"Unai, you are awful" - weekend matchgoing

[Southport Zeb]

Reasonably entertaining game at Skegness this afternoon. Clay Cross took the lead in the first half before the home side equalised through a lovely strike from outside the area just before half time. Skegnes then scored two more early in the second half and probably should have added two or three more before the end.

The ground is a new build, similar to a number of other identikit modern developments (e.g. Stockton Town, Consett) that meet ground grading requirements precisely. Maybe a couple of hundred in attendance, although a sizeable percentage were groundhoppers.

[Third rate Leszno]

Southport 1-1 Spennymoor

Chose to sit in the refurbished main stand for a change, and very nice it was too. The CEO was working her way round selling half time 50/50 draw tickets before kick off, something that I’d love to see made compulsory in higher divisions.

Despite being full time, Southport seem to have assembled a squad of largely useless players. One of the few who looked competent (albeit not entirely fit), Ryan Astles thundered home a first half header to put Port in front, whilst Spennymoor’s front line were nowhere near as decisive with the chances they had.

The second half saw Southport try to defend their slim lead and see the game out - it was pretty dull fare, not helped by a trio of squawking, squealing kids sat just behind me. Just when it looked like Port had done enough for an important (if ugly) three points, Spennymoor scored in the 4th minute of stoppage time with a close range header from a right wing cross. Much grumbling and some booing followed as the home fans made for the exits.

[Gert from the Well]

First for me today when the Godmanchester v Kirkley & Pakefield game was temporarily halted due to a hole in the patch. Whilst I wondered whether the cause was a sinkhole or the seventh gate to hell the offending hole was filled with half a cup of sand. Game finished 2:2, but will always be remembered for a minor trip-hazard.

[Merlin the happy pig]

Sunderland 1-1 Oxford United.
Drove 250 miles north hoping it wasn't going to be too much of a hammering, drove back slightly disappointed to only come away with a draw.

[Furtho]

Mursley United 3-0 Totternhoe

A match between two village teams in the Spartan South Midlands League Division 2. Mursley is just west of MK in the fields of north-east Bucks and so it isn’t unusual to see, as we did, red kites circling overhead in the early autumn sunshine; Totternhoe lies in the shadow of Dunstable Downs.

The home team took the lead inside a couple of minutes via a direct run through the heart of the defence and a cracking 20-yard shot. That turned out to be the highlight of a rather sleepy game. My mate and I played ballboy a few times, complained about sciatica (me), talked about love (both of us), and described changes to the Scottish non-league pyramid (him) before making our way along the high street to The Green Man for beer, strokes with the pub cat and play with a Springer Spaniel named Alfie.

All in all, a lovely afternoon.

[Duncan Gardner]

My first of the season- a predictably laboured 0-0 for QPR at St Andrews. NI watch- Lee Camp now has a Bale-like manbun

[jameswba]

Zilina 0 Slovan Bratislava 1

Slovan would be my nomination for the title of 'Europe's most loathsome club', so a loss to them always stings. Rationally though, this was just about the right result. In an otherwise very even game, Slovan had a 15-minute period in the second-half when they looked much the better side and you felt they were about to score. They duly did, ex-international centre-back Kornel Salata crashing home an unmarked header from a free-kick. Zilina had six new players in their starting XI, four of whom are still only 18. They couldn't have given any more, and games like this should be a good learning experience for them.

[Patrick Thistle]

Cardiff 2 v 3 Arsenal

This was a pretty even game. Arsenal also hit the post but Cardiff almost scraped a third equaliser in added time.

Cardiff put Arsenal under pressure when they tried to play it out from the back. Call it the Pep Effect but it seems like everyone is trying to play this way now and if you aren't as good as Manchester City, then you could run into problems. Which Arsenal did a few times.

Arsenal were also dirtier than I expected. It was all sly stuff, tripping runners and shoving. They got a few yellow cards. Cardiff also had a couple for less subtle challenges, but they didn't play stereotypical Warnockian attrition stuff.

I was sat practically above the Arsenal fans. Ozil got booed, but I'm not sure by whom. Aubameyang scored a great goal to make it 2-1 and they sang his name to the "You're fucking shit" tune (what's that called).

It was also really warm up where I was sat but the view was magnificent. The ticket was free so I can't really complain.