Saturday 24 October - SSML Results/Reports

[Rhodes]

2 hours ago, Rhodes said:

A goal on 28 minutes from, who else, Melford Simpson gave North Greenford United an unsurprising win today as they often deliver when least expected to, goalkeeper Sam House had a great game.

A couple of groundhoppers from another Forum were at Hall Road this afternoon and give their versions of events:

Spartan South Midlands League, Premier Division –
Eynesbury Rovers 0 North Greenford United 1
Attendance 118
Admission £6, programme £1 (48 pages, two-thirds adverts but still some good reading matter)
Pint of Fosters £3 (bar service only by texting the club and giving your table number)
With the weather likely to ruin the enjoyment of my first choice match – no cover, and I hate rain – it was a surprisingly trouble-free hike round the M25 and up the A1(M) to Eynesbury, pronounced Ainsbree, and the chance to see hop table topping Rovers.
Their Alfred Hall Memorial Field ground is currently three-sided for spectators, as the far flank, with the dugouts and a metal stand between them and set into and behind the back fence, is off limits due to the virus. There were still four covered areas available, though an old-fashioned seated stand straddling the halfway line on the club house side, with two ten-yards long covered standing areas to its left bordering the club house and a remarkable 12 foot high seated stand behind the car park goal which must include half the town’s scaffolding poles.
Visitors North Greenford United arrived near the foot of the table but made the most of the first half with a pitch-length wind behind them, blocking and tackling for everything and breaking out down the wings. They took a deserved 29th minute lead when their impressive left winger Kai Brosnan won a tackle on the halfway line, played a neat moving one-two and slid an inch perfect pass through the middle for gigantic striker Melford Simpson to slot it home low from ten yards out.
With the wind strengthening and in their favour, Rovers piled on the pressure after the break but never really got into fourth gear – in truth, they could have played all night and not scored - and couldn’t find a way through a resolute United defence, who soaked up what they could and still gave the homesters a few frights, both teams having a shot cleared off the line. A surprise result, but NGU’s application warranted a point minimum against Rovers, who at least had the consolation of still topping the table come British Winter Time.

I was also at this one and can’t add a great deal to the excellent surmising by Ashtree RockBee. I loved the ground and it was a friendly welcome, and a decent crowd too. The pitch was immaculate, and I certainly did not expect the visitors to come away with the win, but they battled hard and looked a side much better than one languishing in the nether regions of the league. As reported in the initial post, goal scorer Simpson is massive, I reckon 6 foot 6 and of solid build, but his hold up play was exceptional. Credit too to the visiting keeper, Sam House, the opposite of Simpson being he is small for a keeper, made two excellent saves in the second half.
Thoroughly enjoyable day out.

Edited October 24, 2020 by Rhodes

[Savagebee]

29 minutes ago, Rhodes said:

Pint of Fosters £3 (bar service only by texting the club and giving your table number)

As reported in the initial post, goal scorer Simpson is massive, I reckon 6 foot 6 and of solid build, but his hold up play was exceptional.

Is that what you have to do to get a drink now ?

The Bigmans first goal of the season? ?

[Rhodes]

 

2 hours ago, Karen Browne said:

PREMIER DIVISION

1-0 Leighton Town v Leverstock Green (McClelland) Attendance: 315

Leverstock Green have done it again haven't they just four hours after the final whistle, also see the match programme:

http://levgreenfc.co.uk/event/201024f/

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/files.pitchero.com/clubs/3144/LdqVMErQvMayuBoTvctQ_TT vs Levy.pdf

Edited October 24, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

3 hours ago, Karen Browne said:

DIVISION TWO

2-2 Buckingham United v Totternhoe (Unknown) / (Dem, Butler) Attendance: 46

0-5 The 61FC (Luton) v Old Bradwell United (Green [2], Darryl Smith, Ennis, Anthonio-Forde) Attendance: 21

Two Sports Shots match reports from The Lace Hill Sports & Community Centre and the Kingsway Recreation Ground:

https://www.sportsshots.org.uk/2020/10/24/ssmfld2-buckingham-united-2-totternhoe-2/

https://www.sportsshots.org.uk/2020/10/24/ssmfld2-the-61fc-0-old-bradwell-united-5/

[Rhodes]

29 minutes ago, Savagebee said:

Is that what you have to do to get a drink now ?

