2013 Arthur Moore Cup Final

THURMASTON W.M.P. 2009 0-2 ADVANCE COURIERS

Friday 12th April 2013

Alliance Football League Arthur Moore Cup Final

Leicestershire County FA Ground, Holmes Park, Dog & Gun Lane, Whetstone

A second visit to Holmes Park in the space of two weeks is start of another busy weekend football wise, with this being the first of three games, of which two are cup finals. 

The Alliance Football League runs four cup competitions along side the eight division league competition. This one, the Arthur Moore Cup is competed for by Premier Division and Division One sides only. The format of the competition is a four group round-robin stage, of which the top two in each group qualify for the quarter finals. From then on it is played on a straight knock-out basis. Thurmaston WMP 2009 were placed in Group B along side Wigston Car Breakers, NRI, Leicester Foxes Old Boys and Niffy Rangers, while Advance Couriers were in Group D with Sparta Moshdock, Glenfield Town Sunday, GT and Frolesworth United.

Group B

	TEAM	PL	WON	DRW	LST	FOR	AGA	PTS
1	Wigston Car Breakers	4	3	0	1	19	8	8
2	Thurmaston W.M.P. 2009	4	3	0	1	20	12	8 (-1)
3	N.R.I.	4	2	0	2	15	12	6
4	Leicester Foxes Old Boys	4	1	0	3	15	18	3
5	Niffy Rangers	4	1	0	3	7	26	3

Group D

	TEAM	PL	WON	DRW	LST	FOR	AGA	PTS
1	Advance Couriers	3	2	0	1	11	10	6
2	Sparta Moshdock	3	2	0	1	7	7	6
3	Glenfield Town, Sunday	3	1	0	2	7	9	3
4	G.T.	3	1	0	2	8	7	2 (1)
	Frolesworth United	Removed from competition. Record expunged.

Quarter Finals
Advance Couriers 9-0 Oscars
FC Azzurri 1-2 Thurmaston W.M.P. 2009

Semi Finals
Thurmaston W.M.P. 2009 3-2 Sparta Moshdock
Advance Couriers 2-1 Wigston Car Breakers

About the teams

Thurmaston WMP 2009 (taken from the programme)
Formally known as Syston RBL from the Leicester Sunday League (LSL), the club changed name in 2009 to the current title due to new sponsorship. In the first season under the new name they were finalists in the LSL Premier Cup competition, before transferring to the Alliance Football League for the start of the next season. At the start of this season the club merged with LSL side Syston Midland Railway under the Thurmaston WMP and formed a reserve side as a result. 

Advance Couriers (taken from the Alliance League website)
The club were formed in 1984, but since 2001 have been the most successful club in the Alliance Football League. They have been crowned Premier Division champions seven times, victors in the Billy Walton Cup winners six times, the Arthur Moore Cup final eight times plus last but not least three times winners of the Leicestershire FA Sunday Premier Cup.

The game in brief

It was a tight, close game in which Advance settled quicker and they had an effort cleared off the line. Thurmaston though got into their stride and wingers Luke Winfield and Jamie Sharmon causing problems for the Advance back line, while at the other end Thurmaston captain Ash Harris was a rock at the back, giving the Advance forwards no change all evening. It was Jamie Sharmon who came close to opening the scoring when a pass split the Advance defence, only for Sharmon's shot past the keeper to strike the base of the post. The opening goal of the game came not long before the end of the half, when following a quick break down the right, a simple finish ensued. Harsh on Thurmaston.

The second half was a more even affair but Thurmaston still caused their higher ranked opponents problems with a header from a corner hiting the crossbar, while at the other end I believe Advance had a goal ruled out for offside. The killer second goal came in the latter stages when Stuart Spencer headed home a corner.

Advance showed why they have won so many trophies in the past ten years, while Thurmaston showed that despite being a division lower can compete with the best in the Alliance League. Man of the Match was righly awarded to Luke Winfield.

Match photos
38 match photos can be viewed in the slideshow below:

County Cup

DYP UNITED 2-2 FC TUMAR

(after extra time; Tumar won 3-1 on penalty kicks)

Sunday 16th December 2012

Leicestershire Sunday Trophy 3rd Round

Braunstone Park [pitch 3], Cort Crescent, Leicester

A glorious but chilly Sunday morning saw yours truly have a wander down to Braunstone Park for a tie in the 3rd round of the Leicestershire Sunday Trophy. This match pitted DYP United of the Leicester Sunday League Division 2 against FC Tumar of the Alliance Football League Division 4.

