Taking the opportunity to get out to a Tuesday evening game, I was in two minds about where to go, eventually deciding on Tuffley Rovers. Having had the club on my list for some time, every previous plan to go had been curtailed by work, family, or weather. So when I got halfway into my journey only to be greeted by heavy rain and thick fog in the Cotswolds, I did begin to wonder if the Rovers curse was going to strike again. However, once I started heading into Gloucester things improved and I arrived at the ground in plenty of time.
After getting hold of a team sheet (thanks Neil Spiller), I took a walk around the ground and almost immediately bumped into a chap from Stourbridge (I was wearing a Stourbridge rain jacket), who told me that he he travelled down to Tuffley from the West Midlands two or three times a season because he liked the place so much. We, of course, discussed the once Mighty Glassboys and West Brom (also a former season ticket holder at The Hawthorns). Small world. It's always good to bump into like-minded non-league enthusiasts. I hope he had a safe journey back to the Black Country.

On to the game. 
The home side took the game by the scruff of the neck right from kick-off. Cribbs were struggling to cope with the Tuffley midfield, led in no small way by former Tredworth Tiger Corey Warrington, a plyer that BotP last came across in the 2024 Gloucestershire Northern Senior League title decider (One From Three). Warrington scored that day but ended on the losing side as a late Luke Brunsdon goal won it for Chalford.
Despite Tuffley's early dominance and close calls inside the Cribbs penalty area, Cribbs proved that the possession stat is one of the most over-rated in football (IMO) when they took the lead with their first real attempt at goal. Eighteen minutes were on the clock when the visitors were awarded a corner on their left. Jo Davis flighted the ball into the centre of the box where player-manager Ryan Crouch rose highest to power a header past Luke Merchant. 0-1.
Undeterred, Tuffley continued to play the better football, creating a number of half-chances only to be foiled by a combination of solid defending, good goalkeeping and wasteful finishing. Their best chance to grab an equaliser came on the 35th minute when Warrington saw his effort blocked only for the ball to be recycled. It fell invitingly to Brad Bevan but he was denied by an excellent save from Olek Yakymchuck.
It was increasingly looking like one of those evenings for Rovers. Well on top and the better side but still trailing and they were almost caught out again just before the break. Luke Merchant having to react brilliantly to save from Jo Davis, who had worked space before striking a lovely effort toward to top corner.

HT Tuffley Rovers 0 Cribbs 1. A strange game in as much that Cribbs had spent the vast majority of it chasing the ball and defending and yet were ahead at the break. Tuffley could take heart in the fact that they had played some great football but hadn't quite managed to find the breakthrough. Surely, if they continued in the same way, they would find a goal in the second half?

​Cribbs were back for the second half out well before their hosts but when the match restarted it quickly settled into a similar pattern. Rovers hogging the ball and pushing their visitors back. Yakymchuck was called into action again early on, saving well from Barnes before a small melee broke out after Warrington allowed his frustrations to boil over. A couple of yellow cards were issued but the incident soon calmed down.
Cribbs then had an appeal for a penalty after Davis tried to get on the end of Merchant's parry. It was at the opposite end of the ground, so unclear from my vantage point. No doubt the defender eased Davis off the ball, but a foul? Not so sure.
That was a just past the hour mark and, on 63 minutes, Tuffley finally made the breakthrough. A fee-kick on the edge of the box was pushed away by Yakymchuck only for Simpson to latch onto it and lift a teasing ball into the 6-yard box. Harley Mustoe emerged from a cluster of players to plant his header past the keeper. 1-1
Rovers had their tails up now. Having found the way through, they went in search of another goal, urged on by their lone drummer who stands alone in the far corner of the ground. They were straight back on the offensive from kick-off and came close. However, seven minutes after equalising, they did go in front. A looping cross from the right was contested by a group of players, the ball skipping off a defender's head toward the back post. There was Karnell Chambers to volley in off the opposite post. 2-1. Excellent technique to control the volley.
With their noses in front Tuffley set about holding on to the points, although they still managed to lose possession more in the closing stages than they had all game, much to the frustration of goalkeeper and captain Luke Merchant, who was growing increasingly frustrated with his troops towards the end. 
Having said that, it was Tuffley who came closest to grabbing another goal when Mustoe drove across the edge of the Cribbs area before unleashing a shot that crashed against the Cribbs crossbar.

FT Tuffley Rovers 2 Cribbs 1. A well-deserved three points for Tuffley who dominated the game for the majority of the 90 minutes, despite going in a goal down at the break. Once they got the equaliser it felt like it was just a matter of time until the scored again.
Both teams are in FA Cup action on Saturday. Tuffley travel to Hartpury University in what looks like a very tricky tie against last season's Hellenic Premier winners. 
Cribbs, meanwhile, welcome Banbury-based, United Counties side, Easington Sports to The Lawns.

