Having never been to the EBB Stadium before, this was also an opportunity for me to tick off another ground. Looking back through my match list this season, it has been spent predominantly watching Step 6 football. So, The EBB Stadium is considerably bigger then the majority of new grounds that I have visited since last August with covered spectator accommodation on all sides and a capacity of just over 7,000.
​I have to say that the stadium ticks all of the boxes as far as I am concerned. It has clearly grown organically and, therefore, none of the stands are the same. It's not just a sterile box, it has character and a good feel to it. Yes, it probably needs a bit of TLC in places and the facilities are not up to the comfort levels of say The Etihad, but it's a proper football stadium in all it's glory. The stand that was open for the evening had a mixture of seats and standing areas, another thing that endears the ground to me. I much prefer to stand to watch football, especially as I have usually been sitting behind the wheel of my car for hours to get to the ground in the first place. I appreciate that many do want t sit down, and I have no problem with that at all but, for me, standing is better.

​My knowledge of the Aldershot Senior Cup was, and still is to a certain extent, limited. However, a glance at the programme showed me that it has been around since the 19th Century and that Hartley Wintney, one of this evening's teams, were the beaten finalists last season, going down 3-0 to Fleet Town. The Row have, as far as I can see, won the competition twice previously, beating Hale FC 2-0 in the the 1975/76 season and apparently beating themselves 3-1 five years later (1st team v reserves maybe?).
What I already did know was that Eversley & California, Hartley's opponents in the final, had got there in a strange manner, losing the semi-final 5-0 to the Army, who had to pull out due to other commitments. Presumably, something they need to get used to when you have Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary? As Ben Elton would say. "Ooh! A little bit of politics there".
This also appears to be The Boars first appearance in the Final of this competition.

​Hartley Wintney were coming into the game on the back of a second successive promotion season, with the club attaining Step 3 football for the first time in their history. So, with The Boars finished mid-table in Division One of the Combined Counties League, the 2018-19 season would kick-off with three steps between the sides. 

The Row started the game very brightly and within 2 minutes captain Dean Stow had curled a free-kick over the Eversley wall and narrowly over the bar. A warning shot for The Boars. Hartley continued to lok thrteatening, calling the Eversely keeper into action on a number of occasions in the open 10 minutes.
There was, however, a sting in the tail of this opening period. After 13 minutes, Eversley broke forward and a lovely pass split the Hartley back-line allowing the Boars number 9 (apologies, I have no team sheets) to run onto the ball. It looked as if he had missed his opportunity to score but when the ball broke off the keeper and a covering defender, he was on hand to stroke it home for a goal totally against the run of play. 0-1

The goal seemed to rattle Hartley for a few minutes, temporarily putting a halt to the constant raids on the Eversley penalty area. However, less than 10 minutes after going behind, they did manage to pull themselves level when Paul Hodges latched onto a ball in the penalty area and beat the keeper with the aid of, what looked from my angle, a deflection. 1-1.

Hartley were now back in control of the game and it was just a matter of time before they got their noses in front. However, it took a set-piece for them to break down the Boars stoic defending. Stow, after his earlier range-finder, stroked home a free-kick from a seemingly impossible position some 25 yards out and well wide of the penalty area. His effort over the wall and into the near post seemed to catch out the Eversley keeper. 2-1

HT Hartley Wintney 2 Eversley & California 1. The Row have been on top for most of the half but are being made to work for it by a battling Boars side.

​The Row continued to have the lion's share of possession after the break but could not quite find the finish that would put the game to bed. In fact, it took until the 76th minute for them to finally get the third goal when a right-wing corner was met in the box. The first effort was cleared off the line by an Eversely defender but substitute Nic Ciardini was on hand to head home the rebound. 3-1

The game, as a contest was over at this point. Eversley had fought a hard battle but there was no way they were going to come back from 3-1 down. They continued to give everything they had though and must take credit for not surrendering at this point.
two minutes into added time, Hartley put the icing on the cake with their fourth goal. The goal was very harsh on their keeper who, after performing very well throughout, spilled a ball in from the right allowing Hodges to stab home for his second of the night. 4-1

FT Hartley Wintney 4 Eversley & California 1. All over at the EBB. The Row deservedly win the Aldershot Senior Cup.
Best of luck to both sides next season. It will certainly be interesting to see how The Row fair in Step 3 and I'm sure I will get the chance to see them in action at some point. No doubt that I will also be paying a visit to Eversley at some point next season. Their ground has been on my list for a while and I didn't get chance to visit this year.

Hartley Wintney: Harris, Stow (c), Hutchings, Webb, French, Ball, Noakes, Everiss, Baxter, Tennant, Hodges
Goals: Paul Hodges, Dean Stow, Nic Ciardini, Paul Hodges

Att: 
Ground Number: 158
Entrance: £6.00
Programme: Included

Having lived in the town for over eight years and having served on the committee at the club in the past, the plight of Bicester Town saddens me. I am fully aware that they situation is not as simple as it may first appear but with a perfectly usable stadium in the town, it seems ludicrous that the club cannot accept promotion because they do not have a suitable venue for their games.
Bicester's former ground, Oxford Road, sits there almost unused whilst the club scratches around looking for a place to call home again. 
Now that Ardley have achieved promotion, their ground, which Bicester have shared for the past couple of years, is not going to be able to withstand the extra games in the Premier league and therefore is not going to be available to Bicester next season. The only other local ground that could come up to Step 5 grading is Oxford Road.
Bicester Sports Association, who own Oxford Road, was set up in the 1930s to provide the sports teams and people of Bicester with good sports facilities. So, why does it seem to be beyond the wit of these people to work out a way of bringing football back to the town? As I said, I fully understand that it is not quite as simple as it seems on the surface, but is it really that difficult to work out some sort of agreement?

The cynic in me thinks that the location of Oxford Road, adjacent to the ever-expanding Bicester Village outlet centre, has something to do with the decision. I hope my cynicism is unfounded.

It would be great to get Bicester Town playing in the town again. Bicester is very much a town that is growing in population and stature. It needs a successful football team playing in the town.

​There are still games coming thick and fast in some Step 5 & 6 leagues. This Thursday was no exception and, as I already had some business to take care of near Tamworth, an extra 50 minutes up the M42 to Nottingham seemed like too good an opportunity to miss out on. So it was that I found myself heading into uncharted territory for BotP. A new league, the East Midlands Counties League and a new stadium, Clifton All White's Norman Archer Memorial Ground. The occasion was a (very) local derby between All Whites and league leaders from across the Trent, Dunkirk.
The Boatmen were coming into the game knowing that the league title was in their own hands and on the back of a 12 game unbeaten run since losing 2-1 at Barrow Town in March. During that run they had won 11 of the 12 games including a 2-1 victory over second-placed Teversal and a superb 2-1 win at Anstey Nomads. Last time out Dunkirk had smashed eight unanswered past Radcliffe Olympic. 
Clifton, down in twelfth spot, certainly could not match the overall form of their neighbours but could better their last result having hammered Arnold Town 10-1 on their own patch. So, with eighteen goals between them in the last week I think this game had little chance of finishing 0-0.

Clifton, promoted as Champions from the Nottinghamshire Senior League last season, had already held their rivals to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture back in August and, without doubt, would not want to be handing the championship on a plate to them in this game. I have to admit, although I knew a little about Dunkirk (they played Stourbridge in the cup a couple of year's ago, and gave a very good account of themselves), I knew next to nothing about Clifton. It has to be said that they have a very impressive list of former players, including Garry Birtles, Jermaine Jenas, Keith Alexander and Darren Huckerby. I've not seen too many other Step 6 sides with such an illustrious list.

The All White's stadium,The Norman Archer Memorial Ground, is situated on the Eastern perimeter of Clifton, just off the A453 route into Notingham. There is a reasonable sized car park which, with this being a derby, was pretty full by the time I arrived. The club house, players and officials facilities are outside the main stadium, as are all of the facilities, toilets and tea bar. The playing area is accessed through a single gate just off the car park.
As you enter, from the car park end, to the left is the main stand which runs for approximately a third of one side and features covered seating and standing. The dugouts are situated opposite the main stand. The pitch, when you consider how late in the season it is and just how much bad weather we have had this year, was in superb condition, a massive credit to the club and all the volunteers helping to keep the ground in shape.

So, we were ready to go. All Whites in all white and Dunkirk in their change kit of all blue. A quick glance at the league table showed that Dunkirk had a four point lead at the top but, with both Teversal and Anstey playing this evening as well, nothing short of a win would suffice.

Top Three at the start of play:
Dunkirk Pl 37 - Pts 82
Teversal 37 - 78
Anstey Nomads 35 - 74

​The game started at a very high tempo. Within a minute, visiting keeper Mitchell found himself having to react quickly to prevent Shannon-Lewis from putting All Whites in front. Within a couple of minutes, Clifton keeper McDonald was at full stretch to keep out a deflected Potts free-kick, as Dunkirk looked to get in front.
A quick glance at Twitter showed that both Anstey and Teversal had scored very early in their games at Holbrook and Holwell respectively.

Ten Minutes in:
​Dunkirk 38 - 83
Teversal 38 - 81
Anstey Nomads 36 - 77

Suddenly the table was looking a lot tighter.
Both sides were showing some lovely touches on the ball as well as snapping into challenges, as you would expect in a derby game. As we progressed past towards the halfway mark in the first-half, Dunkirk had started to go through the gears somewhat and were beginning to push their opponents back more and more. On the half-hour mark Potts met a deep cross at the far post and volleyed home only to see the assistant's flag up for offside.
Despite Dunkirk beginning to get on top, things looked to have taken a turn for the worse for them in the 38th minute when their defence was caught out by a direct ball. Shannon-Lewis go onto the through ball only to be upended by the advancing goalkeeper. The referee immediately pointed to the spot and dealt a yellow card out to Mitchell.
Shannon-Lewis picked himself up and took the kick himself. However, Mitchell made up for his foul by making the save, diverting the kick over the bar with his legs. 

All White's were made to regret their miss just four minutes later when, after great work by Chaplin on the right, the ball was pulled back to Ben Moore just inside the box. Moore showed a cool head to stroke the ball, with precision, inside McDonald's left hand post. 0-1.
Dunkirk had their four point gap back at the top of the table and, just as well they scored, because at this point Anstey were three goals up and Teversal already 4-0 up at Holwell.
Just as The Boatmen were getting ready to go in with their noses in front, however, they suffered a lapse of concentration at the back. A long Clifton punt forward was misjudged by two defenders, leaving Scott Litchfield with just the keeper to beat, which hid did with some composure, sliding the ball under the advancing stopper. 1-1.

HT Clifton All Whites 1 Dunkirk 1. A good half of football. Very entertaining for the neutral and a typical hard-fought local derby. Home keeper has been busier but it's all square at half-time. Dunkirk's lead at the top was down to two points but, with their much superior goal difference, the title was still in their own hands at this stage.

​Three minutes into the second period though the situation had changed again as Clifton and, in particular, Scott Litchfield, restarted with a bang. Litchfield picked up the ball some 30 yards out and, when no-one closed him down, let fly with an unstoppable effort that flew past Mitchell into the top corner. A superb effort. 2-1.
The league title was now, no longer in Dunkirk's hands. Should Anstey win all of their matches, they would take the trophy.

The goal galvanised Dunkirk again and they immediately set about getting the goal back and re-establishing their title credentials, a task that they achieved on the hour mark. The goal was testament to the perseverance of striker Stephen Chaplin who battled through a couple of 50-50 challenges before finding himself one on on with McDonald and finishing neatly low past the stopper's left side. 2-2.

With one hand back on the trophy, Dunkirk set about re-establishing their four point gap and, from this point onward it did feel like just a matter of time before they got the winner. However, despite the away side's possession dominance, they had to be aware of Clifton on the break because the All White's still posed a threat when they got the ball in the Dunkirk half.

Clifton were employing every game management trick in the book in an attempt to prevent their neighbours from securing the three points, slowing the game down at every opportunity, much to the ire of the Dunkirk players, bench and support. To be fair, I could see their point and they weren't getting a hell of a lot of backup from the referee (who could have been stronger IMO). However, these sort of tactics are part of the game and, I am sure that if Dunkirk had been in a similar position, they would have done exactly the same. The big problem though was that, because the referee had not stamped his authority on the players, frustrations were building on both sides and the little niggles from the first half were starting to become more noticeable as the game progressed. There were one or two,a s Danny Dyer would say, naughty challenges going in as well as a lot of harsh words fro the referee, who was forced to start handing out cards.

