HERTFORD TOWN (Hertingfordbury Park)

SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CENTRAL, HERTFORD TOWN 1-4 KIDLINGTON, ATTENDANCE: 200

Storm Eunice had wreaked havoc across the UK over the previous 24 hours meaning plans for the weekend had to be changed and the list of grounds with an artificial pitch had to be scoured.

My options for a new ground were few and far between but there was one that immediately jumped out when scrolling the fixture cards and that was the huge 'six-pointer' at the bottom of the Southern League Division One Central. 18th placed Hertford Town were hosting 17th placed Kidlington and both teams certainly needed a win.

It is only this season that Hertford Town have gone with an artificial pitch and earlier in the season they played eight successesive games away from home whilst the 4G pitch was laid. Indeed today was the eighth and final successesive home game of those reversed fixtures.

Hertingfordbury Park has been home to Hertford Town since they were founded in 1908 (though their origins go back to 1901 as Port Vale Rovers before mergers with Hertford United, Blue Cross FC and Horns FC) and the ground is dominated by a wonderful old stand that dates from 1959. There are even some of the original wooden seats in place, which obviously reminded this blue of Goodison Park.

Hertford Town have spent their history in various leagues which cover the Hertfordshire area but mostly recently, in 2017, they achieved promotion from the South Spartan Midlands League, after a decade as members, when they finished runners-up behind London Colney, who declined to take the step up. They joined the Isthmian League before being transferred to the Southern League at the end of the Covid curtailed 2020/21 season. The way the current season has gone thus far there is a real danger of relegation back to step 5, creating the need for victories, starting this afternoon.

As the game kicked off the rain was still teeming down which helped create a slick passing surface. It was Kidlington who were able to take advantage of the chances they created by blitzing their hosts with a four goal salvo in the opening 33 minutes.

After Hertford had started brightly, Connor Mattimore (14) was played through on goal and he fired a shot across the 'keeper which nestled in the corner of the net. After 22 minutes the ball fell to Luke Stokoe on the edge of the box and his low curling shot was just out of reach of 

didn't exactly cover himself in glory with Kidlington's third goal on the half hour when he allowed Rhys Wells' shot to squirm through his hands and into the net. Hertford's misery was completed after 33 minutes when the ball was squared to Ryan Knight inside the penalty area and he sidefooted the ball into the net.

Hertford were not without their own chances but it seemed that every chance Kidlington created ended up in the back of the net.

Half time gave Hertford the opportunity to regroup and in the second they had a go but in truth never looked like getting back into the game. They eventually got a goal back after 83 minutes through Alexander Cathline but by then it was too little too late. Hertford are by no means certain to go down but its vital they start picking up points, I wish them luck in their endeavour.

After hearing various tales of woe from other football supporters this afternoon (especially from Everton fans en-route to Southampton, where trains terminated in London) I was just grateful to watch a game of football on this wretched afternoon. However, if you want some sort of positive spin on things it was good to be back to weather causing postponements rather than Covid-19!

Come on you Blues!!

BARNSTAPLE TOWN (Mill Road)

SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE SOUTH, BARNSTAPLE TOWN 3-2 SLIMBRIDGE AFC, ATTENDANCE: 206

After spending the previous evening in Almondsbury, today I found myself heading further south in my continuing quest to complete all the grounds of all four divisions of the Southern League. Final destination this afternoon was North Devon or Mill Road, the home of Barnstaple Town, to be move precise. 

This would move me into single figures regards grounds now needed but this could be moot by the end of this season as Barnstaple are currently rooted to the foot of the table, with just one win all season, and staring relegation back to the Western League full in the face.

Before the excitement of the game, I had time to walk over the long bridge and explore the historic town. Barnstaple was once a hub of commercial trading with a bustling port which exported worldwide its wares of wool and pottery, whilst importing spices, wine and tobacco. The port is gone but the Queen Anne building, which was built on the Quay, and completed in 1713, still stands.

There is the famous Victorian Pannier Market which still trades today. There is also the site of Barnstaple Castle which was built around the 11th or 12th century and which stood until falling into disrepair around 1274 before becoming a ruin by 1326. It finally collapsed in 1601. It is now a tree covered motte. From here it was a 10 minute walk, crossing the River Yeo, to Barnstaple Town's rather splendid Mill Road ground.

The Football club have played here since it was established in 1904 as Pilton Yeo Vale. They were founder members of the North Devon League in the same year, when they went on to be the leagues inaugural champions in 1905. That year they changed their name to Barnstaple Town.

