MATCH REPORT SAT 8 AUGUST 2026

SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE DIV 1

LETCHWORTH GC EAGLES 3 BUCKINGHAM 3

After a tame first half between 2 evenly matched sides the game really exploded second half with plenty of goals and red and yellow cards for both teams.

The game began with Buckingham on the offensive and almost scored after 3 minutes when a corner was sent to the near post into a crowd of players. A mad scramble ensued before the ball was hacked off Eagles goal line and hit a Buckingham forward before rebounding out of play for a goal kick. A few minutes later another Buckingham corner was sent to the far post. Keeper George Coomes tipped the ball away at full stretch and as the ball ran to a Buckingham forward their low shot was straight at Coomes.

Eagles then came more into the game and after 20 minutes a low shot from the edge of the penalty area was sent wide of the Buckingham goal. On the half hour a long throw by Eagles into the Buckingham penalty area was headed on and the ball hooked over the cross bar from the edge of the goal area. A shot from 25 yards went well wide of the Buckingham goal before after 40 minutes the visiting keeper was forced to make a diving side to push a low shot away. The ball fell to an Eales forward but the follow up shot was blocked by the keeper at his near post

At the other end Coomes had to block the ball with his feet at his near after a Buckingham forward cut inside the penalty area and shot low for goal. Eagles relief was short-lived because Buckingham went ahead a few minutes before half time. A corner was sent into the middle of Eagles goal area. Coomes tried to push the ball clear, but it fell to a defender who tried to head the ball clear from close to the goal line but only succeeded in putting the ball into his own net.

Early in the second half Eagles conceded a second goal after committing a foul inside the penalty area. The kick was sent cleanly into the far corner of the net. The game then really came alive. Buckingham then missed a great chance to put the game out of reach after a defensive mistake left a Buckingham forward with a clear run on goal, but the opportunity was wasted.

At the other end Rory Gillham was put clear on goal down the centre of the field but his low shot from the edge of the penalty was diverted wide of goal by the outstretched leg of the keeper. Then came an altercation between Gillham and the Buckingham keeper who seemed to throw several punches at the Eagles player. He was lucky to just receive a yellow card.

Eagles sent a corner to the far post which the keeper failed to gather. There was a scramble in the goal area until the keeper eventually fell on the ball. There was then a chase towards the Buckingham goal by 3 Eagles forwards who managed to get in each other’s way and the chance was lost. At the other end another long ball into the Eagles half led to a chase and low cross into the penalty but the final shot was whipped just over the cross bar.

Minutes later Eagles scored. A corner was sent high towards the far post and Jan Maertins put the ball into the net with a bicycle kick from near the edge of the goal area. The Buckingham keeper then got into another altercation with Gillham and was sent off. Minutes later the new keeper saved a low shot with his feet but was unable to save a low shot from inside the penalty area by Maertins making it 2-2

Buckingham relied on counter attacks and after a corner was played to a Buckingham forward his shot went just wide of goal from a tight angle. Play was end to end and Gillham went close when he headed a cross just wide of goal, and at the other end a Buckingham forward had a clear sight of goal but sent his low shot just wide

In the final stage of the game Eagles looked to have won the game when a cross was headed towards the Buckingham goal. It was pushed away by the keeper but only to Gillham who kicked the ball into the empty net. Hardly had the celebrations ended but Buckingham got a shock equaliser with the best goal of the game: a firm shot from the edge of the penalty area into the corner of the net.

The frantic actioned continued when Eagles Stan Clare was sent off after a clash near the touchline, and with the final kick of the match Buckingham nearly won the game when a free kick from 20 yards hit the Eagles cross bar and came back into play.