​After only getting back from glorious Gdansk at midnight on Tuesday, I was happy to only be making a short trip over to Enstone on Wednesday evening. My third visit this season was for another Henry Hawtin cup game, this time the second semi-final between Chadlington and Heyford Athletic. The winner should face Adderbury Park in Saturday's final after they beat Stonesfield 2-1 on Tuesday evening. However, with Park's opening Oxfordshire Senior League game with Saxton Rovers also scheduled for Saturday, it will be interesting to see what team they put out.
Coincidentally, my two previous Henry Hawtin Cup ties this season had featured the group games for the two sides in action this evening. The first of the two saw Chadlington defeat Stonesfield 3-2 (Godfrey Wins It For Chads Army). The second was Heyford's 0-0 draw with Charlbury Town (Henry Hawtin Memorial Cup (Charlbury Town v Heyford Athletic)).
Both Heyford and Chadlington were promoted to the Witney & District Premier Division at the end of last season, Chadlington finishing as runners-up to Tower Hill and Athletic finishing fourth, but going up because of the expansion of the top division. In their two league meetings last season, Chadlington did the double, winning 2-1 at Heyford and 3-2 at home. So, perhaps they started this evening as slight favourites.

​Heyford, taking no heed of recent history, started the game well and, after just a minute, opened up the Chadlington defence with a through ball that saw Josh Haynes get in behind his marker. He cut across the front of the 18-yard area before drilling a shot straight at Will Foster. It was a good save from the Chadlington stopper but a strike either side of him would probably have opened the scoring.
The Bears could have been made to pay for that miss a few minutes later when a long ball caught out the defence allowing Alfie Peachey to get a strike in from 25 yards. It was high and wide but a warning to Heyford, nevertheless.
However, a minute later with only seven on the clock, Bobby Gosling produced another defence splitting ball that, once again, found Josh Haynes. This time the winger made no mistake, sitting Foster down before slotting the ball neatly past him at the near post. 0-1
Chadlington tried to respond immediately and when Hans Korge met a deep cross from the right with his head, only some defensive pressure made him guide the effort wide of Membury's left-hand post. Shortly afterwards Korge was again threatening, this time sending a 20-yard free-kick narrowly over the bar. It was a good response from Chadlington but, despite that, they found themselves two down after 17 minutes. A Bears corner from the left was flicked goalward by Harvey Spaenij and, although the initial effort was blocked, Bobby Gosling was on hand to whip the ball past Foster. 0-2
Once more, Chadlington tried to respond to the goal and were close on 20 minutes when a cross from the right dipped alarmingly close to Membury's bar, with the keeper back-peddling furiously. Chadlington's number 11 then came close after beating the offside trap to run onto a long ball. Although he looked well off, there was no flag. He cut back onto his left foot before drilling a low shot into the side-netting.
Then, just before the half-hour, Heyford made it three. Jack Duggan with some nifty footwork, engineered an opening on the edge of the box before absolutely hammering a drive past Foster. Great strike. 0-3
The third goal took the wind out of the Chadlington sails and, unsurprisingly, Heyford also sat back a little, basking in their three-goal cushion. The consequence was fewer goalmouth incidents in the run up to half-time. Josh Haynes did force a good save from Foster, but pretty soon the referee blew for the break.

HT Chadlington 0 Heyford Athletic 3. Despite the one-sided score, the game was by no means one-way traffic. Chadlington had caused a few issues for Heyford too. The difference being that The Bears were ruthless up top, putting away three chances from probably no more than seven good opportunities. An early goal for Chadlington in the second half could make it interesting.

​Although Chadlington needed the early strike, it was Heyford's Ben Dawe who got away the initial second-half effort, shooting just wide from outside the box. That was something of a reprieve for Chadlington but it didn't last too long. Just eight minutes into the second period, Bobby Gosling was on hand once more to smash home from close range. 0-4. That was the goal that sealed the game. It felt as if Chadlington were still in it at 3-0. A goal back may have sparked a revival, but at 4-0 it felt like game over.
Gosling was clearly hungry for more and came within a whisker of a spectacular hat-trick goal when his 55th minute long distance strike left Foster stranded but clipped the bar on it's way out.
Just before the hour Chadlington rallied a little, producing a lovely move up the right that ended with captain Ethan Bennett bringing a full-length save from Jack Membury. Two minutes later Chadlington's number 4 blasted a strike just wide from 20 yards and, with 14 minutes to go Lewis Pretorius saw his excellent effort take a slight deflection to take it just over Membury's bar and out for a corner.
To be fair, Chadlington continued to look for a consolation goal until the very end but Membury and the Heyford back-line were determined to keep a clean sheet.

FT Chadlington 0 Heyford Athletic 4. A game that, overall, was much closer than the score line suggests. If Chadlington had put away one or two of their first-half chances, who knows what would have happened. However, Heyford took their chances clinically, and deserved the win on this basis alone. They'll now take on Adderbury Park for the trophy on Saturday. The teams drew 4-4 in the group stage.
BotP won't be able to cover the final but, if you have the chance, please try to get down to Enstone Sports Club to support this event. Rob Smith and the team there do a fantastic job to get this tournament on, and the club provides a warm welcome for all visitors.

Chadlington(squad): Foster, Betts, Curtis, Thomas, I.Harrington, Pretorius, Bradley, Korge, Bennett(c), Peachey, Godfrey, Grimmett, Smith, Mayne, S.Harrington
Heyford Athletic(squad): Membury, Symes, Campbell, Spaenij, Badland, Heath, Dawe, Bonito, Gosling, Duggan, Haynes, Flarry, Matthews, Simon, Philpott

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

​At this time of year I try to get as many midweek games in featuring teams who do not have floodlights. Obviously, once the nights draw in, it's only possible to get to see these teams during weekend games. So on Wednesday, having managed to get all of my meetings cleared up, I set off on the trek West towards Hardwicke for their re-arranged Reg Davis Memorial Cup Quarter-Final with Smith Barometrics. The original game, last week, had been abandoned after a serious injury to a Smiths player.
Both teams currently play in Division One of the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League, although Hardwicke were relegated from the Gloucestershire County League, after 10 seasons, in May. Their glory years came back in the mid to late 2000s when they won the County League and then the Hellenic League Division One West in back to back years, before dropping back to the GNSL. Smiths Barometrics, in their various guises, have been a fixture of the GNSL for many years. They regained their Division 1 status at the end of the 2021-22 season, finishing third behind Stonehouse Town Reserves and FC Lakeside.
The road to this quarter-final tie had seen both sides play two previous games. Hardwicke saw off Painswick 2-1 in the First Round then followed it up with a 3-0 victory at Cheltenham Civil Service Reserves. Smiths won 6-1 at Woolaston in the first round and then edged past Lydbrook Athletic, 3-2, to get to the quarters. Last season's winners, Brockworth Albion, fell at the first hurdle, going down 2-1 at Bibury.
A big thank you to match referee ​Garry Collier for allowing me to photograph both team sheets before kick-off.