With 77 minutes gone another foul, just on the edge of the Clifton box, saw Dunkirk line up a good opportunity. Potts curled the ball over the wall, beat the keeper, but saw his effort crash against the bar and bounce to safety. They were getting closer though.
Sure enough, with 5 minutes of normal time remaining and the All White's defence under increasing pressure, Dunkirk forced them into a mistake that altered the outcome of the match. High pressing by Dunkirk forwards forced the Clifton defence to play the ball back to McDonald. Hos clearance was not well struck and, with the stopper out of position, Oliver Clark was able to control the ball and loft it back into an empty net from 25 yards. Yet another accomplished and calm finish, a feature of all three Dunkirk goals. 2-3.

The action wasn't quite finished though. We had had a missed penalty and a comeback from both teams but what local derby would be complete without a sending off? Not this one. For, on 88 minutes, the referee felt in necessary to issue a straight red to Clifton's Seaton after a clash near the centre circle. From my position the clash didn't look worthy of a red, bit I didn't have a very clear view. I heard mention of a leading elbow but I didn't see it. There didn't seem too many Clifton complaints though, so I am assuming something untoward happened.

FT Clifton All Whites 2 Dunkirk 3. From a neutral's pint of view, a fantastic advert for the East Midlands Counties League. This was my first experience of the league and, based on this game, it certainly won't be my last. Obviously, it was a very local derby, so there was added intensity but, overall, the standard of football was very good and the entertainment level very high. With both Anstey and Teversal winning, Clark's late winner was even more important for Dunkirk, who stay top of the league with two games to go. Clifton can hold their heads high after giving the league leaders a hell of a game.
Finally, I make no apologies for the cliched title of this blog. I guess it has been used many times before, but it fitted so well, I couldn't resist.

Top Three after Thursday's games
Dunkirk 38 - 85
Teversal 38 - 81
Anstey Nomads 36 - 77

Clifton All Whites: McDonald, Kelly, Hardy, Anderson (c) , Miles, Seaton, Shannon-Lewis, Ball, Crosby, Clark, Litchfield. Subs: Hawkes, Griggs, Wood, Shaw, Kennerdale
Dunkirk: Mitchell, Robinson, Rawdon, Clark, T. Moore, Burton (c), B. Moore, Hickey, Chaplin, Potts, Berridge. Subs: Wilcox, Gowing, Lang, Howes, Massingham

Att: 59
Ground Number: 157
Entrance: £4
Programme: £1

Tuesday evening and the fixture computer had thrown up a game that was like Manna from Heaven. A new ground and a match that both sides, Codicote and Southall, were desperate to get a result from, albeit for entirely different reasons. Home side Codicote, with one more game to play after this, required a single point to assure Step 6 football next season. Southall, on the other hand, were already promoted but needed a point to take the league title and consign Baldock Town to a second-place finish.

Codicote play at the John Clements Memorial Ground, named after John Clements, who was headmaster at Sherrardswood School in nearby Welwyn Garden City. Clements, who was born in the village, was tragically killed in a fire at a ski resort in Sappada in 1976, after he tried to rescue others from the blaze. He was subsequently awarded the George Cross.

The football ground is part of a larger sports centre situated on the edge of Codicote village, accessed via a narrow service road off Bury Lane. Payment for entrance to the ground is taken upon entry to the, good-sized, car park. There are no turnstiles or gates between the car park and the playing area. In fact, it is one of those grounds where you could watch the game from the comfort of your car if you parked in the right place.
The football pitch is bordered by the car park behind one goal and a large hedge on two other sides. The other side of the ground is completely open as it is shared with the cricket club.
As you look from the car park end, there is a covered seating stand on the right hand side and, a first for me, pop-up dugouts situated on the cricket pitch side of the ground. The clubhouse, which look sand feels quite new, is situated to the left of the football as you look from the car park. This block also houses the players and officials area.

​As I said, this evening's opponents were Southall. When the sides met at The Gore earlier in the season, Southall ran out 7-1 winners. They didn't need such a resounding scoreline this evening, but I was still expecting them to want a win so that they could take the league title in some style. Having been informed that kick-off had been put back from 7:30 to 7:45, I wandered over to the club house for a cup of tea, noticing on the way, something of a rarity in Hertfordshire. A gentleman wearing a Stenhousemuir jacket and hat. This reminded me that I had seen this guy before, at an Arlesey Town v Stourbridge game at the Armadillo in April 2013, to be exact.

When I returned to pitch side, just before kick-off, a number of Southall officials and supporters had arrived and, to add to the atmosphere, some members of, what I assumed was Codicote's youth team, had taken up residence behind one of the goals with two red & black flags and a drum.

And so it was, with a backdrop of jets on final approach to Luton Airport, we kicked off one a crucial game for both clubs.
Despite their lowly position, it was Codicote who started the brighter. Southall looked a little nervy and were struggling to find any consistency in their play. After a quarter of an hour it was still 0-0 but the home side were certainly looking the more likely. However, you did get the feeling that they needed to capitalise on their advantage and get a goal before Southall, inevitably, found their rhythm.
The first big chance of the game came on 21 minutes when Codicote's number 10 received the ball with his back to goal some 12 yards out and just to the left of centre. He turned very sharply, getting a yard or two on his marker, but Southall's keeper reacted well to smother the effort. Two minutes later the same Codicote striker had an even better opportunity when the ball fell to him, almost centrally, well inside the box. However, he could only fire tamely straight at the Southall stopper.

That could well have been the turning point in the game. On the half-hour mark, Southall finally fired a warning shot over the Codicote bows when their number 8 fired narrowly over with a powerful drive from outside the box.
The away side were gradually starting to get into their stride more as we approached half-time and, on 43 minutes, they came very close to taking the lead when Harewood broke down the right flank. His deflected cross looped over the keeper but clipped the bar before rebounding to safety.

HT Codicote 0 Southall 0. Codicote have been the better side for most of the half but have not made the most of their chances. Southall noticeably improved towards the end of the half.

​By the time that the second half got under way it was noticeably colder. Usually, come the last few games of the season, we get lovely spring evenings where we can watch games in T-shirts. Not this year though. Three layers, including a winter jacket, and I could still feel the chill in the air.

Maybe the fresh air had woken up the Southall players too because they started the second period with a lot more intensity than they showed in the first half. So much so that, seven minutes into the half, they won a penalty. The home players and supporters thought that the award was harsh and, I have to say, from my angle it certainly looked like a soft one but the referee had a much closer view of the incident than any of us, so a penalty it was.
Aaron McLeish stepped up and confidently stroked the ball pass the keeper to make it 0-1.

