AFC Stoneham v Badshot Lea
The Baggies head the table by a point from AFC Stoneham but have played a game more, meaning this is their final game of the season. The one point difference also means that the winner of this game takes the title. It's effectively a cup final. They have met twice already this season and it is all-square. Badshot Lea beat Stoneham 2-1 at home in the league encounter . Lucy Cook and Deanna Taylor notching for the home side, Madison Payne for Stoneham. In the cup, also played at Wrecclesham, a single Lauren Harper goal was enough to give The Purples the win.
Stoneham Lane Football Complex, Eastleigh SO16 2PA

Friday Night Football. Not something I get to do too often. Four years of coaching on Friday evening's saw to that. However, I'm temporarily free from that tie and, as I hadn't managed to get to a game in midweek, the Creake Charity Shield Final at Newmarket Town was just too good an opportunity to be missed. It's a bit of a trek for a Friday evening but, a new ground, a new competition and two new teams was ample compensation for a 2 hour journey. To be honest, once I had passed through the rush hour traffic around Milton Keynes, the journey was a pleasure and felt much shorter than I had expected. It's opened up a whole new batch of grounds that I can pencil in for visits on and around the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border. This would only be my second venture into the realms of the Cambridgeshire league structure. In August I was at Somersham Town to see the home side get a bit of a footballing lesson from AFC Emneth (Honey Badgers Hunt In Packs). Although, I have also seen former Cambridgeshire League side Eaton Socon in their "cupset" over local rivals St Neots Town earlier this season (Third Time Lucky?).

​The Ground
The Creake Charity Shield is run by the Cambridgeshire FA. However, the Final was to be held at Newmarket Town, which is just about in Suffolk. Not that it matters. The Tristel Stadium is situated on Cricket Field Road, just to the South East of Newmarket town centre, no more than half a Rowley mile from the famous racecourse. A considerable amount of work has been done on the ground in recent years. not least the installation of an artificial pitch in 2016 and the subsequent pitch improvements this season. There is a good sized car park just off Cricket Field Road, adjacent to the ground. Entrance is through a single turnstile which opens onto a path that leads slightly downhill behind the Cricket Field Road end goal, and onto the main concourse around the ground. On the town side of the ground you can find the majority of the facilities. A 144 seater stand sits alongside the main clubhouse and snack bar. There is also a covered, designated smoking/vaping area alongside the main stand. Opposite the clubhouse there is an electronic scoreboard attached to the fencing between the ground and car park. This is directly behind the dugouts. A new-looking green meshed fence surrounds the playing surface. It's a very welcoming ground, from the man on the gate, the young lady in the snack bar, and the stewards I encountered who were keen to point me in the right direction to find a team sheet. These I eventually go then I encountered the Newmarket PA man who allowed me to take a photo of them before he made the announcements. All told, a great ground which has the feel of a club that is going places. Definitely worth a visit.

​The Background
It's not been too easy to find a lot of history about the Creake Charity Sheild. FA Full-Time records only go back to the 2005-06 season. However, I did see a photo of Newmarket Town with the Shield in the 1920-21 season, so I concluded that it has been around for over 100 years. What I did discover is that the current holders were Chatteris Town who beat Great Shelford Reserves 3-0 on penalties after the sides drew 1-1.
The two sides contesting the final tonight, West Wratting Reserves and Wimblington, as far as I could see (of course I could be wrong) have not won the trophy before. Both sides play at the Division 1 level of the Cambridgeshire League, two divisions below the Premier League, which is Step 7 of the pyramid. Division 1 is split into two divisions, 1A and 1B. West Wratting currently head Division 1A on goal difference from Abington United. However, they also have five games in hand and have only lost once this season, their opening day 1-0 defeat at home to Cottenham United. Wimblington are top of Division 1B, also on goal difference. They have four games in hand on second-placed Buckden. Both teams are odds-on to gain promotion this season.
The road to the Final for West Wratting saw them see off Barrington 7-0, then win 4-2 at Gamlingay United before beating Longstanton 4-1 in the Quarter-Final. Finally they defeated Fenstanton 2-1 in the Semi-Final.
Wimblington receieved a bye in the first round before beating Needingworth United 3-2. Next up was a 3-1 defeat of Hemingfords United Reserves and then a 2-1 win against Mott Macdonald in the Semi.
There would be no extra-time if the game ended in a draw, it would go straight to penalties, which was something of a relief to hear, considering I was looking at a 2 hour drive home after the game.

