Saturday 18 December - SSML Results/Reports

[Rhodes]

The fixtures:  

Saturday 18 December – (kick off 3.00pm unless stated)

Premier Division
Ardley United v New Salamis
Broadfields United P Leighton Town
Dunstable Town v Flackwell Heath
Hadley v Crawley Green
Harefield United P Holmer Green
Harpenden Town v Milton Keynes Irish
Leverstock Green v Aylesbury Vale Dynamos
London Colney v Arlesey Town
Risborough Rangers v Oxhey Jets

Division One
Ampthill Town v Wellingborough Whitworth
Langford v Burton Park Wanderers
London Tigers v Kidlington Reserves
Northampton Sileby Rangers v Bedford
Penn & Tylers Green v Raunds Town
Rushden & Higham United v Long Crendon
Shefford Town & Campton v Irchester United
Stotfold v Thame United Reserves

Division Two
Berkhamsted Raiders v Buckingham United (kick off 2.00pm)
Codicote P Pitstone & Ivinghoe
Eynesbury United v Sarratt
Milton Keynes College Football Academy P New Bradwell St Peter
The 61 FC (Luton) v Risborough Rangers Development (kick off 2.00pm)
Tring Corinthians AFC v Totternhoe (kick off 2.00pm)

SSML Challenge Trophy Second Round
Bovingdon v Tring Athletic (kick off 1.30pm)

Hertfordshire FA Senior Centenary Trophy Quarter Final
Letchworth Garden City Eagles P Bishop’s Stortford Swifts

Berks & Bucks FA Charles Twelftrees Trophy Second Round
FC Beaconsfield v New Bradwell St Peter (kick off 1.30pm)

[Rhodes]

11 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Premier Division
Leverstock Green v Aylesbury Vale Dynamos

Sadly this one has been postponed due to a Covid outbreak, there's nothing worse for a programme editor is there when a game is called off:

https://issuu.com/tonysmart/docs/aylesbury_vale_dynamos_fc_programme_2

11 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Premier Division
Harpenden Town v Milton Keynes Irish

Another postponement due to Covid

[Rhodes]

11 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Premier Division
Risborough Rangers v Oxhey Jets

The match programme and match preview:

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/files.pitchero.com/clubs/64064/zOiHFMB2SyKPhmv6fvhA_Oxhey Jets SSMFL Prem Saturday 18th December 2021.pdf

https://www.risboroughrangersfc.co.uk/teams/186028/match-centre/1-9711683

[Rhodes]

The results:  

Saturday 18 December

Premier Division
Ardley United 0 New Salamis 3
Broadfields United P Leighton Town
Dunstable Town 1 Flackwell Heath 1
Hadley 5 Crawley Green 0
Harefield United P Holmer Green
Harpenden Town P Milton Keynes Irish
Leverstock Green P Aylesbury Vale Dynamos
London Colney 1 Arlesey Town 5
Risborough Rangers 4 Oxhey Jets 1

Division One
Ampthill Town 1 Wellingborough Whitworth 0
Langford 2 Burton Park Wanderers 1
London Tigers 5 Kidlington Reserves 0
Northampton Sileby Rangers 6 Bedford 1
Penn & Tylers Green 5 Raunds Town 1
Rushden & Higham United 3 Long Crendon 2
Shefford Town & Campton 7 Irchester United 3
Stotfold 10 Thame United Reserves 2

Division Two
Berkhamsted Raiders 3 Buckingham United 2 
Codicote P Pitstone & Ivinghoe
Eynesbury United 3 Sarratt 0
Milton Keynes College Football Academy P New Bradwell St Peter
The 61 FC (Luton) 2 Risborough Rangers Development 1
Tring Corinthians AFC 1 Totternhoe 2

SSML Challenge Trophy Second Round
Bovingdon 0 Tring Athletic 2

Hertfordshire FA Senior Centenary Trophy Quarter Final 
Letchworth Garden City Eagles P Bishop’s Stortford Swifts

Berks & Bucks FA Charles Twelftrees Trophy Second Round
FC Beaconsfield 4 New Bradwell St Peter 1

Edited December 20, 2021 by Rhodes

[View from the Boundary]

Risborough to be applauded for 50 league games unbeaten, but for 70 minutes today they were in a game. Jets though continue to be masters of their own undoing, the last 2 goals were dreadful defensively (as was the second, scorching shot into the top corner but with 5 players in the vicinity he shouldn't have been allowed the chance to shoot).

