​Three weeks ago Base of the Pyramid was at Hartpury University to see the hosts play their first ever home game at Step 6. The evening looked to be going perfectly for them until the floodlights failed in the 82nd minute (Acorns Growth Left In the Dark). The reason I mention this is that Hartpury gained promotion by winning the Herefordshire County Premier League last season. Runners-up to them were Ledbury Town, and that's exactly where BotP headed to this Tuesday evening. See, there is some method behind the madness.

The Ground
Ledbury's New Street ground lies just to the South-West of the town centre. They have played there since 1934 after a having the site donated to them by a local businessman. Parking at the ground is quite limited but it was easy enough to find a spot on New Street only a short walk from the entrance. Most of the features of the ground are at the car park end. Entrance to the ground is through a gate off the car park which brings you in close to the corner of the pitch. Behind the car park end goal is a fairly large clubhouse which also has covered standing directly in front of it and a small covered seating area between the clubhouse entrance and the entry gate. To the left hand side of the ground, the cemetery side, is the main stand which features covered seating and straddles the halfway line. Opposite the main stand are the dugouts, brightly labelled home and away. This side of the ground is not accessible to spectators and is very tightly bordered by fencing. The pitch has quite a slope down towards the clubhouse end. All in all New Street has the feel of a proper, old-style non-league ground. Well worth a visit if you haven't been.

The Background
Ledbury's recent history, certainly from the turn of the century, has been turbulent to say the least. In the early noughties they won the West Midlands Regional league Division One title and got to the 4th Round of the FA Vase. However, despite these successes the club has twice resigned from the league and re-formed since then. Now, back in the Herefordshire League system for nearly a decade they have established themselves as a top-half Premier League outfit. In the last two completed seasons they have managed third place and, last season, runners-up to Hartpury. This season has started very well for The Friesians who were coming into this first home game under the lights this season on the back of a 100% record after two games. An opening day 2-0 defeat of Holme Lacy was followed by a a resounding 5-0 win at Coppertops, leaving them sitting in second place to Kington Town.
Worcester United are newly promoted to the Premier League after winning Division One last season. They finished three points clear of Fownhope, who also went up, despite losing twice to their nearest rivals. The club is celebrating its 10th anniversary this season and has made steady progress over the past decade, winning Division Two at the first attempt the previous season when still known as Lower Teme & Martley United. They opened their season with a narrow 4-3 home defeat to Wellington Rangers after leading 3-1 and losing it in the final five minutes. A tough introduction to the Premier League.

​The Game
Ledbury, kicking down the slope in the first half, were very quickly out of the blocks. Within the first 30 seconds Worcester's goalkeeper had to be alert to block a Cosmin Micula drive from ten yards. The home side clearly meant business and they so nearly went ahead ahead on the 10 minute mark. A long punt down the middle from goalkeeper Alex Goode caused some hesitation between the visitor's keeper and covering defender. Tom Boyle nipped in between them, getting a tow to the bouncing ball, diverting it past the oncoming stopper but just wide of the post. Three minutes later, following a bit of pinball in the United box, Chris Wickham saw his snapshot clip the outside of the post and go wide. Ledbury were getting closer.
However, they could not rest on their laurels. Just past the quarter-hour, Worcester registered their first effort on target when Number 10 drilled a shot straight into the arms of Goode. A warning for The Friesians that Worcester could pose a threat.
As if to show they understood this, Ledbury were quickly on the front foot again. Worcester's keeper had to be on his toes to turn a Boyle effort onto the post and away for a corner after 20 minutes. However, his efforts were soon to be in vain as, from the ensuing corner, Ryan Pugh rose highest to glance a header into the net.  There was a definite suspicion that the last touch came off a defender but that wasn't going to deter Pugh from a display of acrobatics to celebrate. 1-0
Almost from the restart it was Goode's turn to show his goalkeeping skills, saving well from Worcester's Number 8. However, it was Ledbury who continued to look the more dangerous of the teams. On 35 minutes a corner was just a fraction too high for Boyle as he headed over from inside the 6 yard box. So close to a second goal but Boyle wasn't disappointed for long. A minute later he picked the ball up some 25 yards out, just to the left of goal, steadied himself and unleashed an unstoppable effort into the far corner. 2-0. 
There was still enough time for captain Joel Skyers to unleash an effort just over the bar from just outside the box, before the referee drew the half to a close.

HT Ledbury Town 2 Worcester United 0. A good display from the home side playing down the slope. They should probably have been going into the break with more than a two goal lead. Worcester, who stayed out on the pitch at the break, would need to change things for the second period.

​Sure enough, Worcester looked reinvigorated at the start of the second half, especially with the advantage of the slope in their favour. Having said that, it was the hosts who almost struck again early one but Worcester's keeper was in the right place at the right time to stop Thomson.
From that point onwards, Worcester started to take control of possession. After 52 minute Goode was called upon to make a very good reflex save as Worcester managed to get their centre-forward in behind the home defence.
Ledbury finding the going much more difficult in the second half and are spending long periods penned in their own half. However, try as they might, Worcester were finding it very hard to find a way through the home defence. Just before the hour mark they got a great chance when a a corner was nodded just over from close range but that was as close as they got.
With just over twenty minutes remaining Ledbury launched a counter-attack. Boyle's shot from the edge of the box was too hot for the keeper to hang onto but, unfortunately for the home side, Burns could only put the loose ball over the bar. That was the chance to put the game to bed and, with Worcester now throwing everything at them, Ledbury could have done with the extra goal cushion. Two minutes later the missed opportunity took on more significance as the visitors finally got themselves on the score sheet. A corner from the left caused chaos in the home box and, after a bit of a scramble, the ball was slid across from the left and turned in at the near post by Joshua Lloyd. 2-1
It looked as if we were all set up for a grandstand finish but, as the game got more and more scrappy and tensions rose, the home defence held strong and saw out the final few minutes.

