Dartford Celtic 1 v 2 Malgo

Tuesday 25th May 2021, Kick-off 19.00
Craske & Wells Memorial Trophy Final

Jockey Farm, Rusthall

Admission including Programme: £5.00

Attendance: 80 (estimate)

With local midweek fixtures becoming ever thinner on the ground, I delved down into the Sevenoaks & District League for possible games to watch this evening. Although there were a couple of league games with plenty riding on them to choose from, I was swayed by this cup final, with the opportunity to visit a ground I had not visited since 2013, and one which I had been wanting to revisit for some time, having been substantially upgraded in recent years.

The last time I visited Jockey Farm it was an unenclosed venue, however now, plenty of signage guides visitors from the passing road to the turnstile block, to enter the now fully enclosed ground along one length. The clubhouse building remains pretty much how it was, with overhang to the pitchside railing providing a spacious covered standing area, although the interior has been modernised. There are now two stands straddling the half way line closest to the entrance, with a modern metallic all-seater stand next to quite a long stand covered by corrugated sheets and wooden bench seating along the rear. The area behind the goal furthest from the clubhouse has been raised, and so now offers a decent elevated view of the action from behind the goal and stretching round to the half way along the far side, as far as some individual brick built dug outs which have been erected since my last visit. Between the two dugouts, a large "Rusthall" sign is placed on the back of a stand which provides cover for the adjacent full size football pitch. There is hard standing around the rest of the pitch, and the setting is pleasantly green and rural, with some horse stables behind one of the goals. A 24 page programme was included with admission, printed in colour, and provided an introduction to the game, penpics of both squads, some quizzes and results for how both sides reached the final. Indeed, according to the programme at least, Malgo lost in the quarter-final in this competition, did not contest the semi-final, but were reinstated for the final.

The evening's cup final was between clubs from different leagues. Dartford Celtic were in sixth place in the Kent County League Division Three Central & East when this season was curtailed, following four wins and a draw form their seven games. They have been taking part in the Metrogas Invitational Tournament, and have won two and drawn two of their six games so far. Malgo have had a very successful season in the Sevenoaks & District League Division One, which is being played to a finish, and they sealed the title on Saturday after winning the penultimate game of their league season, with a record of 13 wins and three draws from their 17 games with one game to play.

With heavy drizzle arriving just before kick-off and only giving way to drier conditions during the second half, the first half was, unsurprisingly, quite a cagey affair, and although even for the most part, it was Malgo who had the standout chances to open the scoring, most notably on 22 minutes when the Dartford keeper came rushing out of his area only to swing and miss at the ball, but he was relieved to watch the Malgo player shoot wide of a virtually open goal from outside of the area.

The deadlock was broken two minutes after the break by Malgo after a defender couldn't quite cut out a ball forward, and Malgo striker strode forward before striking the ball past the keeper. It was a lead they just about deserved, and they were looking fairly comfortable in their lead until they were reduced to ten men on 68 minutes following a second yellow card. Dartford came closest to an equaliser on 81 minutes when a cross from the right was struck against his own crossbar by a defender, but in the first minute of added on time, it looked like Malgo had secured the trophy with their second goal, a ball forward sent the Malgo player all alone as he ran from the half way line towards goal, before coolly slotting the ball past the keeper. However, Dartford had time to pull a goal back in the fourth minute of added on time, when a powerful shot came back off the underside of the bar, and the loose ball was guided home low past the keeper and a defender and inside the post. However, with barely a minute of added on time remaining, there was not enough time to seriously threaten getting back on level terms, and so it was Malgo who would lift the trophy shortly after the final whistle.

Stopsley United 2 v 3 St Josephs (Saturday)

Saturday 22nd May 2021, Kick-off 15.00

Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Cup Final

Sharpenhoe Road, Barton-le-Clay

Admission: £5.00

Programme: Free

Attendance: 200 (estimate)

For my groundhopping adventure today, I was drawn to Bedfordshire for this County Cup final game, which provided an opportunity to tick off a Step 4 ground, with spectators now allowed inside enclosed grounds since Monday.

