Abbey Triumph in Vase

It was FA Vase day again on Saturday but the weather intervened and only two of the four ties involving CCL clubs went ahead with mixed results.

Clearly both matches were tight affairs but it was Abbey Rangers who made it through to the 4th Round with a solitary goal victory at Eastbourne Town and they have been rewarded with another away tie in the 4th Round, this time against Bearstead FC, who hail from the Maidstone area and are members of the Southern Counties East League in which they currently sit in 9th place, just above midway. They are a fairly new club at this level and this is only their third ever Vase campaign. The match is scheduled for Saturday 5 January.

The unlucky losers on Saturday were Southall who had the cruel misfortune of losing by the only goal of the game in extra time at Canterbury City.

The ties involving Chertsey Town and Sutton Common Rovers were both postponed and wil now take place this coming Saturday, 8 December. The postponements meant that three CCL clubs figured in the 4th Round draw and we now know that if Chertsey win at Redbridge on Saturday, they will be at home to Cadbury Heath or AFC St. Austell. Cadbury Heath are currently 15th in the Western League whilst Step 6 St. Austell are in 6th place in the Peninsular South Western League.

Sutton Common Rovers, if they can overcome AFC Uckfield Town on Saturday, would face familiar opposition in the shape of Windsor FC, who were valued members of the CCL until moved against our will two seasons ago to the Hellenic League.

In the League we experienced our worst day of the season so far in terns of postponements with eight across the two divisions falling to the weather. Perhaps the stand-out result was the continuing improvement of Bagshot FC, whose 3-0 win over British Airways FC who have adapted well to life at Step 6, continues to see them pull away from the bottom places in Division One.