Before Southall could bask in the prospect of the league title, however, Codicote went straight up the other end and had a penalty shout of their own. The incident happened on the far side of the pitch at the opposite end to where I was standing, so I can't comment on the claim. However, again, the referee was in a good spot and did not award anything.
Then, on the hour mark, Southall made the game safe and put one hand on the league trophy. Harewood was released down the right. He drove towards the by-line, cut inside his man expertly and laid the ball on a plate for McLeish to tap home his , and Southall's, second of the night. 0-2.

Codicote, to be fair to them, never gave up the game and managed to create a couple of half-decent chances themselves. However, as each chance came and went you could see the game ebbing away from them. Southall slowed the tempo of the game down whenever possible, as any good team would do at this juncture, seeing the game out with some ease in the end.

It was good to bump into Gurmail Dhaliwal just before the end of the game. Gurmail is the Southall Club Secretary and, last season, was kind enough to include one of my match reports in the Southall programme. I was pleased to be able to offer my congratulations to him and the rest of the Southall team.

FT Codicote 0 Southall 2. Southall only needed a point but they got all three to become Champions of the Spartan South Midlands Division One. Broxbourne's 2-1 defeat of London Lions means that Codicote still need to get at least a point at Baldock on Saturday to be sure of survival.

I also managed to speak to Stenny man before I left. He remembered the Arlesey game when our paths first crossed. It turns out that his mate is also a Stenhousemuir supporter. You have to love the diversity of people you meet at non-league games. Two Stenny supporters watching a Step 6 game in Hertfordshire.


Codicote (from): Andreos, Brennan, Dimmock, Dolan, Foster, Heaps, Massey, Morgan, Rice, Robinson, Thanni. Subs: Dixon, Voller, Cook
Southall (from): C. Austin, G. Austin, Bennell, Bennett, Gradwell, Harewood, Hope, Lewis, Long, McLeish, Rhone. Subs: Brown Dioum, Morgan, Sharples, Atwell

Att: 58
Ground Number: 156
Entrance: £5
Programme: Included

​Having grown up in the Black Country and followed West Brom for many a year, it is hard for me to think of Hayes without thinking of the late, great Cyrille Regis. Whilst the club that Cyrille played for does not exist any ore and, what's more, the club that grew out of the old Hayes FC is actually Hayes and Yeading United, a visit to AFC Hayes still felt like I was entering Regis' old stomping ground. AFC Hayes were formed in 1974 as Brook House FC and with their ground being only just over a mile and a half from Hayes FC's Church Road stadium, I like to think that maybe, just maybe, the great man had stepped out on The Brook House pitch at some point.

Back into the 21 Century and the main reason for the choice of game. This was a crucial game at both ends of the Combined Counties Premier League. Visitors Bedfont Sports, started the evening in second place and, although they had already conceded the league to Westfields, were desperate to hold on to their position and grab the second promotion slot. The position at the top was very tight with Sutton Common Rovers pushing The Eagles all the way. The equation, however, was clear. Win all three of their remaining games and Sports would be promoted. The home side were in dire need of points for an entirely different reason. With Farnham Town and Epsom & Ewell already consigned to Division One next season, Hayes started the game with a nine point lead on Godalming Town (looking to avoid a second consecutive relegation season), who occupied the last drop-zone place. Seven more points for Hayes, regardless of The G's results, would guarantee Step 5 football next season. Then, just to add to the tension of the game, the sides are very much local rivals with only seven miles between the grounds. Earlier in the season Sports had edged the reverse fixture by 2-1.

​The Farm Park pitch is set quite a way back from Kingshill Avenue behind the club house and car park. From the car park you have to walk down a short driveway and path before entering the ground through a gate in the South-West corner of the stadium. The majority of the facilities are on the Kingshill Avenue side of the ground, the players and officials changing areas and snack bar, the toilet block and a, four-deep, covered seating stand. On the far side of the ground are the dugouts and a small covered stand (complete with a few free-standing chairs). There is also covered standing running pretty much the full width of the car park end goal.

The first 10 minutes of the game was a fairly even contest with neither side really stamping their authority. Of course, at this point in the season games can often be slow starters and tense affairs. Both sides had a lot to play for and, this season especially, the last few weeks of the season tend to see lots of games shoe-horned into very few days. Hayes, who have had a number of games postponed, still had six games remaining at the start of the day, Bedfont had three left. This highlights one of the advantages of an artificial surface. Bedfont have one, Hayes do not. I am not a big fan of the artificial pitch but I do see the benefits to clubs at this level. Not only do they have potential extra income from being able to use the pitch on a daily basis, they also get more games played at the time of asking rather than being left with a game a day at the end of the season.

It would be interesting to hear from supporters of both clubs on this point. Sports fans, do you like the artificial pitch? Hayes, would your club benefit from moving away from grass?

Back to the game and, as we passed the ten minute mark, Bedfont started to pick up the pace somewhat, beginning to dominate possession of the ball. They would continue to do this for the majority of the remainder of the first half.

The 17th minute of the game saw the effort that came closest to giving us a goal so far. Sports left-back, Alex Rose, latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the box and tried his luck only to see the ball beat Kennedy but smack against the keeper's left-hand upright and away to safety. Coincidentally, at exactly the same time a few miles away, CD Hounslow United were in the process of missing a penalty against Farnham Town. It seems that the  17th minute is not a good time to nip to the toilet in Combined Counties games.

Bedfont were now well and truly on top and it was testament to Hayes's determination at the back, as well as some wayward finishing, that they were not behind before the half-hour mark.
It took until the 33rd minute for Hayes to muster a serious effort, Mark seeing his shot go narrowly wide with Pickford scrambling across his goal. Seven minutes later Bedfont were handed an opportunity to break the deadlock when Jack Mills was clipped in the box for an obvious penalty. Mills picked himself up and, after several re-spots of the ball from the referee, slotted the ball past Kennedy. 0-1
Two minutes later Mills showed excellent technique to connect, on the volley, with a ball dropping from the sky. However, his effort was straight at Kennedy and the score remained 0-1.

HT AFC Hayes 0 Bedfont Sports 1. The away side were on top for the majority of the half but still required a penalty to take the lead. Hayes' effort can't be faulted but their decision making for the final ball has been very poor.

​Bedfont set about the second-half in the same vein as the first, sweeping forward at every opportunity but, again, failing to convert their chances. Goal-scorer Mills was a constant treat on the right-flank, at one point twisting and turning his marker before forcing Kennedy into a smart save.

