Stansfeld (O&B) 1 v 5 Red Velvet

Saturday 13th May 2023, Kick-off 11.00

Kent Intermediate Challenge Shield Final

Gallagher Stadium, Maidstone

Admission: £7.00

Programme: £1.00

Attendance: 200 (estimate)

With the regular season now completed in non league football, it is now time to scrabble around fixtures at Step 7 and below in the search of interesting games and new grounds to visit. While this game would represent a ground revisit for me, it was a cup final, and its morning kick off would mean that I could double up with a league title deciding game at Borden Village this afternoon.

This final would be between two clubs from the Kent County League Premier Division. Stansfeld (O&B) finished their season in 12th place in the league, following 12 wins and 3 draws from their 30 league games. They had a poor end to their league campaign though, picking up just two points from their final seven league games. Red Velvet, who won the league last season, have had a more modest season this time around,and they ended their league campaign disappointingly, taking just one point from their final four league games, but still finished in fourth place, following 17 wins and 3 draws from their 30 league games. In the most recent league encounter between the two clubs at Stansfeld, the game ended in a 1-1 draw, but back in late August, Stansfeld secured a 1-2 away win at Red Velvet. To reach today's final, Stansfeld had negotiated three rounds, winning 0-2 at Woodnesborough, 2-1 at home to New Romney, and Guru Nanak 0-2 away in the semi-final, while Red Velvet defeated Metrogas 2-1 at home, Crayford Arrows 2-1 at home, Halls AFC 4-0 at home, and then Danson Sports 3-6 away.

On a fairly warm but overcast morning, and with a decent crowd in attendance (although spectators today were only permitted along one length (including the main all-seater stand) and one end, Red Velvet had the first real chance, when what was more of a cross from the left by Lewis Oborne floated down onto the top of the bar. But on 16 minutes, it was Stansfeld who opened the scoring, when a corner was whipped into the box, and despite the keeper jumping up to vocally claim the ball, it was headed powerfully home by Oliver Wright. But their lead was to only last three minutes, when an inswinging free kick was floated into the box bu Jason Dyer, which was met with a header by Frank McLaren to divert the ball home. Red Velvet took the lead on 29 minutes, with a lovely first time clipped shot from the edge of the area by Dyer sending the ball in off the underside of the bar, and they had a good chance to open up some daylight in the scoreline in the 36th minute, when an excellent curved low ball forward was threaded through the defence by Alfie Moynes, finding the run of his team mate coming in from wide, but his eventual shot could only find the side netting.

So at half time, the game remained very much in the balance, but it didn't take long for Red Velvet to ease towards what turned out to be a comfortable victory. In the 49th minute, a Stansfeld defender seemed to have control of the ball on the left touchline, yet somehow the Red Velvet player emerged with the ball, then reaching the touchline, before crossing the ball low for Dyer to tuck the ball  home from a central position ten yards out. They scored their fourth on 57 minutes when the ball was clipped in from the byline to be headed home by Dyer to seal his hat-trick, and the tie was put beyond all doubt on 64 minutes, when another cross from the byline was headed home from close range at the back post by Dyer, for his fourth of the game. That pretty much killed the game, although credit to Stansfeld for continuing to battle on, and they did have a couple of chances to reduce the deficit, but 5-1 was how it remained at the final whistle. to ensure that Red Velvet would lift the shield on the pitch shortly after the final whistle.

Video highlights can be viewed by clicking here

Westfield II 0 v 3 Rye Town

Wednesday 10th May 2023, Kick-off 18.30
East Sussex League Premier Division
Parish Field, Westfield
Admission: None
Programme: None
Attendance: 70 (rough head count)

After a week in sunny Menorca, when I unfortunately chose the one weekend where no senior fixtures were being played on the island, it was back to local groundhopping for me this evening. On the face of it, there was little particularly appealing to take in this game, particularly with a reserve team being the home team. However, I did want to pay one last visit to the Parish Field, this being the penultimate match day ever to take place there, before the club takes up residency in their new ground across the road. In addition, with Rye having sealed the league title at the weekend with a couple of games to spare, there would be a presentation made to the visitors this evening.