The home side weren't as good today as they were in the reverse fixture, but neither were the visitors, who nonetheless showed good character after Tuesday's mauling at Royston and looked good going forward. The backline though needs to be addressed as we've been throwing points away for weeks.

With the scheduled midweek home derby with Harefield already called off it will be the new year before Oxhey next see action, and I suspect they'll be glad to see the back of what has been a pretty turbulent year.

No football until August, at the end of which most of the first team left with former boss Stuart Atkins immediately after a 6-4 home loss to Arlesey. Astonishingly held Kingstonian to a famous FA Cup Q2 draw in the next game, but then shipped 23 goals in the next 3 matches as scratch teams at least fulfilled the fixtures. 

The Kevin Christou era soon saw high flying Leighton and Risborough held to draws, New Salamis defeated in the league cup and good road wins at Hadley, Holmer Green and Levy Green, but the last of those was to my mind the last complete performance. There have been good halves since but more often than not just fits and starts, and we've lost commanding centre half Ferrel Charles to Kings Langley.

Here are the telling stats: conceded 82 goals at an average of over 3 a game, and used around 70 players in the process. In anyone's book that's upheaval, and that last figure will definitely go up by the time the season ends (if it ends?), as one currently injured former Jet has returned and another current first teamer may have played his last game today.

Happy New Year everyone!

[Rhodes]

3 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Premier Division
London Colney 1 Arlesey Town 5

A match report:

Arlesey Town beat London Colney for new boss Martin Standen | Herts Advertiser

[Rhodes]

On 18/12/2021 at 18:12, Rhodes said:

Division One
Rushden & Higham United 3 Long Crendon 2

The line up's from this affair, isn't Jake Reynolds the former AFC Kempston Rovers, Wellingborough Town and AFC Rushden & Diamonds prolific forward:

[Rhodes]

On 18/12/2021 at 18:12, Rhodes said:

Premier Division
Risborough Rangers 4 Oxhey Jets 1

YouTube highlights and a match report:

https://www.risboroughrangersfc.co.uk/teams/186028/match-centre/1-9711683/report

 

[Daily Dose]

On 18/12/2021 at 20:23, View from the Boundary said:

Risborough to be applauded for 50 league games unbeaten, but for 70 minutes today they were in a game. Jets though continue to be masters of their own undoing, the last 2 goals were dreadful defensively (as was the second, scorching shot into the top corner but with 5 players in the vicinity he shouldn't have been allowed the chance to shoot).

The home side weren't as good today as they were in the reverse fixture, but neither were the visitors, who nonetheless showed good character after Tuesday's mauling at Royston and looked good going forward. The backline though needs to be addressed as we've been throwing points away for weeks.

With the scheduled midweek home derby with Harefield already called off it will be the new year before Oxhey next see action, and I suspect they'll be glad to see the back of what has been a pretty turbulent year.

No football until August, at the end of which most of the first team left with former boss Stuart Atkins immediately after a 6-4 home loss to Arlesey. Astonishingly held Kingstonian to a famous FA Cup Q2 draw in the next game, but then shipped 23 goals in the next 3 matches as scratch teams at least fulfilled the fixtures. 

The Kevin Christou era soon saw high flying Leighton and Risborough held to draws, New Salamis defeated in the league cup and good road wins at Hadley, Holmer Green and Levy Green, but the last of those was to my mind the last complete performance. There have been good halves since but more often than not just fits and starts, and we've lost commanding centre half Ferrel Charles to Kings Langley.

Here are the telling stats: conceded 82 goals at an average of over 3 a game, and used around 70 players in the process. In anyone's book that's upheaval, and that last figure will definitely go up by the time the season ends (if it ends?), as one currently injured former Jet has returned and another current first teamer may have played his last game today.

Happy New Year everyone!

Risboro seem to bring out the best in teams. Clubs always perform better against top opposition. And the adverse effect when playing the poorer sides. There’s a huge carrot to knock them off that pedestal. 50 games though ?. Unreal achievement.

