Having not managed to get to a game last week, I was really looking forward to getting back out on the road this midweek. There were a number of games to choose from but the on that caught my eye was a Wiltshire Senior League local derby between Marlborough Town and Pewsey Vale. However, as it was an early kick-off (6:15) it was touch and go if I could make it depending on my work commitments. Luckily, things panned out and I was able to hit the A420 in plenty of time to get down to Wiltshire.

​The Ground
Marlborough Town were founded in 1904. They moved to their current ground, Elcot Lane just to the East of the town centre, in 1946 (to years before Pewsey Vale FC was formed). There is a decent sized car park adjacent to the ground and parking available on Elcot Lane, within a short walk of the ground. There is a good sized clubhouse that incorporates a food bar. The pitch itself has a slight slope from the car park end and across the pitch away from the Elcot Lane side. Dugouts are on the Elcot Lane side. There are no covered spectator areas (although there is a little cover on the clubhouse patio), so bring an umbrella if the weather looks bad. The club seemed to have a friendly, family atmosphere and there was a decent crowd for a Step 7 game, even considering the fact it was a local derby.

​The Background
Less than 8 miles separates Marlborough and Pewsey, so this was very much a local derby. The home side started this season with a mixed bag of results. The opening day 0-0 draw at Odd Down Reserves was followed by a good start at home, thrashing Stratton Juniors 5-0. However, last time out they went down 7-0 at home to Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development, who went top of the league in the process. The Vale, who were top when last season was prematurely halted, have started as they left off. They opened with a 4-0 defeat of Wroughton then beat Shrewton United 4-1 and Salisbury Development 3-0, all at home. Last season, Vale's first back in the Wiltshire League, in a game that saw a player from each side red-carded, was won 3-0 by Pewsey.
​

​The Game
Pewsey Vale, kicking towards the car park end in the first half, got off to a great start when after just 4 minutes they worked the ball down the left hand side. A deep cross came in finding two visitors unmarked at the back post. It was Zak Messenger who met it, planting his head wide of Jake Hull to make it 0-1.
Vale were well on top at this point but despite their dominance of the ball they could not add to their tally and, after 17 minutes, they put themselves in a position of danger when a clumsy challenge from Drewett was penalised on the edge of their area. The referee took some time to consult with his assistant, presumably because the offence was very close to being in the box. However, free-kick it was, and to the relief of the Vale defender Jake Woolliams put his effort over the bar. Marlborough would come to rue this as a missed opportunity as Pewsey once again took control of the ball. However,  they were finding it difficult to threaten Hull's goal.
That was until the 34th minute when the game burst into life. A Pewsey Vale free-kick from the left was met at the near post by a group of players, the ball eventually going in off a defender for an own goal. 0-2. A minute later the visitors made it three when some great work out on the left by Marsden resulted in him slipping the ball inside for Messenger to grab his second of the game. 0-3.
Four minute after that Pewsey had the opportunity to make it four when leading scorer James Guthrie was put clean through, one on one with Hull. However, on this occasion the Town stopper came out on top, saving well with his legs.

HT Marlborough Town 0 Pewsey Vale 3. A comfortable half for the visitors who had, in the main, controlled possession and with it the game. A lot of work for Marlborough to do in the second half.

​Any thoughts of a second half comeback from the home side were quickly dispelled after the restart. Vale continued where they had left off, taking and holding possession almost from the off with Ollie England running the show in central midfield, ably backed by brother Rory and Connor Marsden, the three were terrorising the home team at times.
Just before the hour mark Ollie England picked the ball up on the halfway line, skipped past a couple of challenges and laid off a perfect through ball for Guthrie have another shot at a one on one with Hull. This time the striker gave the keeper no chance, sliding the ball into the corner of the net. 0-4

It has to be said that, despite the score line, and coming off the back of a heavy home defeat, Marlborough continued to stick to their football philosophy of playing it out from the back. There must have been a temptation to play the ball long to give the defenders some respite, but they stuck to their guns and you have to credit the team and the coaches for that. It was, therefore, unfortunate that the fifth goal came as a result of them losing the ball inside their own penalty area. Ollie England put the pressure on, nicking the ball away before rounding the keeper and slotting home a richly deserved goal to cap an excellent performance, especially in the second half. 0-5.

Shortly after going five down Town had keeper Hull to thank again for throwing himself full length to keep out a goal bound effort. The home keeper made at least three excellent stops in the second half and was certainly the main reason the defeat was not heavier.

FT Marlborough Town 0 Pewsey Vale 5. Vale leapfrog Wootton Bassett to go top of the league after a comprehensive victory. The host Calne Town Reserves, who climbed to second with a 1-0 win over Wroughton, on Saturday. Despite the fact that it was a second consecutive home defeat for Marlborough I think it is fair to say that both of their conquerors are expected to be right up there all season. Marlborough try to play football the right way and have the chance to put things right when they welcome Malmesbury Victoria Dev. to Elcot Lane on Saturday. Good luck to both teams for the remainder of the season.

