A look back at the weekend’s big talking points as Reading FC Women sweat on an injury, Binfield let the grass grow and Datchet’s big match is cut short.
Welcome to the Jungle
One day a beaten side from higher up the pyramid will simply write ‘we weren’t very good today,’ in their post-match report (read the nonsense here).
Today is not that day, as Vanarama National League South Tonbridge Angels blamed having 13 players unavailable (we still don’t know why, the report doesn’t tell us – but it does say there should be a few available for the game at Cheshunt next week), the grass being a bit too long and the ground being a bit rustic (yeah – what?).
I’m not sure what sort of billiard table the Angels are used to playing on, but we have it on good authority Moles chairman Andy Cotton was out cutting the grass for several hours during the week. Perhaps they were just in awe of the rustic landscape across Cabbage Hill Lane as Sean Moore, Johnny Efedje, Lewis Pegg and Brad Pagliaroli fired in four unanswered second-half goals.
This is why the FA don’t let Binfield play cup games at home. It all gets a bit embarrassing.
Related: The FA Cup Third Qualifying Round draw
Datchet’s 11 minute match
You wait and wait for Sunday League to return, the start is pushed back due to unsafe pitches following the hot weather, then again following the death of Her Majesty The Queen. So there you are, morning of the actual game that is actually going to happen, you get out there and 11 minutes in, you get someone running across the pitch to call it off.
Unverified, but a follow-up post on Twitter suggests that in fact the pitch was paid for and it was simply an admin error.
Mortimer’s first FA Cup goal
A little bit of history was made in West Berkshire on Sunday as Mortimer’s first ever goal in an FA Cup match was scored by Louise Delaney of the clubs Thames Valley Counties Women’s Football League side.
Mortimer’s men’s team have never played in the FA Cup and while I’m sure the result is one to forget for the Villager’s, Delaney’s strike is one for the clubs history books.
Cookham Dean mark senior return with a win
The Maidenhead based side made their return to senior football on Saturday in the Thames Valley Premier League Division Two and came home with three points.
‘Dean’ took a year out of the men’s game but returned in the summer and the club have plans for a new ground within their community. So a good start to the season, it’ll be interesting to see where they end up at the end of it.
Nervous wait for Deanne Rose injury verdict
Taken from Andrew Belt’s Reading FC Women talking points which you can read here.
Canadian attacker, Deanne Rose, went off injured in the 25th -minute. What seemed an innocuous trip on the turf at Leigh Sports Village ended Rose’s game and was the greatest
cause for concern for the Royals. Manager, Kelly Chambers, after the game said the club would have to prepare itself for the ‘worst possible news’. A key player for the team and the
best player in blue and white until her injury, let’s hope she won’t be out of action for too long!