FT Ledbury Town 2 Worcester United 1. Definitely a game of two halves. After dominating the first 45 minutes, Ledbury were then forced to dig deep by a strong Worcester effort in the second half. All in all, it was a long (a near 200 mile round trip) but enjoyable first venture into the Herefordshire League and, what's more, the home side's win gave me a chance to reference a 90s band in the blog title. Ledbury remain in second but only on alphabetical order as they have an identical record to leader's Kington Town. Worcester drop to 13th and are still looking for their first point in the Premier League.
If you want to catch either of these sides in action this weekend, both are at home on Saturday. Ledbury take on Clee Hill United (ko 14:30) whilst Worcester welcome third-placed Hereford Pegasus Reserves to The Old Porcelain Ground in a late kick-off (16:30)

Ledbury Town: Goode, Wickham, Taylor, Jeynes, Trigg, Griffiths, Skyers(c), Febery, Boyle, Pugh, Micula. Subs: Morgan, Thomson, Skidmore, Burns, Watkins

Worcester United(squad): Banner, Callum, Heron, Higgins, B.Morgan, Morri, Tomkins, Williams-Howells(c), Windsor, Easterlow, Garton. Subs: Abbott, Evans, Lloyd, C.Morgan, Turberfield

Ground Number: 323
Att: 
Entrance: £3.00
Programme: N/A

Last season I took in quite a few Northants Combination games one of which was eventual Champions Roade taking on Moulton in the lead up to Christmas. Roade won 4-1 that day (Roade Works) but the score line didn't fully reflect the game in which Moulton certainly played their part in a thoroughly entertaining afternoon. I had planned to visit Moulton later in the season but ran out of time. So, after the club attained promotion to Step 6 for the first time in their history, it only seemed right to get a trip to Brunting Road in early this season. What better opportunity than a Tuesday evening game against another Step 6 newcomer, Rugby Borough.

The Ground
Moulton's Brunting road ground is situated just to the West of the village of Moulton and a few miles North East of Northampton. The club, formed in 1896, moved to their current home in 1953 and have steadily improved the facility including the installation of a 3G pitch in 2018. There is ample parking available in the large car park adjacent to the ground. Entry is through a gate off the car park where you can also pick up a very nicely presented, if not slightly expensive for this level, printed programme. Once inside the ground you find yourself in a patio area between the clubhouse and pitch. The playing area is raised slightly above the level of the clubhouse, accessible via a few stairs or a ramp access. The ground features covered seating in a small stand on the car park side with dugouts on the far side of the pitch. The whole ground, car park, clubhouse and pitch has a very clean and new feel to it. There are plenty of Moulton logos around the ground, on the back of the stand overlooking the car park and on the fencing surrounding the ground. This all gives the ground a professional, well organised feel. Aside from the first team, Moulton also has a thriving junior section, offering youth football under the Moulton Magpies identity, from under 5 through to under 18 and ultimately (hopefully) into the adult team.

​The Background
As stated in the introduction, both of these sides are playing at Step 6 for the first time in their history. In the case of Moulton that is over 100 years whereas Rugby Borough were formed in 2017. Both clubs gained promotion to the Spartan South Midlands Division One during at the end of last Summer. Moulton came through the Northants Combination League, finishing 3rd last season. Borough won the Leicestershire Senior League finishing 14 points clear of second-placed Allexton & New Parks. Both sides have started life at Step 6 very well. Rugby Borough were coming into the game in seventh spot after two wins and one defeat from their first three. This came on the opening day when they went down 3-2 at Amersham Town. Striker Sam Lockley, with 5 goals in the first 3 games, was the league's top scorer before kick-off. Moulton sat third in the table, only kept off top spot on goal difference, after three straight wins including an excellent 2-1 at London Tigers last time out. Joe Evans led their scoring charts with three, all coming in the 6-0 win over Thame United Reserves.

​The Game
As you would expect of a team with a 100% record, Moulton started full of confidence. They created the first real opportunity of the game in the third minute when the ball was fed to Joey Evans on the left side of the box. he cut inside but put his shot wide of the target. That proved to be a "sighter" for the Magpies striker. Four minutes later, following a slick move down the right, the ball reached Derrick Okoye on the right-hand edge of the box. His low cross towards the near post was deftly flicked past Niall Shackleton by Evans. 1-0.
The goal seemed to spark more action from Rugby than it did from the home side. On 12 minutes, Borough showed that they had found more of a rhythm when Gerard McGehey got their first strike on target. Two minutes later there was even more promise. This time Thomas Glascoe tried his luck, driving inches over from just outside the box.
The visitors were now playing some flowing football and Moulton were struggling to get to grips with them. Just past the 20 minute mark Borough were awarded a free-kick some 25 yards out and slightly to the left of centre. Ash piper stepped up a drilled a stinging effort past the wall only to find Magpies stopper Filipe Mederios equal to it, palming the ball away to safety. Then as we passed the halfway stage in the first period McGehey came close again after being played in one on one, he put his effort over the bar as a challenge came in from a defender. From my angle at the opposite end of the pitch it looked as if McGehey was caught as he took the shot but the referee was not having any of it and, to be fair, there were limited calls from the Borough players. It was all Rugby at this stage though. Since going behind they had really stepped it up and were now well in control of the game, despite being a goal behind.
Half an hour gone and another Borough chance went begging. A low cross from the left eluded attackers and defenders alike before falling to Tom Bishop at the far post. Once again though, his effort did not force the keeper into action. having squandered two or three good chances, would Borough be made to pay. Well, on 35 minutes the answer was yes as they fell for a sucker punch all of their own making. After being on the back foot for the last 20 minutes or so, Moulton launched a raid of their own. Evans was bundled off the ball in the box amidst claims for a penalty. Nothing given. The Moulton player stayed down to adjust his shin pads after the challenge. Meanwhile the Borough keeper, Niall Shackleton, had the ball at his feet on the edge of the box. Evans got to his feet, ran around the keeper, stealing the ball off him, before lofting over the retreating stopper to make it 2-0.
Credit to Rugby at this point. heads did not drop and within two minutes they finally got the goal their efforts had deserved. The ball was played in to Sam Lockley unmarked in the centre of the penalty area. He turned sharply and fired past Mederios despite loud protestations of offside from the home defence. The referee was quick to react as Moulton defenders headed in the direction of the assistant and the goal was given. 2-1. 

