The Non - League thread

[Red]

The far east betting rings must be getting desperate.

[Four Of Clubs]

...they might have cleaned up yesterday - Surrey Elite Intermediate League (not sure how 'Elite' fits in with 'Intermediate' - can it be both?) Spelthorne Sports top with 12 straight wins, worked very hard to get their game on .....

.... and were duly thumped 1-3 by Virginia Water!

Sorry - forgot to mention - I was there!

Nice clubhouse by the way.

[Alan Partridge]

Stag Meadow for me tomorrow night to go and see the Truro boys!

[Four Of Clubs]

... had looked at that one for Thu eve too - if its dried out enough -

BUT most of the family are off to the Panto, leaving me in charge of picking up the eldest from a party at 9:00PM

... or there's Sandhurst v Fleet Town in an Aldersh!t Senior Cup Tie

... might see if they mind keeping him for another hour or so ....

[Royal Rother]

Stag Meadow for me tomorrow night to go and see the Truro boys!

A severe case of man flu won't keep me away...

W&E have surpassed all expectations this season and remain unbeaten in the league since August but tomorrow will be the biggest test so far. A point would be a real result for us.

[Four Of Clubs]

... just had a 'real result' too - eldest NOT now going to Party (postponed) so we'll most likely both be heading up to Stag Meadow ....

[Royal Rother]

W&E 1-2 Truro.

A curiously downbeat game, from the players and the crowd. We seemed to play with an inferiority complex most of the game never quite taking it to Truro until the last 15 minutes. It all just seemed a bit half-hearted most of the game.

The real difference was that Truro were very well organised, very fit and looked every inch the professional outfit they are, whereas we looked like we hadn't played a game for weeks or been able to train much in recent times.

Shame really as, for all their obvious superiority, they rarely threatened our goal and didn't have any players that looked "scarily" good for this level.

Referees who play the first half letting challenges go to keep a free flowing game then change tack in the 2nd half to book and send off players for bugger all really irritate me.

[Alan Partridge]

Afful can cause problems but he went off injured, lost the captain Martin as well..injured. Hayles too at that level will score a load.

The referee and the assistants were an embarassment truth be told. The lino's between them missed at least 5 or 6 blatant offsides, the referee as you rightly say let some poor tackles go, and tell the truth I thought Hayles was unfortunate to get a straight red. Both players went up exactly the same, the Windsor playing nicking the ball so Hayles cuaght him. The Windsor players did Hayles no favours and the ref couldn't wait for his 5 seconds of fame to send Hayles off.

I thought Truro looked the better side without really creating a barrel load of chances, in fact Ricey had to make a belting save in the 1st half to keep it 1-0. Couldn't see Windsor scoring, they then of course did

Good result for Truro, and my £'s on them at 14/1 to win the league look a steady bet as the weeks go on.

[AthleticoSpizz]

aren't they managed by ex-Royal Lee Hodges?

[Four Of Clubs]

Yup - as far as I know he's still 'boss' there - they've evidently continued to pour a fair bit of money into the playing side and have picked up even more ex-pros - started out with cast offs from Plymouth and Torquay.

- didn't recognize many of their squad from the previous occasions I've seen them over the last 3 or 4 yrs.

Not sure if Yetton was on at any stage last night either?

...was announced at Att: 325 yet I thought the crowd looked a bit sparse - still managed to sell out of Progs though

... understandably few away followers travelling that distance on a Thursday night.

Thought Truro were very compact and well drilled, as you'd expect with their experience but W&E looked a bit flat - especially down the flanks.
.... had either of those chances saved by the keeper gone in it might have been a different outcome, as I didn't actually think Truro looked too potent up front.

Agree on the Red card too - was a 50/50 with both players feet up - thought Hayles was trying to pull his leg back but Ref had immediately decided on dismissal.

In spite of his short supply was very impressed with Chennels (assumed he was the No. 10 ? - didn't get a prog ) - did very well to create the goal - think W&E found out too late to chip the ball through the back four - that huge No. 4 was winning everything in the air before that.