Marlborough Town: Hull, Clappison, Pullin, Harland(c), Fraser, Hatch, Conway, Woolliams, Smith, Crame, Maidment. Subs: Symon, Terrett, Morris
Pewsey Vale: Latouche, Robb, Drewett, Edmondson(c), Marsden, O.England, Force-Jones, R.England, Guthrie, Messenger, Hoareau. Subs: Britten, Neale, Twin

Ground Number: 276
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

Many, many moons ago I used to spend a fair bit of time in Tring. A friend of mine taught at Tring AES (Now Tring Park School for Performing Arts) and I would spend m any a happy hour with her and her friends in the Kings Arms. I've been back once before to watch Tring Athletic get edged out by AFC Dunstable some six and a half years ago, back in the days when my blogs were considerably different and, in this case, had a pretty bad play on words as the title - Tring Out'dun' By Experience. So, after marshalling Parkrun in the morning and watching my 11 year-old daughter beat her Mum by a minute or so, I was quite excited to have the opportunity to watch the other Tring side, Corinthians, play. Especially as they were at home in a local derby against Berkhamsted Comrades.

​The Ground
Tring Corinthians have played on Icknield Way just to the North of the town centre since 1984. I think it is fair to say that the ground is quirky, and I mean that in a very good way. There is a fairly small car park just off Icknield Way, although I parked on the road opposite because it was pretty rammed when I arrived. Entrance to the ground is on the left hand side of the car park where a man at a small table took my entrance fee. The pitch is longways on from the car park with a separate players changing block behind the car park end goal (well, just to the side of it actually). There is a small clubhouse in the corner of the ground, which also has the officials changing area incorporated into it. I found this out when I nipped to the loo and discovered the officials area just beyond the Gents. A lucky find because I was able to ask the referee for photos of the team sheets.
The pitch is hemmed in on one side by a hedge and when I say hemmed in, I mean hammed in. There is a respect rope running half the length of the pitch, up to the dugouts at halfway, but spectators are literally standing with their backs against the hedge and their feet almost on the touchline. It's a tight squeeze to say the least, but these are the sort of things that make non-league grounds interesting. On the opposite side there is a wooden fence and trees which separate the pitch from an adjacent field. The pitch itself has a slope back towards the car park. I really took to the ground. I'm not quite sure why, but it has a certain character to it.

​The Background
Corinthians were formed in 1956 and have played in the Spartan South Midlands League Division Two since joining the league in 2005. They finished fourth in their first season, scoring over 100 goals in the process. This position remains their joint highest league position, having achieved it twice more since. Berkhamsted Comrades are the reserve team of Step 4 outfit Berkhamsted FC. The club grew out of the ashes of Berkhamsted Town, formed in 1919 as Berkhamsted Comrades which is also used as the nickname for the club to this day. The name comes from the fact that the club was formed by ex-servicemen at the end of the First World War. They reached the Final of the FA Vase in 2001, going down 2-1 to Taunton Town, before the club's debts finally caused it to fold in 2009. The club started its new life in the Spartan South Midlands Division Two before climbing up the leagues to regain their place in the Southern League Division One Central. The reserves side took their place in this division last season, playing seven games before the season was abruptly ended. Corinthians also played seven games last season, the first of which was a 2-1 victory in this fixture. Liam Batchelor-Morgan scoring both Tring goals with Ben Wootton scoring for the visitors. It was Tring's only league victory last season.
This season both sides have played just one league game so far, both against sides from Milton Keynes. Tring led 1-0 at half-time at home to New Bradwell St Peter but conceded twice early in the second half to lose 2-1, whilst Berkhamsted came from a goal down at half-time to draw 1-1 at home to Old Bradwell United.

​The Game
The match kicked off in bright sunshine on a muggy afternoon. Both sides looked to fairly cautious in the opening minutes, trying to suss each other out but Berkhamsted were the first to settle down and began to probe the home defence, looking to use the pace and trickery of right-winger Godlove Oppong at every opportunity. The first strike on target, however, came from an attack on the opposite flank with the ball finding its way inside for Tom Carter who shot straight into the midriff of home keeper Alex Sykes. Berkhamsted were starting to take control of the game, dominating possession, but they had to still be on their toes as, on 21 minutes, the home side manufactured a raid up their right. Marc Arnott played in Liam Burnett but the striker could not find a way past Gary Malone in the Comrades goal.
Three minutes later Berkhamsted made the home side pay for missing their chance. A right-wing corner was played to the back post. The ensuing header was cleared off the line by a defender but Jake Tabor was on hand to smash in the rebound. 0-1. They say that teams are at their most vulnerable just after they score and this proved to be the case as Tring hit back within two minutes of going behind. Comrades keeper Malone mopped up a Tring attack and tried to start a counter with a quick throw out. However, his attempted pass was intercepted and fed into Marc Arnott who made no mistake with a low drive from the edge of the area. 1-1.
The goal gave the home side renewed confidence and they enjoyed a brief spell where they had the visitors wobbling a little. Just before the half-hour mark they won a free-kick some 35 yards out. The ball was lofted into the area where Gabriel Mitetelu glanced a header into the far corner only to see the assistant's flag had already been raised. 
Maybe this was the catalyst to spark the visitors back into action because within two minutes they were ahead again when Joe Hubbard just about won a race for a ball into the box and was then brought down. Penalty. Up stepped Shaun Stevens to make it 1-2.
The game then resumed its earlier pattern for 10 minutes, with Berkhamsted dominating the ball but not able to find another goal. That was until the 42nd minute when they caught the home side napping with a short corner routine. Stevens took it quickly, laying it back to full-back Alfie Gaffney. His cross was then met at the near post by Tabor to get his second and Berkhamsted's third. 1-3

HT Tring Corinthians 1 Berkhamsted Comrades 3. A strong performance from the visitors who have, aside from a brief spell, dominated possession. They did have the slope in their favour, so will that give the home side some impetus in the second half?

​Both teams were out and ready way before the officials. Some of the Berko players giving the referee some stick because of the way he had urged them onto the pitch before the first half, warning them of a potential late kick off.
If Tring had aspirations to get back into the game they took a massive knock straight from the restart. Berkhamsted immediately hoisted the ball forward to Tabor who took a touch, shook off a challenge and struck a low drive past the keepers right hand. 1-4 and a hat-trick for the Berkhamsted player.
Tring, to their credit, once again tried to react to the goal immediately. They got themselves into a good position and when the ball found its way to Arnott inside the box with his back to goal, the striker was unlucky to see his sharp turn and shot strike the bar and bounce to safety. If that had gone in we may well have seen a different game but, as it was, the game then went a little flat for 20-30 minutes. Berkhamsted, being 4-1 up, were quite content to take a little breather, although they still managed to have the lion's share of the ball. Tring plugged away but maybe they thought the game was beyond them as well at this point? What no-one knew was that the teams had a grandstand finish lined up for us.

On 77 minutes, and with time running out for the home side, a ball from the left was played into the visitor's penalty area. Right-back Jake Plumridge had sneaked in at the back post and was there to nod the ball past Malone for 2-4 amidst a lot of complaints from the Berkhamsted players who thought one of their players had been fouled as the ball came into the box. I'll be honest, from my vantage point, they had a case. I thought it was a clear push. However, the referee thought otherwise and the goal stood. For the neutrals (or maybe the neutral. I may have been the only one) this was not a bad thing. Five minutes later, and with the home side starting to look as if they finally believed in themselves. it was 3-4. The Comrades failed to clear a corner and Ben Jenkins, showing remarkable perseverance, finally stabbed the ball home at the third attempt.
With two minutes of normal time remaining the comeback was complete. Plumridge on the mark again, cutting inside and drilling a low effort past the keeper. 4-4

Normal time was pretty much up but there was plenty of injury time following a fairly long delay for Berko captain Tommee Seaton, and a drinks break midway through the half. With the clock ticking down, Berkhamsted launched an attack but were thwarted at the edge of the box. It was a coming together between two players chasing the ball, hard to see clearly from the opposite end of the pitch, but the home defenders were adamant that it should not have been a free-kick. Nevertheless, that is exactly what it was, almost central and just on the edge of the box. Up stepped hat-trick man Tabor to smash a superb shot past the wall and goalkeeper to make it 4-5.

Time was well and truly against the home side, but they still had time to launch one more attack and almost snatched another equaliser when Imlagh's dramatic overhead kick came back off the post and the follow-up was eventually smothered by the keeper.
​
FT Tring Corinthians 4 Berkhamsted Comrades 5. A glorious afternoon of entertainment for a neutral, though I'm not so sure the coaching staff on either side would have enjoyed it too much.

Tring Corinthians: Sykes, Plumridge, Nevin, Sawyer, Jenkins, Bennett, Flynn(c), Vaughan, Burnett, Arnott, Mitetelu. Subs: Imlagh, Midwinter, Curtis, Banks, Bailey
Berkhamsted Comrades: Malone, Gaffney, Tomkins, Seaton(c), Nyembwe, Aldridge, Oppong, Hunnard, Carter, Stevens, Tabor. Subs: Olaniyan, Luke, Camara, Yeboah, Latchford

Ground Number: 275
Att: 20
Entrance: £3.00
Programme: N/A

After letting Twitter decide which game I went to this Wednesday, I found myself heading East on the 156 mile round-trip to the Fenlands and only my second ever Eastern Counties game. A narrow poll victory had selected Whittlesey Athletic v Downham Town over my other choice, Liphook United v Stockbridge in the Hampshire Premier League, but I've already made a note to get down to Liphook as soon as fixtures and time allows.
​
The Ground
Whittlesey Athletic play their home games at Feldale on the Eastern edge of Whittlesey, a small town 6 miles East of Peterborough in the Fenland district. 

