Saturday, 24 May 2025

Parky's XI 6 Ex-Angels XI 4

Match 105/24/2343 - Saturday, 24th May 2025 - Tom Parkinson Testimonial

Parky's XI (2) 6
Ex-Angels XI (1) 4
Est. Attendance: 200
Admission: £10
Mileage: 38/6,991

Wednesday, 21 May 2025

Chelsea Women 3 Manchester United Women 0

Match 104/24/2342 - Sunday, 18th May 2025 - Women's FA Cup Final

Chelsea (1) 3 Baltimore 45 (pen), 90+1 Macario 84
Manchester United (0) 0
Attendance: 74,412
Admission: £35
Mileage: 100/6,953

My first live viewing of women's football at the highest level was a mostly good experience.

A lovely family atmosphere, Wembley without the drunks, without the hassle, but also without an opposition.

Chelsea are the best team in the country, evidently set to become the best team in the world, so the result wasn't entirely unexpected, but as a Manchester United supporter, it would have been good had they turned up.

Chelsea were good, Erin Cuthbert was superb, a pleasure to watch but, walking away, whilst I didn't exactly feel short-changed, I had the thoughts in my head that their dominance isn't good for women's football in this country and with paper-talk suggesting that Jim Ratcliffe might be in the process of drastically reducing the budget of Manchester United's women's section, it leaves you to wonder if the Women's Super League might be a one horse race for years to come.

Sonia Bompastor's first year in charge ended with Chelsea unbeaten courtesy of two goals from Sandy Baltimore and a header from Catarina Macario as United were swept aside after making a reasonably good start to the game, creating the opening chance with Dominique Janssen lifting her shot over the bar from the edge of the box.

Next season I really must get to a WSL game, but to preserve my faith in the competitive nature of the game, I think I'll give Chelsea a miss.

Monday, 12 May 2025

Aldershot Town 3 Spennymoor Town 0

Match 103/24/2341 - Sunday, 11th May 2025 - FA Trophy Final

Aldershot Town (0) 3 Barham 48 Ellison 71 Barrett 87
Spennymoor Town (0) 0
Combined Attendance: 38,600
Admission: £10
Mileage: 100/6,853

Report from Non-League Chronicles

After the Vase Final, the time came for the FA Trophy Final and what a story in prospect.

With Spennymoor Town having finished ninth in the Vanarama National League North and step 2, the Trophy has acted as a real opportunity for them to put their name in lights. Indeed they had beaten higher opposition from the National League in the shape of Sutton United and Boston United as part of their Trophy run as well as Rochdale in the semi final with a thrilling last gasp equaliser before winning on penalties.

Could they do it again and cause an upset by beating National League Aldershot Town at Wembley? Aldershot, who finished the campaign in 16th in the National League, would have been considered the favourites but the Trophy has had its share of non National League clubs winning the tournament in recent years, such as Hornchurch and Brackley Town, so could Spennymoor add their name to that list?

Well they certainly should have taken the lead in the 23rd minute when Finley Shrimpton broke free down the right and laid the ball back to Rob Ramshaw whose effort to the bottom left corner was tame and straight into the arms of Aldershot goalkeeper Marcus Dewhurst.

Aldershot’s two main chances of the first half came via Josh Barrett - firstly trying to bend a shot into the bottom right with his shot well saved wide by Spennymoor goalkeeper Brad James for a corner before James caught an angled shot towards the top left corner.

The game needed a bit of a spark and got it when Aldershot took the lead in the 48th minute when a ball from the right by James Henry was slotted into the bottom right by Jack Barham.

After huffing and puffing from both sides Aldershot doubled their lead in the 71st minute when Dan Ellison headed home a corner from the left.

Aldershot sealed the trophy in some style three minutes from time when Josh Barrett could not have caught his volley any sweeter as the ball flew into the top right corner in an outstanding finish.

AFC Whyteleafe 1 Whitstable Town 2

Match 102/24/2340 - Sunday, 11th May 2025 - FA Vase Final

AFC Whyteleafe (1) 1 Bennett 17
Whitstable Town (0) 2 Smith 52 Sithole 100
After Extra Time
Combined Attendance: 38,600
Admission: £10
Mileage: 100/6,853

Report from Non-League Chronicles

The first game of Non-League Finals Day pitted AFC Whyteleafe against Whitstable Town in the FA Vase Final.

Whitstable were looking for silverware having missed out in the league (Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division) and playoffs as well as the Kent Senior Trophy Final.

