My Tuesday evening game this week had been ear-marked for some time but, for a number of reasons, it wasn't until around 4pm on the actual day before I could safely say that I would be able to attend the game. The match in question was effectively a title decider in the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division One, a league that had piqued my interest following my trip to watch Bibury v Viney St Swithans a few weeks ago. After checking the fixtures and seeing just how big this game was, I had really been looking forward to it, especially as it was a new ground and two new teams for me to check out.

​The Ground
Chalford play at the Chalford Sports & Social Club just to the North East of Chalford, a village to the South East of Stroud. It was only after I checked back on the map that I realised just how close I was to The meadow, Brimscombe & Thrupp's picturesque home. The Sports Club is the home to not only the local football team but also the cricket club and tennis club. There is a reasonably large car park and parking available on Highfield Way, outside the ground. The club boasts quite a large function room as well as a café, that was open this evening. The football pitch is behind and to the right of the club as you approach from the car park. The nearest side of the pitch is open because that is also part of the cricket pitch, with the various tracks cordoned off in preparation for the forthcoming season. On the far side of the pitch there is a small covered spectator stand bordered on either side by brick dugouts. The pitch slopes down towards the clubhouse and tennis courts end. When I arrived I just about got a place in the car park but, when I left there were cars parked all down Highfield Way, testament to the number of spectators at the game which was extremely well supported for a game at this level of the pyramid. Plenty of locals had turned out and there seemed to be quite a following for the visitors too.

​The Background
This game really was a title race shootout. A win for Cheltenham Civil Service would put them out of reach of Chalford. A win for Chalford would really set the cat amongst the pigeons with Chalford looking to pounce on a final game mistake from Cheltenham. In the build up to the game there was a quite a bit of talk amongst the locals that, if they won today and then beat Dursley Town in their next game, the pressure would really be on Cheltenham when they travelled to Woolaston on May 7th. Of course, that all depended, first of all, on getting a result this evening.
The Civil Service team has quite an interesting history, well worth checking out their website. They have played in the County league structure (Step 7), winning the league at the first attempt, but have more recently been in Division Two of the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League (Step 9) and were promoted back into Division One at the end of the last full season, 2020. Chalford came up from Division Two as Champions in 2017 and were runners-up in Division One in the last full season before the pandemic. They have met twice this season already. In the league the sides drew 0-0 in Lydney back in September. Then, in the Cup at the same location, Chalford came out on top of a seven goal thriller.

​The Game
As expected, with such a lot riding on the game, the opening gambits were a little like a game of chess. Neither team wanted to concede an early goal and that was apparent in the way that they were both extremely careful about committing too many players forward at any time. The end result of this was that neither goalkeeper was really tested at all in the first 15 minutes. The visitor's defence, in particular, looked well organised and solid. The central defensive pairing of Bermingham and Teejay Hosking were winning everything in the air whilst their two full-backs, Oliver and Hall, were ably stopping any raids down the flanks.
Cut to 17 minutes in, we finally had the first real strike on target and it came from the home side, playing up the slope in the first period. It was a relatively innocuous shot from outside the box but the ball took a nasty little hop as Tim Griffiths was about to field it, the ball bobbled out of his grasp but was cleared by a defender. A minute later, possibly buoyed by that first attempt, Chalford were pushing forward again. This time Jack Hughes received the ball on the left wing, cut inside and fired an effort straight into the hands of Griffiths. No real problem for the keeper but a promising "sighter" for Chalford.
Having survived these two attempts Civil Service promptly went down the other end, some four minutes later, and opened the scoring. A corner from the left was flighted towards the far post where it was headed back across goal. Climbing highest in the crowd was skipper Joe Bermingham who nodded the ball home. 0-1. 
Chalford responded well to going behind but still could not find any chink in the visitor's defence. All of the forwards were working hard but constantly finding their space closed down quickly. It was a fascinating contest though. The sides were very evenly matched and the goal from Civil Service had meant that the game had to open up a little, Chalford needed to get a goal back. The work-rate from both sides was very high and this was demonstrated to great effect for Cheltenham in the 36th minute. An attacking move broke down but winger Stuart Midwinter was not one to saunter back. Instead he chased the lost ball back into the centre of the park, hunting down the Chalford player and winning the ball back. He then burst down the right ide before delivering an inch-perfect cross to the far post where Brett Blake was arriving to slot the ball home. 0-2. Chalford were a little rattled now and not long afterwards could easily have found themselves three down when their keeper spilled a cross. The ball fell to a Cheltenham player who tried to slot into the unguarded net but luckily for Chalford their Number 4 was alert enough to get back and clear off the line. Shortly after this Midwinter, who had really got the bit between his teeth at this point, delivered another superb cross which was met well by an attacker, forcing the home keeper into a very good one-handed save low to his right.
having said this, it wasn't all one-way traffic by any means. Chalford were playing their part and still probing the Cheltenham defence, but getting little change out of them.

HT Chalford 0 Cheltenham Civil Service 2. Things looked good for the visitors at the break. Despite their two goals, the performance of their back four grabbed the eye. The back four, protected well by Kerry Hale, had won pretty much every challenge and frustrated the home attack at every turn. A thoroughly entertaining game so far.

​From a neutral's perspective the game got exactly what was needed as early as the fifth minute of the second half, a goal for the home team. They had come out of the blocks fast after the break and looked like a team determined to make a fist of it. Having already launched a couple of early raids they were awarded a free-kick just inside the Civil Service half and out on the right-hand side. The ball was drilled hard, diagonally towards the far post where the Chalford captain Jonathon Davis was arriving to cushion a lovely volley past the keeper and in at the far post. 1-2. An excellent finish from the captain making it look a lot easier to control the volley than it actually was.
The second half was turning into a much different game of football than the first half. Cheltenham were seeing far less of the ball then they had in the first period and were not troubling the home keeper anywhere near as much as they did towards the back end of the first half. Having said that, the complete siege from the home team, that I had expected after they got a goal back, didn't really happen either. It was just past the hour before Chalford seemed to start ratcheting up the pressure. On 62 minutes their Number 11 latched onto a delightful through ball but, stretching slightly, he lifted his shot just over the bar. The hunt for an equaliser was on now though. With 16 minutes to play Chalford's 11 was once again put in on goal. This time he got his shot on target but Griffiths was equal to the effort, saving well. Three minutes later came a key incident in the game. Chalford were awarded a hotly disputed penalty. the incident was on the opposite side of the pitch to where I was standing, with a group of players between me and the ball, so I didn't have any view of what actually happened. The referee, however, seemed to take an age to make his decision (not a bad thing) before finally pointing to the spot. The visitors were not best impressed by the decision but they need not have worried. jack Hughes stepped up but Tim Griffiths went the right way, pushing the ball away to safety.
Undeterred, Chalford had just over 10 minutes to find two goals and were pushing the visitor's back all the time now. At one point they forced three corners in the space of a minute with the final header sailing just over. However, try as they might, they just could not muster a big finale.

FT Chalford 1 Cheltenham Civil Service 2. Chalford threw everything at their visitors in the second half but couldn't quite find the killer touch to claw the two goals back. Cheltenham's defence stood form throughout even though the Chalford forwards did mange to breach it a couple of times in the second period, they could only find a way past Cheltenham's keeper once. The result means that Cheltenham are champions and will be making a return to the Gloucestershire County League next season.