​The Game
Wimbligton, in their blue kit, got us under way, but very soon found themselves on the back foot as the reds of West Wratting settled into the game the better. Only two minutes into the game they broke down their left side, the ball was fed across the edge of the box to the unmarked Owen Longley but he could only put his effort well over the bar. Wimblington were having to soak up quite a bit of pressure and the stress began to show in their tackling. Only 5 minutes were on the clock when Mark Masterson picked up the first yellow of the game for a wild lunge out on the touchline. Again, within the opening 10 minutes, West Wratting had another opportunity when they were awarded a free-kick quite centrally, just outside the box. Captain Cody Fraiser stepped up but his attempt was high and wide of the mark. So much West Wratting possession but they still had not managed to seriously test Nathan martin in the Wimblington goal. Wratting came closer still in the 22nd minute when, after winning a free-kick just outside the area on the right flank, the ball was delivered across the area where Finlay Plant rose to send a header skimming off the top of the bar.
Two minutes before the half-hour mark, Wimblington finally got into the West Wratting half. A long ball down the middle was contested by captain Alex Knowles and a couple of defenders. Knowles managed to feed the ball wide to Nick Ward, who broke a tackle before firing low past Sean Sage. 0-1. Wimblington's first attempt at goal and they led.
West Wratting unshaken, continued where they left off, pushing the blues backwards but, quite extraordinarily, seven minutes later Wimblington made it two with their second attempt. Martin Porter climbed well to get a head onto a free-kick delivered form the right. His header was too good for Sage and suddenly it was 0-2.
Whilst unbowed after the first goal, the second one seemed to take some of the wind out of the West Wratting sails. They'd taken the game to their opponents for over half and hour and found themselves two goals adrift with only a few minutes to go before the break. They did manage to bring a very good diving save out of Martin just before the whistle, but couldn't get that all important goal back.

HT West Wratting Reserves 0 Wimblington 2. I'm not sure even Wimblington know how they have managed to be two up at half-time. West Wratting had the majority of the ball and have spent a vast portion of the game in the Wimblington half. However, they only really stretched Martin once or twice. The Blues, in contrast, had two chances and took both. You have to admire their economy. I'm not convinced it was their game plan, but it had worked so far.

​West Wratting were back out on the pitch very early for the second half, clearly keen to get going. Their cause was helped just five minutes into the second period when Wimblington substitute Rory Parker, having already been spoken to by the referee, talked himself into a sin-bin. The Blues down to ten for the next 10 minutes. Conversely, the reduction in numbers seemed to encourage Wimblington. Only a minute later, a long punt from Martin caused havoc in the West Wratting defence. Sage rushed off his line, collided with a striker and a defender managed to get his head to the ball but only to divert it back towards his own goal. The ball ended up in the Red's net but only after the referee had spotted a push as a couple of players jostled to get to the loose ball. The relief for West Wratting was short-lived though. Two minutes later, Alex Knowles sprung the offside trap, drove towards goal and slotted a delightful effort past Sage, and in off the far post. The ten-men of Wimblington were now leading 0-3, quite possibly with only three attempts on goal.
Bang on the hour mark, West Wratting finally gave themselves a lifeline when newly introduced substitute 
Taz Chrishango tried his luck from the edge of the box with a low drive. Nathan Martin seemed to have it covered but the ball somehow squirmed past him and over the line. 1-3
West Wratting could smell blood now. Three minutes after getting a goal back they were awarded a penalty for a trip on Lovell. Taz Chrisango stepped up and sent Martin the wrong way to grab his and Wratting's second of the night. 2-3. Now we had a real game on our hands and it looked as if only one team was likely to score again.
Sure enough, with 73 minutes on the electronic scoreboard and Wratting on the edge of the Wimblington area, the referee's attention was drawn by a flagging assistant. He had spotted a tug on a red shirt. After some consultation the referee pointed to the spot and Chrishango had the chance to get his hat-trick and pull his side level. He went the same way but this time Martin was equal to the effort, producing a great save to keep the Blues in front. 
The game was no longer as one-sided as the first half. West Wratting threw everything forward in search of the equaliser but Wimblington were looking dangerous too, especially as legs tired on both sides. A lovely bit of control and volley from John Camfield was probably the closest West Wratting came to getting back on terms as Wimblington managed to see out the remaining minutes.

FT West Wratting Reserves 2 Wimblington 3. From a neutral's point of view, a very watchable game of football. Congratulations to Wimblington on their victory. A photo finish at the home of horse-racing. West Wratting can also be proud of their efforts and the part they played in a great game of football. Thanks to both teams for providing great entertainment. Thanks also to Newmarket Town for providing a venue worthy of a Final. If you would like to catch either of these teams in action, and I seriously recommend that you do, they are both back on the league title trail next weekend. West Wratting Reserves pay a visit to bottom side Steeple Morden. The sides have yet to meet this season. West Wratting will be looking to regain their top spot, lost to Barrington over this weekend. They are only a point back and have a colossal seven games in hand. Wimblington were also knocked off the top after Buckden won 4-2 at Exning United. They are now three points adrift with five games in hand. They also have an away trip to the bottom side in the division, Eynesbury Rovers Reserves. They have met before this season, Wimblington running out 3-1 winners courtesy of goals from Dan Harradine(2) and Dale Richardson.

