Cup tie and Cup Thai

Last week’s games began with an FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division fixture at Hanwell on a chilly Thursday night. Play between Barnet Ladies and WFC Fulham was even for the first ten minutes, but the home side went on to control the game after taking an 11th-minute lead and ended up 5-1 winners. Barnet had now scored five in three consectutive games, all at home.

Saturday saw a first visit of the season for the superfan to Moatside, home of Merstham of the Isthmian League Division One South. They were playing Eastbourne Town, the team I watched at several levels – First XI, Reserves, Thirds, U18s, U16s and Women – when my parents lived in that Sussex resort. A young Town side have made a disappointing start to the season, picking up just two points from five League fixtures, and Merstham beat them 3-0.

I was back at Mum’s flat in Purley as the national anthems were being played before England’s friendly with Slovenia which was live on ITV 1.

A little research during the week had led me to believe that Sunday League football wouldn’t start until 13 September, so I walked to Regent’s Park in the morning more in hope than expectation. I wondered if the posts would even be up. But when I got there around 10 o’clock, I found no fewer than five games about to start. I plumped for the nearest one and with the players entering the field, went up to the referee to ask which teams were playing.

You could’ve knocked me down with the feather when he said Nigeria were playing Thailand! Apparently it was in something called the ‘Inner-City World Cup’, a tournament taking place over two days in the Park. Two huge Nigerian flags were sticking out of the ground, one behind their goal and one close to their ‘bench’, i.e. a short stretch of the touchline, and a crowd of a dozen or so on a bright Sunday morning saw the Africans shade a goalless first half.

The only goal came early in the second half, one of the tall Nigerian lads up front netting with a towering header in a crowded Thai box. He ran to a tree beyond a corner flag to celebrate, waving his arms and being pursued by the rest of the team and all their fans and officials. It was a couple of minutes before play resumed. It was all Nigeria from then on and they could’ve scored four or five.

After some lunch back at the hotel, I took the tube out to Hatton Cross, via Earl’s Court, for Feltham’s FA Vase First Round Qualifying tie with Holmesdale at The Orchard, the ground they share with Bedfont FC. The Kent League visitors were ahead in 1 minute 47 seconds, a low cross from the right being tapped in at the far post, and won 5-1. In the space of five minutes just before half-time I saw the worst miss and the best goal of my 24 games so far this season.

The miss came when a Feltham player, clean through on goal, slipped the ball past the advancing ‘keeper to give his No.10, coming up on his left, a completely free shot about three yards out from the goal. Somehow he managed to kick the top of the ball and it didn’t go forwards. Then, in their next attack, a team-mate struck a 40-yarder that soared over the ‘keeper and hit the stanchion before bouncing out. No-one could quite believe it.