Hayes looked to be tiring and were hitting fairly aimless balls towards their lone striker only to see the Bedfont defence mop up with ease and begin another attack for the away side.

However there was still just a single goal between the sides and Sports almost lived to regret their profligacy when a rare Hayes foray into their territory led to Pickford needing to go full length to keep out a decent effort from the edge of the box. In response, Bedfont launched a raid of their own which culminated in Rose's cross clipping Kennedy's crossbar before rebounding to safety.
As we entered time added on Bedfont finally made the points safe with a goal very much out of the Route One playbook. A long clearance upfield turned the home defence allowing Bedfont substitute Simo Mbonkwi, who is for some reason called Jeff, to out-pace and out-muscle his defender to get onto the ball before finishing with a low drive past Kennedy. 0-2.

FT AFC Hayes 0 Bedfont Sports 2. Bedfont were easily the better team but made much harder work of the game than they probably should. Hayes will need to gather their strength for the run-in but they couldn't be faulted for effort even if they lacked craft in a few areas.

AFC Hayes: Kennedy, Benincasa, Bishop, Carter, Cahill, Masembe (c), Maw, McDonnell, Ahenkorah, Ahmadi, Mark. Subs: Fitzgerlad, Rennemo, Bustard, Galloway

Badfont Sports: Pickford, Pitt, Rose, Ruddick, Jackson, Richards (c, Mills, Johnson, Tiryaki, Baxter, Nwachukwy. Subs: Mbonkwi, Harris, Mngadi, Read, Jones

Att: 
Ground Number: 155
Entrance: £6.00
Programme: £1.00 (discounted on the night because it was from the original game that was called off in March)

Tuesday evening offered up not only a chance to visit a new ground, but also to take another look at Midland Division One Champions elect, Walsall Wood. I knew that they certainly wouldn't be counting their chickens but, looking at the table and the games remaining, I couldn't see past Wood for the title this season.

The Beehive is situated on the edge of Studley, just outside Redditch. It is part of the Studley Sports Centre complex which also boasts a 3G pitch. Midland League Division Two side Montpelier also play their home games here. There is ample parking space adjacent to the ground with access to the football stadium through a single turnstile, directly from the car park. This brings you into the ground on the Abbeyfields Road side, which is also where all of the facilities are situated. There is a large clubhouse and function build running half the length of the pitch. The snack bar is situated next to the entrance and just to the other side of turnstile is the single covered seating area. This is an interesting stand in as much as it is not stepped in any way. There are four or five rows of seats but they are all at the same level.
Directly opposite the entrance are the two dugouts, backed by the 3G pitch. There are no other covered areas in the ground and, from what I could see, no access to the opposite side for spectators. One other noticeable feature of The Beehive is the floodlights which are not as high as the usual structures. I'm not sure why this is. Maybe a local requirement to prevent light pollution into the nearby town? I suppose the ground is not a million miles from Birmingham Airport (Ashford Towm (MX) have low-level floodlights because of their proximity to Heathrow) but I didn't notice that it was on a direct flight-path.

​Studley were coming into the game having ended a run of four straight defeats with a 1-0 victory over Paget Rangers at the weekend. Wood, however, were looking to make it ten consecutive wins and were fresh from a 7-1 away victory at Pershore Town on Saturday. The sides met at the ML Safety Stadium in January with Walsall coming out on top by 7 goals to nil.

Clearly, Studley were going to be up against it this evening and they didn't get off to the sort of start they would have wanted. With only a minute on the clock a complete defensive mix-up led to Lei Brown being left with a gaping net in front of him and the ball at his feet. He duly obliged. 0-1.
The tone was set for the first half. Wood dominated possession of the ball and the majority of the game was being played in the Studley half of the pitch. Credit to the home side for steadying the ship somewhat after the early shock but they never managed to get off the back foot and, for almost half an hour it was looking like the most one-sided 1-0 game I had ever seen.
However, after 27 minutes Wood made it two when Jordan Fitzpatrick let fly from outside the box. Bees stopper Ryan Young did well to get down and parry the stinging effort but the ball dropped into the path of Brown, who made no mistake to grab his and Walsall's second of the night. 0-2.
Seven minutes later Brown came very close to a hat-trick but saw his effort come back off Young's post with the keeper beaten. However, Wood did not have to wait much longer for another goal. This time it was a Fitzpatrick corner, from the left, that curled in towards the goal, evaded all touches, and nestled in the far corner. 0-3.

HT Studley 0 Walsall Wood 3. Wood completely dominated the game and have spent much of it in the Studley half. Ransome, in the Wood goal, has not yet got his knees dirty.

​When the second half kicked off it was noticeable that Studley had been told to tighten things up, especially in the midfield area. This they did manage to do, with some effect. Although Wood still had the lion's share of the ball, they were not being allowed as much time and, therefore, were not creating as many chances as in the first half. The home side, perhaps bolstered by their improvement, did manage to mount a couple of forays into the Walsall half but still could not muster anything to unduly worry Ransome.

The fourth goal took until the 70th minute to arrive. A glorious through-ball from Lee Butler forced Young to pull down the Walsall striker as he tried to round him. The referee pointed to the spot but,thankfully, resisted the urge to hand out a red card, which would have completely killed the game. Paul Sullivan stepped up and, despite Young getting a hand to the ball, put his side four to the good. 0-4.
With Studley still bravely fighting away, it took Wood another 10 minutes to clock up he fifth goal, but it was worth the wait. Butler picked up a loose ball about 25 yards out, took a step, took aim, and fired a low drive past Young. 0-5.
All that was left was for another substitute, Tony Clarke, to rise at the near post and glance a 91st minute free-kick past the keeper to make it six. 0-6

FT Studley 0 Walsall Wood 6. Wood showed their title credentials with a thoroughly professional performance. They were quicker, sharper in the tackle, stronger and technically superior from the first minute to the last. Studley battled away bravely for the entire game, but just could not live with their opponents. With Ilkeston going down 4-2 at Warwick, Wood now just need 3 points to be crowned champions. Coincidentally, they could pick up the required points at home to the side who gave them the opportunity, Racing Club Warwick, on Saturday. A note for anyone wanting to attend this game. It will be played at nearby Chasetown FC (The Scholars Ground, Church St, Chasetown, WS7 3QL).