The first half was a fairly even encounter, though I would say Tumar would be slightly ahead on points. Tumar dominated the second half and if not for the DYP keeper would have won this tie comfortably inside the ninety minutes. They opened the scoring around the hour mark when Andy Lewis pounced on a back pass and poked the ball past the oncoming keeper, but with their only shot on target in the second half, DYP equalised on seventy two minutes. The first period of extra time passed by with either side failing to take a grip on the proceedings, but the second period saw a goal apiece that came within two minutes of each other. Even at the death Tumar could have won it but a shot was cleared off the line. 

Into the penalty shoot out and DYP had their first three kicks saved by the Tumar keeper, while Tumar themselves converted two of theirs. DYP finally got off the mark with their fourth kick, but Tumar were also successful and booked their place in the quarter finals.

The draw for the next round is as follows:

Hinckley Knight v FC Charnwood

Spinney Rovers v FC Tumar

Kilby Town v Monsell WMC

Harborough Hotshots v Desford Athletic or Clarendon Park Rangers

51 photos of the game can be viewed in the slideshow below:

Fox Hunting

LEICESTER FOXES OLD BOYS 2-5 ENDERBY TOWN 2012

Sunday 11th November 2012

Alliance Football League Division 1

St. Oswalds Road, New Parks, Leicester

There were no plans to go to a game on Sunday but with the wife being ill and not wanting to go out, I took advantage and went to another Sunday League game. Unsure as where to go I put on twitter for recommendations and Enderby Town were the first to reply, and as they were playing their game only a couple of miles from home decision made.

The ground on St. Oswalds Road is just off the ring road and is a two pitch affair. It is one that I had been meaning to visit for a couple of years with it also home to North Leicestershire League side Anstey Crown. The one nearest the road is fully railed but there is no hard standing or dugouts, while their is nothing pitch side at the second one. 

The game saw two good teams play out a good game of football which was played in the right spirit of the game. The home side struck early on with a Matt Shuter goal on three minutes. Enderby gradually got into the game and drew level on twenty five minutes. George Young beat the offside trap, rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into an empty net. By the end of the first half the visitors had scored another goal, this time from Sam Young on 37 minutes and went in at the break 2-1 up. Around the hour mark the Foxes were awarded a disputed penalty which was duly dispatched by Jamie Aston to make it 2-2. Both teams went looking for the three points and the final twenty five minutes was end-to-end, though it was Enderby who were the more clinical. Further goals from Sam Young (69 and 87 minutes) and George Young (76 minutes) gave them the victory. During this time the home side struck the bar and post in the space of about a minute, while the home keeper made a superb save from a free kick that was heading into the top corner. To be honest it is probably the best save I have seen all season.

Overall another enjoyable morning watching Sunday League football and credit to both teams. 33 photos can be viewed in the slideshow below:

 

9 for Enderby

FRIAR LANE 2-9 ENDERBY TOWN 2012
Sunday 28th October 2012
Alliance Football League Bill Walton Cup 2nd Round
Western Park [pitch 6], Hinckley Road, Leicester

This morning I made the short journey to Western Park, a large public park in the (shock horror) western suburbs of Leicester. There are seven football pitches on the park, with this one being on pitch 6. It is set in the north east of the park, away from the other pitches and surrounded by trees and has a secluded feel about it.

On paper this was a mismatch with their being six divisions between the two teams, and in the end that is how it turned out. Enderby though were sluggish in the first half and struggled to break down the home team. Friar Lane were happy to put men behind the ball and hope to hit the higher ranked visitors on the counter attack.

I am not going into too much detail about the goals, but if I can remember give a brief description of them:

6 mins; 0-1 Stein Worthington - a shot from the edge of the penalty area
28 mins; 0-2 Sam Miller - a header from a free kick
37 mins; 0-3 George Young - a first time shot from 12 yards
42 mins; 1-3 Lewis Grainger - reacted first after a save from the keeper
49 mins; 1-4 Nick Owen - a side foot shot from a couple of yards out
52 mins; 1-5 Tom Marsh - lofted into top corner
54 mins; 1-6 George Young - powerful shot from edge of the penalty area
56 mins; 1-7 Tom Marsh - reacted first and finished from three yards out
61 mins; 2-7 Mike Gist - first time shot after a save from the keeper
77 mins; 2-8 George Young - curling shot into top corner from outside penalty area
80 mins; 2-9 Sam Miller - lofted volley into top corner from twenty yards out - superb goal and best of the eleven.

