A few things you might have missed from a busy weekend of FA Cup, National League and Combined Counties League action.
All smiles for Holyport
Sometimes it’s that kind of Monday morning. You know the one. Everythings fine but you’re missing that zip.
Then you log in to Jonathan Bowker’s photo site for pictures from the weekend and you see ‘that man’ Kickie Dzimba smiling away and all is right with the world.
The ex-Maidenhead United youngster scored Holyport’s second goal in their historic FA Cup win over Ascot United at the weekend to put the club in the First Qualifying Round for the first time.
And Mr Bowker was there to capture it. And anyway, is there a better goal celebration than the ‘arms out wide’?
Knee slide maybe, but as Callum Wilmoth found out to his cost you’ve got to choose your surface.
Kit blunder as Atom Men take points
It has happened to the best of us that’s for sure. Whether it affected Rising Ballers Kensington during the game we’d probably doubt it but AFC Aldermaston were a goal up inside three minutes of the revised kick-off after the visitor’s kit was ‘lost en route‘ to the Stacatruc.
The game kicked off 15 minutes late and Aldermaston were 3-0 up by half-time before the visitors were able to fight back only to see the Atom Men hold out to earn a 3-2 win, their second of the Combined Counties League season.
Gareth Thomas Wokingham & Emmbrook debut
Still got it. Thatcham Town legend Gareth Thomas has tried his hand in the dugout recently but on Saturday he dusted off the boots once more for a debut with Wokingham & Emmbrook.
Having recently ‘retired’ after suffering an injury while playing for Bracknell Town, Thomas managed Tadley Calleva at the start of last season but is now playing again in the Combined Counties League for the Sumas where he was part of a 2-2 draw with Hilltop.
Southern League ball
We’ve been perhaps a little unkind to uhlsport on social media since discovering their footballs had infiltrated the Combined Counties League recently. But it comes from the bitter experience of their Hellenic League football efforts which one season were actually coloured green, but also felt like kicking a rock.
Then our mates at Severn Sport shared a picture of the Mitre Southern League football and we feel completely vindicated.
Last word to Akhlas Butt: “It’s a Mitre ball, that’s enough.”
Kids at Slough and Ben Harris’ flag
It’s not been quite the start will all envisaged for Slough Town this season but the Rebels now have a first win under their belts after beating Dulwich Hamlet 2-1 away.
It looks like the supporters enjoyed themselves, the makeshift bin drum we believe is a fairly regular occurrence but it’d appear the ‘youth orchestra’ less so. So keep it up!
And we’re here for Ben Harris waving the supporters flag around like he’s Graeme Souness at Galatasary (albeit with significantly less malice we are sure).
The littlest pitch invader
This weeks ‘and finally’ is a good one. The Vanarama National League tie on Saturday between Dagenham & Redbridge and Maidenhead United that the home side won 1-0 was halted for a few minutes for a youngster to be collected by his mum.