West Wratting Reserves: Sage, Cutts, Camfield, Hunt, Boyce, Fisher, Longley, Plant, Lovell, Fraiser(c), Thompson. Subs: Whitro, Martin, Chrishango, Robson, French
Wimblington: Martin, Wadsworth, Masterson, Porter, Stacey, Smith, Ward, Harradine, Knowles(c), Matthews, Richardson. Subs: Crass, Andreau, Ransome, Parker, White

Ground Number: 355
Att: 
Entrance: £6.00
Programme: Included

Two of the three scheduled matches beat the weather on Sunday. In the league, Milton signed off the league season with a win, maintaining their unbeaten record on the road. Penn were ousted from the Chairman's Cup by the juggernaut that is Premier League Champions Abingdon United. Next weekend there is one more Chairman's Cup Quarter-Final, plus Eversley taking on Penn as the visitors look to seal third spot.

Long Crendon 3-4 Milton United
Long Crendon went in at the break leading by two goals to one as strikes from Michelle Bailey and Sarah Harrison. Bailey added her second and Crendon's third in the second half. However, this was not enough to prevent defeat as goals from Charlotte Comley, Mollie Dyer, Abbie Thorne and Lily Norton took the points for United. The winning goal for Miltoin coming in the 89th minute and, to make matters worse, Long Crendon also had Finaly Lennard sin-binned.
The result leaves Charlotte Comley and Woodley's May Hamblin tied at 13 goals apiece in the goal-scoring charts.

Chairman's Cup QF
Chichester City P-P  Woodley United

Penn & Tylers Green 0-6 Abingdon United
United displayed all of their Premier League Champions attributes as they progressed through to the semi-final with an emphatic 6-0 victory. Lauren May, Rosie McCabe, Amy Chivers, and Lindsay Pinker put Abingdon 4-0 up at the break. May then grabbed two more to regsiter a hat-trick, in the second half. Abingdon will now face either Kidlington or Badshot Lea in the semi-final.

League
Eversley & California v Penn & Tylers Green
There is still plenty to play for in this Ampersand Derby. Both sides will be wanting to finish as high up the table as they can. Eversley can still catch Caversham United to take fifth spot. Penn will be looking for a maximum to consolidate their position in third. When they met at French School Meadow two goals from Henna Hussain and a strike from Sasha Smith gave Penn a 3-0 victory.
ESA, Fox Lane, Eversley RG27 0NS

Chairman's Cup QF
Kidlington v Badshot Lea
The Baggies are still attacking the season on two fronts. Not only are they in this quarter-final but they are also  sitting top of Division 1 South. they have one league game to go but can still be caught by AFC Stoneham who are four points adrift with three games in hand. The sides meet at Stoneham on March 26th. 
Kidlington will be keen to get back to winning ways after losing their last three games. However, they performed well in defeat to Champions Woodley last time out and will, no doubt, be fully focused on this cup game. The winners will have the daunting task of facing Premier League champs Abingdon United in the semi-final.
Exeter Park, Crown Road, Kidlington OX5 1AB

Woking v Carterton
This match has been postponed

After a disappointing morning in which my daughter's team finally lost their unbeaten home record and with wife and daughter out for the afternoon, I took the dog for a walk and then decided to head to a local match. Having dipped into the Banbury District & Lord jersey League several times before, I noticed a couple of interesting looking games. Hornton taking on Graven Hill, as well as Wroxton v Kings Sutton were tempting but, after doing a bit of research (as well as not having too much time to get to the game), I decided that my best bet was Deddington Town versus top of the table Longford Park.

The Ground
The Windmill Centre is a community and sports centre that serves the town of Deddington, six miles to the South of Banbury. Aside from the main football pitch there are also small-sided pitches, tennis courts, a small all-weather pitch, a cricket square, an outdoor gym, kid's play area and a woodland walk. The main hall inside the community centre can also be used for badminton. There's a reasonable amount of parking available, although I guess that would run out fairly quickly if all of the facilities were being used simultaneously.
The main pitch is immediately to your right as you drive into the centre off the main road. This being a community pitch, there's no covered areas around the ground. There's a couple of benches on the main road side but, for the main, it is a case of standing behind the respect barrier on the cricket pitch side. The pitch itself is pretty flat with no discernible slope either way.

​The Background
History-wise the two teams on parade today couldn't be much further apart. Whilst Deddington Town can claim to be one of the oldest teams in Oxfordshire, formed in 1888, Longford Park have only been in existence for a couple of years, being officially founded for the 2020-21 season and joining the league at Division 2 level. That season was abandoned after 6 games but the club were placed in the premier League for the following season, finishing fifth of seven. The sides met three times that season. The league points were shared Deddington winning 4-1 at The Windmill whilst Longford won 2-1 at Croughton. The cup encounter ended with a slender 1-0 for Town. On to this season and Longford Park came into this game sitting top of the league, a point clear of Graven Hill but having played five more games than their rivals. In their last outing Park drew 1-1 at Graven Hill. Deddington started the day in seventh spot, five points above bottom side Bodicote Sports. Their last game was a 7-0 home defeat to Wroxton Sports. The teams have met twice this season and, despite their relative league positions, it is Town who have held sway so far. The reverse league game back in October ended all-square at 1-1 whilst in the Lord Jersey cup semi-final, two weeks ago, a Callum Devine goals was enough to give Town a 1-0 victory and a place in the final to face Kings Sutton, who beat Graven Hill 2-0.
Before getting into the details of the game, there are a couple of people to thank. First of all the Longford Park coach, who's name I didn't get, who shared their team sheet with me before kick-off. Secondly a very big thank you to Geoff (I stupidly didn't ask his surname but anyone at the club will know him as their photographer and videographer) who not only got me the home team sheet but was happy to chat before and throughout the match. Thank you for your hospitality. Geoff is definitely one of those fantastic grassroots volunteers who are the lifeblood of the game.
One more thing to add. If you get a chance, check out the Deddington Town website club history section which contains a match report from the 1888 Jersey Cup Final which the newly-formed Deddington Town lost 4-2 to Middleton Stoney.

​The Game
Just before kick-off Geoff said that he hoped it was a good game and that I enjoyed my visit to Deddington. Well, the game got off to a very lively start but not in the way that the home side would have wanted. After an initial minute or two of jousting, it was the visitors who tried to take control. Only five minutes were on the clock when they were awarded a penalty for a trip in the area. It wasn't a deliberate foul but, in my opinion, the referee had no choice but to award it. Up stepped top-scorer and player-manager, Ash Wingrove, but he put his spot-kick well over the bar. A let off for Town.
A few minutes later Longford were on the prowl again with home keeper Dan Reynolds making a good stop from a long range effort and then regaining his position quickly to block the follow-up with his legs. A good piece of goal-keeping. It was at about this point that I noticed both goalkeepers had the same surname, Reynolds. Dan for Deddington and Jordan for Longford Park.
The game was developing into a good encounter. Longford Park were having the lion's share of possession but Deddngton, when they did attack, looked dangerous too. To prove this point, on 26 minutes, Town's Jack Radcliffe did well to make some space for himself before screwing his shot just wide of the post. A minute later, as the game ebbed and flowed, Wingrove again tested Reynolds but the keeper was equal to his effort. However, only one minute after that Reynolds was powerless to stop the visitors from opening the scoring. Mitchell Roberts delivered a cross towards the far post which Blake Peters controlled and fired beyond the keeper. 1-0
The Longford tails were up now and that confidence was demonstrated when Lewis Gallagher ran on to a cleared corner and hammered an effort just over the bar from all of 30 yards. A foot lower and it would have been a stunner. Reynolds didn't have a chance.
As we approached half-time with Longford seemingly in control of the game, Deddington hit them with a sucker punch. They loaded the ball into the Longford box and when it wasn't cleared Will Hardy was able to dig it out and plant a shot past the helpless Jordan Reynolds. 1-1.
Longford responded with a half-chance of their own but Michael O'Carroll's header was straight at Reynolds.

HT Deddington Town 1 Longford Park 1. An entertaining half of football. Longford Park, without any doubt, had the majority of possession and, if that early penalty had gone in, things may have been very different. However the home, without any subs at this point remember (kudos to Longford Park for providing both lino's in the first half), were giving as good as they were getting. 

​Deddington's numbers were increased to 12 at the break when Jack Davies arrived and went straight onto the pitch for the second period. However, he was a mere bystander after four minutes of the half as Longford produced the best move of the game so far. Some accurate passing down the left led to a cross towards captain Niall Higgins on the edge of the box. His first time volley whistled narrowly wide of the post.
Longford were still edging possession but it was the home side who got their noses in front just before the hour mark, and in some style. They won a free-kick some 25 yards out and just to the left of centre. Luke Jones stepped up and curled a beauty around the wall and in off the far post. 2-1.
The goal prompted some changes from Longford and one of these, Vincent (Junior) Howards who came close to getting Park back in the game on 68 minutes. receiving the ball inside the box with his back to goal, he turned sharply and sent an effort low towards the far post only for Dan Reynolds to get down brilliantly to tip it around the post. The game was now a far more end to end affair and with fifteen to go Luke Jones tried to recreate his goal with another free-kick, only to find Jordan Reynolds equal to it this time. That save looked even more important when three minutes later the visitors were back on level terms. A free-kick on the left side was sent in towards the far post. Ash Wingrove, who to be fair had kept plugging away gamely after the penalty miss, got enough of his head on the ball to send it past Reynolds and in off the far post. 2-2.
It was looking as if that may be the end of the scoring especially when Longford substitute Charlie Williams made what looked like a game-saving headed clearance on 83 minutes. It came about when Callum Devine won a race for a through ball with goalkeeper Jordan Reynolds. With the keeper out of his ground, Devine went for the unguarded net only for Williams to throw himself across in front of the effort and head it out for a corner. You had to feel a little sorry for the defender though, because from the resulting play Devine got himself back into the box to get a head on the corner and divert it past Reynolds. 3-2.
Longford threw everything they had at Deddington in the final few minutes. Effectively playing with just goalkeeper Reynolds at the back at one point. However, they could not force another equaliser before the referee blew to signal the end of a fantastic game of football.