Savagebee - It's simply ludicrous isn't it although it's when they say 'table service only' it gets me, it conjures up visions of scantily clad women in nightclubs such as Stringfellows, no offence intended if I'm not being Politically correct

[Rhodes]

3 hours ago, Karen Browne said:

DIVISION ONE

1-6 Enfield Borough v Milton Keynes Irish FC (Unknown) / (G Shrieves [3], Spence [2], Dummett) Attendance: 20

A lengthy Sports Shots report, surely there was more than 20 in attendance, that's 'criminal':

https://www.sportsshots.org.uk/2020/10/24/ssmfld1-enfield-borough-1-mk-irish-6/

[domcassells]

Match report from today

we’ve got a lot of injuries, but had been playing well. Didn’t play badly today but were punished efficiently. On to Tuesday 

https://www.harefieldunited.com/news/harefield-united-25-biggleswade-united-injuryladen-hares-off-the-boil-at-preston-park-2580097.html
 

 

[Rhodes]

15 hours ago, Karen Browne said:

PREMIER DIVISION

1-2 Tring Athletic v Oxhey Jets (Naylor) / (Bircham, Brennan) Attendance: 96

Do we know whether this is Lee Bircham's son (Louis), match report to follow:

[Rhodes]

15 hours ago, Karen Browne said:

PREMIER DIVISION

4-5 Harpenden Town v Dunstable Town (Anthony [3] [1 pen], Rickman) / (Stapleton [2], Twelves, Hankins, Pedro) Attendance: 137

This groundhopper on another Forum chose a good one to attend:

Spartans South Midlands League Premier Division - Harpenden Town 4 Dunstable Town 5 - Admission £6 - Programme online - Attendance 137
Fair to say that this wasn’t my first choice but personal matters dictated that I couldn’t leave home until around 1.30, so chose the nearest unvisited ground to me and what a match I chose !!
First things first and a couple of moans. No sign of track and trace. Temperatures were taken but no one was making sure that contact details were being left. Second moan was regarding obtaining the teams. It was nigh on impossible and sad to say, people I asked who worked or volunteered at Harpenden were less than helpful. I know that Karen Browne reads this forum so couldn’t it be recommended that clubs have a board up where someone chalks up the teams, just like the Wessex League and the old Sussex County League ? I did get them in the end but it was only via the relevant clubs Twitter pages and Harpenden don’t normally put their team on there anyway, so they must have given in to my moans etc.
On to the match and Harpenden took the lead after 21 minutes when Jake Antony took advantage of a slip by Louis Octave in the visiting defence and fired home from the edge of the area. Dunstable then shook the home team by scoring three in 8 minutes. A Kyreece Smith-Reid cross wasn’t held by the keeper and Chris Stapleton scored from close range to make it 1-1 and then a poor square ball from Jack Gilbert was intercepted by Tommy Twelves who scored from 18 yards. Then a Temi Oladejo free kick was nodded back to Joe Hankins to put Dunstable 3-1 up. There was still time for a home penalty before half time when Antony was brought down by Roy Byron and Antony reduced the deficit from the spot.
Three minutes into the second half and it was 3-3 with a control and lovely finish from 12 yards from Mulik Rickman and on the hour, Harpenden turned the match around and went 4-3 up when Antony completed his hat trick when he took advantage of hesitation between Oladejo and his keeper, Daniel Gould. Within 5 minutes, it was level pegging again and what a sensational ball from Octave which picked out Stapleton who found the net with ease. Both sides went for the win and Harpenden’s Jake Collins rattled the woodwork with a stunning overhead kick that would have brought the house down if it had gone in. Instead, in the last minute of the match, it was Dunstable that nicked the three points with two subs combining - Evans Landon with the cross and Leo Pedro with the header. Bizarrely, in stoppage time, Stapleton was fouled in the centre circle, rolled over ten times and when he was receiving treatment on the pitch, the referee blew the final whistle. Very odd end to a superb match.

[Rhodes]

10 hours ago, domcassells said:

Match report from today

we’ve got a lot of injuries, but had been playing well. Didn’t play badly today but were punished efficiently. On to Tuesday 

https://www.harefieldunited.com/news/harefield-united-25-biggleswade-united-injuryladen-hares-off-the-boil-at-preston-park-2580097.html

Biggleswade United's version of events at Preston Park yesterday and the match programme, also a belated pre-match preview from Biggleswade United, they were wrong about it not being straight forward:

https://biggleswadeutd.com/Matchreport.aspx?id=473597

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/files.pitchero.com%2Fclubs%2F18423%2Fi4WHNPVzQsiwuukayjRr_Biggleswade+United++e-programme+(1).pdf

The Hares were relegated from the SSML Premier Division in 2016 and after a couple of seasons in midtable, they navigated their way through the entire 2018/19 league season unbeaten to clinch the Division One title and earn promotion back to the top tier where they sat 15th when the season was curtailed.