​The ground is accessed by a short gravel track off the interestingly named Drybread Road. There is a reasonably large car park and parking available along the gravel lane. The entrance to the ground brings to in at the corner of the playing area, alongside the clubhouse which also has an snack bar accessible from outside. Aside from the main pitch there is another full size pitch, and several min-soccer pitches all surrounded, as you expect in the Fens, by open fields. That is except for the far side of the ground, opposite the clubhouse, which now has a brand new housing complex forming the backdrop. On the clubhouse side of the ground there is a small covered standing area constructed from scaffolding and on the opposite side there is a small covered seating area.
Did you know? - On the approach to the town of Whittlesey from the West you will pass the three largest inland wind turbines in the country, which apparently are used to power the McCain's factory which sits just off the main road into the town. So, not only are your oven chips more healthy but they area also at least partially produced with sustainable energy.

​ The Background
Whittlesey Athletic were only formed seven years ago, in 2014, as the result of a merger between Whittlesey United and Coates Athletic, Coates being a village just a mile or so East of Whittlesey. They joined the United Counties League in 2016 from the Peterborough & District League, but called it a day early in the season. They went back to the Peterborough League before re-joining the united Counties League in 2019. They played both abandoned season in the UCL before moving laterally to the Eastern Counties League Division One North for the start of this season.
Downham Town, hailing from the town of Downham Market, are Eastern Counties League veterans. They joined the league in 1988 as one of the founder members, also coming in from the Peterborough & District League. They have stayed in the same division ever since and are now in their 34th season at this level. Their best league position came 10 years after the league formed, in the 1998-99 season, when they finished third.
This season kicked off with both sides winning their opening fixture 1-0, Whittlesey at home to Great Yarmouth and Downham at Framlingham. As far as I can see there have been no previous meetings in competitive games although, as the clubs are not too far apart, they well have met in local cups or friendlies in the past.

​The Game
It was obvious right from kick-off that the home team were playing a narrow three at the back with wing backs pushed higher up the pitch. An attacking formation but one that left them a little exposed on their flanks defensively. It was also quite clear early on that Downham were prepared for this formation and were looking to exploit it, especially through the pace of their right-sided attacker Amon Kusirayi. As early as the 8th minute Kusirayi was set clear with a run on goal but Elliot Gale in the home goal was quick to react, coming off his line to make a good save. Six minutes later, as the away side continued to hold sway in terms of possession, Kusirayi turned provider, switching play to Ryan Pearson on the left, his intelligent lobbed effort from outside the box beat Gale but hit the top of the bar and went to safety.
The home side's first attempt of note came in the 20th minute when Jack Carter rose well at the near post directing a firm header narrowly wide. The effort sparked some reaction from his team mates and Athletic held onto possession a lot better for the next few minutes. Six minutes later Town goalkeeper Duncan McAnally had to react well to a deflected stab at goal, scooping the ball away from danger and something of a scramble in the penalty area.
Aside from these instances, clear cut chances remained at a premium. Downham continued to look for the ball over the top for Kusirayi but either the initial pass was wayward, the cross behind the attackers or the finish just not strong enough to bother Gale. It seemed as if we were heading for a goalless first half until Downham switched attacking focus, sending Pearson free down the left this time. His low, driven, cross was met by the unfortunate substitute defender Lewis Saunders running back towards his own goal. The ball rattled off the defenders foot and into the net. 0-1.

HT Whittesley Athletic 0 Downham Town 1. A half of few clear cut chances but those that came along were mainly for the away side who deservedly lead at half-time. Athletic, playing three at the back, were exposed down both flanks at times. The pace of Kusirayi in particular, provided an easy attacking option for Downham.

​Downham started quickly in the second half calling Gale into action after just three minutes, but the home stopper was equal to the task on this occasion, getting down well to keep his team in it. There minutes later, however, he was powerless to prevent the second goal going in as a half-blocked shot fell straight to Simon Bird in the centre of the area. He finished with ease to make it 0-2.
Downham looked to have control of the game at this point and it felt like it was only a matter of time before they got another goal. However, Athletic dug in a little and looked for a way back. Midfielder James Hill-Seekings tried to lead by example, picking the ball up in the centre of the pitch before dancing through the entire Downham backline, but as he bore down on goal McAnally was quick off his line to block the effort. Whittlesey made some changes and it was one of those, Matt Heron, who looked to have got them back in the game as we approached the last 20 minutes. Receiving the ball, inside the box, with his back to goal, the big striker swivelled and jabbed the ball in at the far post. 1-2.
​The goal certainly pepped up the home team. Until that point, in the second half, Downham appeared to be coasting to victory, but suddenly there was renewed belief in the home side as they pushed for an equaliser.

8​Credit to Downham though as they rolled their sleeves up and defended against the home side's push. 
Then after riding out the storm they hit Whittlesey with the killer blow on 79 minutes. Hunt's run down the right ended with a pull back to Bird who was left with a relatively simple tap in to make it 1-3. 
With only just over 10 minutes left it didn't appear that the home side would have enough to get back into it now. They didn't give up the ghost by any means but when they had a header cleared off the line in the 89th minute, Downham then broke very quickly, Kusirayi made a run to the left of the box and crossed for Joe Jackson to complete the scoring. 1-4.