​The hosts in their yellow shirts took the initiative early on and were rewarded with a goal as early at the seventh minute. Danger man Alex Stratford burst up the right flank and attempted to float a cross toward the far post. However, the cross was slightly misjudged and, instead of finding the head of a striker, it dipped in at the far post. 1-0. They all count as the saying goes.
Smiths right-back, Luke Walsh, was the first of the visitors to get a strike off towards the home goal. His 12th minute, 20-yard volley, running onto a half-clearance, whistled just wide of Cameron Wilce's goal. Barometrics, who were now trying to get back into the game, came even closer in the 18th minute. Striker Chay Gambrell collected the ball some 20 yards out and way out on the left. His curling, dipping effort beat Wilce but crashed against the joint of post and bar before flying to safety.
Those two chances were quickly followed by one at the other end. It came, once again, down the right and through Stratford. He beat his man before delivering another cross into the mix. Taro Weston just about beat his marker to the ball but, under challenge, could only glance his header over the bar. As play switched from one end to the other, Wilce was very sharp off his line to get to a through ball before Smiths captain Louis Hyde. Then, just before the half-hour mark, Smiths were once again very unlucky. Hyde's powerful, low drive beat Wilce but smashed off the foot of the far post before cannoning off defender Jacob Waddington and going out for a corner. 
After that burst of goalmouth action, the clear cut chances dried up a little at both ends before, in the 39th minute, Stratford caused yet more chaos up the right. His weaving run took him to the by-line before he cut back for full-ball Sean Clarke, bursting into the 6-yard box, to flick the ball over the keeper, only to see it  narrowly beat the far post too.

HT Hardwicke 1 Smiths Barometrics 0. A strange half in a some ways. Hardwicke took the lead early on with a fortunate goal, and had more possession than their visitors. However, Smiths could count themselves a little unfortunate to be behind after seeing two strikes come back off the woodwork.

​Smiths were back out and ready to go way before Hardwicke and the referee. Their desire to get on with it also showed in the balance of play in the early part of the second half. The visitors seeing much more of the ball then in the first period, but not managing to give any extra problems to Wilce.
In fact, we were four minutes past the hour mark before anything of note happened in either penalty area. That was when Tommy Soule's inswinging corner from the left caused some consternation before settling on the roof of the net.
With twenty minutes remaining Smiths hope of getting back level took a knock when Hyde took his argument against what looked to be a dubious corner decision, a little too far and was issued with a yellow card and 10-minute sin-bin. Hardwicke immediately went close twice from the ensuing corners, but couldn't quite take advantage of the extra player. In fact, the game remained fairly even despite the imbalance of numbers. Elliot Seddon did have to tip over a Seb Williams cross after the Hardwicke substitute almost emulated Stratford's opening goal.
Hardwicke number 9, Ellis Danes-Rutherford, then wasted a good chance when, after breaking through two challenges, he blazed over from the edge of the box.
Two minutes later the home side were once again thanking the woodwork for saving them. Ben Didcote did really well up the left flank before sending over a perfect cross to find substitute Ken Edward free at the back post. The striker did the right thing, heading back towards where the cross came from, leaving Wilce helpless but seeing his effort come back off the foot of the post.
To add salt to the would, two minutes later, the visitors found themselves two down and, effectively, on their way out of the cup. Danes-Rutherford made up for his earlier miss by cutting back in from the left onto his right foot before drilling a low shot under Seddon. 2-0.

FT Hardwicke 2 Smiths Barometrics 0. On this showing, there won't be many league places between these sides come next May. A lot can happen between now and then, but at the moment, they looked quite evenly matched. Smiths will certainly count themselves unlucky after hitting the woodwork three times. However, Hardwicke did have the bets of the first half and, despite not dominating the second, they can probably say that they managed the game well.
The result means that Hardwicke will face local rivals Tredworth Tigers in the semi-final. The other will be contested by Longlevens Reserves and Tewkesbury Town. Both games are scheduled for August 31st and, for Hardwicke, it will be their next scheduled game.
Smiths, however, return to league action on Saturday, looking for their first point as they travel North to face Bredon, who themselves only have a solitary point.

Hardwicke: Wilce, Clarke, Waddington, Vernall, Stevens, Hobbs(c), Stratford, Vallis-Ridler, Danes-Rutherford, Humphries, Weston. Subs: Limbrick, Herbert, Curran, Williams, Adeusi
Smiths Barometrics: 1.Seddon, 2.Walsh, 3.Keeling, 16.Ramage, 5.Holman, 7.Soule, 8.Babbage, 9.Chick, 10.Hyde(c), 14.Gambrell. Subs: 12.Wilkes, 17.Weatherstone, 11.Khan, 15.Edward, 4.Bevan

The Ground
Hardwicke ply their trade at Hardwicke Playing Fields, alongside the village hall. Situated just South of Gloucester, Hardwicke are just one of many grassroots and non-league sides in the very close vicinity. Quedgeley Wanderers are just up the road as too are Tuffley Rovers and Tredworth Tigers.
The Playing Field is on Green Lane, alongside The Hardwicke Club and, just along the road, Hardwicke Rangers YFC.
There is a reasonably sized car park alongside the village hall. The pitch sits just behind the car park and hall with the players and officials changing rooms at the far end of the hall building. Refreshments can be purchased from the British Legion Clun next door, which is accessed through a gate in the fence behind one of the goals. There are no covered spectator areas, although if you parked at the front of the car park, you could watch from inside your car. The dugouts are the clear plastic type which can be wheeled into a storage area between games. However, there were probably some dugouts on the opposite side of the pitch at some point. There are still remnants of the bases next to the children's playground opposite the car park.


Ground Number: 414
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A

The Euros and the Olympics did a great job of helping the summer to pass quickly, but thankfully the new season is almost upon us. The big kick-off this year happens on Sunday September 1st with a combination of a few league games and a whole host of FA Cup Qualifying Round matches.
The Southern Region League has something of a new look to it this season. Very sadly we have lost three teams. Warminster Town and Long Crendon have resigned from the Premier League, whilst Rushmoor Community have dropped back down to county level. Long Crendon have plans to get the team back up and running next season and we wish them all the best with that venture. It would be great to see Warminster back at some stage too, the sooner the better. Rushmoor will no doubt provide some great football for the Hampshire League and, who knows, they may well be back in the SoReg before too long.
However, it's not all bad news, there's a plethora of news faces for the coming season. BotP would like to wish a very warm welcome to Reading and Selsey in the Premier League, both dropping down from the National League system. Not forgetting too that Eastleigh in the Community have rebranded to Sholing FC. In Division One North there are two new teams, Slough Town and Tilehurst Panthers, both joining from the Thames Valley League, Panthers as the reigning champions. In the South there are five new names. Burlesdon, AFC Varsity, QK Southampton and United Services Portsmouth all come in from the Hampshire League, Burlesdon as champions. Wimborne Town, meanwhile, come in as champions of the Dorset League. 
The teams who have left the league will be missed, but it's also an exciting time with lots of new clubs to take a look at. Welcome, one and all!
Now, onto the matches for Sunday 1st September, beginning with the league games.