Westfield II came into this game in sixth place in the 11 club division, and that is the lowest they can finish, but should they win all three of their remaining games, they would finish in third place. So far, they have won nine and drawn two of their 17 league games played. Following promotion as champions last season, Rye have had another superb season, winning 15 and drawing 2 of their 18 league games so far, conceding just five goals in the process. In the reverse fixture played in early April, Rye won 4-0.

On a sunny and mild evening, with a decent crowd in attendance augmented by a healthy contingent from Rye, this was a game which started quite evenly, but slowly Rye gained more and more control, and in the end eased to what was quite a comfortable win in the end. Rye came close to opening the scoring in the sixth minute, when a free kick from the right of the penalty area was drilled low across goal, and a powerful shot from 8 yards out smacked back off the crossbar. But within a minute, they did take the lead, following a long goal kick downfield, which Charlie Stevens ran onto and lobbed the ball first time over the keeper and into the net. Both sides had chances to score in the remainder of the half, with the best chances coming within a minute of the break. First Westfield saw a close range shot superbly saved by the Rye keeper, and then a Rye attack finished with the ball crossed to a team mate all alone 8 yards out, but he couldn't control the ball, instead letting the ball bounce tamely off his foot and into the keeper's grateful hands.

After the full 45 minutes were played in the first half, Rye doubled their lead within a couple of minutes of the restart, when a corner was headed from close range into the roof of the net by Sam Hesmer. Things started to get a little feisty as the second half wore on, and a Westfield player was sent to the sin bin on 57 minutes. The game seemed to be meandering towards a victory for the winners,and that was confirmed in the 82nd minute, when Rye were awarded a fairly soft looking penalty for a shove as the defender chased back .Sam Cooper convered low into the bottom left corner. The Westfield keeper was then sent to the sin bin on in the 85th minute, with a substitute coming on to take his place who certainly didn't look up for the challenge as he meandered onto the pitch with not the greatest body language. He was barely tested in the remaining minutes though, as Rye saw the game out with yet another clean sheet to their name. 

Shortly after the final whistle, the league trophy and medals were handed to the Rye team on the pitch, with just the one game remaining, at home to bottom placed Robertsbridge, and a win would ensure that Rye will win the division by seven points.

Charlton Athletic 3 v 2 Port Vale

Saturday 28th April 2023, Kick-off 15.00
EFL League One
The Valley, Charlton
Admission: Season Ticket
Programme: £3.50
Attendance: 15,314 (996 away)

So today would be my second trip to The Valley on consecutive Saturdays, as well as the final home game of the season. There was certainly an element of "thank god for that" about today, at the end of a season which started with hopes of mounting a push for the play-offs, but which panned out in a depressingly familiar fashion of chaos and mismanagement off the field, and frustrating inconsistency on it, leaving nothing realistically to play for since the turn of the year, well, apart from the token achievement of a top ten finish.

After a disappointing performance and result at home to Morecambe last Saturday Charlton came into this game in eleventh place in the table, following 15 wins and 13 draws from 44 league games and with just two games left to play, the highest the Addicks can now finish is tenth - and were a point adrift of Lincoln City, the club occupying that position. Following promotion last season, Port Vale had a poor run from mid March, including three draws and five defeats from eight games. It was a run which threatened to open the relegation trap door back down to League Two, a prospect which prompted the sacking of manager Darrell Clarke, and replaced by interim manager Andy Crosby. A 2-0 win last Saturday arrested the slide, and barring mathematical miracles, ensured League One football for the Valiants next season. They came into this game in 18th place, following 13 wins and ten draws from 44 League games.

A match report can be viewed by clicking here, also copied and posted below

Brief video highlights can be viewed by clicking here

Kevin Nolan’s Valley View: Charlton Athletic 3-2 Port Vale

The Addicks claimed victory in the last home match of another poor season. On a sunny day at The Valley, KEVIN NOLAN tried to look on the bright side.

The sheepish owners of a moth-eaten 15-13-16 record prior to this penultimate game, Charlton have lurched through another monotonous season with infuriating inconsistency. A spineless 1-0 submission to Bristol Rovers just six days after Shrewsbury Town were demolished 6-0 at The Valley rubber-stamped their chronic unreliability.

But at least Saturday’s visit by Port Vale gave them an opportunity to balance the slate and at the same time reinforce their claim to be considered the most dreary, mediocre team in League One.

Vale, meanwhile, arrived in SE7 trailing their hosts by 12 points but justifiably satisfied with their campaign to date. Promoted last term via the play-offs, their priority was consolidation of their achievement at a higher level.

That modest objective has been realised by 12 victories, among them a 1-0 conquest of the Addicks at Vale Park in November, a useful result which meant that revenge, as well as statistical levelling up, was on Charlton’s Saturday agenda.

The chips were down; there was everything to play for; losing was unacceptable. Well, that is a gross exaggeration but a surprisingly healthy crowd, with 996 of them housed in the Jimmy Seed stand, rose to the occasion.

It’s only fair to say that these sides, both of them League One also-rans, served up reasonable entertainment Only the extra edge in class, supplied principally by wide men Tyreece Campbell and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, decided the keenly-contested issue in Charlton’s favour.

Both of them scored, Rak-Sakyi for the 15th time in a fruitful loan spell from Crystal Palace. The slimline winger notched another of his trademarked goals but it was Campbell, whose 14th minute opener did the early damage. Supplied by Albie Morgan to the right of Aidan Stone’s goal, the promising youngster efficiently found the far corner with a sweetly-placed strike.

The visitors were shaken but recovered well. It’s almost an article of faith that Charlton make heavy weather of breaking clear and winning comfortably. They were the better side but proved unable to prove the point before the interval, as the Valiants stayed in the game and gradually gained an ominous foothold. Daniel Butterworth’s weaving dribble produced a firm drive, which luckily was deflected to safety.

Vale captain Tom Pett was a busy influence in midfield as the visitors gave as good as they got, without making any clear-cut chances. When Rak-Sakyi doubled the Addicks’ lead before the hour, it briefly seemed that the issue had been sealed.

The coaching book on the elusive trickster surely stresses the importance of keeping him on his not-quite-so strong right foot whenever he embarks on one of his lateral solo runs from right to left.

Instead Vale, as have many defences before them, allowed the loanee space

to draw a left-footed bead and plant a crisp drive beyond Stone. His finishing is beyond reproach but it’s all but certain he’ll be doing his bit, if not for Palace, for some fortunate club at Championship level. He’s too good for League One.

Three minutes after Rak-Sakyi appeared to have put the game beyond the Burslem boys’ reach, Port Vale snatched an untidy goal and were back at the races. Substitute James Plant seized on the chaos caused by Mal Benning’s right-wing corner and bashed a loose ball past a blameless Ashley Maynard-Brewer. Nearly a thousand visitors behind the goal sensed a lifeline and kicked up a fuss, which was cruelly silenced by Miles Leaburn some 15 minutes later.

The strapping young kid hadn’t had so much as a look-in but like all natural strikers, bided his time and was ready when his chance arrived. Morgan’s persistence kept the ball alive and Leaburn pounced on Vale’s dithering and netted Charlton’ second clincher – or so it seemed at the time.

It was probably just as well that Terrell Thomas’s careless handling of Dennis Politic’s shot gifted the visitors a penalty in the last minute of added time – a few minutes later and It might have been interesting. Matty Taylor made easy work of converting the spotkick.

Whatever the merits of beating new boys Port Vale, it has at least given the Addicks the chance of improving their symmetrical 16-13-16 record. It hardly justifies writing home about, but there you go – there’s everything to play for at Cheltenham next Sunday. They beat Charlton 1-0 at The Valley in December and there’s no way they’re getting away with that. Go get ’em, lads.

Charlton: Maynard-Brewer, Clare (Egbo 78) Thomas, Hector (Mitchell 78), Dobson, Morgan, Rak-Sakyi, Fraser (Payne 78), Leaburn, Campbell (Henry 85), Sessegnon (Kane 85). Not used: Wollacott, Kanu. Booked: Dobson, Morgan, Hector.

Port Vale: Stone, Donnelly, Smith, Worrall, Benning, Proctor (Conlon 46), Ojo, Forrester (Taylor 46), Massy, Pett, Butterworth (Politic 72). Not used: Stevens, Holden, McDermott.

Referee: Carl Brook. Official attendance: 15,314 (996 visiting).