Leighton Fall at the Newmarket Hurdle

 

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 26 September 2026 at The NYO Stadium
Result	Newmarket Town 2 Leighton Town 1
Competition	FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round
Hopstats	Ground number 822 on my lifetime list. I am here non-randomly as it is my closest unvisited Step 4 ground and I’d needed to do some get-ahead lesson planning for the day job before leaving Chateau Yapp!
Context
Newmarket Town (The Jockeys) play at Step 4 in the Isthmian League Division One North. They arrive at this fixture following earlier wins at Haringey Borough (on penalties) and 5-2 at home to Gorleston in the previous two rounds. Leighton Town are now in Step 3 Southern Premier Central following their promotion at the end of last season. They enter the FA Trophy at this stage.
Match Report
The Jockeys turned the game around in the second half and rode their luck in the final few minutes for a memorable win. Leighton had already had one nervy moment early on when their keeper Carlos Simeon slipped on the artificial surface, but they took the lead in the 11th minute. Tyler Winters scored with a close range header after a free kick. Although the home side improved after that, the next clear chance also fell to the visitors. Kyal Williams executed a sharp turn and shot just wide. Both teams fluffed chances and half chances before the interval. If two half chances equal one chance in the xG calculations, then the teams were comparable. I wrote in my notes that the game was not over but it would be if Newmarket don’t become more clinical in their finishing. The home side did indeed make a flying start to the second half. The first time the ball hit the back of the net, scored from a rebound off Simeon, the assistant’s flag signalled offside. However, within a minute the ball was crossed in, headed on to the bar, and the rebound poked in by Elliott Reeves to bring the scores level. I found out later that this was his debut for the club. Just before the hour, a neat one-two created a good chance for Leighton, but Newmarket countered and a good pass from Ben Nolan released Reeves who coolly produced a sidefoot finish for his second. The Leighton keeper Simeon fell awkwardly after an aerial challenge and there was a lengthy stoppage before to general spectator bemusement he rejected both stretcher and crutches and opted to carry on. He showed discomfort from booted clearances thereafter but got no sympathy from the home supporters. With a nominal 83 minutes on the clock but lots of time to be added, Newmarket lived dangerously by presenting substitute Sydney Ibie with a shooting chance. They somewhat curiously left themselves very exposed particularly down their left flank, but Leighton did not exploit the space. The closing minutes included lots of action in the home penalty area as Leighton sent crosses in with increasing desperation. Home keeper James Young needed to make a good save, the clock showing 94 minutes now. It went on to complete its cycle and stop at 0.00, but Young made two more good catches under pressure. Ibie and home sub Emmanuel Osei-Owusu needed to be separated from pushing and shoving each other as a diversion, but Newmarket held on for the win.
So What?
Cliché time : Newmarket are in the hat for the next round and Leighton are not etc etc as per usual.
Pix
Newmarket in yellow and blue. The only advice that I would give to other hoppers is that some areas of the club car park are currently very pitted, with temporary repairs in place. Be careful when parking and leaving, especially if dark. Comfortable main stand, friendly volunteers, good 3G surface for “game on” hops in the winter months. Best pre-match music of the season, was almost sorry when it was time for kickoff. I watched from the back of the main stand.
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 beat Orange as expected. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Home Win Was the prediction correct? Yes % of correct predictions so far 48% (112 from 231)
What Next?
Big game in the WSL (Sunday 27th) – Chelsea Women v Arsenal Women.

Two Ghoul Defeat for the Ghosts

 