Ascot United v Woodley United
What an opener! Last season's runners-up versus last season's third placed team. There were three meetings between the sides last season. Ascot won the first league meeting at The Racecourse by 4-1, a game that saw Woodley's Gemma Sims and Ascot's Isabel Woods see red. A League Cup meeting, also played at Ascot, ended in a 2-1 victory for the Yellas. Finally, Woodley won the final day meeting at Bulmershe by a goal to nil, Sajuneae Turner with the strike that ended Ascot's title hopes.
The Racecourse Ground, Winkfield Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7LJ

Badshot Lea v Selsey
Last season was one to forget for Selsey and they'll be keen to get going this year with a clean slate. The Baggies won their first league game of last season, but then had to wait until February before repeating the trick. They've made a few signings, a number from Fleet Town, including bringing in Fleet's top scorer Dot Usher, and will be looking to get more points on the board this term.
Operatix Community Ground, Westfield Lane, Wrecclesham GU10 4PF 

Sholing v Oxford City
Playing their first league game under their new name, Sholing face a Hoops side who won three of their last four leagues last season. However, Sholing (or Eastleigh as they were then known) had the upper hand in meetings between the sides last term. They won 3-1 at Mayfield on the opening day and almost won the away game in November. An Amber O'Reilly goal gave them a half-time lead, but they were pegged back four minutes into second-half added-time by Oxford top-scorer Ellie White.
Oasis Academy Mayfield, Ashley Crescent, Southampton SO19 9NA

Wycombe Wanderers v AFC Portchester
Portchy's first game in the Premier League sees them make the journey North to face The Chairgirls at Burnham FC. Wycombe ended last season in second on the current form table after wining their final two games by an aggregate of 10-0. Portchy, of course, went through their league campaign undefeated and, more significantly, with only nine goals conceded. Wycombe were not prolific up front last season, so it will be interesting to see the outcome of this tussle.
18i78 Stadium, Wymers Wood Road, Burnham SL1 8JG

Beaconsfield Town v Wycombe Wanderers u23
Whilst Wanderers first team are entertaining Portchester, their u23 squad will be making the short journey to Holloways Park to take on local rivals Beaconsfield Town. Despite finishing five places and fifteen points below Wycombe, The Rams did the double over their neighbours last season. A Grainne McNally hat-trick helped them to a 5-2 home win whilst McNally, Ruby Harris and Philippa Lance were on target in a 3-2 win in the reverse fixture.
Holloways Park, Windsor Road, Beaconsfield HP9 2SE

Chesham United Development v Abingdon United Development
These two ended last season in mid-table, with just three points separating them. Chesham just had the edge in the final standings but, on the park, the spoils were shared. October saw Chesham edge a seven-goal thriller at Chiltern Hills with top-scorer Katie West notching a hat-trick. The reverse fixture went the way of Abingdon who won 4-2 after leading 3-0 at the break.
Chiltern Hills Academy, Chartridge Road, Chesham HP52 2RG

Wimborne Town v Woking
After winning the Dorset League in only their second season, Wimborne welcome The Cards to town on the opening day. Woking were prolific at home last season, scoring 27 goals in seven games. However, they didn't fare quite so well on their travels scoring just 11 and conceding 12. Wimborne, meanwhile, were free scoring both home and away. Their defence was also very mean, only conceding nine in eight games at home. This should be another interesting encounter.
Venue: Wimborne Town Ladies

Caversham United v Penn & Tylers Green
An all Southern Region Division One North tie between two sides who know each other very well.
Despite very differing seasons last term, Penn finished runners-up, Caversham bottom, not everything went the way of the Buckinghamshire club. Admittedly their meeting at French School Meadow in November was one-sided with Penn winning 11-1, even though they lost Henna Hussain a red card five minutes from time. The striker had done the damage by then, scoring four times in 22 second half minutes. The return fixture did not go to form though. The Goats won it 2-1 with a Freya Jenkins goal a minute from time.
Mapledurham Recreation Ground, Upper Woodcote Road, Mapledurham, Reading RG4 7LD

Milton United v Slough Town
Another all Division One North tie. The Rebels won promotion into the division last season after finishing fourth. Both went out of the cup early on last year. Slough lost heavily at home to Southern Region Premier League Oxford City, whilst Milton were beaten by New Bradwell St Peter in a game that BotP covered (United Fail Three Petes Challenge). One of them will be making more progress this season.
Milton Heights, Potash Lane, Milton, Abingdon OX14 4XB

Kidlington Youth v Headstone Manor
Headstone, from the Greater London Premier League, make the trip up the M40 from Harrow to take on a Kidlington side who, for the past two seasons, have started strongly and then tailed off a little. Last season the Greens averaged over two goals per game whilst Headstone conceded almost three per game. That promises that there could be goals in this one. However, it's always interesting when teams from different areas clash, and gives some idea of the varying strengths and weaknesses of the leagues.
Exeter Park, Crown Road, Kidlington OX5 1AB

Tilehurst Panthers v Goring United
Panthers will be playing in the Southern League this season but last season these two shared a division, following Goring's promotion from Division 2 of the Thames Valley League the season before. This is something of a local derby, so there's more than just a place in the next round at stake. The most recent history strongly favours Panthers who won 8-0 at Goring last season. Their meeting at Tilehurst was awarded as a walkover to Panthers.
Venue: Tilehurst Panthers Women - Linear Park, Charrington Rd, Calcot, Reading RG31 7AW?

Hassocks v Abbey Rangers
Rangers went out of the FA Cup at Kew last season and face another away trip this year as they make the journey South to Sussex. Last season was a struggle for Hassocks who finished bottom of the London & South East Division One South making what looks like a swift return to the Sussex League structure. Teh good news for Hassocks is that both of their victories last season came at home.
Venue: Hassocks FC - Brighton Rd, Hassocks BN6 9LY?

Fleet Town v Rushmoor Community
These two old foes and local rivals won't be playing in the same division this season, after Rushmoor returned to the county league. They met in the final league game of last season with Fleet finally clocking up a three-pointer with a 3-2 victory (Shoot On Sight). Both sides have lost players over the Summer and will be featuring new squads, so it will be interesting to see where they are in their rebuild processes.
Crookham Road, Fleet GU51 5FA

Steyning Town  v Eversley & California
Steyning, who finished the season in the London & South East Division 1 South drop zone, earned a reprieve and will continue to play in the same division this coming season. The Boars ended their season level on points with Caversham and will also continue in the Southern Region Division 1 North. They'll be keen to get an away win under their belt after only achieving the feat once last season, a Chairman's Cup victory at Fleet Town.
Venue: County Cup Ground #77 - Shooting Field, Steyning BN44 3RQ?