HT Moulton 2 Rugby Borough 1. A good first half. Moulton started the better and got in front but then had to sustain relentless pressure from their visitors, who somehow couldn't get the ball in the net. Moulton got two in front with an extraordinary goal before Rugby pulled a goal back juts before the break. Finely poised for the second half.

Within a few seconds of the restart Moulton came mightily close to making it three as a long ball through the middle found Okoye running through on goal. However, Shackleton was quick off his line and threw himself acrobatically to his right to push the goal bound effort away. Great save. Action quickly switched to the opposite end as Borough launched a raid up their right culminating in Thomas Glascoe drilling in the equaliser. 2-2
In an absolutely breathless start to the second period, Moulton then almost grabbed another goal when Evans was put in on the left before dragging his cross shot narrowly wide of the far post. It was end to end stuff.
Still only in the seventh minute of the second half Moulton did get their noses back in front. After being pushed back by Rugby they won the ball back deep inside their own half and broke very quickly. The ball found Andy Hall on the right side of the box and, with defenders already stretched and dragged across towards home, he deftly set up Shad Reza for a relatively simple finish. 3-2.
The sides were not finished there though. We were still under the hour mark when Borough were awarded a free-kick  just outside the box. Ash Piper, who had already stung the keeper's hands in the first half, stepped up again, this time drilling his effort under the jumping wall and past Mederios. 3-3.

​Now it was the visitors who had their tails up again. A minute after the hour they came within a whisker of going in front when a low cross was met bravely by the diving head of Adam Shaw well inside the 6 yard box. However, Mederios was equal to the point blank range effort, saving well and pushing the ball back against the striker and away for a goal kick.
And breathe...but not for long.
This was a game that had everything and the action wasn't about to stop. Another long through ball from Moulton caught out the Borough defence. Okoye was again onto it, bursting through on goal only to be hauled down by Bradley Harris. A clear goal scoring opportunity and an obvious straight red for the Rugby defender. Worse still for Borough, it was in the area. Penalty. Joey Evans stepped up and made no mistake and another hat-trick for the Moulton man. 4-3
On 73 minutes Moulton effectively sealed the points and they did it in style with a lovely flowing move. Former Blisworth striker George Wingrove, on as substitute, was fed the ball on the right side of the penalty area. He cleverly slipped the ball inside for the underlapping full-back Cole Mason who kept his cool and stroked the ball past Shackleton. 5-3.
The points now secured, the game calmed down a little. However, there was still time for Evans to top off an eventful evening with a second yellow card. Then, with both sides now down to 10 men, there was still just about enough time for Moulton's Claston Gordon to cut inside and clatter an effort off the post before the referee drew a close to a superb game.

FT Moulton 5 Rugby Borough 3. What a start from the Magpies. Four games, four wins and a goal difference of 11. In most circumstances this would be enough to lead the table. However, after wins for Real Bedford and Ampthill Town, Moulton remain in third spot. Rugby can think themselves a little unlucky to lose this game, although you could also say you make your own luck. if they had taken their chances when on top in the first half, who knows what would have happened. They have a break from league action this weekend as they travel to Eccleshall in the FA Vase. Moulton get a well earned rest for a week before they continue their league campaign at Letchworth Garden Eagles on September 3rd.

Moulton: Mederios, Mason, Gordon, Mullaly, Jackson, Boateng(c), Weston, Hall, Okoye, Reza, Evans. Subs: McMillan, Macarthy, Wingrove, Demirci

Rugby Borough: Shackleton, King, Pipwr, Proudlock(c), Harris, O'Dwyer, Glascoe, Bishop, Lockley,  Halim, McGahet. Subs: Shaw, Castleton, Barrett, Linton, Reeve


Ground Number: 322
Att: 136
Entrance: £5.00
Programme: £2.00

Ash Piper fires home a free-kick

​Tuesday evening saw BotP heading East for the first time this season, towards the village of Somersham, just North of St Ives and on the Western edge of The Fens. Somersham Town had been on my list of teams to visit for well over a season, so it was high time for a trip and a Tuesday evening Cambridgeshire Senior A League encounter with newly promoted AFC Emneth was a perfect opportunity. Not only a new ground and two new teams to watch, but also my first venture into the Cambridgeshire League structure.

The Ground
Somersham, The Westenders, unsurprisingly play their home games at The West End Ground on the Western extremities of the village. The ground sits just off the High Street behind West End Garage and has been home to the club since they purchased the land in 1960. There is a good sized car park at the ground, although locals tend to avoid parking too close behind the clubhouse end goal for obvious reasons. The clubhouse itself looks straight down the ground which features two covered spectator areas. On the West End side, to the left of the club house, there is a small covered standing area. Opposite this there is another covered stand which also incorporates the dugouts. The pitch looked to be pretty flat, if not quite dry following the recent hot spell. It also appears that there is a thriving mole population locally. Largely bounded by trees and greenery, there is very much a rural feel to the ground. Not too surprising given it's location.