As for AFC Whyteleafe, who knows where they finished last season?! The absolute shambles that is the Combined Counties League still have not decided on who has and has not been guilty of fielding ineligible players in the Premier Division South meaning the playoffs are still on hold and have been for some time! Surely the playoffs cannot take place in June either given the insurance on player injuries as well as potential holidays booked for players and coaches alike so a pre-season playoff tournament anyone?!

A famous resident of Whitstable is Madness frontman Suggs and Whyteleafe’s Daniel Bennett found himself one step beyond Whitstable’s backline, finishing a lovely team move in the 17th minute when he dinked the ball over the diving Whitstable goalkeeper Daniel Colmer and into the bottom right.

The only other real significant chance of the first half saw Whyteleafe’s Aaron Watson have a dig that was well saved wide by Daniel Colmer.

It only took Whitstable seven minutes of the second half to equalise when Harvey Smith came up with a finish into the bottom left corner to set up a house of fun for the remainder of the game.

Whyteleafe then had a big chance to re-take the lead when both Aaron Watson and then Ryan Gondoh were denied by good Daniel Colmer saves before both sides had efforts off target - Ronald Sithole for Whitstable and Daniel Bennett for Whyteleafe.

Whyteleafe could have won the game at the death - Rodney Eruotor curling an effort off the bar before having the rebound saved by the feet of Colmer and how Whyteleafe would rue that eventually

If truth be told Whitstable dominated the chances in extra time - Ronald Sithole and Harvey Smith denied with saves from Whyteleafe goalkeeper George Hill before Sithole somehow missed a chance by hitting the left post with the goal gaping.

Sithole however made amends. After he had an initial effort saved, he kept his composure before tucking a shot into the top right corner to kill the game like Peter Cushing as Dracula out for the count - a former resident of Whitstable.

So it was a case of “Wembley’s a Sithole - I want to go home” for Whitstable - and so they did - with the trophy and a million memories.

Friday, 9 May 2025

Parkwood Rangers Women 0 Tonbridge Angels Women 5

Match 101/24/2339 - Thursday, 8th May 2025 - SECWFL League Cup Final

Parkwood Rangers Women (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels Women (2) 5 Churchill 33 Herbert-Smith 43 Driscoll 54 Cresswell 74 Cooper 81
Attendance: 200
Admission: £3
Mileage: 21/6,753

Tonbridge Angels Women retained their SECWFL League Cup crown with a comfortable 5-0 win over Parkwood Rangers and with it completing a Cup double to add to their runners-up position in the SECWFL Kent Premier Division.

Parkwood belied their league position at the foot of the table with a stubborn first half performance, albeit that the Angels still went into the break two goals to the good.

Angels’ Women’s manager Joe Rowe commented: “I enjoyed that one, the team played really well. We said at half-time we need to keep doing the simple things and opportunities will come, which they did with some great goals and we were good to watch. We’ve had a very good run, 13 or 14 unbeaten and we knew, given league position, that we were the favourites. Credit to Parkwood, they beat Maidstone and Sevenoaks en-route to the final, so we knew that we would have to be on our game.”

A pleasantly warm evening at The Gallagher saw a good turnout from both sets of supporters with the Angels’ barmy army providing the constant backdrop of noise.

The Angels began the game on the front foot, and in fairness, the passage of play didn’t change much throughout the 90 minutes of the game. After just three minutes, Tonbridge’s leading goalscorer, Grace Mayhead was sent clear but, in what became a recurring theme, Parkwood’s goalkeeper, Jemma Roodenburgh was quick off her line to smother her shot. The resultant corner saw Mollyanne Herbert-Smith head against the bar, and this was quickly followed by Herbert-Smith seeing her shot turned over by Roodenburgh.

The game settled into a pattern in which the Angels dominated but stubborn resistance from the Bexley-based side restricted the chances to a bare minimum with Roodenburgh saving well from Charlotte Cresswell on the half-hour.

The Angels goalkeeper, Lois Bartlett, had been largely untroubled before a corner saw a header from Corrie Goodhew clear the bar.

The Angels finally achieved the breakthrough on 33 minutes and, as much as it was well deserved, it came with a stroke of good fortune as Aimee Churchill’s free kick from 20 yards took a massive deflection to leave Roodenburgh stranded.

Two minutes before the break the lead was doubled when Churchill opened up a shooting opportunity for Hope Mumford that went through the goalkeeper’s hands and into the roof of the net.

Early second half saves from Roodenburgh to twice deny Herbert-Smith came prior to a 30 yard screamer into the top corner from Milly Driscoll that would be a contender for any goal of the season contest.