FT Deddington Town 3 Longford Park 2. It looks as if Deddington have the Indian sign over Longford Park this season and that's now five without a win for Park. The visitors probably had 70% possession throughout the game but couldn't convert that into three points. As a neutral, however, it was a great advert for the league. Both sides gave it everything and produced a highly entertaining game to watch. The result, combined with both Graven Hill and Wroxton winning, sees Long Park slip to third in the table. Deddington climb to fifth, leapfrogging both Hornton who lost at home to Graven Hill. and Kings Sutton who lost to Wroxton.
If you want to catch either of these teams in action, Deddington are back at The Windmill Centre next Saturday when bottom side Bodicote Sports are the visitors. Two Joe Thornton goals gave Town a 2-0 win at Bodicote. A agme in which both sides were reduced to 10 men.
Longford Park don't have a game next Saturday but return to action on the 25th when they host Hardwick in the semi-final of the Coronation Cup.

Deddington Town: Reynolds, McDougall, Alton, Bevan, Atherton, Jones, Devine, Arnold, Radcliffe, Hardy, Goodchild. Subs: Davies
Longford Park: Reynolds, Roberts, Jones, Richardson, Gallagher, Baker, Higgins(c), O'Carroll, Baughan, Peters, Wingrove. Subs: Howards, Baldwin, Holloway, Williams, Brookes

Ground Number: 354
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

​With one eye on the weather, my choice of match on Tuesday evening was left until as late as possible. Whilst I had a few possibilities on my list, my first choice was always Wolverhampton Casuals v Worcester City, a crucial clash between two sides battling against relegation from the Midland Premier League. Once it became clear that the impending snow was not going to hit until at least the next morning, I set off up the M40 for the Midlands. As I approached the ground, the signposts for Pendeford, Featherstone, Bushbury and Fordhouses put me in mind of the 5 very happy years I spent working for the local newspaper The Express & Star back in the 1980s. Many of the people I worked with lived in these areas to the North of the City. However, depsite knowing this area quite well, this was a first visit to the home of Cassies. I have seen them play on their travels in the past. This was an April 2017 visit to The Dell Stadium to see them record a late season victory over Dudley Town (Back Home). 

The Ground
Cassies are based at Brinsford Lane just to the North of Wolverhampton and only a stones throw from HMP Featherstone, where former West Brom striker Lee Hughes spent some time a few years back. Access to the ground is just off the A449, North of junction 2 of the M54. There is a service road that leads past the main stadium, behind one of the goals, past a second pitch and finally, to a car park. Parking is also available all along the service road. Entrance payment is made as you enter the service road. All of the facilities, clubhouse, toilets and snack bar, are situated between the main stadium and the second pitch. There is a patio area behind the bar that overlooks the second pitch. Also on this side of the ground is the main stand, a covered seating stand. There is also covered standing behind and just to the right of the service road goal. The dugouts are on the Brinsford Lane side of the ground, opposite the main stand. The pitch slopes a little from the service road end towards the A449 end. 
The club produces a very professional programme with plenty of stats and articles and, at just a pound, it's definitely worthwhile picking one up.

T​he Background
Two sides with a lot of history behind them. Wolverhampton Casuals were formed in 1899, three years before today's visitors. They've spent much of their non-league pyramid history in the West Midlands (Regional) structure, playing mainly at Step 6. They were Premier League runners-up in 2017 and have been consistently in the top third of the table until last season's disappointing 17th place finish. Worcester maybe be three years younger than Cassies but they can boast a much better CV, certainly until financial problems saw them drop from Step 2 down into Step 5. Back in the 1958-59 season, City even managed an FA Cup Fourth Round appearance, dumping Liverpool out in Round 3, before losing 2-0 to Sheffield United.
However, back to the current day, and it's fair to say that neither of these sides are where they would ideally like to be in the table at this point of the season. Before kick-off Cassies sat in 18th spot, one place and two points above Uttoxeter Town in the relegation zone. Worcester, who have picked up a little in recent weeks compared to the way they started the season, sat in 16th spot, a further five points ahead of tonight's hosts. In the current form table over the past 6 games, there was little to choose between them. Both had won two but Cassies had also manged two draws to Worcester's one. The reverse fixture was just a month ago. Reiss Taylor Randle gave City a 1-0 half-time lead but Callum Head and Musa Ceesay both scored within five minutes of the restart to give Cassies a lead they held for the remainder of the game. Last season was a different matter though. City did the double over Cassies, following up a 1-0 win at Brinsford Lane with a 4-0 home win.