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 12 September 2026 at The Daly Group Stadium, Clipbush Lane
Result	Fakenham Town 0 Waltham Abbey 2
Competition	FA Trophy 2nd Round Qualifying
Hopstats	Ground 820 on the lifetime list, and I am here randomishly because Aune Heggebø scored the only goal of the game as WBA won at Derby a few days ago. I wanted to choose from 11 unvisited grounds – the home teams were linked alphabetically to the 11 WBA players on the pitch at any given time. The rules and details are on the image below. Why West Bromwich? Well, I was born there, and although I’m not an active supporter these days, it’s always their result I’m looking for first.
Context
This is a knockout game between two Step 4 sides. Fakenham (The Ghosts) came up from the Eastern Counties league playoffs last season and are in the Isthmian League Division One North. Waltham Abbey were in that division last season but have been transferred to the Southern League Division One Central.
Match Report
The game started at a lively pace, both teams able to try some slick moves on a good playing surface. They traded half-chances before the game settled a bit, but largely these two sides cancelled each other out before the danger areas. The odd freekick was due to mistiming or overenthusiasm rather than cynicism. Some of the visiting support began to show impatience at repeated recycling of the ball by their team. Almost immediately a good move down the right created the best chance of the half so far but Jayden Wright was in a good place to clear the ball. Fakenham were somewhat more direct in style and a good run by their fullback Oser Okpiahbele led to a shot going just wide. So the first half ended scoreless, with plenty of effort on both sides but clear chances at a premium. Waltham Abbey started the second half well, with two chances for Jake Watts. They continued to be better at keeping possession and on the hour mark I noted that they probably should have been ahead by now. Indeed, the realistic and seasoned home supporters around me were beginning to comment that it was just a matter of time, and so it proved. The first goal came on 73 minutes, hooked in by sub Steve Cawley after a corner which itself had followed a period of sustained pressure. Abbey nearly got an immediate second with a header after another slick move. Fakenham were not finished yet and they created two half-chances of their own, but a second Abbey goal from the penalty spot put the result beyond doubt. Prince Domafriye scored from the spot after a handball. A fair result on balance of play, says this passing neutral.
So What?
Time for Fakenham to concentrate on the league, as they say. Waltham Abbey go into the proverbial hat, and they have a big FA Cup game against Dagenham & Redbridge coming up too next weekend.
Pre-match Entertainment
Nothing apart from a sausage sandwich. I got caught up in the traffic around Duxford Air Show en route and my GPS alternative suggestion made things worse with gridlock in narrow lanes, so I ended up with a three-hour drive and no spare time.
Pix
Fakenham in yellow-and-black (and with a mysterious club crest).
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today, the rarity of Blue (Luke Pearson) v Blue (Bradley Robinson), albeit different shades thereof. #keepertopcolourstats predictions are on a terrible run at the moment although the percentage success has never varied that much from 50%. The whole sample (>370) including those games before the predictions started is still probably not statistically significant enough for the mathematical testing required. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Draw Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 48% (108 from 227)
What Next?
Hopefully another ground from my priority list next Saturday, but whether it is a random selection or a pragmatic one will depend on the weather forecast.

 

Red Top, Red Mist, Red Card

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 29 August 2016 at The Memorial Ground
Result	Little Oakley 2 Biggleswade 2 (Biggleswade win 4-1 on penalties)
Competition	FA Trophy First Round Qualifying
Hopstats	Ground #815 on the lifetime list, and I am here randomishly because of the roll of a die, in the manner of the early days of this blog, almost 600 blogposts ago.
Context
Both teams play at Step 4, the hosts in the Isthmian League D1 North and the visitors in the Southern League D1 Central. Biggleswade narrowly missed promotion to Step 3 last season, and Little Oakley are playing their first ever FA Trophy fixture after their promotion as Essex Senior League champions.
Match Report
Well, for a passing neutral like me, this was compelling entertainment. Maybe not of the highest quality in terms of tactics and execution, but with a result in doubt until the closing seconds, and with an inexplicable late twist. Biggleswade led 1-0 at the interval, and on balance they deserved that. Little Oakley came back with two goals after the interval and it looked like their promising start to the season would continue. Of course, knockout competitions breed risk-taking and desperation, and Biggleswade got an equaliser in stoppage time, a neat finish by Alex Marsh. I was at the other end from this goal, and cannot tell you what provocation led the red-clad home goalkeeper James Askew to see a colour-co-ordinated mist. He made unwelcome physical contact with a Biggleswade player, pushing him to the ground. The referee consulted the assistant before showing the matching card. The clubs must have agreed that the match could go straight to penalties if drawn, and so, with all substitutes used (more of this later) the outfield substitute Joe Howard had to don the keeper’s jersey. The shootout itself was somewhat anticlimactic. Biggleswade scored their first, Little Oakley missed their first, but Biggleswade put two more good ones past the stand-in before the third home penalty was saved by George Rose (in blue). This meant that a successful fourth would win it for Biggleswade, and indeed that is what happened. How did we get to this point, you ask? Well, fortunately the rain eased off before kickoff and both teams looked positive about attacking and trying to win the game. Biggleswade winger B11 spent much of the first minute trying to turn his opposing full-back inside out, but the resulting corner came to nothing. Both teams were direct, with second balls and knockdowns of great importance, but occasionally each team would string together a sequence of one-touch passes on the break. Biggleswade’s opening goal after 25 minutes was a neat left-foot strike by Adam Hunt. The end-to-end exchanges continued. Who knows what was said in the dressing rooms at half-time but Little Oakley emerged with four substitutes in play. They could have equalised in the first minute after the restart. Then there was a comedy moment (except maybe for the club treasurer) when a ball was cleared into an adjacent garden only for the replacement ball to bounce over the same fence a few seconds later. The action continued with a disallowed Biggleswade goal – the home defence had stepped upfield just in time – and at this point both teams looked like they might score. Little Oakley had to press and this left space for Biggleswade on the break. The home side were maybe getting a bit more desperate now but it needed two interventions in quick succession from Rose to protect the lead. However, the equaliser came just after the hour, a textbook header by Jack Ladbrook from a training ground routine which involved all the players initially huddled together with the density of a neutron star. Conversation in the stands now turned to whether anyone knew whether it would be extra-time and/or penalties and/or a replay, but was curtailed when sub Jordi Papple rounded Rose to make the score 2-1. Rose soon made another excellent save to deny the home side their third. What a result that would have been for these Step 4 newcomers, but the denouement, as explained above was savage. Thanks to the home volunteers who were very welcoming. I left quickly for another tricky drive around the M25 with low sun and rain, but the roll of the die this morning had certainly given me an entertaining game to watch. As would be expected, the ground itself is in transition now between Step 5 and Step 4 requirements.
So What?
Cliché time : Biggleswade are in the proverbial hat for the next round, Little Oakley are not.
Pre-match Entertainment
Plans for a quayside walk thwarted but not by traffic this week. This time, a mighty deluge meaning that a good Duolingo session in the car was a more attractive option. Spot the differences between The North Sea and the Mediterranean
Pix
I’d left my Canon compact at home so I had to make do with my mobile phone this week … hosts in blue-and-black.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today, a rare appearance for Red, lining up against Blue. The result is enough to demote Red in the colour league table, mainly because it is a small sample size. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Home Win Was the prediction correct? No % of correct predictions so far 48% (107 from 221)
What Next?
Hopefully another ground ticked off on Bank Holiday Monday. No decision made as yet, will depend on weather. I’ve added Workington to my priority list for the season – I had forgotten that they have a temporary home with their rugby league counterparts for a season or two.

 

Slick City Open Up Newmarket's Defences Twice

Hopperational Details
Date & Venue	Saturday 1 March 2025 at FWD-IP Community Stadium
Result	Cambridge City 2 Newmarket Town 0
Competition	Isthmian League D1 North (Step 4)
Hopstats	Ground 795 on my lifetime list. Here for pragmatic reasons – I needed a relatively short journey after having been overnight at a conference in Hertfordshire. Since the last blogpost I also managed a midweek trip to Wembley to watch England Women 1 Spain Women 0 in the Nations League, and what a splendid evening’s entertainment that was.
Context
Upper mid-table plays lower mid-table. May just about qualify as a “local derby”. The home side are known at this level as “Jamie Cureton’s Cambridge City” in the same way that we have recently had “Frank Lampard’s Coventry City” and “Wayne Rooney’s P45”.
Match Report
City’s new ground is still a work-in-progress but it’s a good one for this level. The pre-match food was among the best I’ve ever had at Step 4 but as these pics show this is a place where the words carbohydrate and low are unlikely to appear in the same sentence. My choice was a Twix Blondie.   On the pitch, these two teams of “big lads” faced up to each other on a good surface. Cambridge took control with two first half goals. They had already won several corners and forced one good save from the visiting keeper before Samrai Gebrai rolled the ball into the net after Newmarket had lost possession in their own half. Jack Thompson added the second from close range after a very neat build-up. Newmarket did their best to get back in the game and should have scored at least once, but promising approach play often broke down at the last. Cambridge held firm at the back and in the end took the points comfortably enough.
So What?
City could still conceivably make a play-off spot if a team above them falters, and Town looked good enough not to be drawn into a serious relegation scrap.
Pre-match Entertainment
What happens at staff conference stays at staff conference. However, at Wembley a couple of days earlier, I found myself in the level 2 tier where the food outlets include M&S and there are artistic representations of lions.
Pix
Cambridge City in White.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats Update
The background to this, and the latest keeper top colour league table, is here on this dedicated page. Today, Red (as expected) beats Blue and keeps a clean sheet. This is enough to restore Red to the top of the table. Pre-match Prediction based on Keeper Top Colour: Prediction: Home Win Was the prediction correct? Yes (87 from 175) % of correct predictions so far 49%
What Next?
Despite the best efforts of the nation’s transport infrastructure to prevent it, I will try to get to Saracens RUFC in north London at the weekend to see the Oxford v Cambridge rugby union games (women and men).