45 match photos can be viewed in the slideshow below:

goals goals and more goals

ENDERBY TOWN 2012 12-4 MAGNA '73 RANGERS
Sunday 30th September 2012
Alliance Football League Arthur Moore Cup Group A
Wimpey Park, Coleridge Drive, Enderby, Leicestershire

My first Sunday League game for a few weeks and I was not expecting what I saw. I chose this game for two reasons. Firstly, by chance I met Enderby Town's manager Wayne Woolley at a pre-season game at Royston Town who was watching his son Jake play for Histon. I said that I would come down to watch Enderby play a home game and kept my word. Secondly I thought this would be an interesting game between a division 1 side and an premier division team.

Enderby Town 2012 FC

Wimpey Park is as the photos show is a public park. There is no parking on site and the entrance is via a footpath on Coleridge Drive, with the players changing at the Enderby & District Social Club. 

What we got was a display of attacking football from both sides that had to be seen to be believed, with my highest number of goals seen in a game being smashed to pieces. From the Enderby Town twitter feed (@enderbytown) the goals were shared between just three players - Sam Young hit a double hat-trick with George Young and Sam Miller getting hat-tricks of their own. Magna were not eight goals worse off with the home keeper making three top draw saves, but to put it simply Enderby were ruthless in front of goal. 

Taking away the amount of goals scored it was a really enjoyable game of football. Both sides played the game in the right way and credit goes out to them. It is doubtful I will ever see a game like this again. Period. 

The goals came as follows:

3: 0-1 - an own goal
4: 1-1
18: 2-1
24: 3-1
27: 3-2
34: 4-2
44: 5-2
Half time
47: 6-2
52: 6-3 - a penalty
65: 7-3
73: 8-3
76: 9-3
80: 10-3
88: 11-3
89: 12-3
90+ 2: 12-4 - an unstoppable free kick into the bottom corner.

60 photos of the game can be viewed in the slideshow below:

Super fly to victory

SUPERFLY 3-0 WIGSTON UNITED

Sunday 9th September 2012

Alliance Football League Division 3

Bosworth Academy, Leicester Lane, Desford

With it being another glorious sunny day and the wife at work this morning, I took advantage of this to take in another game in the Alliance Football League. The game I ended up at was not my first choice, as I had originally planned to watch GT v Star & Garter on Western Park in Leicester. I found out on Sunday morning that the game had been postponed, so was on the look out for another fixture. There were other games being played on Western Park but none appealed to me, so decided to make another trip to Desford for a division three match between Superfly and Wigston United.

The Bosworth Academy is located on the eastern side of the village on the B582 Leicester Lane, with the playing fields located on the right hand (western) side of the complex. The pitch Superfly use is furthest away from the car park, and as expected was not railed or roped off. There were also two other games going on this morning with them being under-7's and under-9's.

Both teams had started the season last Sunday and both teams lost their opening fixture. Superfly went down 3-0 @ The Gate Hangs Well while United lost 4-1 @ St. Marks. 

The game was pretty evenly matched with neither side being able to get a foot hold of the proceedings. As the half went into the last third Superfly took the lead following a corner, though whether the ball got a touch on the way through or it went in unaided is unclear. I did get some photos of it and even then it is difficult to decide. Anyway the hosts went in at half time one up. According to the Alliance website the goal has been credited to Liam Green. 

The second half was a scrappy affair with very little in the way of entertainment. Two goals in the final six minutes from Jay Heighton and James White gave Superfly their first victory of the season. Not the best game and not the worst either but still not as bad as the Olympic Quarter Final down in Cardiff!!!!

The league table at this early stage can be seen on the Alliance website @ http://www.alliancefootballleague.co.uk/Pages/Tables/Tables%202012-2013/Tables_Division3_12_13.html

35 photos of the game can be viewed in the slideshow below:

Athletic v Athletic

DESFORD ATHLETIC 7-4 COUNTESTHORPE ATHLETIC 2012
Friday 7th September 2012
Alliance Football League Division 4
Kirkby Road, Desford, Leicestershire

A glorious day weather wise convinced me to make a fifteen minute drive to Desford, this for a Sunday League match being played on a Friday evening. 