Studley: Young, English, McCalla, Powell, Dineen, King, Westwood, Clarke, Healey, Wynee-Wilson, Ludlow(c). Subs: Oldfield, Cowley, Nwosu, Oldfield

Walsall Wood: Ransome, Hayden, Okonie, Walker, Rowley, Tolley(c), Fitzpatrick, Westwood, Sullivam, Lund, Brown. Subs: Slater, Butler, Clarke, McFarlane, Hurren

Att: 
Ground Number: 154
Entrance: £5
Programme: £1.00

​Another Tuesday spent keeping an eye on Twitter feeds and websites to see which games were going to survive the weather. Luckily, one of the grounds that passed a pitch inspection was a stadium that had been on my list for a long time, Sheepy Road, home of The Adders, Atherstone Town.

I have to say that the wait to visit Sheepy Road was well worth it. The stadium has everything that a good non-league ground should have. Yes, it's definitely showing signs of wear and tear. Yes, there are indications of a past life at a higher level. No, there wasn't any means of drying your hands in the gents (on the Rowlands Way side) but what great character the place has. I loved it and would certainly put it up there in my top ten, maybe even top five, non-league venues. Sheepy Road also appears to have three entrances. Two is a rarity in non-league. I don't think I have come across a ground with three before.
​
I parked on the Rowlands Way side of the ground and entered through the single turnstile which brings you into the complex behind the players and officials block as well as the main stand, which runs almost the full length of this side of the ground. On the opposite, Sheepy Road side, there is another covered stand, the dugouts, the snack bar, the clubhouse/bar and another turnstile entrance. Behind both goals there are shallow terraces and, at the Gypsy Lane end, another entrance as well as what looks like an old snack hut (one of the signs of life at a higher level?).

Going into the game, Atherstone were sitting in fifth spot, below Hinckley on goal difference and 18 points shy of leaders Walsall Wood. In fact, only an absolute collapse from Wood could give any of the chasing pack a chance of the title. Swifts, by contrast, were sitting third from bottom, 10 points above Alvis but having played a game extra. Although they had a little bit of leeway, they still need to get a few more points on the board to feel completely safe. The reverse fixture in Tamworth finished 4-0 to Atherstone, so Swifts obviously knew they were in for a real battle.
​

​The first 10 minutes of the game, however, were relatively even. Swifts, kicking down the slight slope, more than held their own in the opening encounters without really threatening the home goal too much.
That all changed after 11 minutes though. It took a little bit of good luck, but Atherstone took the lead when a Ryan Quinn drive, from the edge of the box, took a slight deflection which took it out of reach of Paintain's despairing dive. 1-0.
The goal, it has to be said, changed the complexion of the game in as much as it visibly gave Atherstone more confidence. Suddenly the passes were crisper and there was a swagger to their game. Bolehall's heads didn't drop after going a goal down, but they were being pushed back more and more.
On the half hour mark the second goal arrived when Alex Naughton turned very sharply on the corner of the 18-yard box before rifling  drive into Paintain's far corner. 2-0.
The final fifteen minutes of the first half felt very much like Atherstone versus Swifts goalkeeper, Paintain. The Bolehall stopper single-handedly kept the score down to two with some superb saves, managing to get fingertips to a number of goal-bound efforts.

HT Atherstone Town 2 Bolehall Swifts 0. Once into their flow, Atherstone played some wonderful football. Bolehall hung in there and will be happy to be only two down at the break, mainly thanks to their keeper who has pulled off a number of superb saves.

​The second-half started as the first had ended, with Atherstone on the front foot. The big surprise was that it took them a further 14 minutes to add to the score. However, when they finally did breakthrough they went on a mini goal spree.
On 59 minutes some great work by Naughton on the right, taking the ball to the byline and cutting it back, laid the third on a plate for Harry Walker-Donovan to make it 3-0.
Two minutes later substitute Danny Harris supplied a very nice finish to make it 4-0 and then the icing on the cake was supplied on the 63rd minute by Jonathan Gould. The left-sided player picked the ball out some 35-40 yards out, beat a series of Swifts defenders and then delicately lofted the ball over the onrushing Paintain to make it 5-0. A brilliant individual effort.

At this point it was obviously a case of damage limitation for Bolehall and, to their absolute credit, they fought hard until the final whistle showing some great team spirit. Town, however, were dominant and continued to try to pas the ball into the net, which is one of the reasons they didn't get to double figures.

Somewhat surprisingly, Atherstone failed to add to their total, despite going close on a number of occasions.

FT Atherstone Town 5 Bolehall Swifts 0. A comprehensive victory and wonderful display of football from the home side. Towards the end, one or two home supporters were getting a bit annoyed that the Adders hadn't scored more goals but, let me tell you, they are very privileged to be able to watch this style of football on a weekly basis. The way Atherstone play the game is an absolute credit to their club and management. Entertainment at it's very best.

Atherstone Town: Beeson, Goodby, Gould, Haines, Gray, Thomson, Walker-Donovan, Baxter (c), Naughton, Quinn, Mewies. Subs: Williams, Harris, Green, Shorthouse, Eggleton

Bolehall Swifts: Paintain, Selvester, L.Taylor, Day, Brown, Dunlevy, Atkinson-Forbus, Phillips, Iliffe, Payne, O'Neill. Subs: Weir, Derrington, J.Taylor, Smith

Att: 112
Ground Number: 153
Entrance: £6
Programme: £1.50

​If you thought that Thursday night football was just for those teams not quite good enough to make it into the Champions League, then think again. The way that the weather has played havoc with non-league fixtures this season, there will probably be a large number of games played on Thursday evening in the next few weeks. I think it may be a first for me, certainly a first league encounter on Thursday, but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth after my understanding wife gave me the nod for a second game in two days. Rather than go for a new ground, I decided to stay quite local and re-visit Elmfields Gate, home of Winslow United. My only previous visit to the Gate was almost three years to the day, April 7 2015, when United hosted and beat Amersham Town.

As far as I could tell, nothing major had changed at the ground, so I won't go into any detail on that front. The pitch, given how wet it was just a day previously, looked in remarkable condition with only one noticeable sticky patch, in the corner near the changing rooms. Credit to the ground staff and volunteers who had clearly worked hard on the pitch to get the game on.

The game promised to be a close affair. Before kick-off Winslow held the edge, sitting fifth on 53 points but Rangers were just three places and four points worse off. The reverse game, late in December at Windsors, saw Winslow take the three points, winning 3-2 in a game that saw a red card for both sides, Kevin Mealor for Risborough and Simon King for The Ploughmen.

