Hard to See Any Silver Lining for Becks This Time

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 30 August at Eden Park Avenue
Result	Beckenham Town 2 Egham Town 3
Competition	FA Cup 1st Round Qualifying
Hopstats	Ground 805 on the lifetime list.
Context
Both teams play at Step 4 but in different divisions within the Isthmian League. Neither team has started that well in the league, with both looking for a first win, but in knockout games Beckenham won 1-0 at Hassocks in the preliminary round. This is Egham’s fourth FA Cup game of the season. They won 1-0 at Northwood in the extra preliminary round and then needed a replay to beat Corinthian convincingly 4-0 after a 2-2 draw. They are, however, already out of the FA Trophy after a home defeat by Margate.
Match Report
Spacetime is bent in Beckenham. You see the ground on the left as the train pulls into the station from London and when you turn left in the subway you’ll be on the wrong side of the tracks in suburbia. Never mind, just a slightly longer pre-match stroll as a result, and then you see how close the clubhouse is to the trainline. Nice ground, friendly welcome, printed programme, the comfiest clubhouse seats of all time, bit of a slope on the pitch. All good. I check the teams on soc med and note that Egham (The Sarnies) have a “Starting IX” which if true is going to make life difficult. Then the fun starts on the pitch. Grimly fascinating for this passing neutral but entirely frustrating for supporters of both teams. As an honest blogger, I have to record that this was technically the poorest game I’ve seen this season – so many unforced errors, but so many chances created. The xG calculators would be in meltdown. Not too much playing out from the back, but channels, aerial battles and second balls. Both teams have at least a couple of direct runners. Very hard-fought and competitive. Great stuff. Becks should have been more comfortably ahead at the interval. Tyler Tobin, in purple in the Sarnies’ goal, was busy. He made a great save with his legs on 16 minutes from Louie Theophanous, but it should have been a goal. Just before the half-hour Tobin was adjudged to have brought down an attacker at the byeline. He redeemed himself superbly by blocking both Theophanous’ spot-kick and Steve Townsend’s rebound. Although Egham fashioned their best chance just before the break with a glancing header from a freekick, instead of 2-0 it was still 0-0 when the whistle went. Becks made two changes to their lineup and then lost defender Mudiaga Wanogho to injury. Meanwhile, Egham had reminded us of their presence by almost scoring from a corner. On the hour, the first goal. Egham lost the ball in a central position and Theophanous found himself in the clear. This time he buried the chance. He would shoot wide on the break again before the equaliser came. The lead had lasted five manic minutes. Egham substitute Luke Hennaghan had a shot deflected just wide as the visitors responded. He then rolled in a penalty given for handball – there had been a goalline clearance but I think the offence must have been just before that, I can’t be certain. However, 1-1 and now a very open game, and just two more minutes this time before Hennaghan turned the scoreline around with a very cool finish. Now, with Becks having to press forward, the chance and unforced error count went even higher. An Egham defender completely missed a kick. Both teams fluffed one-on-ones. Egham’s Connor Cullen could (should?) have had a couple of goals as the home defence weakened, one effort shaving the post. Finally, with just a few minutes left he tucked away the third goal. We weren’t finished. Theophanous scored again as we entered stoppage time, and even then there was time for another half chance. Egham held on for the win. Both teams will feel that they should have won this more comfortably, it was that kind of game. I ended my day with a cross-London walk between my trains, as usual trying to think of the traditional pun for the post’s title. Decide to go with an obscure musical reference rather than something about takeaways and sarnies. Thanks, as ever, for reading. Follow @ModusHRandom for more of this stuff - current follower count stands at ... 1 ... after I abandoned my previous account on there.
So What?
Beckenham have a midweek league game before they go to Northwood in the FA Trophy next Saturday. Egham go into the proverbial hat for the next round and may not play again until mid-Sept unless something is rearranged.
Pix
Beckenham in Orange, Egham in Green.  First part of Tyler Tobin's double save to deny Becks The equaliser
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today Green played Purple. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Home Win Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 48% (91 from 190) I'm not the only person ever to have looked at this, by the way. Here's the outcome of a cheeky post-match Google search ...
What Next?
The start of the Autumn term in the nation’s secondary schools, so I may have to concentrate on physics, chemistry and mathematics for a while! Many of my priority grounds involve long journeys so there will also be an element of weather dependence.