​The Background
Last season these two sides were two divisions apart. Somersham, formed in 1893, dropped into Senior A after finishing second from bottom in the Premier League last season. The club played at Step 6, Eastern Counties Division One, between 1988 and 2004 before joining the Cambridgeshire League. 
AFC Emneth, only formed in 2017 and originally playing in the North West Norfolk structure under the name AFC Warpole, came up from Senior B last season, winning the league at a canter. They finished 12 points ahead of second-placed Cambridge University Press Reserves and only lost twice in the league, including a 100% home record. This seems to have been their third consecutive promotion, rising from League 2B, through 1B and the Senior B last season. 
My research also found a couple of interesting facts about Emneth. Firstly, Farmer Tony Martin, who was famously convicted for the murder of a burglar at his farm in 1999, lived in Emneth Hungate. Secondly, The Reverend Wilbert Awdry, creator of Thomas the Tank Engine wrote many of his books whilst living in the old vicarage in Emneth. This was of particular interest to me because my daughter went through a phase of reading every Thomas book some years back. We still have a cupboard full of them.

​​The Game
The visitors, resplendent in Palermo-esque pink shirts, had clearly come with a game plan and were quick to establish their own style of play. A sharp passing game when in possession complemented with a high press when out of possession. It became obvious early on that they were very well drilled with every player knowing exactly what their responsibilities were in all phases of play. The hosts in their all blue kit (were both sides playing in change kits?), struggled to find a rhythm and were not allowed to settle at all by their visitors.
As Emneth started to get their range Toby Allen gave us a brief glimpse of what was to come when he stung the hands of Ryan Wilson with a rasping drive on 13 minutes. Not to be outdone though, Somersham came close three minutes later when Robert Read's looping effort landed on the roof of the Emneth net. It was to be the closest they came for some time as The Honey Badgers began to take control of the game.
With 17 minutes gone a flowing Emneth move was partially halted by the home defence but, when the ball was fed back to Luke Cable his curling, deep cross eluded both defenders and goalkeeper to find Jake Miller lurking at the back post. 0-1. 
The visitors were now well into their stride, stroking the ball around and looking dangerous. However, to be fair to Somersham, they stood firm at the back. That was until just before the clock ticked over the half-hour mark when Niall Burton got hold of the ball around halfway. He drove forward before lofting a ball in behind the defence for Brendan Burton to run onto. He used his pace to beat his defender before sliding the ball past Wilson. 0-2
Emneth were rampant now. Another fast paced attack saw Burton unleash a drive from the edge of the area which took a slight deflection off a defender before hitting the far post and going for a corner. Somersham cleared the resulting corner but their relief was short-lived when on 33 minutes Emneth grabbed a third goal with almost a carbon copy of their first. Once again Cable was given way too long to measure a deep cross. The only difference was that this time it was the head of Toby Allen that guided the ball into the net. 0-3
Shell-shocked Somersham managed to re-group and in the 42nd minute Read, who had created their best chance so far, was played in on left but although his low drive beat Groves, it also beat the far post. A little hope for the hosts though. It showed they could cause Emneth some problems.
However, if going in three down at the break wasn't bad enough, Emneth were not quite finished and, once again the danger came from the right. This time it was a long throw into the box, nodded on and finished by a brave diving header from Luke Ablett. 0-4

HT Somersham Town 0 AFC Emneth 4. A superb display of attacking prowess from the visitors. Quick, accurate passing and clinical finishing. Somersham never got going and didn't help themselves by giving the ball away cheaply and not closing down the Emneth players quickly enough. A bit of a nightmare for the hosts but, as a neutral, the Emneth performance was a joy to watch.

​Emneth were back out very early for the 2nd period. I guess there was not much for the coach to say. As a junior coach myself, that's the sort of half-time talk I dream of having to give. No formation changes, no tweaks to the game plan, just carry on as you did in the first half.

It was clear from comments overheard from their players in the first half that Somersham had identified some of their problems early on, one of which was giving the ball back to Emneth too cheaply. However, if they had planned to correct this, the plan fell apart as early as the ninth minute of the second period when, attempting to play out from the back, the Ementh high press once again forced them into turning over possession. Brendan Burton won the ball back, fed it inside to Toby Allen and he duly obliged by sweeping the ball home. 0-5
A minute later it was almost a sixth and this time it was all the making of the visitors, or more specifically substitute Joel Mattless. He was teed up by a cut back from Allen before unleashing a thunderous drive which crashed off the Somersham bar. It was some strike met with a comment of "Thank god that never went in" from the Emneth Twitter feed who were clearly enjoying themselves now. 
The reprieve didn't last too long though. The Somersham bar had only just stopped rattling when 8 minutes later Emneth did make it six. It was another substitute, Jamie Leet, who applied the finishing touch after being fed the chance by Allen. 0-6. The visitor's second-half display was not as dominant as the first, although their levels of effort didn't seem to drop. Somersham, however, are made of strong stuff and, despite the score line their heads didn't seem to drop. They plugged away and made one or two more chances in the second half, almost thwarted by the well organised Honey Badgers defence. As a neutral I wanted Town to at least get a consolation for their efforts and it was, in fact, a Somersham player who got the final goal of the night. Unfortunately, on an evening when nothing went their way, it was scored at the wrong end. An Emneth corner was delivered into the mix from the right where it clipped the head of a Town defender on it's way into the net. 0-7 OG.

FT Somersham Town 0 AFC Emneth 7. Most of the damage was done in the first half when Emneth were irresistible at times. If they can keep this level of energy up in all of their games, they are going to take some stopping this season. Both sides are back in action on Saturday. Emneth travel to Soham Town Rangers Reserves whilst Somersham have the chance to restart their season as they welcome Cherry Hinton Reserves to the West End.