FT Whittlesey Athletic 1 Downham Town 4. Downham deservedly retained their 100% start to the season as they prepare to travel to 7th placed Norwich CBS on Saturday. Athletic have another home game in which to pick themselves up as they entertain second-placed Diss Town.
When I saw my first Eastern Counties game at Godmanchester (Look East) a few years back I remember saying that I wanted to see more game sin the league. Unfortunately, most of the grounds are just that bit too far to reach on a weekday evening. However, I enjoyed my trip to Whittlesey and I am determined to get to a few more Eastern Counties games this season, even if it means getting home at midnight.

Whittlesey Athletic: E.Gale, Wilmer, Long, Pell(c), Cook, Moore-Papworth, Redhead, Hatfield, Carter, Hill-Seekings, Whittington. Subs: Saunders, Bellairs, Heron, Hailstone, O.Gale
Downham Town: McAnally, Reed, Hutton, Gould(c), Yates, Knowles, Kutsirayi, Hunt, Prentice, Bird, Pearson. Subs: Berry, Jackson, Butt, Oughton, Sykes

Ground Number: 274
Att: 83
Entrance: £4.00
Programme: N/A

​It's been a busy week of non-league since returning from holiday last week. After  a couple of Farindgon Thursday cup matches at Letcombe and Procision Oxford, both new grounds, I set off for a return visit to Haywood Way on Saturday in readiness for the FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round tie between Aylesbury Vale Dynamos and Longlevens. I have had two previous visits to the ground, both a long time ago and both to watch the previous incarnation of the homes team, Aylesbury FC. My first visit in 2013 say the home side thrash Woodford United 10-0, the second was a 1-0 home win over Daventry Town for The Moles in January 2015 (Moles Dig In), a result that saw them take top spot in the league.

The Ground
Structurally, I don't think much has changed at Haywood Way since my last visit. The stadium has been renamed to the Greenfleets Stadium and, as you would expect, the new club colours (yellow and blue) and logos have replaced the old Moles red and black. The ground is situated on the North-Eastern edge of the town just off the A41. Parking is quite limited at the ground but there is plenty of parking available in the roads around the stadium. The approach to the ground, on Haywood Way, leads to the clubhouse, which can be accessed from outside the ground. Access to the stadium is through a single turnstile to the right of the clubhouse. Inside the ground there is a snack/tea bar and, of course, access into the clubhouse. On the Haywood Way side there is also a covered seating area which appears to be two smaller stands next to each other. There is also a covered standing area behind the goal at one end of the goal. It is, and always has been, a really good example of a non-league football ground which unfortunately suffers from having the River Thame directly behind it. The river often floods, leaving the ground completely under water which must be a an absolute nightmare for the club, and probably explains why the clubhouse is raised above the playing surface. The pitch today, however, looked in perfect condition for this game.

​The Background
Even though this was my third visit to Haywood Way the blog format has changed considerably since the previous visits, which didn't inlcude much in the way of background. So, where to begin? Well, as we are approaching the end of the Olympics, maybe the best place to begin is with Stoke Mandeville Stadium which sits next to the hospital of the same name, just to the South of Aylesbury town centre. The stadium is the centre for disability sport and is widely acclaimed at the birthplace of the Paralympics. More significantly on a personal front, Stoke Mandeville Hospital is also the birthplace of my daughter, so it has a very special place in my life. Aylesbury can also boast its very own England super-striker. I am, of course, referring to Ellen White who was born in the town 32 years ago. Musically the town can lay claim to one of the quirkiest and most prolific live acts around in John Otway, who I have seen perform on many occasions, once or twice in Aylesbury's Queens Park Arts Centre.
Enough about Aylesbury though. If you want to know a little bit about Longlevens why not check out my blog, Sumas Squeezed Out, from my visit to Gloucestershire for the FA Vase tie between Longlevens and Wokingham & Emmbrook last October.
As for this FA Cup tie. The sides had not met before and neither have much of an FA Cup pedigree. For Dynamos, this was only their third campaign since the merger of Aylesbury and Bedgrove Dynamos in 2019. They passed this stage in that season before going out 5-4 at home to North Leigh. Last season they went down 2-1 at home to Windsor at this stage. In their previous incarnation as Aylesbury, the best they manged was in their first ever venture, reaching the 4th Qualifying round in 2009-10 before going out 4-2 at home to Wealdstone. Longlevens are into their 6th FA Cup campaign but have only reach Qualifying once, losing 2-0 at home to Portland United in 2019-20.