Chalford:
Cheltenham Civil Service: Griffiths, Hall, Oliver, Smith, Bermingham(c), Hosking, Midwinter, Hale, Holmes, G.Jones, Blake. Subs: Ellin, Gittings, Mahon, M.Jones, Driscoll

Ground Number: 318
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

I was not expecting to get to a game this Saturday but the opportunity presented itself quite late in the morning so I decided on a fairly local game rather than Stewart & Lloyds v Roade, which was pencilled in as top of the list, mainly because a result for Roade would see them crowned champions of the orthants Combination Premier. Not far below that, however, were two North Bucks games featuring the last three title contenders in the Premier League, Great Horwood, Milton Keynes Irish Athletic and AFC Towcester. With Great Horwood odds on to win the league only Towcester and Athletic could still catch them. Great Horwood were scheduled to play Athletic and Towcester were at home to Grendon Rangers. At first I set out for the MK game but after getting to the post code listed on the Full-Time site not game seemed to be happening. Not having time to mess around, I immediately switched my GPS to Towcester, arriving with a few minutes to spare.

The Ground
Towcester Recreation Ground is more or less in the centre of Towcester, just off the A5 and not a million miles from Towcester Racecourse. There's not a huge amount of parking space adjacent to the ground, but it's relatively easy to find parking around the general area. The clubhouse is a throwback to the days before the club reformed last year and is still signed as Towcester Town Supporters Club and is situated on the opposite side of Islington Road. As well as the main pitch, there is a junior pitch and children's recreation area. The playing area itself has no spectator cover, as you would expect at this level, but was roped off by a respect barrier on one side. There's a slight slope down towards the Silverstone Brook end of the ground and, on this day, the grass had been left quite long (presumably this is maintained by the local council). This had the effect of causing a lot of unnatural bounces, which gave players on both sides some problems during the game.

The Background
The North Bucks Premier League has boiled down to three teams, Great Horwood lead the way with 40 points from 17 games. Towcester in second, 35 from 17 and MK Irish Athletic in fourth with 33 from 17 (behind Hanslope who had already finished their league campaign on 35 points). AFC Towcester knew before kick-off that to snatch the title they would need to win all three remaining games (including next Saturday's game at Great Horwood) and hope that the leaders dropped points along the way. Earlier in the season, September to be exact, Towcester had won 4-1 in Grendon Underwood with three goals from top scorer Richard parker and one from Mike Watson. Ben Harrington had replied for Rangers, who also had Tommy Ovens sent off. Towcester's recent for read quite well with four wins in their last six. A 2-1 defeat at Willen and a 2-2 draw at home to Potterspury, being responsible for the points dropped. Towcester had also lost 2-0 to Potterspury in the Interdivisional Trophy Quarter-Final earlier this month, a game that BotP was there to witness (First Half Double Wins A5 Derby). Not a good sign seeing as Towcester's other remaining league game is at Potterspury. Grendon's recent form was not so good with two wins in the last six. However, they had beaten Great Horwood 4-3 on their own patch in the cup back in February. That win had been avenged by Great Horwood winning 6-1 in the league game last month. I last saw Grendon play five years ago, back when they were in the Spartan South Midlands League. That day they had gone down 5-1 at home to a strong Loughton side (Perfect Pitch).
​

​The Game
Despite the fact that it was the visitors who had the first shot on goal, it was Towcester who opened the scoring within the first minute and a half. Mike Watson was fed the ball out on the left before rifling a left-footed strike across Siswick in the Grendon goal, and into the far corner. 1-0. However, in a blistering start to the game, Rangers were level after 3 minutes. Tom Doncaster was felled in the box for a clear penalty and  Kieron Moreton made no mistake from 12 yards. 1-1. Expecting a lull in play after that start? No chance. Only 8 minutes were on the referee's watch when their captain weaved some magic on the right before delivering a deep cross that was headed back across the Ranger's goal and a simple tap in for Richard Parker. 2-1
Still not quite 15 minutes into the game, Towcester came close to a third when a long ball was spilled by Grandon's keeper, he pushed the ball against the legs of the onrushing home striker but the ball rolled just wide of the post. The game was quite end to end at this point and Grendon came close themselves just before the 20 minute mark when Doncaster fired just over from the edge of the box. Five minutes later, however, Rangers were level when, after an attack down the left, the ball fell to Jack Rowe on the edge of the area. He fired low to the keeper's right and into the corner of the net. 2-2
There was an eight minute lull in the scoring at this point, which given the previous 25 minutes, seemed like a very long time. Then on 33 minutes the home side once again took the lead and it was Richard parker again, this time just about stretching to get a toe to a long ball and divert it past Siswick. 3-2
Three minutes later and Towcester finally got some daylight between themselves and their visitors. It came from a superb through ball from their right-back, splitting the Grendon defence and allowing Watson to run free on the left. His low cross was then turned in by Parker. 4-2
In a lot of games six goals on the first 36 minutes would have probably signalled a bit of a lull up to half-time whilst both sides caught their breath. Not here though. With three minutes to go before the break Grendon won a free-kick some 25 yards out. The direct effort at goal was mishit but the ball took a deflection into the path of Tom Doncaster who gleefully stroked the ball into the far corner. 4-3. Back to one goal behind, Grendon would probably have been quite happy to go into half-time, knowing that they were going down the slight slope in the second period. However, they couldn't quite get to the break. Two minutes into added time they conceded a free-kick just outside the penalty area on the left hand side. The ball was played in low across the area where a completely unmarked Parker was lurking to make it 5-3. Way too easy from a Rangers point of view.

HT AFC Towcester 5 Grendon Rangers 3. Fabulously entertaining for any neutrals but I can imagine that both coaches will have words to say at the break.

​Within 10 minutes of the restart Towcester had their sixth goal. Their captain got away down the right and played in a cross towards the near post. Both the opposing goalkeeper and Towcester's Richie Parker challenged for the ball which popped out perfectly for Mike Watson to slot into an empty net for 6-3. Within another 10 minutes Towcester had made it a magnificent seven. A corner from the left was played towards the near post where Watson bundled the ball over the line. 7-3
After this goal went in, with 25 still to play, the game unsurprisingly went a little flat. Towcester, with a big game against Potterspury coming up in midweek, rested a couple of players in the knowledge that this game was out of reach of the visitors. Grendon continued to plug away but, in fairness, they also knew the game was up. Almost at the final whistle Rangers got some consolation for their continued efforts when Jack Rowe robbed the Towcester stand-in centre-half, drove forward and fired a low effort past the keeper. 7-4.

FT AFC Towcester 7 Grendon Rangers 4. Towcester keep the title race alive with both themselves and Great Horwood having two to play. They take on Potterspury on Tuesday evening and a win would take them within 2 points of the leaders. Next Saturday there is potentially a huge match at Castle Fields as Great Horwood entertain Towcester. Grendon have one league game remaining at fifth placed Willen but they also have to face the same opponents in the Interdivisional Cup Semi-Final next weekend.

AFC Towcester:
Grendon Rangers: Siswick, Kennie, Moreton, C.Rowe, Bonson, Tuck, Doncaster, Young, Kibble, J.Rowe, Bullivent. Sub: Moyles

Ground Number: 317
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

Yet again there's no game for our favourite Swindon based team, Jovial Monk. However, both Caversham teams are in action. It's the penultimate game of the season for The Goats men whilst for the women it is their final game.