Somersham Town: Wilson, Hisher, L.Sterna, Harris, Bellchamber(c), Neal, D.Sterna, Whitfield, Hodson, Read, Wiggins-Browne. Subs: Morris, Asby, Meads, Browne

AFC Emneth: Groves, Cable, Ablett, Hall, Ogden(c), Reed, Hinton, Miller, B.Burton, N.Burton, Allen. Subs: Whyatt, Hopkisson, Leet, Mattless, Wright


Ground Number: 321
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

The Southern Region Women's League will be running two leagues at Division 1 level for 2022/23. Last season there was just the Premier League and Division 1 South. This season there will be both North and South leagues at the second tier. The new division will consist of eight teams. Five coming from the Thames Valley Counties League, two transferring from Division 1 South and a relegated side from the Premier Division. Throughout the season BotP will be issuing weekly updates about the league, featuring game previews, match reports (if possible) and comments from the clubs wherever possible. Meanwhile, to whet your appetite, here is a preview of the eight clubs involved (last season's league and position in brackets):
​

​Carterton Town (Thames Valley Counties Division 1 - 2/9)
Carterton Town Ladies finished second in the Thames Valley League Division 1 last season. A very creditable league position that came on the back of several successful seasons where the team had slipped below third place since the 2017-18 season's sixth spot. They only lost four in the league, two of which came against runaway champions Badshot Lea. The club had this to say about the new season - "At Carterton we are really looking forward to starting our campaign in the Southern Region Division 1 North. It is great for the club and will be a good challenge for the players. Unfortunately we have had some players depart, however rebuilding is going well and we can’t wait to get started. We are hoping that playing at this level will also attract some local talent and we can progress further in the future."

Caversham United (Thames Valley Counties Division 1 - 6/9)
One of my favourite games of last season was the Women's FA Cup clash between QPR and Caversham United (Blues and Twos). The Goats went down 4-0 in the end but the team, to a woman, gave everything on the day. It was certainly no disgrace to lose to a very well organised and talented side three steps above them in the pyramid.
Goats manager Georgia Graham had this to say about the forthcoming challenge - "The team are really excited at the prospect of playing in the SRWFL Div. One North next season. We’ve been back in training now since the beginning of July and our pre-season is taking shape nicely. We’ve had 3 friendlies so far, all really good workouts for the ladies and some impressive performances. We’ve upped our training regime from last season and everyone is working hard ready for our opening game against Kidlington."

Eversley & California (Southern Region Division 1 South  - 10/10)
Eversley & California are another team that came through the Thames Valley League but, unlike this season's other joiners, they entered the Southern Region League last season in Division One South. Last season wasn't their greatest as they struggled a little at this level, finishing bottom of the league with three wins and a draw from their eighteen outings. However, the experience of playing at this level will no doubt stand them in good stead this year.

Kidlington (Thames Valley Counties Division 2 - 1/10)
The Greens are the team making the biggest leap for the new season, having played two divisions below last year. They did, however, win Division Two at the first time of asking having been promoted from the newly created Division 3 West the previous season. They showed their title winning potential in January and, although not the game that actually attained the league for them, the 4-1 win at closest rivals Slough Town  was probably the point that Kidlington staked their title claim. The following week BotP had the privilege to see Kidlington play Caversham United in the League Cup (Greens Fed To The Goats). The Goats eventually ran out 4-1 winners but, as I said in the full time round-up, Kidlington really made them work for the win and certainly showed they are capable of competing at this level.

Long Crendon (Thames Valley Counties Division 1 - 3/9)
Long Crendon finished third in the Thames Valley League Division 1, just a point shy of Carterton. However, looking at the current form table for the end of last season, Long Crendon were the team who ended with a flourish, taking 13 points from their last 18 available, scoring 12 and only conceding 3. I'm sure they will be looking to take that sort of form into the new season.

Milton United (Southern Division 1 South - 9/10)
Like Eversley & California, Milton United played in the Division One South last season after joining the league alongside their former Thames Valley league-mates last season. They too struggled a little at this level, finishing second from bottom, a point above Eversley but, as with Eversley, an extra season of experience at this level will have done them no harm whatsoever.

Penn & Tylers Green (Thames Valley Counties Division 1 - 4/9)
Penn & Tylers Green were the only team to beat Badshot Lea in the league last season and also took the Berks & Bucks Trophy with a 3-0 victory over Caversham United, a game that BotP was lucky enough to watch (Merritt Award). 
Women's team coach and club Chairman Nigel Miller had this to say - "We have made meteoric progress over the last 2 seasons. Winning Div 3 of the Thames valley , being promoted to Div. 1 and coming 4th. We also won the B and B Women's trophy last year. Being promoted to the Southern League is a great reward for the work of the players and everyone at the club. We will now play at the same level as our men's team (step 6 ) and will play in the FA Cup for the first time. Preseason is going very well and we played Badshot last Sunday running out 4-2 winners in an excellent match. We are very proud of what we have achieved over the last 10 years since I set up the girls and ladies section and the club. Have supported us all the way. We are one of the only clubs in the area which treats the ladies equal to the men, ie no subs, play on the same main pitch etc. We are looking forward to a great season ahead, new challenges new teams to visit and goals to achieve.  Player wise we have added 5 of our U18 players from last year plus two 16 year old players into the squad which is excellent for them and the club."

Woodley United (Southern Region Premier - 9/9)
Woodley may well be seen as the pre-season favourites. Having come down from the Premier League last season they have certainly got the edge when it comes to experience at this level of the game.
BotP caught up with United coach Marc Surtees - "Pre-season has gone well for us. Having been relegated last season the aim was to rebuild this season and attract new players. We have been regularly getting 15-16 players at training  which is good considering it is holiday season. The ladies have worked hard during training and it’s good to see them smiling at the end of each session. We have managed to attract new players and entice players that left to come back. There are still a couple of signings required but hopefully they will happen soon. We have had 2 pre-season matches  so far and it has been good to give everyone good minutes on the pitch. The result don’t matter to me, it’s about getting used to each other and playing again. I have been impressed with what I have seen so far in the matches. The ladies have really taken on board how we want to play.
Objectives for the season, I am sure a lot would say we want to win the league and I would go along with that but my main aim is to be competitive in the league, keep a good team spirit with good competition for places and with that, hopefully we can bring success to the team."
​

.Fixtures for the opening day. All 14:00 KOs.

Kidlington v Caversham United
Exeter Park, OX5 1AG

Milton United v Long Crendon
Potash Lane, Milton Heights, OX14 4XB

Penn & Tylers Green v Carterton Town
French School Meadow, Elm Road, Penn, HP10 8LG

Woodley United v Eversley & California
University of Reading Bulmershe Pavilion, Woodlands Avenue, Woodley, RG5 3HE

(please let me know if any of these details are incorrect)

If you wish to follow the teams:
 
@kidlingtonyfcl
@CavershamUtdWFC
@MiltonUtdLadies
@LongCrendonLFC
@Penn_football 
@Ctownladies
@WoodleyUtdLFC
@EversleyCaliFC
@SthRgnWFL

I am hoping to get to see all of the teams in action over the course of the season but the success of this blog will depend upon content coming from the clubs and supporters. If you have anyone who writes match reports for your club or takes photos of matches, I will be more than happy to either reproduce the articles (with full credit of course) or add links to them in the weekly updates.
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to Edition 1.
Let's make this THE weekly blog for Division 1 North. With well over 5,000 Twitter followers BotP can provide a good platform to get the word out. Women's football is the future. Let's #MakeAD1N.

My choice of game this Tuesday was a tough one. I changed my mind several times in the course of the day. Should I take in an FA Cup replay? Should I head North, South, East or West? Eventually I settled upon the game that had been at the top of my original options list, Hartpury University v Malmesbury Victoria. The reasons for choosing this game were a) it was a new ground in rural Gloucestershire, so may as well make the most of a warm Summer evening to drive through the Cotswolds, and b) Newly promoted Hartpury were playing their first ever home game at this level and had won their opening game 6-1 at Newent.
I'd never seen Hartpury play before but I have seen Malmesbury's first team play twice before  at Calne Town in October 2016 (Webb Double Sinks Vics) and at home to Chippenham Park August 2017 (Flying Visit). I also saw their Development team play at Wickwar Wanderers in June 2021 (The End Of The War)  and in the Cricklade Cup Final versus Chesterton (Fitting Final Finale).

The Ground
Hartpury University FC somewhat unsurprisingly play within the grounds of the Hartpury College campus, just outside the village of Hartpury to the North West of Gloucester. This is the club's first season at this level and, indeed was their first home game. There are building works happening in the campus which means that what is normally a one-way system around the college is currently two-way. Cars entering the ground were met by a university staff member who guided us to the main car park and pointed out where the pitch was by highlighting the floodlights to the right of the car park. Beware for now, there aren't any signs directing supporters from car park to pitch and many did the same as me, walked across an adjoining rugby pitch. However, the actual route should have been down the hill past the Alpas Arena (which is where the spectator toilets are located). Not that it caused any great problem (although, the other route did bypass the turnstile. Note: I walked back to the turnstile, paid my entrance and picked up a programme). There is a small covered stand on one side of the ground but no other spectator shelter. Dugouts are on the opposite side to the covered stand as are the refreshment stands one of which is something that I have not seen at a football ground before, a mobile pizza truck complete with a pizza oven. The pitch was absolutely immaculate which, as we were to witness later, is exactly how this team would like it given their style of play.
I'm guessing that Hartpury will be a popular ground for hoppers this season given it is their first season at Step 6. They have a decent setup and a very good pitch. The pizza oven may well prove to be a popular attraction too. If I had to make any critical observations it would be the lack of signage from car park to pitch and the fact that team sheets are not displayed anywhere (this is always a popular feature with groundhoppers). However, this was their first ever home game at this level, so plenty of time to improve.

​The Background
Hartpury's football club was only founded in 2020. They played in the Herefordshire County League for their first season, and what a season it was! Over a 20 game season they finished with a 100% record, 19 points ahead of second placed Ledbury Town and with a goal difference of +107, scoring 117 and conceding just 10. They also won the Herefordshire County Cup beating Hereford 2-1 in the final. By my reckoning this means that they have yet to lose (or even draw) a single competitive match (of course, someone may well tell me otherwise).
Vics are something of a fixture in the Hellenic League Division One. Aside from a one season venture into the Premier League (2009-10), two season's back in the Wiltshire League and two seasons in the Western league system (2016-18), they have been a Division 1 stalwart since joining the league at the turn of the century. This followed a successful, championship winning season in the Wiltshire League, something they replicated in the 2015-15 season. Last season's top scorer, Harrison Archer who scored 16 goals, won't be lining up alongside former Torquay and Wycombe (amongst others) striker Chris Zebroski, who turned out for the Vics last season.
This would be the second league game of the season for both sides. They opened up with contrasting results. Hartpury made the trip to Newent Town last Saturday and, after leading by a goal to nil at half-time, they went on to clock up a resounding 6-1 victory in a game that saw Newent's Jordan Cooper see red. Meanwhile Malmesbury were on the wrong end of a 1-0 score line at Moreton Rangers

​The Game
As with most games, there was an initial opening period of settling in for both teams but it was the home team who hit their passing stride first. Five minutes in they broke quickly down the right flank before forcing the visitor's goalkeeper to make the first real stop of the game. A the game settled into a pattern of play it became very clear that Vics had come here with a game plan to sit deep and frustrate The Acorns. The Malmesbury back four, marshalled by Paul Carson, held a firm formation, never even pushing up to halfway even when the ball was cleared. They were quite happy to sit back and soak up the Hartpury pressure with a view to breaking out and hoping to get the chance of a set piece up the other end. With 30 minutes gone, it looked as it the visitor's plan was working well. Carson was having his own private contest to see how far out of the ground he could launch clearances and goalkeeper Adam Clatworthy had not been stretched. Hartpury had retained the ball for long periods but had only got in behind the Vics defensive line twice. On both occasions the ball had been fizzed across the 6 yard box without a home player being ale to get on the end of it.

