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Iona Wheels v Jays

1pm 9 November 2024

Essex Alliance League, Division Three
Iona Wheels 4 Jays 0 (att 20)

For non-football reasons I needed to be in the south-east, so it was a good opportunity to tick off one of the newer venues to stage matches in the national league system.

But before the main event I was able to take in another game on a pitch right next door.

A number of Essex Alliance League teams play home games on a pair of outer 3G pitches at Parsloes Park in Dagenham. There were four such matches, with the pitches used for fixtures at 1pm and 3pm, and 2pm and 4pm.

Division three is the fifth and lowest tier of the league. Iona Wheels are unbeaten and top the table, and in the first half played football of a higher standard than I'd expected for the level.

They took just three minutes to open the scoring against mid-table Jays, and another three minutes to make it 2-0.

Two more goals followed before half time. After the break the home side eased up, and Jays provided stiffer resistance. It was already looking likely to end at 4-0 when a late red card for Iona Wheels made that pretty much certain.

The outer pitches at Parsloes Park, collectively along with the main pitch called the Bobby Moore Sports Hub, both feature dugouts and spectator access around three sides.







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