football rambles

 It's been a tough start for Downham in the Ishmian League. On top of it being the highest level that they have been at, they have also had to deal with a number of injuries. The good news was that Brantham who were promoted ahead of Downham as champions have also struggled to adjust to the higher league. So, it might only be September but this was already a potential six pointer. Both teams took quite a conservative approach to the game, with Brantham defending resolutely enough to keep Downham at bay and not fashioning many chances at the same time. After a very cagey first half Brantham seemed to have the bit between their teeth and took the lead through a penalty on 57 minutes. Their travelling fans were convinced that this was the turning point for them, but it was short lived as Charlie Royle went up the other end and scored more or less from the restart. Royle ten minutes later got Downham's second to make it 2-1 and secure the points.

 Posh have had a less than ideal start to the season, but for the most part this was a good display from a team who have been struggling for late, although they did make it hard for themselves later on against a Wycombe team who will be aiming for promotion. Posh dominated the first half and goals from Matt Garbett on 21 minutes and Jimmy Jay Morgan just before halftime gave Posh the cushion and the goals that they dererved. The second half wasn't quite as dynamic from Posh and Wycombe came out with the bit between their teeth. On 49 minutes Sam Bell scored for the visitors to half the deficit. However, Posh were able to hang on for the win in what was an entertaining game and will hopefully be a springboard to better things.

 This was in the end a convincing win that Belgium really deserved. Performances from Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku and Youri Tielemans were especially impressive. Everybody in a red shirt had a good game and despite some high quality players there doesn't seem to be too many egos. The majority of the first half saw Kazakhstan with their back to the walls as they seemed intent to time waste and do what they could to force a 0-0 draw. It felt like they might rather frustratingly get this wish until De Bruyne pulled off some of his magic 3 minutes ahead of the break. It always felt that they would fall apart as soon as they finally conceded and this felt even more likely when just 2 minutes later Doku doubled the lead after being fed by De Bruyne and firing in a shot that nobody was going to stop. Despite all of the time wasting the referee only added a minute and that was probably to the relief of the Kazakhstan players. Belgium came out in the second half still in a bullish mood and...

 After a really great day out in Mechelen, we had a really excellent day out in Brussels. This included a trip to the Anderlecht stadium to see Belgium take on Kazakhstan in a World Cup Qualifier. Here are some photos ahead of the home team's 6-0 win.

 A great day out in Mechelen on Saturday was followed up by a visit to a game at Oscar Vankesbeekstadion where Racing took on Wellen in the Belgian 2nd division.  The team are an amateur team and paly in the second division. The stadium had a good atmosphere and general feel and the bar was pretty well presented. However, it is clear that the glory days of the 1950s where Racing finished 2nd in the first division and even reached a cup final are a long time in the past. The game itself was pretty dull and Racing scored first before Wellen equalised. However, it was a really great experience and day out in general.