ALMONDSBURY UWE (The Field)

WESTERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE, ALMONDSBURY UWE 0-1 KEYNSHAM TOWN, ATTENDANCE: 46

It was international weekend so I was heading south to watch Wales v Serbia in Cardiff but, with the game kicking off at 7.45pm, it would have been churlish not to look for somewhere beforehand.

Just over the Bristol Channel, near junction 16 of the M5 motorway, Almondsbury UWE were hosting Keynsham Town in the Western League, which fitted the bill perfectly.

The club were founded in 1969 as Patchway North End, but later changed their name to Patchway Old Boys. The club relocated from Patchway to Almondsbury in 1989 and changed their name to Almondsbury.  After winning the Bristol Suburban League in 1991 they were promoted to the Gloucestershire County League. 

Almondsbury were champions of the Gloucestershire League in 2004 and thus promoted to Western League. A link up with the University of the West of England was announced in 2009, and the club once again changed its name, this time to Almondsbury UWE.

Almondsbury have struggled so far this season and are currently propping up the table whilst visitors Keynsham sit atop of the table.

The game was hardly a classic with chances few and far between. The game was settled by a Pat Davison strike just before half time, which meant all three points for Keynsham. The home side probably did enough to warrant a draw but they could not find a way past the Keynsham defence.

A minutes silence for Remembrance Day

BEMERTON HEATH HARLEQUINS (Western Way)

FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND, BEMERTON HEATH HARLEQUINS 1-0 KEYNSHAM TOWN, ATTENDANCE: 56 (h/c)

Today 368 teams set out on the road to Wembley as the FA Cup got under way with the Extra Preliminary Round. 

With plenty of tasty looking ties to choose from, I headed to Salisbury for the Wessex v Western League tie between Bemerton Heath Harlequins and Keynsham.

The Club was formed in 1989 as an amalgamation of Bemerton Athletic, Moon FC and Bemerton Boys, with the aim of achieving Wessex League football. Having successfully achieved this target the club have been mainstays of the top division, including two successive runners up spots in 2011 and 2012.

The club play their home games at Western Way in Bermerton, which is a couple of miles west of Salisbury city centre. The ground is fully enclosed by trees and there is a seated stand and a small terrace. I never bothered going in the clubhouse today as there was a kids party taking place. I did sample the snack bar though and I have to say the hot dogs were excellent!

The game was a tight affair with little to choose between the teams. The match was settled just before half time when a superb free kick from Jake Rawkins found the top corner of the Keynsham net (pictured below).

The visitors from Bristol pushed forward in the second half, which made them vulnerable on the break, but they could not find an equaliser, nor Bemerton a second goal, and the tie ended 1-0.

Bemerton will now travel to play Amesbury Town in the next round.