This fixture was played at the home ground of Barton Rovers, of the Southern League Division One Central. Sharpenhoe Road is about four miles from the nearest train station at Harlington, and  although the more direct route is along country lanes, I made my way to the ground mainly along footpaths through some very scenic countryside. Based towards the southern edge of the large village of Barton-le-Clay, access to the ground is gained in one corner, although the brick turnstile blocks were not in use today, probably as a Covid precaution, and instead spectators passed through the gate to one side and after writing down contact track and trace details, handed over the admission fee in exchange for a simple four page programme at a table. It is a well appointed ground, with some good adjustments made for these Covid times. Along the length closest to the entrance, there was a large burger trailer parked up, followed by a wooden shed from which alcoholic beverages could be purchased, and with some table and umbrellas laid out. Behind the shed is a brick building housing the changing rooms and clubhouse. A 4 row all-seater stand straddles the half way line, offering unobstructed views, and a hospitality lounge is located above and behind the seating, although this was not in use today. Behind this stand, a large and spacious marquee has been erected for those preferring to sit down with their drinks under Covid friendly cover. Along the opposite length, there are no less than five separate brick built stands, all very similar looking and with a couple of steps inside each. An electronic scoreboard is located in one corner, although it looks in need of repair and was not operational today. There is uncovered hard standing behind both ends, with a couple of steps of terracing behind the goal opposite the entrance end. Green, lush hills behind one length make for a very scenic setting, and all in all, it is a pleasant ground to watch football at.

Both clubs participating in today's final are based in Luton, and both play in Division One of the Bedfordshire County League, although in different sections. When the season was curtailed, St Josephs were in fifth place in Division One "A", following 13 wins and four draws from their 22 league games, while Stopsley United were in third place in Division One "B", following 13 wins and four draws from their 22 league games. In the league's supplementary cup competition, for which both of today's clubs were drawn in the same group, Stopsley won five and drew one of their eight games, whilst St Josephs won two and drew one of their eight games. In the two games between these clubs, and the games between the two clubs ended in a 6-0 win at home for Stopsley, followed by a 1-1 draw.

On a mostly dry and occasionally sunny afternoon, the first half was quite an even affair, with plenty of attacking intent. Stopsley had the better of the chances that were created, with their standout chances coming midway through the half, first the St Josephs keeper was forced into a full stretch low save, and then a lovely diagonal ball forward through the defence found their striker through on goal, but his shot was saved by the keeper's legs. However, the scoreline remained goalless at the break.

The game burst into life within four minutes of the restart when Stopsley opened the scoring. A corner was whipped in and the keeper couldn’t claim the ball, with it rebounding off of the St Josephs forward Patrick Daily and over the line. However, their lead was to only last ten minutes as St Josephs equalised on the hour mark, Simon Richards taking a few touches to create some space before cutting inside and lashing a powerful shot past the keeper. On 67 minutes, St Josephs took the lead when a free kick was curled into the box and with the keeper caught a little in no-mans land, Paddy Northern poked the ball home with his outstretched boot. On 69 minutes, the referee hobbled off and had to be replaced - the second time it has happened in consecutive games I have watched this week. Stopsley came so close to equalising on 72 minutes when a curling shot hit the underside of the crossbar, with the keeper managing to gather the loose ball on the line, and on 80 minutes, they forced a low fingertip save at full stretch. St Josephs had a great chance to seal the win as the clock ticked 90 minutes when the ball was crossed from the right wing, but his team mate couldn’t quite get the ball under control quickly enough to break clear of the defence, and his eventual shot wfrom distance was fired over. And two minutes into added on time, Stopsley equalised following a corner, Ian McGuinness prodding the ball home just beyond a defender and the keeper, to cue wild celebrations amongst the Stopsley players, thinking they had surely done enough to force the tie to be settled by a penalty shoot-out. Soon after, the heavens really opened but that certainly did not distract St Josephs who, in the sixth minute of added on time, saw a low cross from the right stabbed home Peter O'Donnell. That was virtually the last kick of the game as the substitute referee blew the final whistle immediately after the restart, meaning that St Josephs would lift the trophy in joyous but drenched celebrations on the pitch shortly after the final whistle. Credit to both teams though for producing a very entertaining and dramatic game of football.