​The Game
Cassies began the game kicking down the slope towards the A449 end of the ground. They signalled some intent early on when Musa Ceesay fired over after just a minute. Worcester responded with a couple of raids of their own, as the game began at a quick pace with both sides looking eager to take an early lead.
A quarter of an hour in Cassies broke down their left flank before the ball was pulled square across the edge of the box where Ceesay was again on hand, but again his shot was too high.
The pace of the game was showing no sign of slowing. Neither side was taking any time on the ball. It was end to end stuff, great to watch as a neutral but probably very frustrating for the coaches.
Just before the half hour City managed to put together the slickest passing move of the game so far, stringing a number of quick passes together down the right before the final shot was deflected out for a corner. Nothing came of it but it did show that a little more composure on the ball from either side could well open up the defences.
So far it had been a fairly even half but, as we began to head towards the break, Cassies began to step up the pressure on the Worcester defence, culminating in a flurry of activity in the final few minutes before half-time. It all started on 41 minutes when Joe Morley burst through on the right before unleashing a low drive bound for the bottom corner until Hayden Whitcombe produced a good save to keep it out. Three minutes later the Worcester stopper, back after a one game suspension, had to be at his best again when Louis Lake found himself on the end of a deep free-kick. His volley was also goal-bound but Whitcombe had other ideas. Then, with the referee looking at his watch, Whitcombe produced a superb acrobatic save to keep out a great effort from Isai Marselia.

HT Wolverhampton Casuals 0 Worcester City 0. Cassies were marginally been the better side. They exerted some great late pressure on City who must be grateful to their keeper for keeping them level at the break. Would the home side rue their missed chances, especially as Worcester would have the slight slope in their favour for the second period?

​Worcester certainly started the second half in a much more positive manner. An early opportunity presented itself when a delightful threaded pass allowed Elliot Hartley to get in behind the home defence. However, a tremendous covering tackle from Joe Clarke prevented the winger from getting the ball across the box. Hartley was again at the forefront of the action just on the hour mark when he swung in a corner from the right which beat everyone before clipping the top of the bar and going to safety. Worcester were now on top and keeping Cassies inside their own half for prolonged periods. 
Their pressure paid off in the 68th minute. Home keeper Jake Granaham did every well to push away a goalbound effort but in doing so the ball was diverted directly onto the hand of a covering defender. The referee did not hesitate. Penalty given much to the disdain of the home players and bench. To be fair, it did look a harsh decision. The letter of the law says penalty but there was no way the player could have reacted qucickly enough to prevent it hitting his hand. Dylan Hart wasn't complaing though. he stepped up and slotted the spot-kick home to put City in front. 0-1.
The response from Cassies was straight out of the playbook from the reverse fixture. A couple of minutes after going behind they were level. A long ball through the middle caught the City defence napping, allowing Eshan Greer to get a toe to the ball and lob it over Whitcombe and into the net. 1-1. Then four minutes later the home side were in front when a low, diagonal ball into the Worcester box was met at the near post by Isai Marselia who diverted it past Whitcombe. 2-1. What a turnaround.
Worcester gave it all they had to find an equaliser but the closest they got was an 88th minute George Baker strike that flew just wide.

FT Wolverhampton Casuals 2 Worcester City 1. For the second consecutive game against Worcester, Cassies came from a goal down, scored twice in quick succession, and held on for the points. A tough one for Worcester to take after going in front. hew result sees Cassies put five points between themselves and the bottom tow as well as moving them to within two points of Worcester.
City face a visit from mid-table AFC Wulfrunians on Saturday. The reverse fixture finished 4-1 to Wulfrunians. They then then travel to second placed Racing Club Warwick, who they beat 2-1 in the reverse fixture. Cassies have a week off before they welcome league leaders Walsall Wood to Brinsford Lane on the 18th. Cassies recorded a superb 1-0 win at Oak Park back in the January reverse fixture.

Wolverhampton Casuals: Granahan, Hurley, Beckford, Ceesay, Clarke, Lake, Hearsey, Bosio(c), Marselia, Greer, Morley. Subs: Newbold, Male, Njong, Brown, Wheaver
Worcester City: Whitcombe, Hunt, Okojie, Sheehan, Jakeways, Stoddart(c), Hartley, Randle, Onabirekhanlen, Hart, Shaw. Subs: Evans, Hill, Baker, Batchelor

Ground Number: 353
Att: 100
Entrance: £8.00
Programme: £1.00

Only two games in D1N this weekend, both Champions Woodley United and runners-up Milton United ran up big scores. Woodley ended their season by scoring five at Kidlington. Milton, still with one game to go, put six past Eversley & California.

Kidlington 0-5 Woodley United
Woodley signed off their league season in some style by putting five unanswered goals past Kidlington at Exeter Park. A Lucy Routledge brace and a first goal of the season for Mollie Steadman goal put United three up at the break. May Hamblin added a fourth before Steadman grabbed her second goal to complete the scoring.
Luckily for us Wandering Tractor (@wanderingtractor) was there to capture the action in words and Oakmist Photography (@oakmistphotos) took some great action shots to share with us.