Caversham United
The Goats play for the first time in two weeks when they lost twice in a few days, home and away against 116Exiles. They'll be looking to bounce back in readiness for the season finale on May 1st when Reading Kites come to Mapeldurham (see below for information). The visitors on Sunday are Wayback Wanderers who Caversham faced back on the opening day of this season. On that occasion a late Euan Barker goal was not enough to save them from a 2-1 defeat. Wayback are currently in 7th place, seven points ahead of The Goats in 11th. They could still make a top four finish but with other teams having game sin hand, this probably not likely. Caversham, even winning both of their last two, can only finish as high as 10th.
Caversham United v Wayback Wanderers
KO 10:30. Mapledurham Playing Fields, RG4 8LD
Caversham's final game on May 1, at home to Reading Kites, will be a charity fundraising event in aid of BallsToCancer. You don't even have to go to the game (although I recommend you do) to help out. Just buy a virtual ticket by clicking on the picture below:

You can tell it is getting close to the end of the season when there are games on Thursday evening as teams struggle to get their season finished on time. Not that I am complaining because, this week, it gave me the opportunity to make a visit to a new ground that is not too far from home. Not only that but it was quite an important game for both teams involved rather than being an end of season game with nothing riding on it. So it was that I set out on the short journey over to Buckingham for the Spartan South Midlands Division Two game between Buckingham United and Aston Clinton. I have seen Aston Clinton play before, just over 6 years ago in a 2-2 draw at Stony Stratford Town (Desmond for Stony and Aston), but United were a new team for me.

The Ground
Buckingham United play their home games at Lace Hill Sports and Community Centre just to the South of Buckingham town centre. This is a new facility that was built to serve the new Lace Hill housing community, alongside the local school. There is plenty of parking available at the centre and at the academy next door. The playing surface looked to be in pretty good condition and is surrounded by a low one bar fence and some advertising hoarding. There's no covered spectator areas but there are dugouts (removeable) set up on one side of the pitch. There are pretty good views over the surrounding Buckinghamshire countryside but that has the downside of making the ground a little exposed to the elements. Even on a lovely warm day like Thursday was, it got very chilly during the second half as the sun went down and with the wind blowing across the pitch. Overall though, it's a decent enough place to watch a game.

​The Background
This was a big game at both ends of the table. Aston Clinton came into the game three points behind leaders Old Bradwell United but with a game in hand, this one, albeit with an inferior goal difference. A win would put them level on points at the top. United's needs were just as acute but for an entirely different reason. They approached the game fourth from bottom only six points off the bottom and just two ahead of second-bottom The 61 FC. The sides met just a couple of weeks back at Aston Clinton Park. Two goals from Cian Banert and one each from Ashley Clarke, Akintomide Jaiyeola, Ryan McDonald and Teddie Paul gave the hosts a resounding 6-0 victory.
Current form was also very  much in favour of the visitors. United had slumped to an 8-0 defeat at Bovingdon on Easter Monday and despite beating Eynesbury United 4-3 in their last home game, had lost 9 of their last 10 in the league. Aston Clinton, in direct contrast, came into Thursday evening on the back of 14 consecutive wins. An outstanding run of form.

​The Game
Aston Clinton, playing with a strong wind in their favour, started the livelier of the teams but, after 17 minutes, neither keeper had been forced into anything resembling a save. Aston were dominating possession but seemed a little hesitant. United were trying to combat their visitors with quick breaks but their front two, Numbers 9 & 10 (sorry, I don't have the United team sheet), seemed to find it very difficult to stay on side. Within the opening 10 minutes were were already approaching double figures and the assistant on that side was beginning to get arm ache.
After all of that early sparring and with the visitors holding sway, it was actually United who manged to get the first shot on target when their Number 8 was sent clean through by Number 2s through ball. He got a decent shot away on the run but the visitor's keeper Liam Smith was down well to make a comfortable save. A minute later, as the game sprang into life, Aston skipper Williams forced the home keeper into his first real action with a crisp shot that the keeper did well to turn away.
Just before the half hour mark the home side had the ball in the net. A break down the right from Number 9, this time managing to stay onside, saw him square across the six yard box to strike partner Number 10 who tapped in, but guess what? He was flagged offside.

​Just to make matters worse for Buckingham, straight after the disallowed goal the visitors went up the other end and took the lead following a quick break. The ball was fed to Akintomide Jaiyeola​ out on the left side of the penalty area, he cut inside and drilled an effort into the far corner. the keeper got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out. 0-1. Aston showed just what they could do when they moved the ball quickly.
The goal sparked some life into the visitors and they began to look more like a team challenging at the top of the table. On 35 minutes they forced the home defence into a hurried clearance, the ball being sliced high into the air and being blown back towards the penalty area by the gusty wind. The home keeper came and tried to punch clear but only succeeded in giving the ball to Aston captain Elias Williams on the edge of the area. he calmly stroked the ball back into an unguarded net. 0-2.
The visitors looked well in control at this point. However, United did show that they could do two things just before the break. Firstly their front two managed to stay onside, and secondly they showed they could pose a threat in front of goal. This time when the ball found their Number 9, all alone inside the box, he displayed both of these talents, staying onside and showing some composure to steady himself and slot the ball past Smith. 1-2.

HT Buckingham United 1 Aston Clinton 2. After playing the first half into the wind and conceding a lot of possession, only being one goal behind at the break is not a bad position for Buckingham. Could they make the conditions act in their favour in the second 45 minutes?
​

​Both sides stayed out on the pitch at the break and were ready turn restart after less than 10 minutes. However, the officials were still in the changing rooms, so the game could not restart until the standard half-time break time had elapsed.
When it did restart the home side managed to undo the good from the late goal back within three minutes of the second half restarting. They completely switched off as Aston took a throw-in quickly. The ball was played into the home penalty area where Williams was lurking to stroke home his second of the game. 1-3
For a neutral that goal was probably the worst case scenario. Aston were now feeling comfortable and United had the look of a beaten team. The game fell into a period of inaction for the next 15 minutes or so. Just before the hour mark United did, however, manage to engineer a massive opportunity to breathe life into the game. This time it was Number 10 who got free on the right. His squared pass was just a little behind Number 9 who could only manage to put his effort high over the bar. That could have been the defining point of the half.
On 76 minutes Buckingham were made to pay further for their missed chance when Aston Clinton added a fourth goal. Williams this time turned provider, squaring for an unmarked Ryan McDonald to slot home amidst loud claims of offside from the home players and bench. The assistant kept his flag down this time though and the goal stood. 1-4.
That wasn't then end of the action however. Another contentious refereeing decision on 83 minutes was met by a remark from the United Number 4 who was sent to the sin bin for his comments. I couldn't hear them from where I was standing, but I know that the player and bench were less than happy. Frustration was high after they had been caught offside so many times in the game and just had not been able to get a foothold on the game.
Then on 87 minutes came another decision that would have angered the home team. Number 10 was put clean through and, somewhat unexpectedly, was onside. The keeper came off his line but as 10 pushed the ball past him, wiped out the striker. The referee immediately pointed to the spot as expected but, with the home side wanting a card, failed to even book the keeper. To be honest, it seemed to me that there was very little effort to play the ball and it was also a clear goal scoring opportunity. It had to be a red card. Of course, at that stage it wouldn't have made any difference to the result, but that shouldn't make any difference. To make matters even worse the reprieved keeper then saved the spot kick.

FT Buckingham United 1 Aston Clinton 4. In the end, not an unexpected result. However, it could easily have been very different. Aston Clinton started sluggishly and if the home forwards had been able to sty onside, especially in the first half, who knows what would have happened. I don't think I have seen quite so many offside calls against one team in a match before. Almost every ball forward was greeted with the assistant's flag being raised.
The remainder of the season looks as if it will continue to be very interesting at both ends of the Division Two table. This result leaves Aston Clinton level on points with Old Bradwell United and the two sides face each other next weekend (30th) at Aston's ground. The reverse fixture ended with Aston taking the points with a 1-0 win. Before that game both sides are in action this Saturday, Aston at fourth-placed MK College whilst OBU have a derby against New Bradwell St Peter. At the other end both Buckingham and second-bottom The 61FC have one game left. Guess what? They sides meet in Luton on the 30th with the hosts requiring a win to jump above United.