[Rhodes]

On 18/12/2021 at 18:12, Rhodes said:

Division One
Langford 2 Burton Park Wanderers 1

A groundhpper from another Forum was at Forde Park and gives an interesting summary of his visit:

Spartan South Midlands League Division 1
Langford 2 Burton Park Wanderers 1
Admission: £6, Programme: Free with admission
Attendance: 65 (official, but my headcount was only 30)
The early exchanges of this match can best be described as disjointed, with both teams passing to the opposition as much as to themselves. The first chance of note came BPW's way in the 19th minute when their number 7 - who was lively throughout - hit a low shot narrowly wide of the near post. Two minutes later, a chipped pass set BPW's number 11 through on goal, but Langford keeper Sam Galatis got a hand to his shot and then moved quickly to block the attempted rebound.
Six minutes later, BPW took a deserved lead when a through ball set 11 through one-on-one and he placed his shot beneath Galatis for an easy finish. Eight minutes later, Langford had the ball in the net themselves, but it was disallowed for offside. This was Langford's main problem in the first half: they got a few good attacks going, but couldn't seem to stay onside for the final pass. In any event, the first half petered out after this as offsides and niggly fouls disrupted the flow of proceedings.
Langford started the second half on the front foot and went close in the 48th minute when their number 8 had a shot from the edge of the box tipped wide for a corner. The corner reached a Langford head, but it was an easy save for the BPW keeper. Moments later, though, Langford went close again as a free kick was headed goalwards and palmed over the bar for another corner.
Five minutes after this, Langford had a player sin-binned and were temporarily down to ten men. The home side weren't deterred by this though and were awarded a penalty in the 63rd minute as their number 2 was brought down in the box by the BPW keeper. However, after consulting with his linesman, the referee changed his mind and gave a corner instead. A few minutes later, another Langford player was sin-binned just as the first one was about to return to the pitch.
In the 69th minute, Langford came close with a moment of individual skill: their number 16 weaved his way past some defenders before curling a shot just over the crossbar. Four minutes later, BPW responded with their first clear-cut chance of the second half as their number 7 ran down the wing into the box and did a step-over to elude a defender before having his shot well-saved by Galatis. In the 80th minute, he went close again as he was set through one-on-one but his shot went wide.
After that near miss for BPW, Langford went straight up the other end and were awarded a penalty as the BPW keeper once again brought a player down. This time, the decision wasn't overturned and James Younger stepped up and calmly converted the penalty. Having found their equaliser, Langford clearly upped their intensity and pressed higher up the pitch in search of a winner and BPW struggled to adapt. As such, it was no surprise when Younger scored his and Langford's second with two minutes to spare: their number 6 found space to shoot from outside the box and the BPW keeper pushed the shot back into the box, with Younger reacting quickest to scramble it in and secure the win for Langford.
This was a scrappy, low-quality contest with little to separate the two sides: in the end, the defining factor was that Langford were able to step up a gear late on while BPW weren't. The match was very stop-start, with lots of offsides and niggly fouls constantly disrupting play (not helped by the referee seeming to blow his whistle for every bit of contact) and not allowing either team to really build momentum.
Langford's Forde Park ground is a typical Step 6 ground with two Arena stands offering the only cover: one 100-seater unit and a standing unit of a comparable size. The clubhouse is behind the near goal and is where all food and drink can be purchased. The ground is in a pleasant, rural location with trees surrounding it on all sides; perhaps one to visit in nicer weather as it was quite muddy in a few places. The pitch noticeably undulates in a few places, most noticeably in front of the seated stand. Didn't seem to affect play too much, mind.
The ground is between Biggleswade and Arlesey stations. On the way to the ground, I got off at Biggleswade station and took the bus to a bus stop directly outside the ground. On the way back, I walked the 2.3 miles to Arlesey station. Not too bad a walk even in the dark, as it was all paved and mostly lit (and I had a torch on my phone for the non-lit sections anyway).

[View from the Boundary]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59721490 ?

[Rhodes]

On 21/12/2021 at 18:51, Rhodes said:

Division One
Langford 2 Burton Park Wanderers 1

Well known groundhopper The Tortoise Travels was also at Forde Park:  

The Tortoise Travels: Langford - Forde Park

[Rhodes]

On 18/12/2021 at 18:12, Rhodes said:

Saturday 18 December

Division One
Shefford Town & Campton 7 Irchester United 3

A bit Iate in the day but groundhopper Chris White got good vaIue for money when he visited Shefford Town & Campton for his exceIIent Around The Ground feature just before Christmas: