After Thursday's drab performance at the Causeway Stadium in Cinderford, I gave watching Gloucester City's game against Bishop's Cleeve a miss today (maybe the right choice as they lost 1-0 to the Villagers!) and instead headed south to Cambridge to watch Slimbridge take on Clevedon Town of the Southern League South & West Division.

Cambridge? That is surely EAST of Gloucester I hear you say. Ah, but this is Cambridge village (pronounced CAM-BRIDGE) where Slimbridge (the village of which is one mile to the west, beyond which lies the famous Wetlands where you might occasionally observe the lesser spotted Oddie or Humble) play their home games at the impressive (for its level) Wisloe Road Stadium.

Slimbridge were a very impressive side, too good for Step 5 imho, and they played some neat-passing and quick counter-attacking football exploiting the flanks and sending in penetrating crosses which the Clevedon defence had to be alert to. Clevedon looked average, despite winning the Southern League Cup last year, although whispers are that soon they will see an investment which could take them up to the Conference South (or North, as the borderline edges ever southward!) Changes will need to happen soon, in any case, if they are to avoid relegation to the Western League - as on this showing they were far from impressive.

Slimbridge were 2-0 up with 80 minutes gone, and it looked for all the world that it would stay that way, before two counter-attacking moves saw Clevedon score two very fortunate goals inthe 81st and 89th minute. A draw was not a fair result, as Slimbridge were definitely the better side, but playing like this will see Slimbridge do very well in the Hellenic Premier this season.