Buckingham United: Not available at time of publishing (will edit if I get the names)
Aston Clinton: 1.Smith, 3.Kiff, 6.T.Collins, 4.Harrison, 5.Simmonds, 14.Paul, 8.Wiliams(c), 16.M.Lavelle, 7.Banert, 20.McDonald, 11.Jaiyeola. Subs: 15.M.Collins, 17.Mitchell, 18.J.Lavelle, 19.Marshall

Ground Number: 316
Att: 72
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

Bank Holiday Monday is a time for avoiding the traffic, especially when the weather has been good like this weekend. So what better way to avoid the stresses of the motorway than a short trip up a B road to Ardley United  for the 2021-22 Lord Jersey Cup Final? I last watched the Final of this competition back in 2019 when Bicester Hallions, then of the Banbury & District Division Two, shocked Premier League Champions Bishops Itchington with a resounding 5-2 victory (History Makers). Looking at the way Hallions (congratulations on winning the OSL by the way) have progressed since, maybe it doesn't seem so much of a shock now. This season the final also featured a Premier League side, Deddington Town, and an underdog, Graven Hill of Division One.

The Background
The Lord Jersey Cup was first contested in 1888 and, by coincidence, featured one of today's teams, Deddington (they didn't become Town until later in their existence). They lost that game 4-2 to Middleton Stoney despite being 2-1 in front at the break. The match report for that game is available online on the Deddington Town site and on the excellent Lord Jersey Cup site which also has masses of historical information and reports from past cup finals. Well worth a browse. Since that inaugural final, Deddington have appeared in seven more finals, winning four of them. However, this is their first appearance since losing to Middleton in 1908. Graven Hill, by comparison, were only founded in  2020. This, unsurprisingly, is their first appearance.
Looking at their league form this season, Deddington appeared to hold all of the cards. One division above Graven Hill and in better form. Deddington have won four of their last six games and finished in fourth spot, exactly mid-table. Graven Hill finished their season just two points and one place above bottom side SWIS. Having said that, they too have won four of their last six and, of course, cup matches are great levellers.

The Road to Ardley
Both finalists receieved a bye in Round 1 but in Round 2 both had home ties, Deddington saw off Division 2 side Arncott Atheltic 11-0 whilst Graven Hill disposed of fellow Division 1 outfit AS Hanwell 4-1. Both sides scored three in their Quarter-Final ties, Graven Hill had a superb 3-2 win over Premier League Longford Park. Deddington also beat Premier League opposition as they went to Bodicote Sports and came back with a 3-1 win. In the Semi-Finals both sides won 2-0 against Division 1 teams, Deddington at SWIS and Graven Hill at home to Hornton.
One player that Graven Hill will need to watch out for is Joe Thornton. The Deddington hit-man has scored in all three games leading to this final. He got five against Arncott and all three at Bodicote as well as one in the semi-final.

​The Game
Graven Hill were given the task of playing up the Ardley slope in the first half putting the emphasis on Deddington to come at them in the first period. The green & white stripes started quickly. However, the opening 20 minutes of the game were quite cagey. Neither side unduly threatened the opposition goalkeeper as the defences dominated play.
We were 23 minutes in before either keeper had to get his knees dirty. The chance came from a long punt down the slope from Deddington. The ball caught out the Hill defence allowing Deddington's Number 9 to get in behind and judge the bounce of the ball. His header looked bound for the top corner before Graven Hill's keeper stretched out a hand to tip the ball over. Good reactions from the keeper.
That piece of action seemed to stir Deddington who began to take a hold on the game, using the slope to their advantage. Just past the half hour mark their Number 9 again came close. Town were awarded a free-kick some 25 yards out but to the left of the Graven Hill goal. Shaping as if the ball would be clipped into the far post the striker cheekily drilled an effort towards the near post, catching out the keeper but seeing his effort zip just wide. Not to be outdone though, Graven Hill launched an attack of their own a minute later, winning a corner. The ball was played into the edge of the six yard box where Number 14 met it will a crisp half volley, but also saw his effort flash just wide of the post. Some promising goalmouth action at both ends. However, neither team could capitalise on that action. Deddington continued to apply some pressure and have more of the ball, but Hill held firm to get to half-time all square.

HT Graven Hill 0 Deddington Town 0. Hill started the better of the two but as the half wore on Deddington took advantage of playing down the slope and began to dominate possession whilst not really creating any clear cut opportunities. All to play for.

​With the slope now in their favour, Graven Hill came out of the blocks fast in the second half. Three minutes in their Number 7 decided to go solo, weaving his way past a couple of challenges before unleashing an effort just wide from the edge of the box.  It seemed to point to a way through for Hill but, as with Town in the first half, they took the lion's share of the ball but didn't make too many in roads. They were, however, keeping Deddington in their own half for quite long periods and you started to feel that the breakthrough could be coming. On 68 minutes it almost did. Graven Hill's Number 9 suddenly found himself with a clear sight of goal some 15 yards out but he blazed his shot over without making the Town keeper work. Four minutes later Hill's Number 14 used his pace to break through the Town defence but slotted his effort just wide of the post. Town were now having to soak up quite a bit of pressure. With 12 minutes remaining Hill's Number 6 struck a free-kick well but saw it sail over the bar and then two minutes later Hill were handed the best chance of the game. A defensive blunder saw Number 9 get in behind the defence on the left, he drove towards goal and could have had a go himself but instead unselfishly squared to number 14 in a more central position. However, with just the keeper to beat he shanked his shot wide of the far post. A massive let off for Deddington and a miss that Graven Hill would come to rue.
With extra-time time beckoning Deddington won a free-kick just inside the Graven hill half, way out on the right side. We were well into time added on and Town through their big players forward in a last ditch effort to snatch a goal, as the ball was delivered towards the far post. Sure enough Ash Lowe rose highest, directing his header past the keeper and into the net to cue wild celebrations from the Town team and support. 0-1.

FT Graven Hill 0 Deddington Town 1. A sixth Jersey Cup for Deddington but they had to work very hard to get past a well organised and determined Graven Hill team. This game could have gone either way right up to the very last second. If Hill continue to play in this style, they can look forward to a much higher league position next season. Both sides took advantage of the Ardley slope and, during their times to kick downhill, dominated possession. However, Deddington bucked the trend by snatching the goal against the general run of play and against the slope of the pitch, hence the blog title (rather than reference to a David Bowie track).

Apologies for shirt numbers rather than names but I don't have any copies of team sheets. If anyone wants to match them up or send me team sheets, I will happily edit the report.

Deddington Town(squad): Lowe, Shepherd, Reynolds, Reed, Arnold, Ashworth, Davies, Radcliffe, Thornton, McDougall, Catania, Large, Bradford, Hull, Hall, Atherton

Ground Number: re-visit
Att: 
Entrance: £3.00
Programme: N/A

No game for my girls this week, so it was a far more relaxed Saturday morning. A leisurely dog walk, lawn mowing and some general tidying in readiness for a family visit on over Easter. The sun was shining and lovely day was in prospect. After spending an enjoyable evening in the Cotswolds on Tuesday, I decided to follow it up with another trip to that part of the world. I decided on Bibury, once called "the most beautiful village in England" and a place that I have driven through on many occasions. However, I had never visited Bibury AFC or seen Saturday's opponents, Viney St Swithans, play. Not only that, I had never seen a game in their league, the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League. That being said, I am aware of one of the teams that plays in the same division. Chesterton AFC, who won the Cricklade Trophy Final last year (Fitting Final Finale) gained promotion to this division at the end of last season. Along with Chesterton, Bibury and Viney St Swithans are currently playing in Division 2, Step 9 of the pyramid. The league has had some famous name members in the past, two which, Cheltenham Town and Forest Green Rovers, have gone on to play in the Football League. Add to that names such as Bishop's Cleeve, Brimscombe & Thrupp, Cinderford Town, Cirencester Town, Gloucester City, Longlevens, Lydney Town, Shortwood United, Slimbridge & Tuffley Rovers and you start to see that the league has been a good breeding ground for clubs moving up the ladder. Viney St Swithans, who are near neighbours of Lydney Town, have won the Division 1 twice (as far as I can see), in 1971 and again in 1997. Both Bibury and Viney have won Division 2 once, Viney in 1983, Bibury in 2016. If any of these stats are incorrect, I'm sure someone at the club(s) will put me right.

The Ground
Bibury's ground is just off Aldsworth Road  on the North Eastern boundary of the village. This, for me, is a very good thing because it means that I isn't have to drive through the village to get to the ground. Bibury is a very popular tourist destination and on a warm Bank Holiday weekend would, no doubt, be heaving with tourists and coaches. It's a beautiful village. I have driven though it many times but definitely one to be avoided in the holiday season.
The football club has a reasonable large car park s well as plenty of places to park on the grass behind one of the goals or even on the opposite side of the pitch. The main pitch is lengthways on from the road. The car park/access road, runs down one side of the pitch leading to a clubhouse and players & officials changing block. The are also dugouts on this side of the pitch. The clubhouse also has a Cotswold Café attached to it, serving drinks and food (I recommend the egg bap and tea) from a hatch overlooking a small areas with tables. There are also seating areas outside the clubhouse which also have a good view of the pitch. The pitch itself does have quite a bit of a slope across and down towards the car park and service road. There is another pitch on the opposite side, at right-angles to the main pitch. This pitch, somewhat bizarrely, also seems to have floodlighting on both sides (although it did look to be quite old). It's a nice setup overall and on a warm, sunny day like this afternoon, it's certainly a very nice place to watch football.

​The Background
Coming into the game the clubs sat 8th and 7th respectively. Bibury were six points adrift of their visitors but had three games in hand. Both sides still had slim hopes of getting into the top three and gaining promotion. However, in all fairness, both required maximum ponts from their remaining games and for the teams above them to drop some points.
The reverse fixture at Viney was played in October, with the visitors making the trip back across the Severn with all three points after a 3-1 win thanks to a Scott Reynolds hat-trick. Bibury have won one, lost one and drawn one in their last three and, despite being the league's third top scorers with 62, they only had a goal difference of 5 before kick-off, having conceded more than any other team in the to half. Viney, it has to be said, like a draw. Four of their last seven games have ended this way, seven over the entire season. However, they have only lost once in the last ten and that was at leaders Stonehouse Town Reserves.

​The Game
Apologies for the lack of names in the report. I'll be more than happy to edit it if anyone wants to supply the them.
With only three minutes on the clock Viney created, or to be precise were handed, the opportunity to get the game off to a blistering start. The home side conceded possession deep inside their own half which allowed Viney's Number 10 to burst clear. He rounded the keeper well but for reasons known only to himself took an extra touch when he could have rolled the ball into an empty net. That touch allowed a Bibury defender to get back onto the line and when the shot finally came in, the defender was able to scramble it clear. It was a huge chance missed by the visitors.
The miss seemed to affect the Viney team adversely. For the next 15 minutes they found themselves on the back foot as Bibury pressed for an opener. However, despite having the majority of the possession, the home side failed to create and clear cut opportunities. That was until the 18th minute when they were awarded a free-kick right on the edge of the penalty area in a fairly central location. Number 18 stepped up, beat the defensive wall and keeper, but was unlucky to see his effort clip the top of the bar and go over.
That opportunity for Bibury finally sparked some life back into Viney and they were next to come close when their Number 7 fired in a free-kick from way out on the left flank but the home keeper was equal to it, palming it away to safety. Then, just past the half hour mark, Viney again created a half chance. Numebr 15 broke down the right side and drove in a low cross that travelled through to the far post where Number 17 was running in but was unable to keep his shot down.
On 37 minutes Viney's Number 15 had his coaching staff screaming in frustration as he managed to get himself clean through. His first touch took him a little too wide and his shot screwed across the face of the goal for a goal kick. Back up the other end, some five minutes later, Bibury swung in a free-kick form their left wing. Their Number 7 met it on the stretch but he too could not control his shot enough to get it on target.
Then, into injury time in the first half Bibury had the best chance of the game so far. A drop ball was awarded some 25 yards out after a shot hit the referee. The Bibury player lofted the ball into the penalty area where their Number 7 got his head to it, directing the ball across the box onto the head of Number 10 but he planted his header wide of the post.

HT Bibury 0 Viney St Swithans 0. A half lacking in any real rhythm from either team. Very few chances were created but the home side probably edged it in terms of possession. I commented on Twitter that I thought one moment of quality could win it. As it turned out, I was wrong.

​This was another game where both teams stayed out on the pitch at the break, which enables a quicker turnaround. 
When they did restart it was the home side who came out flying, taking the lead in the 49th minute with a break down their right wing. The ball was driven across the six-yard box. A couple of players went for it at the near post and the ball seemed to pop up in the air perfectly for Owen Smart to loop a header over the Viney keeper. 1-0.
The response was almost instant from the visitors. Less than three minutes after going behind they won a corner on the left. The ball was played into the mix where an unmarked Reece Styles was on hand to volley home. 1-1. It was a much more lively start to the second half, with both sides showing a lot more adventure than in the first 45 minutes. Just a minute or so after the equaliser, goal scorer Smart was in again for Bibury but this time could only shoot straight into the arms of a grateful visiting stopper.
The game then settled into a similar pattern to the first half. Neither side able to capitalise on the goal flurry after the restart.
After 73 minutes a long ball from Viney went over the heads of the Bibury back-line. Their keeper was off his line quickly but miscued his clearance which fell to Styles on the right side of the box. he quickly fed Kieran Fabiani on the edge of the area who wasted no time in planting a shot past the stranded keeper and a defender desperately trying to get back to cover. 1-2
After that the home side threw bodies forward in an effort to get an equaliser but the visitors held strong to take the vital three points.

FT Bibury 1 Viney St Swithans 2. The game was ultimately won following a mistake rather than by a piece of individual quality. However, I always have some sympathy for goalkeepers. Outfield players make mistakes all of the time but they rarely lead to a goal. When the last line of defence gets it wrong, it quite often leads to a goal. This, in my opinion, is why you have to be a certain type of character to pull on the gloves.
The win sees Viney jump up to sixth spot, still nine points adrift of third placed Smiths Barometrics but with a game in hand. Bibury remain eighth, sixteen points off third spot but still have more games to play than anyone else, seven in total. Both will need plenty of mistakes from teams above them to make a dent in the promotion spots. Both teams are back in action on Wednesday if you fancy catching a game. Bibury travel to top of the table Stonehouse Town Reserves for a 19:30 kick-off (Oldends Lane is a cracking ground if you've not been). Viney have an 18:30 kick-off at home to Broadwell Amateurs Reserves who are in the relegation zone on goal difference only.

Bibury(Squad): Carter, Cook, Davies, Evans, Harding(c), Jones, Outram, Shannon, Slack, O.Smart, Sutton. Subs: H.Smart, O'Neill

Ground Number: 315
Att:
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

A browse through The Football Traveller last week revealed a fixture that piqued my interest. A Stratford Alliance League Division 2 game between Blockley United and Blockley FC. This ticked a lot of boxes. It continued my theme of taking in a lot of games below the pyramid, it was a local derby (very local, they share a ground), it was a bit of a relegation 6 pointer and it intrigued me that a village of just over 2,000 people could support two football teams (especially with a Step 6 side just 3 miles away). Add to that the early kick-off, which meant I could get back home at a very reasonable hour, and it became a fixture that I didn't want to miss. Luckily all of my scheduled meetings were out of the way by 4:30 and nothing had run over, allowing me to make the 60 minute trip into the Cotswolds in plenty of time for the 6:15 start.