Gosport Borough v Burlesdon
Burlsedon are looking forward to an inaugural season in Division 1 South of the Southern Region. However, last season they shared a division with their FA Cup opponents, Gosport Borough. Both played in the Hampshire League last season. Burlsedon won the title by seven points with Gosport down in sixth spot, just below halfway. Burlsedon hold sway in  recent results too, winning 2-1 at home and 8-4 at Gosport in what sounds like an extraordinary game.
Privett Park, Privett Road, Gosport, Hants PO12 3SX

Havant & Waterlooville v United Services Portsmouth
Another local derby between two sides who will play in the same division next season. The Hawks, after pushing Portchester for much of the season, finished in third spot. USP, meanwhile, gained promotion despite finishing in fifth. They were, however, second top scorers in the Hampshire League. Only champions Burlsedon out-performed them in that statistic.
Westleigh Park, Havant PO9 5TH

Andover New Street  v AFC Varsity
Two promoted clubs going head to head. New Street will take their place in Division One of the Hampshire League, occupying a place vacated by AFC Varsity who finished runners-up, earning their place in the Southern Region League. BotP had the pleasure of seeing New Street in action against Fleet Town in the NHSFA Cup Final last season (Fleet Usher In First NHDFA Cup Win). Although they ultimately lost, they put up a hell of a fight and showed that they are a force to be reckoned with.
Foxcotte Park, SP11 0TA

AFC Stoneham v Weymouth
The Purps pushed AFC Portchester all the way last season and will probably start as title favourites for Division One South this term. In the cup they will face a Weymouth side who ended last season just below midway in the South West Region Division One East. Stoneham will be looking to replicate or improve last season's brilliant FA Cup run in which they beat Rushmoor (8-0), Wootton Bassett (1-0) and Sticker (4-0) before going out to National Premier League South side Plymouth Argyle by 4-2.
Stoneham Lane Football Complex, SO16 2PA

Longfleet Lionesses v QK Southampton
Longfleet Lionesses, not to be confused with Longleat Lions, finished their Dorset League season in third spot, eight points behind Wimborne, who will play in the Southern Region League this coming season. In fact, Longfleet beat the champions 3-2 in their home league fixture. QK are one of the Hampshire clubs promoted into the Southern Region League at the end of last season, after finishing in fourth spot.
Venue: Longfleet Lionesses FC

SoReg Review will be back in the week after these games have been played with scores, links to match reports and links to photos, collected from the wonderful people who write about and photograph women's football. As last season, the aim is to provide all the information you need in one location.
All of the statistics and notes are put together from various sources, team web sites, social media, Wiki and any sites that provide information. Consequently, it's easy to make mistakes and get things wrong. I often do. So, please point it out and I will correct it as soon as possible. If nothing else, it proves that people read the blogs.
The idea of a regular podcast has been put on ice for now. Unfortunately, my work schedule doesn't allow for the amount of time it takes to edit and fine-tune the recordings.
Finally, SoReg Review is a working title for the weekly blog. I'm not 100% happy with it, so if anyone has a better, snappier title, feel free to make a suggestion.

​Tuesday night seemed to be local derby night. I had a couple of possibilities on my list, Uppingham Town v Oakham United looked promising but the traffic between here and Uppingham didn't. What did look much more doable and promised to be a good game was the Midland league Division Three clash between Wake Green Amateur and Silhill. Less than 3 miles between the clubs and, in the table, only one place between Wake Green, in third, and Silhill in second. Both teams had a 100% record after two games and both had scored eight goals in those two games. They were separated by just a single goal against, three for Silhill compared to Wake Green's four.
So, for the third time in nine days, I was on the M40 heading for Solihull, a real hotbed of non-league and grassroots football. I still need to visit Silhill, AFC Solihull and Solihull Sporting to complete the Midland League (Step 7 & 8) set. Did I miss any?
Not only was this my first visit to The Holloway, it was also the first time I had seen either of these teams in action.

​The opening moments of this game was a microcosm of the first half. Within 20 seconds Silhill had a half-chance but, before a minute had been played, they were a goal behind. Home captain Adam Turner drifted a free-kick into the box and, when the ball was allowed to bounce by a hesitant defence, Ashley Smith nipped in to flick a header over Matt Pickford. 1-0. Excellent poaching from Smith but awful defending, something that was going to become a theme in the first-half at both ends.
Silhill were immediately on the search for an equaliser. Kyle Porter brought a good save out of Joe Beale after four minutes and a few minutes later a long throw from the left was flicked off the home bar before being scrambled away for a corner on the Silhill right. This was delivered long towards the back post by Alfie Merriman and, when it was headed back into the mix, Kamal Richardson was on hand to stab the ball over the line. 1-1
With only 12 minutes played Silhill hit the front for the first time but it was not a goal crafted by the visitors. Instead, it was handed to them on a plate. Attempting to play out from the back, Wake Green managed to give the ball away deep inside their own penalty area. Joe Beale thought he had saved the day when he threw himself in front of Kyle Porter's shot, blocking at point-blank range. Sadly for the keeper, the ball then rebounded off Billy Powles and ran into the corner of the net for an OG. 1-2
Five minutes later, in what was becoming a manic, breathless first half, The Wakes were back on level terms, and it was the same combination of captain and centre-forward that took the plaudits. Turner this time delivered from the opposite flank, the left, but the outcome was the same. A deft Ashley Turner header and it was 2-2.
The goal gave the home side something of a boost and just before the midway point of the half, they almost got back in front. Smith turned provider, laying the ball into the path of Harvey Watts who smashed a drive inches wide of Pickford's right-hand post.
And breath. I think both teams needed to settle after four goals in the opening 20 minutes. However, as we hit the half-hour mark, it all kicked off again. Silhill nudged back in front with a beautifully simple but well-taken goal. Josh Sarmenio made a diagonal burst from deep, towards the edge of the home penalty area. His run was spotted and the ball lofted into his path. One touch to control and then a first-time, lofted finish over the stranded keeper made it 2-3. Without doubt goal of the game so far but, hold my pint, said Gil Grant two minutes later. Picking the ball up some 25 yards from goal, out on the right-hand edge of the area, he absolutely leathered a drive into the opposite top corner. No keeper was stopping that one. What a strike! 2-4
A two goal advantage for the visitors, but for how long? As it happens, the answer to that question was three minutes. Two-goal Ashley Smith once again became the provider, sliding a ball sideways for Harvey Watts, who made no mistake with a rocket past Pickford. 3-4.
It was almost all-square five minutes before the break. Adam Turner shimmied past a couple of challenges before providing a reverse pass into the path of Watts who hit the ball on the run, narrowly putting it over Pickford's bar.
However, the scoring was not over and it was the visitors who were next to strike. Sarmenio's cross from the left swung dangerously under Beale's bar at the near post. The goalkeeper got to it but could only push it onto the bar and, when the ball dropped into the mix, Kyle Porter was on hand to nudge it over the line. 3-5
We were now deep into time added on for the numerous stoppages that had occurred, namely two injuries to home defenders that had led to a complete revamp of their back-line. Time to get the kettle on for the half-time brew. Well no. Wake Green still had something else up their sleeve when they were awarded a stonewall penalty in the 51st minute. Harvey Watts stepped up and made no mistake. 4-5. The goal came so late in the day that there was no time to restart the game before the referee blew for half-time.