​The Game
The rain that had been threatening all day was still being held at bay as the FA Cup got under way here in Buckinghamshire. As this was my first visit to the the ground since the merger and name change, it was a little odd to see the away side playing in red and black, the colours of the old Aylesbury team. However, nowadays Vale Dynamos play in yellow shirts and blue shorts. They were defending the A41 end of the ground in the first half.
I think it is fair to say that, despite both sides playing some neat football in midfield at times, chances at either end were at a premium. Both captains, coincidentally both wearing number 8, Alfi Touceda for Aylesbury and Shaun O'Connor for Longlevens, did their best to drive their teams forward from midfield but neither could force a clear cut opening.
Longlevens edges the half, looking especially dangerous down their left flank where Charlie Holliday looked to have the beating of his defender. His raids down the left, however, were nullified by the Dynamos central defensive pairing of Terry Griffiths and Paul Bagatti, who mopped up everything at the back. Cam Williams was lively for Longlevens, buzzing around and always trying to make himself available, but his best work was in the centre of the pitch where once again the Aylesbury centre-back duo were more than capable of preventing any significant inroads.
In fact, the first time either goalkeeper got their knees dirty was in the 45th minute when a Joe Haswell free-kick for Levens was scooped around the post for a corner by Dan McAteer in the Aylesbury goal.

HT Aylesbury Vale Dynamos 0 Longlevens 0. Two closely matched teams, effectively cancelling each other out. Neither side has been able to a significant upper hand despite the away side edging the possession and looking dangerous down their left side. A half of very few clear cut chances.

​Levens showed their attacking intent early in the second period with Charlie Holliday firing narrowly wide in the 48th minute but the game soon settled back into a similar pattern as the first-half, with neither side able to establish firm control.
On 57 minutes Aylesbury created their best opportunity of the game when Touceda's perfect through ball found Callum Shortt bearing down on goal. McGuirk was quick off his line forcing Shortt to try a lob which beat the keeper but fell just wide of the far post. Hopefully this was a sign of the game livening up in terms of goal attempts.
Just past the hour mark this came to fruition. A Longlevens attack saw the ball fed to Joey Haswell on the right-hand edge of the penalty area. He unleashed a wicked drive which beat McAteer and appeared to hit both the underside of the bar and the far post as it clattered into the net. 0-1.

With just under 30 minutes left to play, Aylesbury needed to up their game and, although it took a few minutes for them to recover from going behind, this was exactly what they did. Touceda was again instrumental, prompting for the central midfield spot as the home side began to wind it up in search of the equaliser. Ten minute after going behind Dan Wilson came close with a header but saw a Levens defender get in the way to deflect the his effort away. Five minutes later Aylesbury had the chance they were looking for. Shortt's long-range effort was spilled by McGuirk. Shennan just about beat the keeper to the loose ball but lifted his effort just past the post. In a game of so few chances, that was probably going to be the best chance the home side had and that was how it proved to be. Despite huffing and puffing for the final 20 minutes, they could not engineer any more clear cut opportunities and the FA Cup dream was over at the first hurdle.

FT Aylesbury Vale Dynamos 0 Longlevens 1. There really was not a great deal to choose between the sides, who cancelled each other out for most of the game with the consequence that it was not the most thrilling of cup encounters. One piece of excellent finishing swung the game in the end.

Aylesbury Vale Dynamos: McAteer, Ball, Wilson, Bagatti, Griffiths, Oxley, Nugent, Touceda(c), Shennan, Pobbe, Shortt. Subs: Salmon, Boateng, Lemon, Mistretta, Clarke, Zammit, Carter
Longlevens: McGuirk, barnett, Long, Talbot, Westrip, C.Williams,O'Connor(c), Haswell, Martin, Holliday. Subs: Martin. Rea, Dunbar, B.Williams, Emery

Many thanks to the SevernSport team for letting me take a photo of the team sheets.

Ground Number: Re-Visit
Att: N/A
Entrance: £6.00
Programme: Online Only

​After taking in my first ever Faringdon Thursday Cup game at Letcombe on Monday night, it only seemed right to watch A Thursday Cup game on Thursday night too. So, off I went, heading for Tilsley Park in Abingdon (a new ground for me) to watch the clash between Procision Oxford and Saxton Rovers.

​The Ground
Tilsley park is a large sports facility on the Northern outskirts of Abingdon, just off the A34. The complex has an abundance of multi-sport pitches and is the base for Abingdon Hockey Club and Abingdon Athletics Club amongst others. There is a large car park in the centre of the facility, making it a short walk to any of the sports locations. The main stadium, which is where Procision play their games, is an artificial surface surrounded by a running track, with a large covered seating stand running the full length of the pitch on the car park side.
The complex is a superb sports facility for the town. It's not my ideal football location because supporters are a long way from the action, separated by the running track and, regardless of the financial benefits, I am still not the greatest fan of artificial playing surfaces. Having said that, I understand the need for clubs to play on 3G/4G pitches and I guess at times we are all grateful when games can be played even when a lot of grass pitches are waterlogged. Of course, with the Olympics still in full flow, it was somewhat apt to be at a match with a running track surrounding the pitch.