Portchy's Day at the PO Man's Derby

 

The e-programme is downloadable as a pdf file

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Monday 25th August 2025 at The OnSite Group Stadium, Wicor Recreation Ground
Result	AFC Portchester 4 Moneyfields 0
Competition	Isthmian League Division One South-Central (Step 4)
Hopstats	#804 on the lifetime list. Here because I am in the area for the Bank Holiday weekend.
Context
A local PO-postcode derby for the Bank Holiday Monday. AFC Portchester are up in Step 4 after promotion as champions from the Wessex League last season. They have three points from three league matches (one win). Moneyfields have a win and a draw, so four points. Two days ago Portchy lost at Bedfont Sports and Moneyfields shared the points in a 4-4 draw with Hayes & Yeading United.
Match Report
Before I forget, be warned that the car parking amount charged by the PayByPhone app was significantly more than the amount implied on the notice boards. If you go hopping here (well worth it) take plenty of change, and go early if you want to park near the ground. It's an interesting arena and the club made a lot of effort to look after a Bank Holiday crowd. You can imagine how the facilities have grown step-by-step as the club moved up through the pyramid. This was a game of two halves. The home team scored all four goals before the interval and the points were in the proverbial bag. The opening goal after five minutes was a gift from the visiting defence after the ball was lost in an attempt to play out from the back in the modern way.  Alfie Stanley rolled the ball into the unguarded net. The second came from number 11 after 11 minutes. Zak Willett found himself in lots of space, he cut back inside the approaching defender, and the pic below shows him shaping to place the ball in the far corner. The third was pinged in from 45 metres or so (you get proper physics units in this blog) by Stanley who picked up the ball in midfield and had spotted the keeper off his line. The fourth was arguably the best of the lot, thrashed from the left into the far corner by Ryan Wilkins. So, 4-0 at half-time. I moved to the stand on the opposite side in search of shade for the second half, with temperatures around 303K (that's the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature right there) which is more commonly known in this country as 30 degrees C. Maybe because of the temperature, maybe because the demolition job was already done, but the second half was anticlimactic. Moneyfields never gave up and were allowed plenty of possession, but they had only really created one decent chance before the 75-minute mark. Portchester didn't look too concerned once they had weathered the first ten minutes or so of the second half. For me at the final whistle, it was a race back to the Yappmobile for what turned out to be a tortuous return journey around the dreaded M25 western section. Good day though, decent entertainment for the passing neutral and plenty of other culture, history, scenery and interest in the general area. Recommended if not already ticked!
So What?
The clubs end the day in 6th and 18th place.
Pre-match Entertainment
A circuit of Portchester Castle, watching oystercatchers feeding on the mud flats, a stroll along part of the English coastal path (and, I suspect, disturbing a couple in flagrante behind a tree), looking across towards Portsmouth, and stopping for an ice-cream at the nearby Salt Café. Insert your own joke about Portchester's defence looking solid.
Pix
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today Grey beats Blue, as predicted, and the clean sheet is enough to take Grey to the top of the Tops table. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Home win Was the prediction correct? Yes % of correct predictions so far 48% (91 from 189)
What Next?
No idea, to be honest but most likely an FA Cup game at the weekend. Watch @ModusHRandom on Twitter/X.

Wimborne to be Wild after Late Farnham Equaliser

 

 