HT Wake Green Amateur 4 Silhill 5. A crazy first half, peppered with defensive mistakes and very good goals. It feels like anything could happen in the second half.

​Whilst no-one was expecting the glut of goals to continue throughout the game, the second half did start off with a few opportunities, the first of which fell to Silhill's defender Jon Myrie, but his header was comfortably held by Beale. The home side, however, looked to be keen to get themselves back into the game and launched attacks of their own. 
Conversely, it was during one of these raids that they ended up falling two behind again. They had Silhill pushed back to the edge of their own penalty area when the visitors left-back Owen Fackrell, hammered the ball clear. It sailed over the home defence, completely catching them flat-footed. However, Josh Sarmenio was alert enough to run in behind the defence, collect the ball and slip it past Beale. 4-6.
Unsurprisingly, given the madness of the first half, the game then settled down a little. Wake Green were certainly having more possession now but they were up against a Silhill defence that had clearly taken note of earlier frailties and were determined not to repeat them.
Ashley Smith, who had assumed the captain role after Turner went off, did his level best to stretch the visitors, putting himself about across the entire front-line. He can certainly give it out but, to be fair, he is quite happy to take it too. It was one such piece of determination that almost led to a goal back for Wake Green after 67 minutes. Smith wrestled the ball off Fackrell close to the left-hand corner flag and, ignoring calls for a foul, slipped the ball inside for Harry Prew. The substitute guided his strike wide of Pickford's left-hand but also agonisingly wide of the far post.
That was as close as the home side got to finding a way back into this game as Silhill proceeded to manage the game for the final 20 minutes. Sarmenio came close to a hat-trick when he had a close range shot blocked but neither keeper had to go full stretch in the closing minutes. Both teams had exerted so much in the opening 45 minutes, there probably wasn't too much left in the tank towards the end.

FT Wake Green Amateur 4 Silhill 6. The second half was never going to match the first for goals. Presumably both teams were read the riot act as far as their defending went in the first 45 minutes. When Silhill regained their two goal lead it always looked like a tall order for Wake Green, although they toiled away until the final whistle.
From a neutral perspective it was a great game to watch. From a coaches viewpoint, I am sure there will be things to work on in training.
Both teams are back in league action this coming Saturday. Silhill welcome mid-table Balsall/Berkswell to Sharmans Cross Road. This fixture finished 2-0 to Silhill last season in front of 52 spectators. Wake Green are back at The Holloway for the visit of fourth-placed Continental Star. The Wakes won the corresponding fixture 5-1 last season thanks largely to an Adam Turner hat-trick.

Finally. Time for a little rant. As any long-time readers of this blog will know, I am a former West Brom season ticket holder and, for my sins, stuck with the club for the rest of my life (some thigs you just can't change). However, I started losing interest when we got promoted to the Premier League and my disillusion with pro football continues. Last night summed up my reasons. Whilst I travelled 50 miles and paid £3 to watch a very entertaining 10-goal thriller, hundreds of Baggies made the long trip to Fleetwood, paid over £20 to get in, and then watched a team made up of reserves and kids lose to a League Two team. That's total disrespect to the fans in my opinion. 

Wake Green Amateurs: 1.Beale, 2.Powles, 3.Loose, 4.Ismail, 5.Percival, 6.Best, 7.Watts, 8.Moore, 9.Smith, 10.Crampton, 11.Turner(c). Subs: 12.Yale, 14.Kelly, 15.McCausland, 16.Prew
Silhill: 1.Pickford, 12.Smith, 5.Fackrell, 15.Myrie, 8.O'Neill, 7.Richardson, 9.Grant, 10.Williams(c), 3.Merriman, 4.Sarmenio, 11.Porter. Subs: 2.Marson, 16.Paterson, 14.Ferrarin, 17.Robinson, 6.Hussain

The Ground
Wake Green Amateur play their home games at The Holloway, just to the South-East of Solihull. The Stratford-on-Avon Canal runs along one side of the ground and just a few yards form the club entrance is the Shirley Drawbridge, which straddles the canal. In fact, the entrance to the ground is directly opposite the Drawbridge Inn, names after the bridge. There is a good sized car park in front of the clubhouse with additional parking available on the grass behind the main pitch (there are three in total). The clubhouse sits on a rise above the football pitches and consequently, provide a good view, especially of the main pitch which is directly in front of the clubhouse block. Spectators tend to congregate on this side of the field, although there is also space on the opposite side, where advertising boards separate the main playing surface from the slight incline leading down to another pitch. There are no covered spectator areas. However, many supporters bring along their own seats.

Ground Number: 413
Att: 40
Entrance: £3.00
Programme: N/A

A last minute decision saw me heading back over to Enstone Sports Club this Friday evening, for another Henry Hawtin Memorial Cup  group match as Charlbury Town took on Heyford Athletic. As it has only been a couple of weeks since my last visit to this ground, this match blog will take a different format to normal. There's no ground description and, for a number of reasons, the actual match description will be limited. However, thanks to competition organiser, Rob Smith, and John Hawtin, son of Henry whom the cup is in honour of, there will be far more detail about the competition.

In fact, let's start with that to give a little more background about the cup, its history and the current competition status. Following my recent visit for the Stonesfield v Chadlington game, Rob kindly did some research regarding my questions about the origin of the cup, and was able to speak with John Hawtin, who kindly hand-wrote a short history:

Henry Hawtin was born in 1914 and started working for Worth's Motor Services in 1928, selling cycles and cars in Enstone. Worth's Garage is still a thriving business in Enstone to this day. One of Henry's jobs was to take the Oxford University rugby team to matches, including the Varsity Game held in London every year. He did this for 30 years and was awarded a silver salver for long service after 25 years. He continued driving the buses until his death from a heart attack in the late 1980s.
Enstone Sports was reformed in 1960 with John Hawtin joining the committee. Henry joined a couple of years later and went on to become chairman in the mid-60s, before becoming President, a position he held until his death.
The Enstone Parish website is well worth a visit. There are many photos similar to the one below, showing Enstone as it was in days gone by.

Enstone Sports originally played at Church Enstone. In 1980 the parish council purchased the current ground, at which the club has played since.
When Henry passed away his wife, Lil, took over the role of President of the club. They had three children, all of whom are still involved with the club in some way. The Hawtin's also had six grandchildren, five boys and a girl. In 1991 four of them played in the final for Enstone and one ran the line. The match was against Hook Norton, Enstone ending victorious after a monumental tussle that went to extra-time and penalties. The Hawtin grandchildren were then presented the cup by their grandmother.
So, as you can see, the name Hawtin is very much associated with Enstone Sports and Enstone in general. It's very fitting that this competition keeps alive both Henry's and the family's name. Long may it continue.

This years' competition features ten teams in two groups of five. The top two from each group then progress to the semi-finals ahead of the final, scheduled for Saturday 31st August.