[Royal Rother]

Yes, Chennells was No 10.

BTW, did you guys recognise our goalscorer, Paul Robinson?

Go back 10 years. He was the player who took Alan Shearer's place on the day that Ruud Gullit dropped him. Scored a few goals for Newcastle but never established himself. Earned a comparitive fortune as a youngster, pissed it up, went down the leagues, out of football, bankrupt, worked on building sites and now playing at this level. We appear to be a stepping stone to him going back up a league or 2 - his fitness has improved markedly over the 6 weeks he's been with us and although he only played 30 minutes last night you can see he is a class above.

[handbags_harris]

Yep can't argue with any of those three summaries. Truro looked a notch above without threatening too much, clear to see they are packed with experienced ex-pro's. W&E, for all their endeavour, didn't really look like scoring apart from a brief flurry in the first five minutes, then just before half time forcing Martin Rice into a pretty decent reaction save an then a stretch to tip over a looping header. Truro's first half really, soft goal to concede from a W&E perspective, simple chipped cross, Hayles with a free header. Thought Truro were denied a clear penalty as well, forward nicks the ball around the corner of the defender, goes to chase his touch and is clearly tripped. Why is that not a penalty? Also, as AP alluded to, numerous offsides were missed in both halves, particularly the first in W&E's attacking favour, the linesman constantly being between five and ten yards behind play and therefore unable to spot it. Utterly atrocious officiating truth be told.

Second half, another clear penalty shout, this one given, tidily tucked away by McConnell. W&E number five gives the linesman a load of jip for there being a clear offside in the build-up, he was right. Difference is Truro made something of their good fortune unlike W&E. Three or four minutes later, bouncing fifty/fifty, Hayles and W&E defender go for the ball, defender gets there a fraction of a second earlier than Hayles, Hayles catches him, ref can't wait to get his red card out, despite not punishing a similar foul in Truro's favour in the same manner minutes earlier. Truth be told, it's a foul, and a booking, red card? No chance. That said, a player of Hayles's experience should be pulling out of that. Ten minutes later or so, another nick around the corner in exactly the same fashion as the first half penalty shout, player chases after it, is tripped, this time it's a free kick and a booking, resulting in a sending off for W&E. Consistency sadly lacking from the somewhat aged officials it should be said.

Three death burgers, £9 entry, decent game of football, happy days. Quite like the Royalists tidy ground as well.

[Four Of Clubs]

Bit out of practise so here's a Review and a Preview all in one:-

Not too many NL games on today 'locally' :-

CONF S
Farnborough 1-2 Eastleigh
Maidenhead 1-1 Basingstoke - Magpies probably a bit downbeat with this after their win at Brommers on Thu eve? Basingstoke with a late equalizer - att: approx 350
Woking 1-1 Havant & Waterlooville

ISTH1S
Godalming 1-3 Walton & Hersham
Walton Casuals 2-1 Fleet Town

I made the fairly lengthy trek down via 'stoke, Alton, Petersfield and Chichester to:
Bognor Regis 4-1 Burgess Hill att: 468- bit harsh on the away side - two goals very late on gave an unfair outcome - but was a good standard between two sides near the top of the Isthmian One South. Nice big clubhouse - good selection of food - they've won awards apparently - though ran out of bacon!
Came back via a pleasantly empty A27/M27 - M3 a bit heavier - home by 18:30.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's Monday's games involving 'local' sides - has been a bit of a break for some so they might be a bit rusty:-

CONFS
Basingstoke v Weston-S-Mare
Bromley v Bishop's Stortford
Dorchester v Hampton & Richmond
Eastleigh v Havant and W
St Albans v Maidenhead Utd
Staines Town v Farnborough
Woking v Boreham Wood

SOUTHP
Chesham United v Bedford Town
Didcot Town v Windsor & Eton
SOUTH1C
Beaconsfield SYCOB v Burnham
Bedfont Town v North Greenford United
Marlow v Northwood
Uxbridge v Slough Town
SOUTH1S&W
Abingdon United v Thatcham Town
Andover v Hungerford Town 12:00 KO

ISTH1S
Fleet Town v Walton & Hersham

COCOP (ALL KO’s in this League 11:30 ##)
Ash United v Camberley Town
Cove v Guildford City
Egham Town v Wembley
Hanworth Villa v Chertsey Town
Sandhurst Town v Badshot Lea
COCO1
Chobham v Sheerwater
Farnborough North End v Cobham
Frimley Green v Eversley
Hartley Wintney v Farnham Town

## for those of you mad/brave/daft enough and with sufficient stamina - I'd highly recommend one of the 'nearer' one's above in the COCO leagues, as a possible 'warm-up' match before the MadStad @ 15:00h. A few are comfortably within range to enable a return in time for KO. This time last year I did Eversley FC @ 11:30 and managed to come back home, pick up one of the offspring and get to the RFC game.

HELLP
Binfield v Ascot United
Bracknell Town v Wokingham & Emmbrook
Reading Town v Flackwell Heath - RTFC have Ray Spence and Shayne (?) Small-King back in the squad and both could feature. The away side are a bit tasty too - big fast and not averse to 'mixing it'.
Thame United v Ardley United - 2nd match at new ground and vs league leaders
Wantage Town v Shrivenham
HELL1E
14:15 Chinnor v Milton United
14:15 Finchampstead v Chalfont Wasps
12:30 Holyport v Rayners Lane
Hungerford Town Reserves v Newbury
14:15 Penn & Tylers Green v Henley Town
14:15 Woodley Town v South Kilburn

WESSEX - Alton & Fleet Spurs away - Tadley no league game scheduled

[Tad Showbiz]

Good preview FoC.

Surprised the Hellenic League haven't followed the Combined Counties League in having games kick off at 11.30 or even just a couple of the more local clubs like Reading Town, Binfield or Bracknell Town kicking off early to tempt a few others watching Reading later in the afternoon through their turnstiles.

[AndyRFC]

Might go to Woodley match tomorrow.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Surprised the Hellenic League haven't followed the Combined Counties League in having games kick off at 11.30 or even just a couple of the more local clubs like Reading Town, Binfield or Bracknell Town kicking off early to tempt a few others watching Reading later in the afternoon through their turnstiles.

I'm surprised they didn't arrange matches for today. with no games yesterday (which also seems strange) you'd think a free day avoiding clashes with other matches would be ideal.

[Four Of Clubs]

... haven't checked back but I'd be a bit surprised if they've scheduled that many 'lower-level' Pyramid games on a New Years Day itself in the past - doubt if all players can be relied upon to be out of bed that much before 11:00 either - so certainly not many would want to travel - I think the normal holiday days both falling on a Saturday this year has thrown quite a few out of synch.

I expect most STEP5/6 clubs were happy to have prolonged break to let some of their pitches recover - quite a few have also suffered frost damage to pipes etc etc - I know Malmesbury for example are still unable to play at home tomorrow for this reason and its even worse up midlands/north.

Hence the Conference and Isthmian seemed to be the only NL leagues willing to play on the Saturday this year - with nearly everyone else waiting for the 3rd.

The WESSEX can often be relied upon for earlier KOs at B/H time but I get the distinct impression, from those Wessex fans in the NL inner-Anorak sanctum (of which I am merely a fringe contributor ) - that the (new?) Fixture Sec in the Wessex has been having a bit of a 'mare this season and the Fixture programme is completely c()cked as it has been from about day one - with late changes a regular occurence.

Can't be easy having to take into account ferry crossings in the match schedule?

Anywho as a result this season, there don't appear to be many early B/H KOs in the Wessex only a few evening one's dotted around.

[Four Of Clubs]

Today's NL results:-

CONFS
Basingstoke 2-2 Weston-S-Mare
Bromley 4-3 Bishop's Stortford
Dorchester 2-2 Hampton & Richmond
Eastleigh 4-2 Havant and W
St Albans 1-0 Maidenhead Utd
Staines Town 1-2 Farnborough
Thurrock 2-7 Dover – Birchall scores 5 - Thurrock were beaten 6-1 on Saturday
Woking 3-0 Boreham Wood

SOUTHP
Chesham United 0-0 Bedford Town
Didcot Town 3-1 Windsor & Eton
SOUTH1C
Beaconsfield SYCOB 2-0 Burnham
Bedfont Town 7-0 North Greenford United
Marlow 1-2 Northwood
Uxbridge 2-1 Slough Town
SOUTH1S&W
Abingdon United 0-3 Thatcham Town
Andover 0-3 Hungerford Town

ISTH1S
Fleet Town 0-3 Walton & Hersham

COCOP
Ash United 1-3 Camberley Town
Cove 1-1 Guildford City
Egham Town 7-1 Wembley
Hanworth Villa 2-0 Chertsey Town
Sandhurst Town 2-4 Badshot Lea
COCO1
Chobham 5-1 Sheerwater
Farnborough North End 1-2 Cobham - played at Eversley FC – FNE ‘locked’out’ of their ground @ Cody Sports!
Frimley Green 1-2 Eversley
Hartley Wintney 0-2 Farnham Town

HELLP
Binfield 5-3 Ascot United att 182
Bracknell Town 0-2 Wokingham & Emmbrook att 162
Reading Town 0-2 Flackwell Heath
Slimbridge 1-5 Shortwood
Thame United 1-3 Ardley United - Ardley now 8 pts clear after Slimbridge's heavy defeat at home
Wantage Town 5-0 Shrivenham - 'The Freds' hop up to 2nd place
HELL1E
Chinnor 0-2 Milton United
Finchampstead 5-1 Chalfont Wasps
Holyport 2-1 Rayners Lane
Hungerford Town Reserves 1-1 Newbury
Penn & Tylers Green 1-1 Henley Town
Woodley Town 4-0 South Kilburn

Me and the eldest did manage an early Combined Counties KO before the MadStad - quick trip down to 'Squirrels Lane' for :
Cove 1-1 Guildford City - first league match for either since November - home side had two players sent off 2nd half but still came very close to inflicting a first league defeat on their 1st placed visitors.

[paultheroyal]

Ten of the top twelve in conference premier are x football league clubs in some form or other.

[Four Of Clubs]

Today's [Sat 8th] 'local' NL matches - be warned postponements are starting to trickle/flood in - plenty already off in the Combined Counties as are Hellenic games @ Abingdon/Oxford CN & Wokkers (Larges Lane) ?

... might need to check before travelling?

CONFS
Basingstoke v Woking - 'stoke have just signed GK Simon Locke from us (RFC) on a months' loan
Havant and W v Hampton & Richmond OFF
Maidenhead Utd v Farnborough - game ON after 10:00AM inspection
St Albans v Bromley
Welling v Staines Town

ISTH1S
Fleet Town v Corinthian Casuals – game ON after 11:00 AM inspection

SOUTHP
Chesham United v Stourbridge
Didcot Town v Chippenham Town
Halesowen Town v Windsor & Eton
SOUTH1C
Burnham v Woodford United
Slough Town v Hitchin Town
Soham Town Rangers v Marlow
SOUTH1S&W
Hungerford Town v Taunton Town
Thatcham Town v Mangotsfield United

COCOP
Chertsey Town v Molesey
Mole Valley SCR v Sandhurst Town
COCO1
Farnham Town v Chobham
Lemon Recordings Division One Challenge Cup – 3rd Round
Eversley v Bedfont Sports (1.30 p.m.)

HELLP
Fairford Town v Binfield
Kidlington v Reading Town
Shrivenham v Pegasus Juniors
Slimbridge v Ascot United
Thame United v Flackwell Heath
HELL1E
Holyport v South Kilburn
Newbury v Henley Town

WESSP
Alton Town v Fawley