Milton United 6-1 Eversley & California
They may have just run out of steam when it came to the the league title but there was no let-off from Milton as they put Eversley to the sword on Sunday. Sarah Saunders bagged a hat-trick with Mollie Dyer, Charlotte Comley and Georgia Winger adding to the Boar's woes, which were compounded with the news that top scorer Rebekah Pantony suffered a fractured collarbone during the game. Best wishes to Rebekah.
Comley and Dyer are now just one and two goals respectively behind May Hamblin in the race for the top scorer spot. This could make next Sunday's final game at Long Crendon interesting.

Three games this weekend, all 14:00 ko.
League
Long Crendon v Milton United
After Sunday's victory over Eversley, Milton will be looking to sign off their league season in style, and unbeaten away from home, when they travel to Long Crendon. The hosts, level on points with Penn & Tylers Green, still have ambitions of a third place finish and are defending an unbeaten home record. The sides met on the opening day at The Heights with goals from Charlotte Comley, April England, Natalie Evans and Holly Porter enough to see off Crendon by 4-1. Michelle Bailey replying for the visitors.
Long Crendon Recreation Ground, 9 Chearsley Road, Long Crendon HP18 9BS

Chairman's Cup QF
Chichester City v Woodley United
Chichester mid table in Div.1 South. Have only played once so far in 2023. Haven't won in any competition since 3-1 at league leaders Badshot Lea in October. Top scorer Elinor Williams has nine goals in seven appearances and scored twice in the 4-4 draw with Milton United in the League Cup. The winners of this tie will take on either Woking or Carterton in the next round.
Oaklands Park, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 6AP

Penn & Tylers Green v Abingdon United
Abingdon, fresh from their Premier League title, came through the previous round of the Chairman's Cup with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win over Oxford City, after the sides had finished level at 1-1. Penn received a bye in the last round and will be looking forward to testing themselves against higher-ranked opposition. The winners of this tie will face either Kidlington or Badshot Lea in the next round.
French School Meadow, Elm Road, Penn HP10 8LG

This Saturday a very much unexpected opportunity presented itself. With my daughter away at a National cross-country meeting, morning parkrun done, shopping done, and my wife happy to spend the afternoon at home, I suddenly had some free time. What to do with it? Well, recently a goalkeeper from Inkberrow had contacted me to take a look at his new match videos, taken from the perspective of the keeper, using a camera placed inside his goal. They are very interesting fresh perspectives an the match day experience and well worth a look (link). Consequently, with Inkberrow scheduled to play Lye Town (2 divisions above them) in the Smedley-Crooke Cup, and the ground only being an hour away, it was a chance that was too good to miss. I'd also never visited Inkberrow's ground or even seen them play before. I have, however, seen Lye twice before including a really great day out in the West Midlands for the final day of the 2016-17 season (Down The Lye).

​The Ground
Inkberrow play at Sands Road just on the Northern perimeter of the village. The football pitches are part of a larger sports complex providing tennis, bowls, football, a running club and, I believe, cricket in the summer months. The thing that strikes you most about Sands Road is the sheer scale of facilities provided for a relatively small village, especially for football. There is a thriving youth set-up and, as well as the two main pitches, the complex provides the full range of small-sided pitches including a kid's pitch next to the pavilion that has its own wooden dugouts. As someone who has spent a lot of time involved in grassroots football from Wildcats upwards, it's so heartening to see a community facility like this. The two main pitches are side by side in front of the clubhouse and changing areas, which incidentally has a nice covered decking area that gives a good view of both pitches. The reason there are two full size pitches is because Inkberrow also supports two adult men's teams. Inkberrow, who I was here to watch, playing in the Midland League and Sporting Club Inkberrow, currently plying their trade in the Herefordshire Premier League. The pitch furthest away from the car park is the home of Inkberrow FC. There's not too much to describe. There are dugouts positioned to the left of the clubhouse backed by a grass bank which supporters can stand on to get an elevated view of the pitch. There are no covered spectator areas pitch side although it is possible to stand under the roof of the pavilion and still see the game from behind the goal.

​The Background
When I go to a match I also try to find some kind of back-story, be it about the game itself (a derby, previous encounters etc) or about one or both of the teams. In this case there are tie-ins to Inkberrow. Firstly, as mentioned before, I had previously been in contact with their goalkeeper Max Court (thanks for the team sheet by the way) with regards to his videos (look out for the one from this game soon). However, I also have a tenuous link to the club from my past. Back in the distant past I played for a Sunday League team, coincidentally based in Lye, and then a little later a veterans team made up mainly of former team-mates who kept in touch through frequent visits to West Brom games. One of these former team-mates also played for Inkberrow, as did his son. I did a little digging and found that, around ten years ago, there was even a time when Andy and George Crotty were both in the squad at the same time.
On to today's game however. Division Two Inkberrow faced a tough task as they were pitted against Premier League high-flyers Lye Town in a Smedley-Crooke cup match. Lye currently sat third in the table at the start of play and have been on a good run recently, winning their last three games without conceding a goal. To make matters worse Inkberrow, sitting below halfway in their table, had not won a game in 2023 and had lost their last two league ganmes 4-1 and 3-0 to Coventry Alvis and Bolehall Swifts respectively. With those stats in mind, it looked as if Max's in-goal camera may be seeing plenty of action today.

​The Game
Unfortunately I didn't get the Lye team shete, so I haven't been able to match all players to numbers.
The teams took to the field in front of a reasonable sized crowd, including a faitr few who had made the trip down from the West Midlands, Inberrow in their all blue kit ith yellow socks and Lye in their change kit of all red. You caould see early on that the home side were fird up for this match, not wanting to let their higher league opposition get into their stride. However, it was the visitors who got off the first meaningful strike towards goal when Joe Cooper fired a shot wide of the target on ten minutes. This was somethign of a turning point in the game which, until that point had been fairly even as the sides tested each other out. However, Lye did start to assert themselves with former Glassboy Ben Billingah, playing much deeper these days, acting as the pivot point for every Lye attack.
Having said that, it took until the 28th minute for the visitors to muster their next clear chance. A billingham cross toards the far post was met by the head of their Number 7 who could only direct his effort straight into the hands of Max Court in the home goal. Just past the half hour Billjn gham was again the provider as his free-kick was delivered into the area only for Number 6 to glance just wide.
It was all Lye at this point. Inkberrow were struggling to shut down Billingham, who was bossing the midfield area from deep. However, Lye could not rest on their laurels. the home side were diging in and making life =veyr diffiuclt for The Flyers. When Berrow did attack, they certainly posed a threat.
The home defence held out until the 40th minute when Billingham got into their penalty area, danced around a couple of challenges before being caught by another. Penalty, and no real complaint form Inkberrow. JoeCooper stepped up to send Court the wrong way. 0-1

HT Inkberrow 0 Lye Town 1. The home side are not making life easy for Lye. Billingahm, sitting deep, is pulling all of the strings. With just one goal in it, there is plenty to play for in the second half.

​The second half began with Lye seemingly making some formation changes with Billingham now not so deep, pushed more into the number 10 role. It almost paid off early on as well. As early as the 3rd minute of the second half a cross found Billingham in the box and his header was narrowly over the top. A few minutes later a delightful through ball saw Joe Cooper get in behind the Berrow defence, he rounded Court but could only find the side netting with his shot. A let off for the home team. Still only seven minutes in Court made a magnificent, point-blank save, throwing himself low to his right. The assistant already had the flag up but the keeper was not to know. That sparked the home side and they began to gain a real foothold in the game.
Before the hour mark Chris Dyson cut in from the left before firing in a low drive that whistled narrowly wide of the post. Inkberrow were now the ones calling the shots in midfield and the Lye rhythm from the first half had all but disappeared. Having said that, Lye had introduced Zidan Sutherland as a substitute and his pace was to prove to be a problem for Inkberrow. With Lye being pushed on the defensive and Berrow looking for the equaliser, the home side were vulnerable to a break. This happened in the 75th minute when Sutherland burst down the right hand side before cutting in and unleashing a low drive towards the near post that Court did well to get a strong hand to. Berrow were straight back at Lye though and two minutes later came as close as they could to getting an equalizer. George Robbins overlapped on the left, drove towards the by-line and delivered a low cross into the 6 yard box. Unfortunately for Berrow the cross was just that few inches behind the run of the unmarked Brad Hands who couldn't quite get enough on the ball. A few inches in front of him and he would have had a simple tap-in. Three minutes later, with Lye now clearly rattled and arguing amongst themselves, George Thomas was put through but fired high and wide under pressure from a last gasp piece of defending.
That first half Lye goal was looking as if it may just be enough, but there was little sign of them making the game safe. in fact, if anything, you would have had money on an equaliser. However, the Premier League side held out and, as we entered added time, caught the home side cold with a second goal. Zidan Sutherland adding the killer blow. 0-2
It was already game over now but deeper still into added time, a cross from the right looked as if it was dipping into the far post with Court beaten. Joe Cooper was also arriving late and just about got a head to the ball to assist it over the line. 0-3.

FT Inkberrow 0 Lye Town 3. A harsh final score for Inkberrow who gave it everything, especially in the second half. Lye deserved the win, no doubt, but at 1-0 you would say it was fair. The two late goals make it look on paper like a standard, comfortable win for the premier League team. In reality, it was far from that.
If you want to catch either of these teams in action this coming week. Inkberrow make the trip Malthouse Lane to face Earlswood Town. With only five points between the sides, this could be a close encounter. Lye travel to Studley on Tuesday night for a League Cup clash. Then, on Saturday, they welcome second-placed Racing Club Warwick to Stourbridge Road for a massive six-pointer.

Inkberrow: Court, Bowen, Robbins, Cook, Davies(c), Daly, Vaux, Dyson, Beech, G.Thomas, Hands. Subs: M.Thomas, B.Thomas, C.Thomas, Davis, 

Ground Number: 352
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