​The Ground
Blockley Sports & Social Club is on the North-Eastern perimeter of Blockley village. The sports complex hosts both the football team(s) and cricket. There is also a 3g 5-a-side pitch and cricket nets on the site. Accessed just off Station Road, there is a good sized car park and clubhouse which looks out over the cricket and football pitches. There are no covered spectator areas but there are dugouts on the allotment side of the ground, furthest away from the car park. There is a good vantage point behind the clubhouse end goal where a raised walkway runs between the pitch and the 5-a-side area. A few spectators took advantage of this whereas many stood on the cricket pitch side.
It looks to be a pretty good setup for this level of football, although for a West Brom supporter (I do tend to whisper that fact these days, but we'll be back one day), with the home side having a Villa supporting captain and Wolves supporting right-back, it did feel a bit like enemy territory. In all seriousness though, it is worth a visit for any groundhoppers out there who might fancy a change. I came through the village on the way to the ground and it looks very picturesque. Might be worth a stop off before or after a game in one of the two local pubs.

The Background
Until the end of last season Blockley had just one team, Blockley Sports. However, following an amicable parting of the ways because of some different ideas, there are now two teams in the village, Blockley FC and Blockley United. A quick look at the Full-Time player register from Blockley Sports shows that the split of players across the two new teams is not too far off 50/50. Looking at the the final Blockley Sports line-up from last season (3-4 home defeat to Inkberrow Academy), 10 of the squad that day were in the teams for this evening's game, seven of them playing for Blockley and three for United.
​

​It's fair to say that neither Blockley team has been setting the league alight this season. In fact, leading up to this localest of local derbies, Blockley are bottom of the table with just 7 points from 17 games and United are only two places above them, separated by Bearley United, with 13 points from 17 games. So, with both having 5 games left to play, this is really a big six-pointer. If Blockley fail to get anything from the game they will be in danger of being cut adrift. If United were to pick up all three points, they could be excused for thinking that they were uncatchable by their neighbours and possibly even by Bearley, who currently have 9 points but have played a game more than the Blockley teams.
The Blockley sides met back in September. A Tom Dan goal for Blockley and a Jack Kristunas goal for United, saw the sides fight out a 1-1 draw. Since that time, Blockey have not been on a good run at all. They last won in the league back in October, a 2-1 win at Tysoe United. Both of their three-pointers this season have come on their travels, a plus point for this game even if it is a very short away trip. Top scorer Talib Kargbo (who no longer seems to feature in games) has 8 goals in 9 games, although 5 of these did come in one game, the 6-1 defeat of Bearley back in September.
United last won a league game just last month, a 3-2 win at Inkberrow Academy. They also have a better away record than at home. They have conceded fewer than any other team in the lower half of the table but also don't score too many themselves. Top scorer for United is Javan Nurse with 16 goals in 15 games including 7 in his last 6 outings.

​The Game
As both teams play in the traditional Blockley colours of gold and black it was Blockley, officially the away side, who had changed kit and were playing in  their red and black striped shirts. It was a quite a cagey opening to the game with no real chances created by either team inside the first 10 minutes. On the quarter hour mark Blockley keeper Edd Brownrigg, who I think I saw arrive just a few minutes before kick off, showed great reactions to get down low to a snapshot and turn it around the post for a corner. United were starting to get on top at this point and a couple of minutes later Sam Parsons tried his luck from just outside the box, dragging his effort wide of Brownrigg's right-hand post. 
It was just past the half-hour mark when Blockley made United keeper Alex Payne earn his keep for the first time when a deflected cross looped up and was dropping in under his bar before he back-peddled and tipped it over. Two minutes later it was Brownrigg stretching to tip a ball over his bar when a free-kick from inside the United half was pumped into the box, the bounce almost catching out the keeper.
On 35 minutes the home side took the lead. Jack Kristunas cut out a wayward defensive pass about 25 yards out on the right. He immediately slipped it into Javan Nurse who swivelled and hit a cross shot past Brownrigg, only for the ball to come back off the far post. However, there was Callum Peters to slot home the rebound. 1-0

HT Blockley United 1 Blockley 0. On balance the score reflected the game in the first half. United had the lion's share of possession but didn't create as many clear cut chances as they would have liked. Blockley would not count themselves out of this by a long stretch, but they too need to create more and start to test Payne in the home goal.

​Both teams stayed on the pitch at half-time and, with the light starting to fade on a dreary evening, the break was truncated with both teams ready to go again after less than 10 minutes. Blockley were first to show in the second period when Harvey Francis made a good run down the right before sliding a tempting ball across the six yard box. Unfortunately for him and Blockley, no-one could get on the end of it. However, it was a warning for United. They responded five minutes later when Nurse found himself latching onto a bouncing ball inside the area with just the keeper to beat. However, Brownrigg showed his skills once more, blocking superbly from point-blank range. Despite that effort, it was Blockley who continued to press forward in the second half. Just before the hour mark Toby Stevens rose highest in the box but couldn't quite get above the ball and his header sailed over the bar. Then a few minutes after the hour the same player unleashed a hammer of a volley from outside the box. It beat Payne but crashed against the top of the bar and went out for a goal kick. Blockley were getting closer and closer to an equaliser and you could hear the shouts from the United bench urging their team to get their heads back on the game. The United player's response was to produce the best move of the game on 68 minutes. Nurse and goal scorer Peters combined with a neat one-touch passing move culminating in Nurse's cross being just a fraction ahead of Peters causing him to screw his shot wide of the mark.
With just over ten minutes to go the unfortunate Stevens saw another effort come back of the United bar. This time he took a free-kick from the right flank which drifted over everyone before coming back off the woodwork. It was hard to tell if it was a deliberate attempt at goal or a miscued cross but if it was indeed a shot, it was a very good effort. Blockley continued to exert pressure on Payne's goal, forcing a succession of corners but still not finding the breakthrough. Their endeavour to get a goal left them short at the back and twice in the dying minutes Nurse almost made them pay. Firstly bursting into the box on the right before putting in a cross that was, once again, just too far ahead of Peters. Then, with a couple of minutes left, Brownrigg was called upon again, spreading himself well to smother Nurse's close range effort.

FT Blockley United 1 Blockley 0. You can't fault Blockley on second-half effort and, as a neutral, I felt they deserved to have at least had the pleasure of a goal. Ultimately though, United created more chances over the the entire game and Blockley had their keeper Brownrigg (my MOTM) to thank on a number of occasions. I did wonder, with so many players once being team mates, just how amicable the split between the teams really would be. However, the game was played generally in an excellent spirit. The referee did brandish a few yellow cards but, to be honest, there was no malice in the challenges.

Blockley United: A.Payne, Summerhill, Hardiman, Aubrey, Sexton, Kristunas, Curzons, Nurse, Peters, Parsons, K.Payne, Subs: Cooper, Mallory, Matthews, Vick
Blockley: Brownrigg, Tomes, Shotton, Phillips, Cross, Hutt, Francis, Tourell(c), Cashmore, Burdock, Heywood, Clarke, Cook, Wigley, Harte, Stevens

Last Blockley Sports game (3-4 v Inkberrow Academy last May) Bemrose, BURDOCK, CROSS, HUTT, MATTHEWS (u), A.PAYNE (u), K.PAYNE (u), STEVENS, TOMES, Williams, Dean, Halford, PHILLIPS, Varga, WIGLEY, Vanghi

Ground Number: 314
Att:
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

After putting a poll onto Twitter to decide which Ben Turner Cup Semi-Final I would attend this Saturday, I found myself heading over to Syresham for the second time this season. Not only a second visit to Halse United but their visitors from Garsington were also their opponents when I visited in September (Points Shared). My girl's team had a big friendly win in the morning, so I was in a pretty good frame of mind as I headed out to Northamptonshire and, what's more, the sun was even shining when I set out (that didn't last though).