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 23rd August 2025 at The Memorial Ground
Result	Farnham Town 1 Wimborne Town 1
Competition	Southern League Premier Division South (Step 3)
Hopstats	Ground #803 on the lifetime list. I’m in the area this bank holiday weekend and this ground was on my priorities list.
Context
Farnham are new in Step 3 this season and have started well with two wins and a draw. Wimborne have one win, one draw and one defeat.
Match Report
It looked early on that we could expect goals today. A heavy touch from the Farnham keeper Zaki Qualah almost led to a chance for Wimborne to score from distance, and then the Wimborne keeper Cam Plain made one of the best saves I've seen for ages with a one-handed save. Farnham's Ben Purcell also needed to make a superb defensive intervention, so it was a bit of a surprise that we waited as long as 27 minutes for the opening goal. Wimborne took the lead as Max Bustamante poked in a rebound after his side had caused chaos with two corners in quick succession. Farnham missed their first chance to equalise with Bobby-Joe Taylor's skied penalty miss just before the interval after Jack Dean had been tripped. A decent game so far with plenty of goalmouth action, and I managed to suppress my need to straighten some wonky team pictures in the clubhouse during the break. The teams traded chances again in the second half. Plain saved well with his feet and then his team hit the post. Farnham, having made five changes, were still very much in the game. It took a goal-line clearance by Drew Ecott-Young on 77 minutes to protect the visiting lead. The hosts had two more chances in the closing minutes and Wimborne defenders were frequently getting their bodies in the way. The Farnham joy had to wait until several minutes of added time had passed. Brandon Mason, who had often been involved in foraging down the spaces on the left flank, was brought down on the byline. This time Great Evans did the honours from the spot and kept the Farnham unbeaten run going with the last meaningful kick of the game. Definitely a good hopping day out in the sunshine for this passing neutral.
So What?
The teams will complete their weekend double-headers on Monday as follows: Farnham travel to Dorchester and Wimborne host Weymouth.
Pre-match Entertainment
A stroll around the very attractive streets and alleyways of Farnham town centre, with lots of historical and architectural interest, then walking to the ground via the churchyard and along the edge of Bishop’s Meadow. If you are making a day of it, be prepared for car parking to cost as much as your match ticket!
Pix
Farnham in claret and blue.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today Yellow played Green. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Away Win Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 48% (90 from 188)
What Next?
This tick leaves me with Everton (Premier League) and Worcester City (Southern League Premier Central) to restore my coverage of “everywhere in England down to Step 3”. In the meantime, as I am in Portsmouth for the weekend, I plan to make the short journey to AFC Portchester on Monday.

 

Carlton's Textbook Showing at Loughborough Students

 

Online-only programme accessed with a QR code from the bar area.

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	19 August 2025 at Loughborough University Stadium
Result	Loughborough Students 0 Carlton Town 3
Competition	Northern Premier League D1 Midlands (Step 4)
Hopstats	#802 on the lifetime list
Context
The kindest way to describe the Students’ start to the season is to say that they are undefeated at home – with one point from three games. Carlton have two league wins and a big FA Cup victory on their list already. The visitors will start as favourites.
Match Report
This is an extremely impressive facility, set within a large university campus. The site is also hosting two international tournaments for teams of men and women with cerebral palsy, so there was a lot going on in and around the central stadium. There is unlikely to be a main stand and playing surface better than this anywhere else at Step 4 in the country. I made the most of a rare opportunity to sit a few metres above ground level, whereas many of the Carlton faithful kept to their habit of installing themselves and their flags behind the home goalkeeper, including of course the half-time change-of-ends. Carlton showed their status as favourites early on with a pressing game to disrupt the students playing out from the back. They made the first few half-chances but the Students couldn’t take the best one of the game so far after 11 minutes. They soon went behind to an old-school corner, with the big number five Dean Freeman winning the ball in the air, and his textbook downward header found the back of the net with the help of a deflection. My photo seems to show a bit of streetwise shirt-pulling in the process. At half-time there was only one goal in it and the home side could not be discounted. There had been some lovely one- and two-touch approach play from both sides. The student defenders caught the eye, but probably because they had been the busiest players on the field. They always looked just a bit more anxious and stretched than their comfortable Carlton counterparts. Insert your own “degrees of freedom” joke here. I wrote a note to myself that “Carlton will need a second”, and went for a Mars Bar (also a second). That game-settling goal duly arrived after 66 minutes with a volley from striker Ashley Chambers, and then the third was an absolute screamer from wide on the left flank from Niall Davie. Great goal, ten minutes to go. To their credit, young heads did not drop and the Students almost got a consolation in the dying moments, but this was a fair result in an enjoyable game for this passing neutral. The day ended with a dreadful journey back south down the M1 “thanks” to a series of roadworks. Good job it wasn’t a school night.
So What?
The early league table has Carlton top, ahead of Corby on goal difference after three wins out of three games. Loughborough’s earlier point keeps them one place off the bottom.
Pix
Students in purple.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today, Grey beats Orange (as predicted) and keeps a clean sheet. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Away Win Was the prediction correct? Yes % of correct predictions so far 48% (90 from 187)
What Next?
No idea, to be honest, with other duties and commitments in the diary. I unfortunately can’t get to the West Lancs hop this coming weekend but I may be able to get to something down south. @ModusHRandom on Twitter/X for the reveals.