Parkwood continued to battle hard against a never-ending tide of Angels pressure and even survived a penalty miss on 74 minutes, before good work down the right by Holly Maclaurin allowed Cresswell to score from close range for the Angels’ fourth.

The game was wrapped up on 81 minutes when Amelia Cooper cut in from the left to bury her shot into the bottom corner.

Joe Rowe summed up the women’s season: “Our aim was, we have got promoted and we are not here just to turn up and be an extra team in that league. Our aim was top three and a cup final, so I’m really pleased with the runners-up spot and to win two cup finals.”

Monday, 5 May 2025

Staplehurst Monarchs U23 0 Whitstable Town U23 5

Match 100/24/2338 - Monday, 5th May 2025 - SCEFL Development East

Staplehurst Monarchs U23 (0) 0
Whitstable Town U23 (1) 5
Headcount: 53
Admission: £2.50
Mileage: 1/6,732

Saturday, 3 May 2025

Cuxton 91 2 Guru Nanak 1

Match 99/24/2337 - Saturday, 3rd May 2025 - Kent County Premier League

Cuxton 91 (0) 2 Lawson 82 Longman 90+5
Guru Nanak (0) 1 48'
Headcount: 60
Admission: £1 (Programme)
Mileage: 42/6,731
New ground: 390

Not quite ready for the season's end so an end of season dip into the Kent County League at a new ground, Cuxton 91.

This was to be Cuxton's last match at Bush Lane for at least the next two seasons as they decamp to Maidstone United's Gallagher Stadium whilst facilities are upgraded.

The facilities, a social club aside, are sparse to be kind with a high grass bank offering a good vantage point for viewing.

The game was settled with a 97th minute winner for the hosts after Guru Nanak, of fantastic backdrop fame, had taken a lead around the hour mark.

Constant haranguing of the referee, no matter how bad he was, only left me to wonder why they bother.

Friday, 2 May 2025

Tonbridge Angels U18 0 Kingstonian U18 0

Match 98/24/2336 - Thursday, 1st May 2025 - Isthmian Youth League Champions of Champions Semi-Final

Tonbridge Angels U18 (0) 0
Kingstonian U18 (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels won 4-2 on penalties
Attendance: 100
Admission: £5
Mileage: 38/6,689

Tonbridge Angels U18’s will feature in an Isthmian Youth League Champions of Champions Final for the first time in eight years following Thursday evening’s dramatic penalty shootout success against Kingstonian at the Halcyon Wealth Longmead Stadium.

After a tense 90 minutes, in which either side could lay claim to be deserving of the place in the final, which will be against Worthing at Uxbridge Football Club on Thursday, 8th May, kick-off 19:45, the Angels held their nerve in the spot kick lottery with leading goalscorer, Robert Penman sending the Kingstonian goalkeeper the wrong way to win the shootout 4-2.

It is five weeks since the Tonbridge lads have played a match, following their final two games of the season being postponed as Glebe curtailed their season, and at times that showed. Kingstonian came into the game with a record of only dropping four points in a 14 game season in the Central Division, and were the sharper of the two teams out of the blocks.

Whether by over-fussy refereeing, or by their own design, Tonbridge gave away far too many free kicks in their own half and with some wicked deliveries entering the box the Angels needed to be at their best to deny the visitors. But, come the half-time whistle, neither goalkeeper had been seriously tested.

The second period was played in a similar fashion, but with a couple of chances that could have won the game for either side. On 56 minutes, the fleet-footed Tolu Fabimafobee sprinted clear but was denied at the last by an equally pacy defender whose last gasp challenge was enough to deflect the ball for a corner.

The K’s fashioned two chances of their own with Josh Hanson saving well at his near post and when an attacker was sent clear, Hanson advanced quickly to save at his feet.

A collective holding of breath came late in the game was a visiting forward appeared to be brought down in the box but the referee decided it was simulation and the K’s player was shown a yellow card.

The penalty shootout began with Adam Larkin scoring the opening goal and when the K’s reply came back from the bar, the Angels were in front but the second spot kick was missed and Kingstonian were back level after an extraordinary incident in which Hanson saved but the ball squirmed away from him and, despite protestations, it was deemed the ball had crossed the line. Callum Fincham made it 2-1 before this was levelled. Ed Dyer put the Angels back in front and when Hanson saved, Penman was was offered, and took the opportunity to win the contest.

James Larkin said after the final whistle: "A fantastic evening, full credit to the boys who’s bravery, commitment and approach to the game was first class. And there’s not a group who deserve a final than this group! A fantastic team performance to be proud of."