Steve B the Groundhopper

2.30pm  30 May 2015 SJFA East Region, Premier League Dundee North End 1 Dundonald Bluebell 3 (att 89) North End needed at least a draw, and ideally a win, to keep alive any hopes of avoiding relegation, but after a bright beginning it wasn't to be. The home side started well, looking determined to get the result they needed. They hit the crossbar early on and looked the better side. But, having got into their stride, in the 15th minute a serious injury to a North End player meant a lengthy delay, for an ambulance, and inevitably changed the game. Play restarted after a 25 minute hold up, and not long later a mistake by the North End keeper allowed Dundonald to go in front. The visitors scored a second just before half time, and there was no way back for the home side. Dundonald's third goal came after the break, while Dundee North End had scant consolation from an 83rd minute penalty. North End Park is a good venue and well-maintained. A large social club dominates...

7pm  28 May 2015 The Summer League Brassington 12 FC Hulland 1 (att 30) Despite its geographically indistinct title, The Summer League is a sort of Ashbourne and District League that's been providing summer football since 1930. I've been watching it since the 1990s, so these days visits are restricted to the occasional new venue. Villagers in Brassington, a picturesque place between Ashbourne and Matlock, opened their new recreation ground earlier this year. Facilities include a football pitch, allowing Brassington FC to play in the village itself, having previously been based in a distant farmer's field. It's a good ground for this type of football. The single pitch is enclosed, players change in a pitch-side portable building, and there's plenty of car parking. It was difficult to judge how good Brassington are on the pitch after this game, they were miles better that FC Hulland, who I believe have struggled in their league games so far. The ...

7.15pm  27 May 2015 SJFA East Region, Premier League Jeanfield Swifts 4 Edinburgh United 0 (att 59) Perth is a long way for an evening's football, but with the season in England and Wales winding down it's north of the border where there's still plenty to see. One of the many good things about Scottish Junior football is that even late-season matches with little at stake are truly competitive. This was Jeanfield's final league game, Edinburgh United have enough fixtures left to climb the table, but can't go up or down. The home side's football impressed me, particularly in the first half as they raced into a three goal lead. Perhaps United were suffering the effects of what must have been a challenging rush hour journey north, perhaps they were missing a few regulars. Jeanfield only added one more in the second half, although they spurned a few chances. Edinburgh United had their moments, and on another day might have got a consolation goal. The com...

6.30pm  26 May 2015 Coventry Alliance, Premier Division Folly Lane Old Boys 2 Whitnash Town 2 (att 355) If you wanted a thrilling climax to a football season then Folly Lane's London Road ground, in Coventry, was the place to be. Going into this final game, Folly Lane were second, a point behind leaders AEI Rugby, and a point ahead of third place Whitnash. Whoever won this fixture would be champions, while AEI, having completed their games, could only watch from the sidelines hoping for a draw that would seen them crowned champions on goal difference. They weren't alone on the sidelines. Groundhoppers from far and wide joined a huge turnout of locals, lining a pleasant park pitch that was roped off on both touchlines. Folly Lane's changing rooms and clubhouse are on the other side of the busy London Road. Folly Lane started on the front foot, but while they enjoyed most of the possession it was Whitnash who looked more dangerous. It was the visitors who went in f...

3pm  23 May 2015 Cree Lodge Cup, Semi-Final Edusport Academy 5 Abbey Vale 2 (att 9) Having watched Edusport's team of young French footballers ease past Upper Annandale in Thursday's Cree Lodge Cup quarter-final, I headed to their Hamilton home to take in their semi-final. Visitors Abbey Vale were likely to be a tougher nut to crack, having beaten Edusport in the final of another cup during the week, and they seized on defensive errors to take a 2-0 lead in the first half hour. Unfortunately for Abbey Vale, Edusport didn't make any more defensive errors, and eventually their total dominance of possession was converted into enough goals for a comfortable win. Edusport had drawn level by half time, and two second half goals effectively settled the tie. Abbey Vale were rarely able to attack, although they did manage to exert some pressure near the end, hitting the crossbar with five minutes left. The game's last meaningful action was a 90th minute fifth goal for...

7.30pm  21 May 2015 Cree Lodge Cup, Second Round Upper Annandale 0 Edusport Academy 5 (att 44) I nearly visited Upper Annandale's Moffat Academy ground back in August, but decided against a long journey for a school pitch that's apparently just a temporary home before the club returns to its traditional base at Hope Johnstone Park. But as this cup tie was postponed from Monday, to a night when it was the only option for a new ground at a reasonable level, I was happy to head north. Moffat is a pleasant town, and as school pitches go Upper Annandale's home pitch isn't bad. It's one of two football pitches side by side on the playing field, with one end and one side roped off for spectators. The opposite side, out of bounds, has a pair of temporary dugouts and some advertising boards. Monday's postponement meant Edusport were playing this just 24 hours after defeat in another of the South of Scotland League's many cup competitions. Both teams seemed...

6.45pm  20 May 2015 York League, Senior Cup Final at Wigginton Grasshoppers FC Dringhouses 4 Riccall United 3 (att 123) As a cup final this was very much a slow burner but, as a neutral, patience was rewarded with a thrilling climax as underdogs Dringhouses scored three times in the final 10 minutes to steal the cup. To be fair they'd been the better side for much of the game, but were wasteful in front of goal and looked to have been undone by the superior finishing of Riccall who were looking to add the cup to the Premier Division title they'd already won. Riccall scored the only goal of a rather scrappy first half, and when they doubled their lead early in the second period it looked to be game over. Dringhouses got back into the game thanks to a penalty, but a third goal for Riccall appeared to end any thoughts of a fightback. Dringhouses weren't beaten though, and were urged on by the majority of the crowd. An 80th minute goal reduced the arrears to 2-3 and ...