​Both sides struggled to cope with the conditions early on. Although the pitch was perfectly playable, it was clearly still heavy as could be seen by the unpredictable bounce (or non-bounce) of the ball on occasions. However, both sides began to find their feet and managed to string together some reasonable passages of play, but always failing to find the final ball.
Despite the fact that Winslow probably edged possession and made more half-chances, it was Rangers who had the most clear-cut opportunities, making Ashmead the busier of the two goalkeepers. Rangers also managed to get the ball in the United net but were pulled back for what the referee appeared to think was dangerous play in the build-up. It seemed a harsh decision from my view point and was one of a few strange decisions given by the man in the middle. Winslow captain Simon King possibly had his side's best opportunity, heading over from inside the box.

HT Winslow United 0 Risborough Rangers 0. Not that much between the teams. Both sides had chances to take the lead but neither seemed to have brought their shooting boots.

​Four minutes into the second-half, however, the home side finally took an opportunity. There was an element of luck in the build-up when Simon King's shot was blocked but the ball fell to his brother, Aaron King, who made no mistake despite Rangers stopper Brooker getting a hand to the shot. 1-0.

Rangers immediately set about regaining parity and, as it transpired, the United lead did not last long. Less than five minutes in fact after Rangers were awarded a penalty when Lamar Mason-Williams was felled in the box. Captain Martin Griggs stepped up and levelled the scores. 1-1.

We were then treated to a much more open game than in the first half. Both sides were clearly intent on getting three points and both managed to create chances, but we saw no more goals. That was until well into time added on. As the clock had run down the home side had certainly won more and more possession and, although not laying siege as such, the ball was spending more time in the Rangers half. After 93 minutes, two United substitutes linked up, Anthony Ball went down the right flank and produced, arguably, the best cross of the night. It was met at the far post by another substitute, Harry Dalton, whose header beat Brooker and nested in the net. 2-1.
The drama, however, was not completely over. there was still time for ex-United player Kevin Mealor to earn a second yellow and get sent off for the second time this season against his former team.

FT Winslow United 2 Risborough Rangers 1. United left it very late to get the winner but, on the overall balance of play, just about deserved to get the three points in my opinion.

Winslow United: Ashmead; Bowers, Freshwater, Jenkins, Hussey Page, S King, Delderfield, Kew, Parsons, A King. Subs: Ball, Dalton, Karwacinski, Garbutt

Risborough Rangers: Brooker, Castello, Harrison, Newton, Gordon, Yearwood, Wylie, Davis,Shrimpton, Mason-Williams, Griggs (c). Subs: Mealor, Collins, Rawson, Fox, Clark

Att: 57
Ground Number: Not a new ground
Entrance: £5
Programme: £1

Holiday, the Easter break and bad weather combined meant that it had been two weeks since I was last out on the road to watch some football. My checklist of possible games for this Tuesday was also getting shorter and shorter as pitch inspections began to rule out games. There was a possibility of Newmarket Town v Ely City which, being an artificial surface, was almost certainly going to survive. However, work restrictions meant that the 2 hour journey was just not going to be feasible. So, after crossing off any new grounds, I decided that a local game would be my bets bet then, even a late postponement or abandonment due to more rain, wouldn't be the end of the world. To my surprise one of the games that had survived a pitch inspection was Wallingford Town v Milton United. A final home game of the season for Wally, a local derby, and less than 30 miles from home. My decision was made.

Considering the recent weather, when I arrived at Wallingford's Hithercroft ground it was actually quite a pleasant evening. No sign of any more rain even if there was a slight chill in the air more reminiscent of Autumn than Spring. After paying my entrance fee and picking up my programme, the first person I bumped into was none other than @FACupFactFile himself, Phil Annets. Phil was tucking into one of the famous Wally Town Sausage Rolls, a delicacy that I had missed out on when I first visited the club on Non-League Day. I wasn't going to let that happen again and immediately followed Phil's lead by ordering up a sausage roll and a cup of tea. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. The Wally Town Sausage Roll is up there in the Premier League of football catering. Home-made, of course, it consists of perfectly seasoned sausage meat wrapped in the loveliest of pastry cases. A case that, I was informed, seemed a little flakier than usual. However, apart from managing to cover myself in flaky pastry, I could not fault it in any way. If you haven't sampled this delight, get yourself down to Hithercroft and try one for yourself. Of course, you'll have to wait until next season now though.

Anyhow before this turns into a food blog, on with the main course, the football. The pitch looked in remarkably good condition despite the amount of rain that had fallen recently. The fact that no football had been played on it for the best part of a month was, no doubt, a contributing factor. 

It was the home side who started the livelier of the two and it wasn't too logn into the game before the Milton 'keeper, a former Wallingford player, was called into action, tipping a looping affort against the bar and over for a corner.
Shortly after this the stopper was powerless as a thunderous drive beat him all ends up before smackinbg against the cross-bar and flying away to safety.
We then had quite a long dely due to an injury to a Wallingford player (Zac Field?) who was eventually taken off on a stretcher. Not a sight that you want to see at any match. Initial reports seemed to suggest there was a possibility of a break. Let's hope that it wasn't that serious. Wishing the player a speedy recovery.
When play resumed, Wally continued where they had left off. There was no shortage of effort and endeavour but a lack of definite shortage of clinical final ball once they were in the final third.

HT Wallingford Town 0 Milton United 0. Wally well on top but could regret not getting a goal.

Despite plenty of possession from the home side at the start of the second-half, there was still no real sign of a breakthrough. The locals were becoming a little restless. The longer the game wore on, the more it started to feel like one of those games where one side should be two or three in front but then get suckered with a last minute goal and lose 1-0.
However, after 65 minutes, Wally finally got their noses in front with a very well taken goal. An attack down the right flank and a low cross led to the ball dropping towards the edge of the Milton penalty area. Max Mohan-Triggle was first to react, latching onto the ball with a low, well-placed drive that nested into the corner of the United net for 1-0. Interestingly, three of us standing in the same spot registered three different positions for the strike. @FACupFactFile saw it as a strike from just outside the box. I thought he was well inside, closer to the penalty spot and the guy next to us thought it was just inside. That's what makes the game so freat, how people see things slightly differently. Of course, if we ask the player, he struck it from 30 yards or more. Whatever the case, Wally had the lead.


FT Wallingford Town 1 Milton United 0. Not the most exciting of games but the points assure Wally of a solid mid-table finish in their first season back at Step 6. It was great to be back out watching football and an absolute pleasure to pass the evening chatting to @FACupFactFile about all things football. I think we put quite a bit of the footballing world straight during the 90 minutes but I look forward to fixing the rest of it the next time we meet up.