Billingshurst 1 v 1 Midhurst & Easebourne

Midhurst & Easebourne won 5-3 on penalties
Wednesday 19th May 2021, Kick-off 19.30

Southern Combination League Division One Supplementary Shield, Final

High Wood Hill Sports Park, Broadbridge Heath

Admission: £5.00

Programme: None

Attendance: 150 (estimate)

I have very much enjoyed my enforced tour of recreation grounds for my groundhopping pleasures since the end of the most recent lockdown. However, with spectators now allowed inside enclosed grounds since Monday, I was looking forward to visiting a ground with spectator facilities once more, and I started by heading over to the outskirts of Horsham for this Supplementary Shield final.

This Supplementary Shield final was played at the home of Broadbridge Heath, a ground which opened in August 2019, and which I visited a few months later. So unsurprisingly, the inside of the ground remains unchanged, although the area outside has been tidied up a little, with a standalone fixture board sitting outside the clubhouse on the route from the car park to the ground, and indeed this path is more substantial and direct now. As usual in these Covid times, NHS Track and Trace details were required, either via the QR code or on paper, and somewhat disappointingly for a league cup final, no programme or team sheets were produced. But at least line-ups were written up on a whiteboard. The bar was open this evening, following Covid precautions, with plenty of wooden picnic tables available pitchside.

Dubbed by some as the A272 derby, with 15 miles of that road separating the two towns, Midhurst would probably have been considered favourites for this game. When the regular season was curtailed they were in fourth position, following seven wins and a draw from their 12 league games, whilst Billingshurst had won three and drawn four of their 11 league games. In this supplementary competition, both Billingshurst and Midhurst qualified from the same five club group, Midhurst topping the group with a 100% record after beating Billingshurst 3-1 away, whilst Billingshurst won their other three games in the group, against Arundel, Oakwood and Roffey. In the semi-finals, Billingshurst won 0-4 at Seaford Town while Midhurst won on penalties at Worthing United.

On a gloriously sunny evening, the first half was a rather scrappy and tetchy affair, which saw Billingshurst's Lewis Hamilton sent to the sin bin, and a member of their coaching staff sent from the technical area, and later on a member of the Midhurst. Both teams had their chances to score, but it wasn't surprising that the scoreline remained goalless at the break.

Four minutes into the second half, and the referee required some medical treatment to his leg, which did not do the trick as he had to limp gingerly off and was replaced in the middle by the fourth official. And on the hour mark, the deadlock was broken by Billingshurst. Their keeper sent a ball long and high upfield, and was headed forwards from the centre circle into the path of Archie Goddard to run onto, and he managed to glance the ball with his head over a defender before running towards goal from a slight angle, and his shot at goal took a sizeable deflection from an incoming sliding tackle to loop the ball over the keeper and into the net. However, they were reduced to ten men on 80 minutes when Ricardo Fernandes, older brother of Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, was shown a second yellow card, both for simulation. One might have thought that might prove costly for Billingshurst, but perhaps surprisingly Midhurst equalised barely a minute later, when the ball was dinked in from the left by Harry Giles, and sub Robbie Tambling headed the ball past the keeper. Billinghurst came closest to snatching a winner in the remaining minutes, when a deflected shot almost caught the keeper out and a free kick was tipped onto the bar, but in the end, the game finished level on 90 minutes, and as has been the case with most cup competitions this season , this game would be decided on penalties.

With Midhurst stepping up first, both teams scored their first three penalties, but after Midhurst scored their fourth, Billingshurst saw their blazed over the bar. Midhurst scored their fifth to send their players into wild celebrations as they raced to some of their supporters behind the goal. The various medals and the Shield were presented on the pitch a few minutes later, amid plenty of spraying of some fizzy beverage.