Malmesbury had rarely threatened until the 31st minute when they won a corner on their right. The ball was played deep towards the far post where a Vics player managed to meet it, sending the ball narrowly wide.
That was as good as it got for Malmesbury in the first half as the home side began to wind up the pressure on their visitors. On 34 minutes Zac Berry decided to take matters into his own hands, starting a run towards the Vics goal from way inside his own half. A couple of exchanged passes and a few skips past defenders saw him break through onto the edge of the area. Unfortunately for the left-back his finish lacked some of the power and accuracy of his run, skidding just wide of the Vics upright. It was a warning though. Hartpury were back on the offence just a few minutes later. This time Justin Hall beat his man out on the left before sending a low cross in towards the penalty spot. It was met by Tobey Soule but his slightly scuffed effort did not have the power to beat the Clatworthy who saved low to his left. That was on 38 minutes but Malmesbury could not hang on for the remaining seven minutes to the break. The next Acorns attack led to the opening goal. Malmesbury conceded a needless free-kick just outside the box but way out on the left. Luke Salter took the kick, delivering a perfect ball for Alexandre Hainault to rise above everyone and glance a header into the net. 1-0. It was no more than the home side deserved on the balance of play but a kick in the teeth for Malmesbury who had executed their game plan almost perfectly up to that point.

​HT Hartpury University 1 Malmesbury Victoria 0. Vics deep defensive line and game plan had frustrated the home side for much of the half but the Acorns kept to their passing game and were eventually rewarded. The key to the second half will be to see if Vics can change their game pan now they are one down.

Nine minutes into the second period Hartpury doubled their lead. Once again it came from a free kick, this time conceded just outside the box and to the right of goal from Hartpury's perspective. Luca Robinson curled an absolute beauty around the wall and in off the lower part of the keeper's left-hand post. 2-0. Quite ironic that Vics, who had come to the game with a plan to defend and rely on set pieces, had been twice undone by set pieces themselves.
At this point it seemed that the three points were in the bag. Hartpury's keeper, Stephen Sarkodie, had not really had a save to make and was playing more as a sweeper than a goalkeeper. Malmesbury, who to be fair had defended pretty well all game, didn't appear to be able to make a dent in the Hartpury backline. It looked as if it was just a matter of time before the home side increased their advantage. 
And this they did, but it took until the 76th minute. Josh Radford, who had buzzed around the Vics defence all game, was brought down in the box. Penalty to the Acorns. Captain Kian Kang stepped up and made no mistake from the spot. 3-0.

FT (well, 82 mins gone) Hartpury University 3 Malmesbury Victoria 0.
The match is listed as abandoned in Full-Time and, as of the time of writing, the match does not feature in the league table statistics for either side. When the league decides the outcome, whether that be a home win or that the match should be replayed, I'll update the blog accordingly.
Regardless of what happens, it's hard not to be impressed with Hartpury on the pitch. They play a thoroughly entertaining and very effective brand of football. Their players are energetic and skilful. Every player on the pitch, even their goalkeeper, looked very comfortable on the ball and always willing to make themselves available for a pass. Having said that, Malmesbury coped with the pressure exceedingly well for 40 minutes. Their defence is well organised and their midfielders tracked back to make life very difficult for the Hartpury players. It will be interesting to see how both of these teams fair as the season progresses. It's way too early for predictions but, if I was pressed, I'd have a few quid on Hartpury being there or thereabouts come May.


Hartpury University: Sarkodie, Kang(c), Berry, Giles, Fairnie, Hainault, Robinson, Soule, Radford, Salter, Hall. Subs: Taylor, McGregor, Holland, Mahoney, Iley

Malmesbury Victoria: Clatworthy, Fusco, Baker, Toop, Wych, Carson, Jones, Pring, H.Archer, Phin, Witt(c). Subs: Walsh, Crosbee-Clark, J.Archer
Ground Number: 320
Att: 
Entrance: £5.00 (£4.00 if purchased online in advance)
Programme: Included in admission

​It's been close to 3 months since I was at Fernie Fields to watch Blisworth overcome Roade in the Northants Premier Cup Final. The future of this blog and website has been a little up in the air since then. There are going to be far fewer Saturday game opportunities which unfortunately means fewer chances to report on grassroots level games. However, taking advantage of the longer days, there are a number of games at Step 7 and below in the opening weeks. My opening venture of the 22/23 season is a Reg Davis Memorial Cup game featuring Gloucestershire Northern Senior Division One side Berkeley Town and newly promoted Division Two outfit Tredworth Tigers. I've never been to Berkeley or seen them play before but I have seen Tigers. Back in April 2021 I watched Tredworth beat Minety 3-0 in the Cricklade Supreme Trophy and Shield (Beaten, But Certainly No Mugs).

I must admit, I knew very little about the Reg Davis Memorial Charity Cup, so many thanks to Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Secretary John Green for his quick and concise response to my enquiry. The Cup was created as a mark of respect for former President and Chairman Reg Davis, who had also been associated with the league through Frampton United for many years, when he passed away in 2004. It is effectively the GNSL League Cup competition, but was renamed in Reg's honour. Sharpness were the inaugural winners. Since then (and I may have some missing information, so please excuse any incorrect presumptions here), three teams share the most number of wins, two. They are Gala Wilton, Newent Town and current holders Chalford, who beat Cheltenham Civil Service 4-3 in last season's Final.
The competition is played on a pre-drawn knock-out basis, and in the first three rounds no extra -time is played with any drawn game being decided on kicks from the penalty mark after 90 minutes, in the Semi-Final and Final ties extra time is played and then kicks from the penalty mark are taken if the scores are level. The final tie is always played on a neutral ground. It is a Charity Competition with donations being made to various deserving causes, in the past donations have been made to such organisations as the Air Ambulance and Cheltenham Hospital Oncology Unit, among others.