Wallingford Town: Vaughan, Bickerton, Stott, Thurston, Baptie, Morgan, Field, Beach, Spruyt, Mohan-Triggle, McLaughlin. Subs: Walker, Morris, Webber, Le Paih, Eatwell

Att: 66
Ground Number: Not a new ground
Entrance: £5
Programme: Included in entrance fee

​Tuesday evening was something of a small milestone for Base of the Pyramid. This was going to be my 200th game (the 152nd new ground) since I started the website and blog back in late 2012. To the seasoned ground-hoppers out there, 200 games in over 5 seasons probably doesn't seem like a big number. However, remember that I mainly only go to midweek games, with the odd weekend sprinkled in. So, in my mind, it's not too shabby a total. The 200 games have taken me over 16,500 miles around the country. I have seen 719 goals and paid out almost £1,350 in admission fees.

I must admit, the milestone had completely slipped my mind when I set out for deepest, darkest Leicestershire. My chosen venue was St John's Park, home of Heather St John's of the TotalMotion Midland League Division One. I must admit that it was a toss-up between this game and the, slightly closer, game between Cadbury Athletic and Leicester Road. However, the lure of the league leaders, Walsall Wood, combined with the fact that I was ready to leave the house well in advance of my cut-off time for getting to Heather, swayed my decision.

Upon arriving at the ground, I was not disappointed with my choice. St John's Park is situated on the Northern perimeter of the village of Heather, in Leicestershire. Entrance to the ground, from the ample car park, is through a fairly modern dual-door turnstile block. This brings you into the ground adjacent to the clubhouse block, which also houses the players & officials facilities. The main stand, emblazoned with Heather St John's FC, is directly opposite, straddling the halfway line. On the near side, the Ravenstone Road side, there is low, covered seating stand at the top end of the ground. There is also a very interesting structure which runs about a third of the length of the playing area, with the halfway line as it's centre point. this consists of two  small seating areas and the dugouts, which are situated either side of an archway leading onto the pitch. On top of this, right on halfway, there is what I assume was the media centre, where the pitch-side announcements were made from. It's one of those structures that makes some non-league stadiums unique.

​The club has a very friendly feel to it. This is highlighted by a couple of very nice touches. Firstly, the stadium announcer welcomed and name-checked some visitors, two of which had come all of the way from Norwich (and I thought my journey from Oxfordshire was beyond the call of duty). Secondly, shortly after kick-off one of the club members walked around the ground personally greeting any newcomers that he spotted. It was quite remiss of me not to get his name when we met, however, I have since learned that the gentleman's name is Stephen Leary. So Stephen, thank you for the welcome and keep up the good work. Yet another example of the sort of character that makes non-league football so special.

As I said before, this evening's game featured the visit of league leaders Walsall Wood and, with Heather St John's sitting in sixth spot themselves, it promised to be a good contest. When the sides met in WS9 last August, Wood had run out winners by 4-1 so Saints were also looking to avenge this result.

They started very positively, in fact before the first minute was over Saints had taken the lead, Michael Bloore applying the finishing touch. 1-0.

The response from the league leaders was rapid though. Going a goal down so early on had woken them up and, on 6 minutes, they got back on level terms. A superb long ball from right-back Lewis Hayden found Paul Sullivan breaking through the middle. The defenders got back enough to prevent him getting a shot away but, when he laid the ball off to Tony Clarke, he made no mistake from inside the box. 1-1

This was shaping up to be an intriguing contest. Wood had shown their title aspirations by responding so quickly. However, Saints were looking very dangerous when they went forward. The pace of the league's leading scorer, Simeon Cobourne, was finding a few gaps in the Wood defence at times.
Just after the quarter-hour had passed, Wood managed to get their noses in front. West's audacious back-heeled flick split the home defence wide open allowing Clarke to pounce and he drilled an unstoppable finish past Allsop's left-hand from the edge of the box. 1-2

Heather, to be fair, were not downhearted after going behind and, although they were on the back foot for quite a while, still looked dangerous when they did break. Wood were now playing some good football and looking a little tighter at the back, marshalled by captain Mitch Tolley, and it was Tolley who provided one of the moments of the first-half, for me anyway. Cutting out a Heather attack deep in his own half, the centre-half set off on a run more akin to a flying winger than a big defender. After weaving his way towards the edge of the Saints box he finally laid the ball off to an attacker. The move came to nothing in the end but what a run from the big man. You don't often see a centre-half do that. Worth the entrance fee alone in my book.

HT Heather St Johns 1 Walsall Wood 2. Great response from Wood after the early shock of going a goal down. An entertaining game of football with some quality play from both sides.

A​fter a name-check of my own at half-time and a cup of tea, I settled down in the low stand for the second-half. We were served up a game not dissimilar to the first half. Wood looked to be more or less in control for most of the half, but Heather were still dangerous on the break and, while it was 1-2 at least, they were still well in the game.
On 64 minutes we had the incident that, pretty much, ended the game as a contest. A quick Wood break saw the ball played into the channel for Sullivan to latch onto. His pace was about to get him beyond the Saints defence when his progress was stopped, illegally, in the box. Penalty to Wood. Sullivan stepped up and took the kick himself to make it 1-3.

Heather certainly did not give up at thsi point but, a two goal deficit against a side as good as Wood, was always going to be an extremely difficult mountain to climb. They had a go though and, on a couple of occasions came very close to getting a goal back. If they had done, with ten minutes or so to go, it would have made for an interesting finale. As it was, Wood saw out the remaining time fairly comfortably to take the points.

Leicester Road and Cadbury Athletic finished 2-2, so Wood increase their lead at the top to four points from new second placed side Ilkeston Town, who won 3-1 at Brocton.

FT Heather St Johns 1 Walsall Wood 3. Two good sides who would not look out of place in a higher league. Wood showed their class after going a goal down but Saints continued to fight until the final whistle. 

Heather St John's: Allsop, Maphosa, Bache, Weale (c), Wakeman, Misambo, Wright, Doyle, Cobourne, Minshull, Bloore. Subs: Yonwin, Walton, Hill, Mpofu, Watts

Walsall Wood: Ransome, Hayden, Deakin, Meakin-Richards, Slater, Tolley (c), Till, Westwood, Sullivam, Clarke, Fitzpatrick. Subs: McFarlane, Okojie, Lund, Butler, Hurren

Att: 42
Ground Number: 152
Entrance: £5
Programme: N/A