Tuesday 17th April 2016 ko 18.30

Cambridgeshire County League Premier Division One

HEMINGFORDS UNITED 4 (Mackay 29 30 79 Adam King 33)

BRAMPTON 4 (Garner 7 Cain 24 Vale 34 Owens 64)

Att c50

Entry FREE

No Programme

After the exertions of the Carmarthenshire Hop, something more laid back was required. So a trip via Milton Keynes to ceremonial Huntingdonshire, and modern Cambridgeshire was the plan, the flatlands and agricultural land allowing a gentle game allowing the chance to unwind. Of course life never quite works out how you’d planned it does it?

The team is well named, as although the Peace Memorial Playing Field is in Hemingford Grey, there’s Hemingford Abbots nearby, so it’s entirely sensible to have the local football team represent both. But its the club’s home that made my jaw drop!

I can’t recall ever seeing a village sports centre that’s this well-appointed. There’s squash courts good enough to be used for a national competition, the bowls green looked smooth enough for curling but the highlight was the balcony looking over the sports field. After the miles ground out over the last few weeks it was a pleasure to simply take a seat, quaff a pint and watch a game.

Not that this was a game to relax to. This match didn’t so much ebb and flow, it lurched. I’m sure Arran Mackay will wonder how he managed to score a hat trick and not be on the winning side, but it would have been unfair for either side to have lost.

I finished the last of my second bag of cashews, grinned, and slipped away.