After the abortive first meeting of two weeks ago when heavy rain dashed all plans the Horsham Primary Schools Mixed Year 5+6 Football League finally got underway this evening at The Bridge multicourts. It was worth waiting for as the 18 teams in attendance provided a fantastic spectacle encompassing 36 matches and a total of 139 goals scored.

Teams were split into two divisions of nine, both to be played as all v all round-robins across the two meetings of play. 

In Division 1 Heron Way emerged as front runners, opening up with a 5-1 mauling of Kingslea B, despatching St Mary’s Pulborough and Steyning A with similar aplomb before engaging in their toughest match with a powerful Arunside team and coming through that challenge 2-1 to the good.

At the halfway point however the Herons still have four teams hot on their tail and waiting for a slip-up next time out. Kingslea A sit at the front of the queue, also going unbeaten but pegged back by draws against fellow title aspirants Southwater A and Arunside. 

In the chasing pack is also dark horse Shelley. The Broadbridge Heathers suffered an opening tonking by Arunside, 4-1, but recovered their composure by beating Kingslea B 4-0 and then went into dream team mode by taking out Southwater A and Steyning A 2-1 and 4-0 respectively.

Arunside and Southwater A both finished with similar records. Arunside, inspired by a midfield maestro whose footwork bordered on the balletic, were particularly impressive in attack but defensive vulnerabilities saw them squander lead positions. Despite their surprise defeat to Shelley don’t count out Southwater A especially given that they still have to play perennial rivals Heron Way A at the next meeting.

Leechpool A and Kingslea B lie lower mid-table after their exploits. Leechpool were looking highly competitive until their last match when Kingslea A went and burst their bubble with a 6-0 thrashing. Kingslea B was the only second string outfit in the top flight and after a difficult start they acquitted themselves well with a 3-0 win over St Mary’s Pulborough being the highlight.

Difficult nights for the Pulbies and Steyning A, both suffering a full house of defeats although Pulborough’s losing bonus point from their 4-2 reverse to Southwater A means that Steyning A sit bottom and them one above.

So five teams still in the hunt for the Div 1 championship and a similar number still in contention for Div 2 by the end of the night, but only two points splitting them.

Indeed little Slinfold sit top of the pile despite losing a tense battle with Heron Way B 2-1. Underneath them sit three unbeaten teams with identical win, loss, draw records – St Peter’s Cowfold, Heron Way B and Southwater B. Only goal difference separates those crews, St Peter’s Cowfold being strongest in that regard courtesy of their 6-0 drubbling of Kingslea C at the last.

Leechpool B make up the last of the leading quintet and indeed it could have been better for them at Slinfold’s expense but for their recovery against the leaders from a three goal deficit to 3-2 being halted only by a lack of time.

Steyning C and B teams occupy lower mid-table side-by-side and perhaps the meeting between the two next time will be decisive for which of them finishes higher. 

Castlewood and Kingslea C occupy the bottom two spots although when the two met it was Castlewood who came out on top comfortably 3-0. Kingslea C will look to better fortunes in their next showing. 

YEAR 5+6 FOOTBALL LEAGUE MEETING 1 RESULTS (141022)

Division A fixtures = bolded; Division B fixtures = italics

TABLES

Division 1

Division 2

*5 for win, 3 for draw, 1 for loss, 1 bonus point if lose but score 50% or more of opponent’s winning score in match