​The Background
In many ways this has been one of the more difficult blogs to research and write. Before the game I knew very little about either of these teams and, to be honest, I am still not much clearer. Procision Oxford are part of the Procision Football Academy is about to celebrate 10 years, having been founded in 2012. The academy, which provides football development and education, has a number of sites across the South of England and have links to local non-league teams in each of the areas they serve. The teams compete in various cups and regional leagues in each area.
As far as the Faringdon Thursday Cup is concerned, I couldn't see if Procision had entered before but I could see from the cup website, that they had definitely not reached a Final in the past. On the other hand, Saxton Rovers, who play in the North Berks League, do have something of a Thursday Cup pedigree. They have won the competition on five occasions, the first in 2003-04 and most recently in the 2018-19 season. One little bit of Thursday Cup trivia about Saxton Rovers, they have never lost a Final in this competition.
This game was something of a local derby with under 2.5 miles separating Tilsley Park from Saxton's Caldecott Recreation Ground home in the South of Abingdon.

​The Game
Once again this tournament does not use team sheets. Therefore I was restricted to numbers and names picked up from Twitter. As always, I am more than happy to make retrospective edits if I get sent names and corrections.

The game began with Procision pinging the ball around as you would expect from an academy team, with plenty of one and two touch moves, using the artificial surface to their advantage. Saxton really struggled to get a hold on the game at all in the opening minutes and you felt it was only a matter of time before the home side made their possession dominance pay off. However, we had to wait until the 16th minute for that to happen and, when it did, it came from a Rovers mistake rather than Procision precision. A loose pass inside the Rovers half gifted possession to Oxford's Connor Barrett who rounded the keeper with ease and slotted home for 1-0. An absolute gift from Rovers.
Only a minute later Procision should have made it two when, after a break up their left, an initial effort was blocked but the ball fell straight to Procision's Josh Hedges on the edge of the 6-yard box with the goal gaping. Unfortunately for him he could not control his volley, putting the ball over the bar.
It was all Procision at this point. Saxton players were working hard to get a foothold but not making any inroads into the Oxford half. The home side was putting together some excellent build-up play but lacked a a threat in the final third either through a sloppy final pass or from through balls running away from the strikers on the zippy surface.
Gradually Saxton were gaining some ground in the game and, as we approached half-time, were unlucky not to equalise. A shot from outside the box took a heavy deflection, wrong-footing the home keeper. He managed to get something on the shot but could only deflect it into the path of Saxton's Number 4 who had followed in. He put the ball into the net only for the assistant on the far side to flag for offside. 

HT Procision Oxford 1 Saxton Rovers 0. The home side played some delightful football in the first two-thirds but could not find an end product. The goal they did score, ironically, was from a defensive mistake. Saxton struggled to find a way into the game but, as the half drew on, they definitely started to make an impression. It could be an interesting contest in the second half.

​After only 5 minutes of the second half the home side stamped their authority. A lovely through ball set Casey Highmoor clear, he steadied himself before finishing clinically. 2-0. Four minutes later a very quick break down the left finished with the ball in the Saxton next only for an earlier flag to chalk the goal off. The relief for Rovers was short-lived though. A minute before the hour mark Josh Hedges, who had blasted the chance over in the first half, made amends by running form halfway, outpacing the defence and rounding the keeper with some ease to make it 3-0
A superb start to the second half for Procision. After Saxton had started to come back into the game towards the end of the first half, the home side clinically dealt with the threat.
Saxton, however, have been around too long to just sit back and take defeat. Two minutes after going three down they sprang back into life. Some hesitancy at the back allowed their Number 15 to nip in between defender and goalkeeper only to see his shot go narrowly wide. A warning for Procision which they did not heed. With 67 minutes on the clock the same Saxton player, Number 15, picked the ball up just outside the box. He wasn't closed down quickly enough allowing him time to drill a fine effort, low past the keeper's left hand. 3-1
The goal further sparked the away side's interest. Ten minutes later they came very close to reducing the deficit to one goal but a sharp save from the keeper and a great clearing header form the rebound shot saved the day. That proved to be Saxton's undoing as Procision went back up the other end and scored the goal of the game to put the game to bed. Once again it was a goal forged down the left. the ball was then squared to the centre of the box before being played out to the right again where Lucas Harry was coming in off the wing. He produced a sumptuous finish, drilling a shot back past the keeper into the top corner. 4-1

FT Procision Oxford 4 Saxton Rovers 1. In all honesty, the two quickfire goals at the start of the second half finished the game as a contest. However, Saxton never gave up on the game and, if they had managed to grab a second straight after pulling one back, it could have been a very different last 15 minutes.
Procision will now play Stanford in the Vale at Stanford on Thursday 12th August 6.30pm in the Quarter-Final.