The Ground
Unsurprisingly, nothing has changed at the Syresham Sports & Social Club since my last visit in September. Oddly, one of the reasons I visited in September after originally planning a trip to Tuffley Rovers, was the shortage of diesel. That's something else that has also not changed. Once again we seem to have a big shortage with No Diesel signs up at all of the local stations.

The Background
The sides have met twice already this season, the 2-2 that I witnessed in September (Points Shared) and a 4-1 win for Garsington at Denton Lane in December, a game that saw Callum Lucas get all four goals for the hosts. There's still a little way to go in the league but, as it stands, Halse sit sixth, Garsington eighth, three points behind. It's been a good first venture into this level for Halse, featuring some very decent results. Goals have not been free flowing but, then again, they have not conceded too many either. Only Garsington, in that 4-1 win, and champions-elect, Bicester Hallions, have really put them to the sword. Garsington have had a bit of a mixed bag this season. Plenty of wins and goals at home but only three points and ten goals from nine games on their travels. In Callum Lucas they have the league's joint top scorer on 23 goals, sharing the lead with Bicester Hallions striker Ryan Brooks.
To be honest I knew very little about the Ben Turner Cup and, despite searching around, I still don't know much about it. The current holders are Freeland FC but there has not been a competition for the past two years due to the pandemic. As far as I can make out neither Halse United or Garsington have won the trophy in the past.
Halse have played two games to get to the Semi-Final, beating Bure Park 2-1 at Pingle Field and Adderbury Park Reserves 3-0 at home. GGarsington had a bye in the first round and followed it up with a 4-2 defeat of Oxford Irish Athletic.
​

​The Game
Quite a cagey start from both sides with neither of the teams managing to establish any real rhythm or build up a head of steam. Dean Ingram did smash a dipping volley over Molloy's head in the sixth minute, but his effort came back off the bar. This was the only major opportunity for either side in the opening 20 minutes or so. Halse without doubt had the lion's share of the ball but Garsington were strong at the back, severely restricting any chances that may have come United's way. The home side manage to carve out the next major goal scoring effort when Luke Gilsenan found himself with a clear sight of goal from the edge of the box. Molloy was out quickly, standing strong and making himself big to block the Halse winger's effort well. 
Aside from those two chances the ball was predominantly i the middle third of the pitch until the 31st minute when the visitors took the lead against the general run of play. Top scorer Callum Lucas found some space on the right hand side and was played in on goal. He drove towards the box before lifting the ball over the advancing Humphries to make it 0-1.

HT Halse United 0 Garsington 1. Neither side really got any rhythm going. If anything Halse had more of the ball and a couple of half decent chances but it was a cool, classy finish from Lucas that divided the sides at the break.

​The early encounters of the second half indicated that Garsington had upped the stakes. They looked to be that little bit quicker to the ball and sharper in the tackle. Despite being in front at the break, they clearly thought that they needed to maintain more possession if they wanted it to stay that way. Their renewed vigour payed dividends a minute before the hour mark when they doubled their lead, Dan Chalmers with a stinging drive that beat Humphries at his near post. 0-2. Four minutes later the Halse stopper had to be alert when Lucas was again sent through one on one. Humphries was again quick off his line, blocking with his feet. The ball fell to Lewis Ryan on the edge of the box but his first time lob just cleared the crossbar. Garsington smelled blood and on 66 minutes Humphries kept his team in it again, once again blocking from Lucas with his feet. The Garsington striker could easily have had a hat-trick if not for Halse's goalkeeper.
That stop looked increasingly important two minutes later when the home side got themselves back in the game. Luke Gilsenan turned sharply in the box and fired low to Molloy's left and, despite the keeper getting a strong hand to it, the ball squirmed into the net. 1-2. If Halse thought it was game n again now, their hopes only last three minutes. This time Lucas turned provider, playing Lewis Ryan in on goal. Humphries again got something on the effort but there was still enough on the ball to take it over the line despite the last ditch attempt from defender Aaron Oddy. 1-3.
Halse upped their efforts but it was always going to be too late for a two goal turnaround at that point. Their defeat was confirmed on 82 minutes when Brad Dolton got the ball just outside the Halse penalty area and decided to go solo, dancing into the box before drilling a shot past Humphries, much to the delight of the Garsington bench and support. 1-4.

FT Halse United 1 Garsington 4. The visitor's second half performance was worthy of the victory. They upped their pace, were first to every ball and won almost every 50-50 challenge. 
The other semi-final saw Kirtlington beat Bicester Town Colts 3-1. The Final will be played at Kidlington's Yarnton Road ground, 13:30 ko on Saturday 7th May.

​
Halse United: Humphries, Lloyd, Purnell(c), Harris, Hamblin, Murphy, Gilsenan, Read, Simpson, Kingham, Ingram. Subs: Oddy, Keen, Childerley
Garsington: Molloy, Smith, Hayden, Stubbs, Sibanda, Chalmers, Dolton, C.Gaul, J.Ryan, L.Ryan, Lucas. Subs: Bartlett, Campbell, Ludlow, J.Gaul, Loveridge

Ground Number: Re-Visit
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

No game for Jovial Monk again this weekend. However, it is Swindon Sunday League Cup Final day, so we'll take a quick look at that game as a replacement for your weekly dose of Monk magic. Both Caversham teams are in action, and both are at home, so there's a good opportunity of a Mapeldurham double-header with a spot of lunch between games (I'm sure a friendly Goat will piiunt you in the direction of a local hostelry).

Not Jovial Monk
Swindon Sunday league Knockout Cup Final
AFC Mannington v DPR FC
This promises to be a very interesting match up. Mannington finished as runners-up in Division 1, three points behind FC Walcot. They've only suffered three league defeats all season and have clocked up 60 goals in 12 games, conceding just 17. DPR are currently second in Division 2 but have three game sin hand on leaders Gorsehill Borough whilst also having three games in hand. They too are prolific scorers with 50 in 12 games, conceding only 13. They have only lost once in the league this season and have already knocked FC Walcot out of the Cup.
KO 10am. Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, SN4 8DS
Entry £2 for adults, seniors and U16 free.
There will be a matchday programme available (always a draw for hoppers)


Caversham United
The Goats take on 116Exiles for the second time in under a week. Yes, that's right, under a week. The sides met just a couple of days ago, Tuesday evening, at the Exiles place. Caversham went down 3-1, a result that leaves The Exiles just a point behind The Goats but with a colossal 6 games in hand. Exile shave hit some form lately, the win over Caversham was their third on the bounce. This increases to four if you count the Home Walkover awarded for the Rose & Thistle game scheduled for this Thursday. Tuesday's result was also Caversham's first defeat in four, so they will want to put that behind them and try to move up a congested mid-table. Sixth-placed Wayback are only 4 points ahead of The Goats.
Caversham United v 116Exiles
KO 10:30. Mapledurham Playing Fields, RG4 8LD

Caversham United Women
United's women have a re-run of the Berks & Bucks Cup Final this Sunday as they welcome Penn & Tylers Green to The Rec. A win for The Goats could see them leapfrog Penn and possibly take them to fourth spot (depending upon Tilehurst's result). The sides have met twice before this season. The reverse league game at French School Meadows ended in a 4-1 victory for the home side thanks largely to a Henna Hussain hat-trick. In the Cup Final a few weeks back, Penn ran out 3-0 winners (Merritt Award), executing a superb game plan. Two goals from Sasha Smith and a cracker from Ellie Ludgate-Williams were too much for The Goats. It was a great game to watch and Sunday should also be a really good game. It will be interesting to see what style both teams adopt now that they are both familiar with each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Caversham United Women v Penn & Tylers Green Ladies
KO 14:00. Mapledurham Playing Fields, RG4 8LD

As always, all of the teams would massively appreciate extra support. If you are in the area, why not go along and savour some top grassroots football? You won't regret it.