​The Ground
The small town of Berkeley is most famous for Its castle and for being the birthplace of Edward Jenner, pioneer of the world's first vaccine. Topically, the vaccine in question was for Smallpox, quite relevant today with the current rise of Monkeypox across the globe. 
Berkeley Town, The Hunters, play their home games at Canon Park, just to the North of the town centre just off the main road to Sharpness, the first winners of the Reg Davis Cup. Although there is a small car park at Canon Park, the majority of the available space is in the surrounding streets, Canon Park and The Leys (always be mindful of access for locals). There is a good sized club house with a few outside tables next to the car park, a kids play area and a small-sided 3G surface. The main pitch is situated sideways on to the clubhouse, towards the Station Road end of the park. The playing surface is surrounded by a low metal fence and, quite unusually for this level, there is a small stand on the Station Road side. This incorporates covered standing for supporters as well as a small seating area either side used by each team, with a technical area marked out towards the edge of the pitch. There is a slight slope on the pitch but, all in all, it looked in good nick especially taking into account the recent hot weather. It's a pretty good facility all round and well worth a visit if you haven't been before (or even if you have).

​The Background
As stated, this was a an early season league Cup game, Reg Davis Memorial Charity Cup to be exact, between Berkeley Town of the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division One and Tredworth Tigers of Division Two. Tredworth gained promotion from the Stroud league last season and this would be their first venture into the Reg Davis Cup.
Berkeley Town have been in the GNSL Division One since dropping down from the Gloucestershire Senior League in 2015. The won this division in 2005-06 but, as far as I can see, have not the League Cup (happy to correct this if I am wrong). Visitors Tredworth Tigers hail from what was once the village of Tredworth but is now a fully fledged suburb of Gloucester to the South of the City centre. The area around Tredworth is a bit of a non-league football hot spot with Step 5 Tuffley Rovers and County sides Quedgeley Wanderers and Hardwicke all within a hoofed clearance of Tigers.
Before we get into the game, a big thank you to Tredworth's co-manager Adam Dix for helping me get both team sheets. It's a great help when tweeting and writing these blogs.

​The Game
Unsurprisingly, there was a fair bit of sparring from both sides at the start of the match, but the game soon started to open up a little. With only 5 minutes on the clock Berkeley earned themselves a corner out on the right. the ball was swung in and met with some force by the head of Tom Waterman but, sadly for the home side, his direction did not match the power. It was again the home side who forced the next decent opportunity five minutes later, Kyle Head getting a strike on target only to see Adam Fenner get down well to scoop the ball away to safety.
After those initial chance for Town, Tredworth starting to hit their stride and it was no great surprise when they took the lead on 19 minutes. Thierry Shitto was the first to react when the ball ran loose inside the Town 18 yard area, firing the ball hard and low past Peter Sykes. 0-1.
Six minutes later, with the visitors now on top, they almost made it two but this time Dykes made a good save with his feet to foil a goal bound effort. It wasn't all Tredworth though. With 20 minutes left before half-time Berkeley created an opening for Tom Bidder who saw his fizzing effort go narrowly wide of the target.
Just past the half hour mark, Tigers co-manager Lee Smith lined up a free-kick from just outside the area. His curling shot looked to be just dipping in under the bar before Sykes got across his goal well to palm it away. Then, with seven minutes left on the first-half clock and, somewhat against the run of play, Berkeley got themselves back on level terms. Jake Haynes was the scorer latching onto a ball parried away by Fenner before firing it back past the stopper into the far corner. 1-1
The first half action was not yet over. Three minutes after being pegged back (not a Royal reference) Tigers came mightily close to getting their noses back in front. Once again they were denied by the fingertips of goalkeeper Peter Sykes, stretching to turn a goal bound header onto the bar and away. A superb save from The Hunter's keeper.

HT Berkeley Town 1 Tredworth Tigers 1. Tredworth had the lion's share of possession and looked the more dangerous side. However, all square at the break and all to play for. It was great to meet photographer Pete Kinsella (@PeteKinsella69) during the break too. Check out Pete's timeline for some great shots of the match action.

​Berkeley started the second period with a lot more purpose than the first half. For the first 15 minutes of the half they made their higher league pedigree show, pushing Tredworth back into their own half and stemming the flowing attacks that Tigers displayed in the first 45 minutes. However, the home side couldn't make their possession count and, after 67 minutes, were made to pay for it. Tredworth attacked down the left and, when the ball found its way to Lee Smith in the box, the striker's loose first touch appeared to have let let the opportunity pass by. However, Smith managed to get another bite at the cherry and made no mistake the second time. 1-2
The goal gave Tredworth their impetus back. Despite Berkeley pushing for an equaliser, Tigers were more than holding their own, much like in the first half. On 78 minutes the visitors made sure of their progression to the next round. A delightful series of one-twos down their left flank culminated in the ball arriving at the feet of Lee Dyer who made no mistake, firing low past Dykes. 1-3
There was nothing Berkeley could do to redress a two goal deficit at this stage. They continued to push forward in search but, in reality, the third goal for Tigers had killed off the game.

FT Berkeley Town 1 Tredworth Tigers 3. A great game to start the season. It was fantastic to be back out there watching live football. Many thanks to two fully committed sides, neither of whom looked at all rusty given the fact that it is still very early August. Tredworth showed that they intend to shake up Division Two this season and looked to be a side well worth keeping an eye on, especially going forward. They have pace down both flanks through Shitto and Rodgers, the guile of Lee Smith leading the line and the buzzing Corey Hill who caused untold problems to the Berkeley back line on the night.
You can catch Tredworth in action as early as Saturday afternoon when they travel to Tewkesbury Town, also in the Reg Davis Cup. You'll have to wait a little longer to see Berkeley Town play though. They host Stonehouse Town Reserves in the league on Saturday 13th August.

Berkeley Town: Dykes, Sumner, Watmough, Nelson(c), Dwyer, Haynes, Skuse, B.Gillison, Head, Bidder, Waterman. Subs: Griffiths, Jones, Martin, Bond, F.Gillison
Tredworth Tigers: Fenner, Morgan, Foster, Whereat, Rich, Hamilton(c), Shitto, James, Rodgers, L.Smith, Hill. Subs: Manners, S.Smith, Adams, Drame, Dyer


Ground Number: 319
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A