Tuffley Rovers: 1.Merchant(c), 2.McLean, 3.Clifford, 4.Simpson, 5.Herbert, 6.McGuirk, 7.Warrington, 8.Mustoe, 9.Chambers, 10.Bevan, 11.Barnes. Subs: 12.Pritchett, 14.Lynden, 15.Creed, 16.Walters, 17.Yarmolenko
Cribbs: 1.Yakymchuck, 2.Farrow, 12.Kendall, 4.Smith, 14.Clayton, 19.Crouch, 7.Davis, 8.Sullivan, 9.Weaver, 10.Kellow, 11.Crossley-John. Subs: 3.Lock, 5.Constable, 15.Clayton, 18.Dunleavy, 17.Ponsillo

​The Ground
Tuffley play their home games at Glevum Park, wedged between the A38, the A430 and an industrial park, just to the South of Gloucester city centre. The ground is accessed via a service road off Lower Tuffley Lane. There's a smallish car park directly in front of the ground and further parking available along the side of the service road. Entrance is through a single turnstile off the car park, although I believe there is another entrance accessible on foot from the local housing estate. There's a snack bar immediately to your left as you enter and a bar just to the right. There's also a covered seating area outside the bar, directly behind the goal. This is protected by a mesh to prevent stray shots hitting the unsuspecting punters. At this end of the ground, the car park end, there is also a section of covered standing on once side of the goal and a covered seating stand (The AW Purdy Stand) on the other side. There are also two further covered spectator areas. A small seated stand (The Pat Tobin Memorial Stand) and a covered standing area, alongside the dugouts on the industrial park side. The pitch slopes slightly away from the car park end.

The Programme 
A 32-page, matt finish, full colour, matchday programme at just £1.00 is very good value for money. Programme editor Neil Spiller, who incidentally was also walking around handing printed team sheets to interested parties before kick-off, has struck the right balance of interesting articles, play pen-pics, advertising, squad lists, statistics and even a half-time quiz. The programme is also available a free download online, but it's great to see a club sticking to printed copies too. I understand that this can be a costly exercise, but printed programmes are one of those traditions that should be retained as long as possible. This particular programme is a superb example of what can be done.

Ground Number: 452
Att: 120
Entrance: £7.00
Programme: £1.00

My first outing of the new season, a Henty Hawtin Memorial Cup game between Charlbury Town of the Witney & District Premier and Witney Royals, currently in the division below Town. As this is effectively a pre-season friendly competition, team sheets tend not to have numbers associated with players, so I've not been able to give credit to everyone involved, although I managed to pick one or two up by noting names called against short numbers.. More than happy to fill in the blanks at a later date. Many thanks to referee Roger Huxford for giving me access to today's team sheets.

On a very warm but slightly breezy evening Charlbury, in red, began by defending the clubhouse end against their lower division rivals, in blue. As expected, it was Charlbury who took the initiative and were ahead as early as the third minute. The goal was created by Toby Lang, who did well on the right before crossing for Number 19. His initial strike was well saved by Ashton Holloway, but the keeper was helpless as the same player latched onto the rebound and smashed it into the net. 1-0
Six minutes later Holloway almost gifted a second goal to Town when his clearance only got as far as Town's Number 4. His drive then flew just over the Witney bar. The keeper, however, did make amends a few minutes later with a very good save to dent Number 4. This came a minute before Witney mustered their first strike on target. Number 14 with a good strike that was comfortably fielded by the Charlbury Archie Bradbury.
Midway through the first half Witney's Holloway was called into action again, showing excellent reflexes to make the save from Charlbury's Number 21.
The game was being played predominantly in the Witney half, but it was still only 1-0 until the 25th minute, when Charlbury were awarded a penalty after Town's number 10 was brought down, somewhat needlessly, in the area. Toby Lang took the kick, drilling the ball home. 2-0
That could have signalled the opening of the floodgates but, to their credit, Witney hung in and, aside from a good strike from Charlbury's Number 18 that Holloway did well to push away for a corner, there were no more major incidents before the referee blew for the break.

HT Charlbury Town 2 Witney Royals 0. Town with the predicted lead at the break, but they probably would feel they should have been further ahead and have the game sewn up. At 2-0, it only takes one slip for the opposition to get back into the game.

​Maybe Charlbury were fully aware that a two goal lead was not unassailable because they were quickly into the stride in the second half and, just six minutes in, they made the game safe with a delightful goal. Moving the ball wide on the right, Town's Number 3 swung over an inch-perfect cross that Number 4 met in the centre of the penalty, deftly flicking a header into the far top corner. Unsavable! 3-0
That goal sealed the deal as far as the points went and, unsurprisingly, the game fell a little flat for a while. Charlbury shuffled their pack a few times. Witney continued to huff and puff but couldn't find a way through a well-marshalled Charlbury defence.
With ten minutes remaining Charlbury's Number 4, not satisfied with his earlier header, decided to demonstrate his shooting power. It was another fine Town move with the ball being switched from the left across to Number 4 on the right-hand edge of the box. Letting the ball bounce across his body the Town midfielder then lashed a volley across Holloway and into the far corner. A great strike for 4-0.
Six minutes later Town's Number 4 possibly had a chance to collect a hat-trick but chose to turn provider, sliding the ball across the six-yard box for Number 10 to score with ease. 5-0

FT Charlbury Town 5 Witney Royals 0. A very comfortable victory for Charlbury who, at times, demonstrated the one division gap between the teams. Witney gave up the ghost but didn't have enough to worry Town. Charlbury have now played two, won two and top Group A having already scored nine goals in their two games. Witney prop up the table and have yet to muster a goal. Next up for Charlbury is a tie with Milton-under-Wychwood on Saturday the 9th at 14:00. Straight after that game, Witney take on Deddington at 17:00.

Once again, apologies for mostly using shirt numbers rather than names. More than happy to edit at a later date.

Charlbury Town (squad): Bradbury, Goode, Fitzgerald, Robertson, Nutt, Hawley, Lang, Ball, McCallum, Piotrowsky, Edmonds, Hornblow, Nimmo, Williams-Cavus, Maskell
Witney Royals (squad): A.Holloway, Rowlings, Catchpole, S.Tranter, Horne, Collins, Harris, Ryall, Lambourne, Colleton, Munter, Colwell, Lewis-Rippington, Nolan, A.Tranter