The two teams involved today are newly formed with Countesthorpe stepping up from youth football. Both teams started their season last Sunday and both lost their respective match. Countesthorpe lost 5-3 against CSKA Carnabys on the artificial surface at Rawlins Community College in Quorn, while Desford were thumped 5-1 at home to Oadby Owls Mens.

The venue on Kirkby Road is basically the village recreation ground. A play area is on the left with the changing rooms, decorated with a mural set further back. As expected there is nothing pitch side, though if anyone fancies a seat they can perch on one of the large stones that behind the near goal.

The game started with the visitors dominating and looking most likely to open the scoring, but against the run of play Desford won a corner on sixteen minutes which was headed home. Eight minutes later and it became 2-0 when the ball was tapped home from a couple of yards out at the far post. Three minutes later and the hosts made it 3-0 with a flick over the oncoming keeper, before the final goal of the half coming on thirty seven minutes. A through ball was finished with aplomb into the bottom corner to make it 4-0. On the balance of play the score was harsh on a young Countesthorpe side, with it being naivety at the back and a lack of communication being their downfall.

The changing rooms suitably decorated

The second half was only five minutes old when Desford went 5-0 up - a ball over the top was drilled across the keeper into the bottom corner. Poor defending three minutes later from a corner was punished and the hosts were six goals to the good. Counteshorpe got some reward for their effort around the hour mark when they made it 6-1, as their (I think) #2 drove into the penalty area and flashed a shot past the Desford keeper. The hosts' six goal cushion was restored with twenty minutes left to play as a long throw was not dealt with, which resulted in a first time shot finding the corner of the goal. The final fifteen minutes saw Countesthorpe restore some pride and gave the game a more fairer reflection. They notched up three goals on 75, 83 and 87 minutes, the first was a free kick that was prodded home, the second from the penalty spot, and the third was again from a free kick ended with a tap in. 

I did wonder what the standard would be like, with it being the fifth tier of the Alliance League and the lowest standard (on paper at least) of Sunday League football that I have watched, but it wasn't that bad. Both sides had some good players with the pitch not helping causing some untimely bobbles etc.

Anyway fifty photos of the game can be viewed in the slideshow below:
 

The L&R 100

THURMASTON W.M.P. 2009 4-3 F.C. HOSKINS
Friday 31st August 2012
Alliance Football League Division 1
Garden Street, Thurmaston, Leicestershire

Sunday League football on a Friday night!!!

After a busy weekend a week ago with two games in Somerset and a further one in Birmingham, a quiet one is one the cards with less travelling involved. First up is a game in the Leicestershire based Alliance Football League between Thurmaston WMP 2009 and FC Hoskins.

I don't know a lot about either side but a number of the Thurmaston players played for (the now defunct) Syston Midland Railway last season in the Leicester Sunday League (LSL. I saw Syston four times and they won all of them including the final of the LSL Premier Cup final @ Hinckley United FC. This was a game that saw me witness one of (if not) the worst challenge / foul / assault I have ever seen at a football game, which saw the opponents (Wigston Car Breakers) goalkeeper break the leg of Syston forward  Troy Buccolossi  in two places. All is know about Hoskins is that they are ran from the Tom Hoskins pub on Beaumanor Road in Leicester and they play their home games at the Mowmacre Sports Ground on Thurcaston Road.

The pitch on Garden Street is located in the middle of Thurmaston, set back from the main Melton Road that runs through the village. It is in a nutshell a recreation ground - end of with their being no facilities pitchside. The players change in the nearby Thurmaston Progressive Working Mens Club.

A cracking game of Sunday League football that was played on a Friday night on a village rec. 

A deserved win for Thurmaston against one of the division favourites. 

Seven goals, two penalties, a sending off and a very poor ref. 

Thurmaston (playing in the black and white stripes) opened the scoring inside sixty seconds, only for Hoskins to be awarded a very soft penalty some thirty seconds later. Penalty scored - game all square. Fifteen minutes and Thurmaston re-took the lead, only for a f**k up between their gk and defender resulted in a gift of a second equaliser within ninety seconds. Thurmaston were then awarded a very dubious penalty themselves around the midway point of the half - penalty scored and it became 3-2. Towards the end of the half and Thurmaston doubled their advantage to go in at half time 4-2. 