The club have spent most of their history in either the North Devon League, the Exeter and District League or the Western League. Barnstaple have won the Western League twice but in 2016 they finished runners-up to gain promotion to the Southern League (at step 4) for the first time in their history. 

The team are nicknamed Barum, which is a contraction of the Latin form of the name Barnstaple, ad Barnastapolitum. As touched upon earlier, it has been a season of struggle for Barum with just a solitary victory before this afternoon.

A new manager, Craig Laird, was appointed in mid-January, who has made a plethora of new signings, as the club attempt to pull off a minor miracle by retaining their place in the Southern League. Before kick off, Barum were 11 points adrift of safety with 10 games to play. This afternoon's visitors from Gloucestershire, Slimbridge AFC, are also in the lower reaches of the table but appear safe from any immediate trouble. 

It was vital that wins started to come quickly for Barnstaple and today they got just that.

After the rain of the previous 24 hours had left the pitch heavy and muddy in parts, credit must go to both teams who did very well to produce an excellent game to watch. There were opportunities for both sides in the opening exchanges but it was Slimbridge who looked the more threatening as the half wore on. It came as no surprise when Will Hawes headed home on 25 minutes to give The Swans the lead.

Within two minutes the homesters were level. was fouled in the area and Owen Howe stepped up to score from the penalty spot (pictured left). This certainly lifted Barum and it was fair that both teams went in level at the break.

The half-time team talk in the Barnstaple dressing room must have been inspiring as they came out for the second half and really took the game to Slimbridge. After 47 minutes a cross into the box was headed home by Brodie Montague to give Barum the lead. It got better eight minutes later when Howe scored his second, collecting the ball on the edge of the area before turning and unleashing a shot into the top corner. A superb strike.

There were further opportunities for Barnstaple to extend their lead but were not taken and when Nathan Dennis scored for Slimbridge in the 88th minute to make it 3-2  you felt Barum could rue those missed opportunities.

The board then went up showing 6 minutes of stoppage time and you could certainly sense the anxiety in the crowd. Slimbridge repeatedly launched the ball into the mix in search of an equaliser but Barnstaple managed to hold on to secure an important, and necessary, three points. Could this be the start of a great escape? Time will tell...

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My beloved Everton played a mid-season friendly against Barnstaple Town in February 1991. The Toffees won 2-0 thanks to goals from Mike Newell and Marcus Ebdon. I never made it to Mill Road that night but, after nearly 31 years I finally have done now!

LEBEQ UNITED (Oaklands Park)

WESTERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE, LEBEQ UNITED 2-2 ODD DOWN (BATH), ATTENDANCE: 25 (OFFICIAL)

Tonight I headed down the M5 for some Friday night football under the floodlights. The unusually monikered Lebeq United (named after Lebeqs Tavern in Bristol) are competing in the Western League after gaining promotion in 2019 but, because of the Covid pandemic and subsequent voiding of all leagues, have never actually completed a full season thus far.

The club was founded in 2008 when it was decided that Lebeq, who were an established Sunday league club, needed the move into Saturday football. The club joined the Bristol and Suburban League where their rise was rapid.

Four promotions in the space of six years took them to the top division before they joined the Gloucester County League in 2016. They won that league in 2019 (even with a six point deduction) and were promoted to step 6 of the pyramid system. An amazing achievement in just over a decade.

The club play their home games at Oaklands Park, which is the headquarters of the Gloucestershire FA in Almondsbury. Roman Glass St George of the Hellenic League also play their homes games here as well, so by default I completed the Premier Division of that league tonight. Bonus!

This game had everything. Great goals, terrible misses, red cards. It was the final few minutes of the game that were most interesting to say the least!

The visitors from Bath were leading 2-1 up with a couple of minutes to go then it all kicked off on touchline. I haven't a clue what sparked it off but it took about 5 minutes to calm things down (I thought I was in line for an abandonment it took that long). After producing 3 red cards for Lebeq's Zack Young and Chris Dacosta and Odd Down's Ashley Robinson, the referee restarted the game and with seconds remaining the 9 man Lebeq levelled thanks to a cool finish from Sacha Young.

Omar Simpson (14) and Raphael Waugh (61) had put Odd Down two up before Jennison Williams (72) halved the deficit with a stunning free kick. Then the fireworks came! On balance of overall play a draw seemed a fair result.