Tuesday night was my first opportunity for a midweek game since the start of March's trip to Carterton, so when the parents of my daughter's friend offered to bring her back from a Netball tournament, I jumped at the chance to get out to a match. Now that the nights are a little longer it also gives an opportunity to see some teams at Steps 7 and below in midweek. That's exactly what I planned for Tuesday. An early evening jaunt up to Coventry for a 6pm kick off. Perfect for still being able to get back home at a very reasonable hour to hear of my daughter's exploits on the Netball court. It was also an opportunity to visit a ground that had been on my list for a couple of years, Triumph Athletic, and get to see the team that look most likely to take the Coventry Alliance title this season, Dunlop FC.
I have seen Triumph play twice before, in the 2019 Coventry Telegraph Final against Copsewood (Copse No Robbers)and a pre-season friendly at Bishops Itchington in August 2020 (Big Skies). Unfortunately for Athletic, both games ended in defeat.

The Ground
Triumph Athletic play their home games at The Triumph Sports Ground, Tanners Lane on the Western extremities of Coventry. As well as the main pitch there is also another two full size pitches for football or rugby, junior football pitches, a cricket square and training nets for the cricket team. There is a large car park and a good sized clubhouse building that houses the players and officials areas. Looking form the clubhouse block, the main pitch is directly ahead. On the right-hand side there are two dugouts backed by a number of advertising hoardings. The left-hand side opens out onto the cricket square and also has a small cricket pavilion backing onto the football pitch. There are no covered spectator areas. The pitch itself slopes slightly away from the clubhouse but looked to be pretty flat. All in all, it is a good setup for this level.

​The Background
Although these two teams both play in the same division, this game was actually a Stan Oulds Cup match. The cup is named after the former President of the Coventry Alliance League, Stan Oulds, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 86. Dunlop came into this game still fighting on three fronts, not only do they have the Stan Oulds Cup, they are also in the Final of the Coventry Telegraph Cup, and only need a point in their final league game, coincidentally also at Triumph Athletic, to clinch the title. Triumph started the day sitting in 7th place in the Alliance Premier, relatively clear of the drop zone. The sides have met once before this season, on the opening day. Two goals from Harry Jackman gave Dunlop a 2-1 victory. Isaak Francis replied for Athletic.

​The Game
With a couple of big games coming up, I was interested to see how Dunlop would approach this game. However, with 10 of the 11 who started in Saturday's huge clash with Copsewood, on the field from the first minute, it was clear to see that they were going all out for a win again this evening. The opening encounters were relatively even but after around ten minutes the Dunlop cogs seemed to slot into place and they began to up their game. The first big chance of the game came on 13 minutes for Dunlop's Jarro Scott. His effort went narrowly wide, the start of what was going to be a bit of theme for the striker this evening. Two minutes later, with the visitors now well in the ascendancy, top scorer Konnor Frankum was bundled over in the box. There were appeals from Dunlop but the referee was having none of it. To be fair, I have seen them given but it would have been quite a harsh one on the defender. Two more minutes passed before Scott, who was starting to be a real threat to Athletic, drove down the left. He got to the by-line and pulled back for Frankum who slid his effort wide of the far post when he probably should have done better.
Dunlop had now cranked up the pressure so much that it seemed just a matter of time before they broke the Triumph resistance. On 21 minutes, they did finally breakthrough when the unfortunate Rob McCrane misjudged a back pass, leaving it too short and allowing Konnor Frankum to nip in and beat Barlow. 0-1
Before Athletic had time to recover from going a goal down they found themselves two behind with only 25 minutes on the clock. Dunlop were awarded a free-kick about 25 yards out but way out on the left flank. There looked little danger as Frankum stepped up to take it but his vicious curling effort beat everyone to go in off the underside of the bar at the far post. Probably some wind assistance to help it along, but a magnificent strike nevertheless. 0-2. The goal took what was left out of the Athletic sails and they continually found themselves on the back foot. They made occasional raids into the Dunlop half with Dom Lambert being a more than willing runner, but they never rally threatened Jack Chatland's goal. In fact it was Dunlop, and Scott in particular, who continued to look the more likely to score again. On 35 minutes Scott weaved his way into the home penalty area before planting his shot high over Barlow's bar. Then, four minutes later, Frankum put in a superb cross that was met on the run by Scott but his effort crashed against the bar and rebounded to safety. The Dunlop striker was continually getting into the right position but just couldn't find the net. Then, with everyone getting ready for half-time, Scott produced another moment of magic, backheeling a pass perfectly into the path of Callum Davies who took a touch before firing low and hard past Barlow. 0-3.

HT Triumph Athletic 0 Dunlop 3. It took Dunlop a little while to get up to full speed but when they did, they showed us why they only need a point to clinch the title. Their movement, pace, skill and finishing power has been too much for Athletic who, to be fair, have not played badly themselves.

​Neither side went into the changing rooms at the break and, with the light already starting to fade on a grey evening, both were keen to get on with the second half. So, after a very much shorter than normal break, we were back under way.

Immediately it was apparent that Triumph were keen to make a fist of the second period. They seemed a little sharper and quicker to the ball than they had been in the first half. However, it was Dunlop who conjured up the first chance of the second period, setting Frankum free to shoot narrowly wide on the run. Almost, but not quite, his hat-trick. If the visitor's expected to go on from there and fill their boots, they were mistaken. Triumph, whilst still not really creating any clear cut chances, were certainly seeing a lot more of the ball and Dunlop were forced to concentrate on defensive duties for a while. 
It took until the 69th minute before Dunlop created another serious opening. Callum Davies coming close to doubling his account when a snapshot came back off Barlow's left-hand post. A minute later though Scott was at it again. Another superb run ended with him sliding an inch perfect ball across the six-yard box for Seb Sam to apply the simplest finish. 0-4. 
A few minutes later Barlow had to be at his very best as Dunlop substitute Habib Salim tried his luck from close range. However, the home stopper could not do anything on 88 minutes when Frankum finally managed to get his hat-trick. 0-5
There was still just enough time for Dunlop to be awarded a last minute penalty, with no complaints from the home side. Habib was given the responsibility and gladly stepped up to make it 0-6. There was time for a kick-off but very little else before referee Philip Gibbins called and end to the game.

FT Triumph Athletic 0 Dunlop 6. The score line suggests a bit of a massacre and, to be fair, Dunlop were the better team, However, as a neutral, I didn't think Triumph played badly, they were just beaten by a very good team and had no answer for the visitor's forward line. Jarro Scott and Konnor Frankum were, on the night, practically unplayable. Combine that with the ability of the visitor's midfield to pick the right passes and it was always going to be extremely difficult for Triumph.

Triumph Athletic: Barlow, E.Haymes, Prokopiov, Cooper, Flavell, McCrane, C.Haymes, T.Atkins, Lambert, Comasky, O.Gorman. Subs: J.Atkins, Tata, R.Atkins, K.Gorman
Dunlop: Chatland, Bawden, Ellis, Vim, Davies, Welland, Osbourne, Blyth, Sam, Scott, Frankum. Subs: Watts, Salim, Williams

Ground Number: 313
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A