Group A contains Adderbury Park, Charlbury Town, Deddington Town, Heyford Athletic and Spartan Rangers. 
Adderbury started the competition as most people's hot favourites, and are still in a good position to make the semi-final. However, their draw with Deddington has put some pressure  on them. They key game could well be when Adderbury take on Heyford in just over a week. Prior to this evening's game, the table looked like this:

Group B features Chadlington, Ducklington, Milton, Stonesfield and Witney Royals. As it stands, Chadlington have won all three of their games so far, guaranteeing themselves a spot in the last four. Ducklington sit in second spot but Milton, who have played only once, could leapfrog them with their game in hand. Witney look to be out of the running after losing their opening two games.

​So, on to this evening's game and, as I said before, a somewhat truncated overview of the game. 
In all fairness, this wasn't the most entertaining game of football I have ever watched. Added to that, I don't have a way to translate shirt numbers to player names. Two reasons that the match review is shorter than normal.

Heyford, kicking down the slight slope, were the first to show calling the Charlbury keeper into action within the first ten minutes and, generally, having the lion's share of possession. However, the first big chance fell to Charlbury, just before the quarter hour mark, when a through ball set their right winger free, only to be thwarted by a strong block from the Heyford goalkeeper. Charlbury then had a header cleared off the line from the resulting corner.
Those two chances aside, it was still Heyford who were just edging what was a fairly even match-up. The Charlbury keeper being called into action more often than his counterpart.
Clear cut chances, however, were few and far between at either end.

HT Charlbury Town 0 Heyford Athletic 0. A relatively even contest, edged by Heyford. There's no real flow to the game for either team, not helped by constant stoppages and an increasingly gusty wind. It can only get better.

​The second half started with Charlbury taking the initiative. Two very early chances went missing. A fizzed ball across the face of goal just needed  a touch, but no-one could provide it. Then the Heyford stopper made a decent save to keep another effort out. Heyford's impetus from the first half seemed o have left them for the time being, as Town took more control of possession., without unduly stressing the goalkeeper.
As Charlbury prepared to make a substitution, by bringing on the player who had been running the line, we were treated to one of the most grassroots images I think I have ever seen. The two Charlbury players who had come off earlier were nursing niggles, so a supporter was drafted in to take over the flag, which he did whilst still wearing his sunglasses and carrying the pint he had been supping on the sidelines. To be fair to him, I don't think he spilled a drop even when having to keep up with play. 

Charlbury proceeded to waste one of the more clear cut chances, blazing a close range effort over, before Heyford began to get back into the game in the final ten minutes. This was probably the most entertaining period of the game. Heyford tested the Charlbury goalkeeper and saw a shot fly narrowly over before, at the other end, Charlbury came closest of all with a curling effort from Craig McCallum (thanks again Rob)  that clipped the post on its way out.

FT Charlbury Town 0 Heyford Athletic 0. A point apiece, which is probably far more useful to Heyford than Charlbury. However, it sets up the Group A table nicely for the remaining fixtures and makes the Adderbury v Heyford fixture even more important. ​The result lifts Charlbury into second place in the table. However, they now only have one remaining game, against Deddington.

​Both games I have seen so far have been very well attended. However, if you do get a chance to go along, I highly recommend it. It's a lovely club and the clubhouse is always open for matches. It's free to watch the games but I am sure Rob and the Enstone committee would appreciate all support.

Charlbury Town(Squad): Bradbury, McCallum, Lang, Nimmo, Goode, Hornblow, Robertson, Caws, Nutt, M.Fitzgerald, Williams, Eley, S.Fitzgerald
Heyford Athletic(Squad): Ingram, Badland, Dudley, Roberts, Campbell, Fletcher, Cameron, Bonito, Dawe, Gosling, Flarry, Stimson, Chambers, Spaenij

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

Game five of the season saw me back on the road up the M40 and M42. My destination was Earlswood Town, just over two miles away from Saturday's game at Leafield Athletic (Leafield's Big Day Falls Into DK). The Earls were opening their Midland League Division 2 campaign with a home game against newly promoted AFC Solihull. It was my first visit to Earlswood, although I did see Solihull play last season, on their way to the Third Division title. That day they were 4-0 winners at nearby AFC Birmingham (Soli Not Soli).
Earlswood, founded in 1968. have been playing in the Midland League structure, in its various guises, since 1982. Their heyday, so far, came after promotion to the Midland Combination Division One in 2007. They then won that division four seasons later, spending three years in the Premier League before being placed in their current division when the Alliance and Combination merged in 2014. AFC Solihull were only founded in 2012. They joined Division Three of the Midland League in 2015, progressing well over the seasons. A fourth a then third place finish in 2022 and 2023 saw them get close to promotion before, last season, they cruised to the title, winning 26 of their 32 games. So, this evening would be Solihull's debut at this level and the first league meeting between the clubs.
Both had already played a Les James cup match last weekend, with differing results. Earlswood drew 1-1 with fellow Division Two outfit, Cadbury  Athletic, before winning the shootout 5-4. Solihull suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to neighbours and Division 3 side, Silhill.
Thanks to officials from both teams who I managed to spot carrying team sheets before the game. Always appreciated to get a photo of the line-ups.

​Solihull, in their lime green shirts, were kicking down the slope in the first half and it was they who began much the brighter of the two. They had Earlswood pushed back in their own half and, as early as the second minute, were awarded a free-kick, fairly centrally, some 25 yards out. Right-back Brad Andrews strode up to take it, thudding his effort off Alexey Dallaway's right-hand post. It was a strange moment in a lot of ways because no-one reacted. Dallaway hardly moved and was well-beaten by the strike. When the ball came back off the post, neither attackers or defenders appeared to react for a second or two. When they did, Earlswood managed to get the loose ball clear of the danger zone.
The positive start continued for Solihull who, considering they had lost 3-1 at the weekend, were knocking the ball around with some confidence, whereas Earlswood were struggling to get their game going at all. Passes were being sent astray and possession lost as the visitors dictated the game.
Having said that, after 15 minutes, the home side did show signs of getting their act together. First of all Jonathan Hamer did well to control a long ball that dropped over his shoulder, only for his strike was blocked off by a defender. A few minutes later Jake Potter went on a mazy run up the left, beating a couple of players before cutting inside and unleashing a shot that was also blocked before being cleared. A slightly more promising period for The Earls.
Those two efforts on their goal seemed to spark Solihull back into action and debutant James Reid was a little unlucky on 21 minutes when he met a teasing cross into the home box with a glancing header, but failed to get enough on it to beat Dallaway. That, however, proved to be a dry run. Just past the midway point of the half Solihull earned a corner on the right. It was delivered deep to the back post where captain Sam Delaney met it with a towering header. Dallaway did well to make the save and the ball was partially cleared. Solihull kept up the pressure and, before the home defence could fully reorganise, the ball was delivered into the box again where this time James Reid, unmarked, made no mistake with the header. 0-1
It was all Solihull at this point. Their biggest threat was from corners, especially from the right. Delaney was winning every ball at the back post, causing so many problems for the home defence. However, despite being well on top in terms of possession, Solihull didn't manage to immediately extend their lead.
Five minutes before the break they cam every close when Dylan Daniels fizzed a shot towards the bottom corner, forcing Dallaway to go full-length to get a fingertip around the post. Another Delaney far-post header had Dallaway scrambling again a minute later, but this time the stopper came out on top.
With a minute left in the first-half, Earlswood would probably have taken a single goal deficit but Solihull had different ideas. It was that man Reid, having an all action debut, who created the goal. He did well to beat his marker on the right, driving to the line before driving the ball across the face of goal where Owen Williams had the relatively simple task of applying a close-range finish. 0-2

HT Earlswood Town 0 AFC Solihull 2. Solihull deserved the lead and could easily have been further ahead. Earlswood would need a big second period if they wanted to get anything out of the game.

​The visitors were back out on the pitch earl for the second half. I guess there was not much the coaching staff needed to say after their first half performance other then "keep it going". Earlswood had the slope advantage in their favour and I suppose their visitors and most in the crown expected something of a red and white onslaught early in the second period. To be fair, they did have the first shot in anger, a Nathan Woodhouse long-range strike that didn't trouble Shaune Allen, and were seeing more of the ball, but the siege never transpired.
In fact Williams came close to grabbing his second goal after Cherno Sey engineered a chance for his with some good work on the right. Only a last ditch deflection took the striker's shot over the bar. From the resulting corner, Delaney once again got a head to the ball at the far post, this time putting his effort into the side netting under pressure from a defender.
There was no doubt that Earlswood were knocking the ball about with a lot more assurance than in the first half, but they were able to put Allen under any serious pressure. Then, in the 66th minute, Solihull were given the chance to seal the game. A foul on Sey inside the box gave the referee no option that to point to the spot. James Reid blasted the spot-kick to Dallaway's right and, despite the keeper getting something on it, the power was too much for him. 0-3
Earlswood the proceeded to produce a few chances. First of all some neat interplay between captain Harry Street and Amadu Yaya Bah won them a corner from which nothing came. A minute or two later Joe Kelso got a flick onto a cross which Allen fielded comfortably. A much more promising period for the hosts even if they hadn't managed to get a goal back.
That said, they were almost four down with ten to play. Dallaway parried a speculative effort, pushing the ball out wide to his left. Reid latched onto it, sending over a cross, or was it a shot, that beat the keeper but went safe after clipping the bar.
The action continued at the other end. Potter did brilliantly down the right before sliding the ball across the face of goal for Harry Street to tap in. Sadly for The Earls, the captain had not quite timed is run and the assistant's flag had gone up immediately
The evening then got worse for Earlswood as Alessandro Pierpoint, already booked earlier, was forced into a misjudged challenge to end a good run from Jake Davis. There was no argument from the number 4 as the referee produced a second yellow and the inevitable red card.
Conversely, with the home side a man light, they did then manage to hit back with a consolation, Phillip Mann with an unchallenged header, sending the ball past Allen much to the keeper's annoyance. 1-3

There was still just enough time for Solihull to waste two more glorious chances to add to the score before referee Paul Rodwell blew for the end of the game.

FT Earlswood Town 1 AFC Solihull 3. Not the start to the season that the home side would have wanted but, in all fairness, they were out battled and out played all evening by a Solihull side clearly smarting from the cup defeat at the weekend. Both teams are back in  action on Saturday, and both have home games in the league. Earlswood welcome another promoted team, Northfield Town, to The Pavilions.
AFC Solihull take on Cadbury Athletic at home, Rumbush Lane (Leafield Athletic FC).

Earlswood Town: Dallaway, McArevey, Street(c), Pierpoint, Mann, Woodhouse, Eden, Kelleher, Potter, Hamer, Kelso. Subs: Parvaiz, Bridges, Benjamin, Bah, Woodward
AFC Solihull: Allen, Andrews, Byron-Morgan, Cooney, Delaney(c), Daniels, McIlDuff, Said, Reid, Williams, Sey. Subs: Lediard, Jones, Davis, Moulton, Blackwood

​The Ground
Earlswood play at The Pavilions on Malthouse Lane, just to the South-West of Earlswood itself. There's a decent sized car park, which is marshalled to ensure the capacity is used to it's full extent. There's also an overflow area on grass behind the Malthouse Lane end goal. Parking outside the ground it possible but limited because the approach road is quite narrow. Entrance is through a small gate off the car park manned by a very sociable chap who gave the impression he had been in and around the club for a while. One of those bastions of non-league football. 
Once inside the ground, the first thing I noticed was something that, certainly in my experience, is a unique feature. Running down the outer edge of the path leading to the clubhouse there is a well-tended garden and rockery.
The clubhouse, toilets and players changing block looks to be a relatively new (or newly refurbished) building clad in wood and bearing the club logo in a few places. There are a few tables and chairs directly outside the clubhouse as well as a few benches lined up alongside the front of the clubhouse, all with a view across the pitch. There are no covered spectator areas around the pitch but there is some shelter provided by the overhang of the clubhouse roof and, at a push, you could watch the game from the comfort of your car if you had pole position in the car park. The playing surface does have a slope, from the car park end down to the halfway line. From that point onwards it looked to be relatively flat. There are wooden dugouts straddling the halfway line on the opposite side to the clubhouse. One thing I noticed was that the club has England kit man and West Brom supporter, Pat Frost, as a sponsor.
Overall, much like the programme (see below), everything gives the impression of a well run, well looked after and much loved club.

​The Programme
Earlswood produce what in my neck of the woods would be called a bostin' programme. A gloss, full-colour front and back cover and jam-packed with interesting articles and statistics. Unlike many programmes, there are very few adverts, the inside space is dedicated exclusively to pieces of interest. Aside from the standards such as an honours list and club history, there is also a round-up of Midland League Division Two news, today's squad lists and a history of the evening's opponents. The club chairman also has a column and there is an interesting piece about Earlswood's adopted Welsh club, Caernarfon Town, in which the programme editor, John Sharpe, keeps fans up to date with happenings at the Welsh Premier Division club. The programme is scattered with other little gems of information, not least on the back page, where there is a short history of the local area, something I don't think I have seen in a programme before. I can't recommend this piece of work highly enough. It is a superb programme and, at just a £1, very good value.

Ground Number: 412
Att: 92
Entrance: £4.00
Programme: £1.00

This Saturday I was able to get back to some real grassroots football as the West Midlands (Regional) season got under way. There was no better place to start than at The Coronation Ground, home of Leafield Athletic. The club was making its first appearance at Step 8, so it was a big day for everyone concerned. Their opponents on this historic occasion were Dudley Kingswinford, who were only in their second season in the West Midland League. It's less than a year since I visited DK, who play just 5 minutes from my mum's house, when they took on Punjab United last November (Goals Guaranteed). That 5-4 win was one of only five victories in a season that saw DK finish third from bottom with 18 points from 24 games. Leafield, for me, were an unknown quantity. They've most recently been members of the Birmingham and District League but, I'm sorry to say, I know very little of their history.

​The game couldn't have started much better for the home team. Taking the game to their opponents from the start, they took the lead as early as the 5th minute. Tom Roberts in the DK goal parried an initial attempt at goal but the ball fell invitingly for Jayden Bevan, making his league debut, who made no mistake from close range. 1-0 
An early setback for the team in blue who had been caught napping in the opening minutes. However, to their credit, they almost immediately began to get their act together, looking especially threatening down each flank through the pace of Zach Lamb and Oli Noble. The first hint of what was to come came in the 12th minute. A Lamb cross was fumbled by home keeper Christian Harris. However, the stopper reacted well to get a hand to the ball on the ground, pushing just out of reach of Shane Farrington, who was looking to pounce. A few minutes later, Lamb was again causing problems on the left, this time driving past his marker before cutting the ball back across the box. Noble met it on the run, but hammered his drive over from 18 yards. The visitors were picking up the pace and, when the equaliser arrived midway through the half, it came as no surprise. Again it was Lamb showing good footwork to disrupt the home defence. He then slipped the ball to Josh Parker who slotted past Harris to make it 1-1.
Leafield were struggling to retain possession at this point, constantly putting themselves under pressure against a DK side that were beginning to look more and more confident. Shane Farrington almost made it two for the Blues on 25 minutes, running onto a lovely through ball before chipping over the advancing Harris, only for Kyle Furness, who had tracked back well, to head off the line. Lamb then shrugged off another challenge on the left before putting in a low cross toward the front post where Shay Batham managed to get a toe in but saw his effort go wide of the mark.
Maybe the threat of Lamb on the left took the Leafield eye off potential for damage coming from the other side because, on the half-hour, Noble drove up the right before cutting a ball back into the path of Parker on the edge of the box. His mishit shot fell perfectly into the path of Shay Batham, who ignored the calls for offside (he definitely wasn't off) and calmly slotted past Harris. 1-2
Almost immediately Leafield brought on Mitchell Reynolds in an attempt to get to grips with the midfield battle. However, they soon found themselves further behind when Corrigan overran the ball trying to play out from defence. Parker was on it in a flash, feeding Shane Farrington who drilled the ball low into the corner. 1-3
Parker than called Harris into action again, the Leafield stopper making a good stop to prevent a fourth before the break. Farrington also came close after out-battling his marker but not getting enough power behind his shot, allowing Harris to make a fairly comfortable stop.
However, maybe giving themselves a bit of a lift for the half-time talk, Leafield did have the final opportunity of the half. Captain Jack Smith was the first to react to a loose ball inside the DK penalty area. However, Tom Roberts had remained alert and was off his line quickly and bravely to make a block from point-blank range.

HT Leafield Athletic 1 Dudley Kingswinford 3. A great start from Leafield but credit to DK who weathered the initial storm and got themselves back into the game, pressuring Leafield into a series of mistakes that were ultimately punished by some good finishing from the visitors.

​The first few minutes of the second half looked to be going in exactly the same manner as the majority of the first period, with DK setting the pace. Farrington again stung the palms of Harris with Gwilliam blasting the rebound over. Farrington was then put clean through but, as Harris came out to narrow the angle, the striker slid his effort just wide of the far post.
However, despite DK's early chances, Leafield visibly upped their game at this point and for the next ten minutes, began to push their opponents back. Their big chance came on the hour mark. A free-kick from 35 yards out was floated into the penalty area where the unmarked Jack Smith met it with a glancing header that was inches past Roberts' right-hand post. It maybe wasn't the easiest of chances but, having under the cosh for much of the match, that needed to be taken. A goal back whilst Athletic were on the front foot could have changed the direction of the game. As it turned out, that was as close as they got.
A few minutes later DK were back up the other end. First of all Oli Noble picked up a booking for simulation, much to the amusement of Tom Roberts, who made a quip about being at the Olympics. Then Jim Hiscox decided to give us a demonstration of his passing abilities. On 67 minutes Hiscox sent through a delightful pass to set Parker on his way, forcing Harris to make an excellent block with his feet. A few minutes later Hiscox upped his game further with a pinpoint 60 yard cross-field ball to find Zach Lamb bursting clear on the left. Sadly the winger couldn't find a suitable finish, putting his shot well over the bar.
The game was now all but up. Leafield's Kevin Bird did fire over a cross that required Roberts to get his knees dirty but they knew they were beaten. This fact was then rammed home further when, a minute into added time, Athletic gave the ball away again, this time inside their own penalty area. Josh Parker didn't wait to thank them for their gift, stroking the ball low past Harris to make it 1-4.

FT Leafield Athletic 1 Dudley Kingswinford 4. Leafield gave it a go early in the second half but, when they failed to get a goal back, they lost their way again. Ultimately, they were undone by a bit of naivety. Giving the ball away in crucial areas and being punished. It was something of a harsh lesson for them, but one they will learn from as they make the transition to Step 8. DK look to have a lot of attacking power, down both flanks and from Farrington up top, backed by Parker and Batham. Last season they conceded way too many. If they can stem that flow, they could well be a force to be reckoned with this term.
DK have two games in two days next week, both at home. On Thursday evening they face local rivals Enville Athletic before welcoming Oldbury United on Saturday. Leafield will have to wait a while to get back on the horse, so to speak. Their planned game at home to PS Olympic on Tuesday has been postponed. Their next league game will be at home to Norton Canes on Saturday August 17th.

Leafield Athletic: 1.Harris, 16.Beattie, 4.Furness, 3.Dunne, 11.Pittaway, 6.Corrigan, 14.Smith(c), 12.Fox, 9.Bevan, 19.Parker, 15.Bird. Subs: 7.Akinkunle, 8.Reynolds, 2.Livingstone, 5.Cox, 17.Hardy, 18.McGeever, 31.Butler
Dudley Kingswinford: 1.Roberts, 2.Hiscox, 3.Craddock, 4.Gwilliam(c), 14.Edney, 6.Humphries, 7.Noble, 8.Batham, 9.Farrington, 10.Parker, 11.Lamb. Subs: 12.Taylor, 5.Crampton, 17.Mason, 15.Waterhouse, 16.Broome, 19.Tshiangala

​The Ground
The Coronation Ground is situated on Rumbush Lane, Earlswood, a few miles South of Birmingham city centre. Despite its proximity to the second city, it has a very rural feel to it. Effectively, there are two grounds side-by-side. Leafield Athletic also have a thriving women's team, who play on the pitch next door, separated by a low white fence. This may soon be replaced the gleaming new wooden fence that surrounds half of the men's playing surface (although I sensed the committee were unhappy with some parts of the construction). 
There is a clubhouse block situated alongside the pitch, which also houses the payers and official changing rooms. A patio area, complete with bench tables sits between the club and the pitch, providing seating for spectators. There's no other spectator cover. Parking is available on both sides of the clubhouse as well as behind the goal at the Rumbush Lane end (no net, so you park at your own risk). The dugouts are also on the clubhouse side of the ground and are currently being rebuilt (no roof yet). The pitch looked to be in reasonable condition if not a bit hard and bumpy in places, which is not surprising given the recent dry spell.
I like this ground. Yes, it's step 8, so it is basic but it has a good feel to it. It won't be my last visit, I'm sure.

Ground Number: 411
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A