Ground Number: 273
Att: N/A
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

Back from a week in Scotland and immediately keen to get back out on the road watching football, I had already pencilled in a fairly local grassroots tournament that I could raid for new grounds and new teams to watch, The Faringdon Thursday Memorial Cup tie between East Hendred and Letcombe. In a slight change of running order for my blogs, this week's offering starts with the background of the competition. For a full history it is well worth visiting the competition website history page - https://faringdonthursdaymcc.com/history/

In brief, the competition has been running since 1951 was originally known simply as the Faringdon Memorial Cup with profits being in aid of Faringdon playing fields. The origin of the competition gaining the Thursday moniker seems to have come from when shops would close early on Thursdays. Shopkeepers and assistants would meet to play football in a field in the town. These days the competition's surplus funds are donated to various charities, details of which can also be found on the website along with a collection of photos including the team photo from the original Faringdon Thursday Club team.
Highworth Town hold the record for the most number of wins with seven. However, not too far behind are Letcombe on six and local side Faringdon Town on five. Faringdon have also been runners-up up on four occasions.
The last of Letcombe's six wins came in the 2005-06 competition. Since then they have been runners-up on no fewer than five occasions including the three consecutive years after their last triumph and last season's event where they went down to Wantage Town Development in the Final just a few weeks ago (this was, in fact, the delayed 2019-20 Final. There was no competition last season). East Hendred's pedigree in the competition is far less spectacular. They reached the Final once, in the 2003-04 season, going down to Saxton Rovers. 

​The Ground
Although the game was officially a home tie for East Hendred it was taking place at Letcombe's Bassett Road ground.
Situated on the Western edge of the village of Letcombe Regis, just to the South-West of Wantage, Letcombe's ground is part of the village sports complex, adjacent to the village hall. As well as the football ground, there is a cricket pitch, tennis courts and a fair-sized clubhouse with a large patio area. It's an excellent facility, especially when you consider the village only had a population of 578 in the 2011 census.
The football pitch is on the edge of the sports complex on the far side of the cricket square from the clubhouse. There is a small covered seating stand, the Mark Bennett Stand, with dugouts situated alongside the stand. There is no more spectator cover although on the cricket pitch side there are several large trees which do provide some protection from rain (as I discovered in the second half).

​The Game
There was still some rain in the air and the threat of thunderstorms to come when the match kicked off. However, in direct contrast to the weather, the game got off to a blistering start. Only two minutes were on the clock when Letcombe's captain, Josh Fowler, was set free on the left side of the Hendred penalty area. his cross-cum-shot towards the far post did not trouble the keeper but it did fall directly into the path of Billy Tulloch at the far post, who made no mistake from close range. 0-1
Not to be outdone by Letcombe's quick start, East Hendred hit back and three minutes later were back on level terms when a cross from the right was half cleared to their number 9. Running away from goal to collect the ball, he swivelled quickly and, seeing the keeper off his line, crafted a lovely dipping shot over the keeper from 20 yards. 1-1
Somewhat unsurprisingly after two quickfire goals, the game became a little more cautious, with both sides learning from their early mistakes, tightening up at the back but also making the game a far more scrappy affair.
East Hendred had their keeper to thank just as we got to the halfway mark in the first half, getting down sharply to keep Fowler out. However, he could not repeat the act in the 35th minute when Fowler was played in on goal before finishing firmly. the keeper did get a hand on the shot but could not prevent it from crossing the line. 1-2. There were some complaints from the East Hendred team and bench because one of their players did appear to be fouled in the build up to the goal. Referee Paul Dick, who was always more than happy to engage with the players, was having no one it though and the goal stood.
The goal gave Letcombe a little boost and they pressed for a third before the break. The East Hendred keeper was again quick off his line to block an effort but then spilled the ball on the left hand edge of his area. Letcombe were quick to pounce but a combination of last ditch defending and a good recovery from the keeper kept the score as it was.

HT East Hendred 1 Letcombe 2. A very lively opening to the game which then became increasingly scrappy for most of the half. Letcombe just about on top, as indicated by the score-line, but overall it's a fairly even contest so far.

​Letcombe resumed the game with an increased vigour and just 8 minutes into the half they extended their lead. A cross from the right was only half-cleared and fell to Fowler on the edge of the box. He absolutely lashed it back past the keeper to make it 1-3. Great finish.
It was only in the second half that I managed to catch some of the interactions between the players and the referee. It was clear in the first half that this was an official who liked to talk to the players, keeping them informed of his decisions and the reasons behind them but I had to smile when I was able to catch one such conversation. After a free-kick was given to Letcombe there was clearly something said by the offending East Hendred player to which Mr Dick replied "Well, I didn't foul him, did I?". When the player responded, the referee was heard to say "Write to your MP then". This was all done in the correct tone, adding some humour into the situation and, in my opinion, a sign of very good refereeing.
Despite the game switching from one end to another for the majority of the second half, East Hendred never really looked to threaten the Letcombe goal. The approach play was pretty good but the final ball always seemed to let them down. Maybe a sign of early season rustiness?
We were into the last ten minutes when the next major incident occurred. Letcombe were awarded a penalty. This set up a one on one between the East Hendred goalkeeper and Letcombe captain Josh Fowler. There had been some words exchanged between the two players at a couple of points in the second half and both had a point to prove. On this occasion it was the goalkeeper who came out on top, diving low to his left to make an excellent save, denying Fowler his hat-trick. The striker, however, did have the last word a few minutes later when the referee blew to signal the end of the game and a Letcombe victory.

FT East Hendred 1 Letcombe 3. A fairly comfortable second half for the team in purple. They now go on to the Quarter-Finals where they will face Wantage Town Development in a repeat of last season's Final.

Ground Number: 272
Att: 30 (manual count)
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A