They could’ve been much higher in the standings after an abysmal run of 13 league games without a win before lockdown saw them slide down the table.

The turnaround in their form this campaign with a mostly similar squad has been remarkable as they won their first three matches, including victories against Newport Pagnell Town and league leaders Eynesbury Rovers.

Consecutive losses to former tenants Broadfields United and Edgware Town respectively followed prior to claiming a 2-0 win at Leverstock and then a 3-0 triumph over Harpenden to leave Jason Shaw’s men third in the table.

United won 5-1 at Second Meadow and 4-0 at Preston Park in the Hares’ relegation season and repeated the latter scoreline on the road back in February in a commanding display.

It certainly won’t be that straightforward on this occasion as United aim to leapfrog Harefield in the standings with a win, KO 3pm.

Edited October 25, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

20 hours ago, Karen Browne said:

PREMIER DIVISION

3-1 Arlesey Town v Wembley (Miller [2], Carvalho) / (Unknown) Attendance: 83

That's a real surprise, Herculano Carvalho scoring, I gather it was a header this time and a text book one at that, leaping like a salmon above two taller defenders and heading the ball down as you are always taught to do as a youngster:

[Savagebee]

18 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Savagebee - It's simply ludicrous isn't it although it's when they say 'table service only' it gets me, it conjures up visions of scantily clad women in nightclubs such as Stringfellows, no offence intended if I'm not being Politically correct

 Yep it does make me laugh next they will make have a blood test before you can order a drink ?

[Savagebee]

6 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Do we know whether this is Lee Bircham's son (Louis), match report to follow:

Think it is.

Louis had some cracking seasons at Leverstock Green a few seasons back.

[Rhodes]

3 hours ago, Savagebee said:

Think it is.

Louis had some cracking seasons at Leverstock Green a few seasons back.

Do you think Lee will bring him to Vauxhall Road then, Managers obviously have soft spots for their sons, take Terry Shrieves at Milton Keynes Irish

Edited October 25, 2020 by Rhodes

[Savagebee]

13 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Do you think Lee will bring him to Vauxhall Road then, Managers obviously have soft spots for their sons, take Terry Shrieves at Milton Keynes Irish

You never know but I think Step 5 is his level in my opinion.

[Savagebee]

On 24/10/2020 at 17:17, Rhodes said:

 

Edgware Town 2 Baldock Town 1

I see Fergus THE LEDGE Moore started and finished the game for Edgware Town ? How does his old legs do it? ?

Edited October 26, 2020 by Savagebee

[Savagebee]

On 24/10/2020 at 17:17, Rhodes said:

Enfield Borough 1 Milton Keynes Irish 6

Two more goals for the Irish Goal Machine Mason Spence that's 11 goals in 9 games for him now.

[Rhodes]

On 24/10/2020 at 19:15, Karen Browne said:

PREMIER DIVISION

1-1 Potton United v Colney Heath (Camara) / (Lovell) Attendance: 127

The lines up's, match report and match programme:

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/pottonunitedfc/teams/188957/match-centre/1-6378585/report

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/files.pitchero.com%2Fclubs%2F64867%2FyvpgwMoBRkPg6SaNdFg9_POTTON+VS+COLNEY+HEATH.pdf

[Rhodes]

On 24/10/2020 at 19:15, Karen Browne said:

PREMIER DIVISION

1-2 Tring Athletic v Oxhey Jets (Naylor) / (Bircham, Brennan) Attendance: 96 

Both sides of the story and photographs:

https://www.tafc.co.uk/report-r.php?fixture_id=3828

https://www.oxheyjets.com/

[Rhodes]

On 24/10/2020 at 19:15, Karen Browne said:

PREMIER DIVISION

2-0 London Colney v Crawley Green (Conlch, King) Attendance: 45

A groundhopper from another Forum was at Cotlandswick, also some nice photographs (courtesy of Rob Campion Sports Photography:

London Colney 2-0 Crawley Green
SSML Premier Division
@ Cotlandswick Park
Adm: £5
Prog: not issuing
Att: 30 ish
Having got up @ lunchtime after my night shift, I felt pretty good so decided on the 90 mile trip down the M1. No traffic issues and I arrived @ around 2:30pm. A warm welcome was had at the club, and after liaising with the person who does their twitter account I sorted my camera gear out.
This part of the country seemed to escape the worst of the weather during the afternoon, with only light rain around kick-off time. It dried up pretty quickly and stayed that way until I was back on the M1.
The game was competitive between two evenly matched sides, but two goals in quick succession around the 35 minute mark gave the hosts their first league victory of the season.

https://rambler77.zenfolio.com/p850723752

Edited October 27, 2020 by Rhodes