The second half saw Thurmaston dominate the opening exchanges but could not put the game to bed. Hoskins then took control and got a goal back with a header at the far post - game on. The game was end to end but Thurmaston looked very dangerous on the counter but failed to kill of Hoskins. Around five minutes fro

m the end Thurmaston should have been awarded another penalty but the ref turned it down. In contrast to the two given harshly in the first half, this one was clear cut with Jamie Sharman being brought down from behind - no consistency. The ref then sent off Ryan Whatley for presumably foul and abusive language due to protesting the decision, though this was an over the top reaction. More chances came and went in the final few minutes for either side, but Thurmaston get the three points in the opening game of the season. 

Finally a reference to the title - this was my 100th venue that I have seen football at in Leicestershire and Rutland.

A slideshow of 27 photos taken during the 1st half can be viewed below:

Fosse City

FOSSE CITY 3-1 WEBBYS WANDERERS
Sunday 25th March 2012
Alliance Football League Division 2
Knighton Park [pitch 1], Leicester, LE18 1EF

With this being the last Sunday shift for the wife today for a while, and with Leicester, like a lot of the country bathed in glorious sunshine I decided to taken in another Sunday League game. I did have one stipulation in that it must be in or close to Wigston due to family reasons. With there not being a great deal that stood out in this part of Leicester in either the Alliance Football League or Leicester Sunday League my choice was fairly easy. The pitches on Knighton Park is as close as you get get to the city and county boundary, located just inside the City of Leicester limits. The pitches are bordered to the west by the Welford Road Recreation Ground and houses on Brighton Avenue to the south. The boundary between Knighton Park and the Welford Road pitches is not that obvious, and looking at maps is just a pathway that seperates them. 

Fosse City were formed in 2004 and have two honours to their name which both came in the 2009/10 season. They achieved the double of the division 4 title and the Stokes Cup.

This season Fosse sit in third place with five games to play, though in reality the best they can hope for is the runners-up position. Their opponents who play their games on Horsewell Lane in Wigston sit one place and three points behind Fosse but have played three games more. Below is the division 2 table at the start of play:

POS		PLYD	WON	DRW	LOST	FOR	AGA	PTS
1	Leicester Foxes Old Boys	13	12	0	1	63	23	36
2	Guthlaxton Old Boys	13	8	4	1	35	18	28
3	Fosse City	11	7	1	3	27	22	22
4	Webbys Wanderers	14	4	7	3	27	19	19
5	KS Leicester Polska	14	5	4	5	31	31	19
6	Fleckney Athletic Sunday	16	4	4	8	39	42	16
7	FC Tumar (-1)	13	3	4	6	28	40	12
8	Wigston United	15	3	3	9	23	35	12
9	Trinderbox	15	1	3	11	20	63	6

The game was due to be played on pitch 2 of the Welford Road setup but due to a double booking this game was moved to pitch 1 on Knighton Park.  

A map showing the location of the Welford Road and Knighton Park pitches, which is taken from the Leicester Sunday League website can be viewed by clicking on the link:

http://tlsfl.com/downloads/WelfordRoad.pdf

The game was fairly entertaining with both teams trying to play football. Former Oadby Town midfielder Danny Poultney is the main player for the visitors but it was the home side who had the better of things, and should have been a couple of goals up at half time. The second half was Webbys come out with an outfield substitute taking over in goal due to the recurrence of an injury to their main goalkeeper. Fosse took advantage of this and scored two goals in the space of a couple of minutes, both of which came through Nathan Williams. The first saw the keeper parry a tame shot, and following a cut back Williams slid the ball home. The second saw him hit a low shot from twenty yards that gave the Webbys keeper little chance. The two goal cushion was halved inside three minutes when Danny Hull clipped the ball over the oncoming Fosse keeper. Fosse completed the scoring towards the end of the game when their #15 rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into an empty net. This was after the Fosse keeper pulled off the save of the match when he just got a hand to a 30 yarder that was heading just inside the top left hand corner. 

Overall another enjoyable Sunday League game in perfect weather conditions. 

A slideshow of 60 photos taken at the game can be viewed below: