The heatwave had finally broken and a few days of rain had preceded this Bank Holiday Monday fixture. I decided to venture to Alfold, a village near the Dunsfold Aerodrome, famous for being the Top Gear test track, for the deby day match between Alfold and Rudgwick FC. The season has only just begun and already there have been some incredible results in the Southern Combination Football League Division 2, with league leaders, Chichester City B, having scored 26 (yes 26!) goals in their opening three games, including a 17-0 victory against Worthing Town and a 2-0 victory against Alfold. Today a game with even half as many as seventeen goals would make the trip worthwhile!

Alfold FC joined the Southern Combination Football League in 2015. Under the management duo of Jack and Matt Munday, the club enjoyed a rapid rise. They secured promotion to Division One in 2017–18, won the Division One Title in 2018–19, and ascended to the Premier Division. Following a few seasons at the top tier, they faced tough campaigns. They were relegated from the Premier Division in 2022–23 and later fell into Southern Combination Division Two, where they currently compete. The club’s ground was improved in 2018 and now includes a 100 seater main stand and floodlights.

Current Alfold FC manager John Penalver, will be looking for success in his second season in the dugout, as the Fold, as they are nicknamed, look to improve on their eighth place finish from 2025-26. The two goals scored this season have both come from Ince Florimond, so the Fold will need the remaining strikers to step up and fire today, when they face a Rudgwick team who have already conceded six goals in their opening two games.

Rudgwick FC, managed by Kieran Holmes, have had a tricky opening to the new season, with two away fixtures at TD Shipley (3-1 loss) and Ferring (3-0 loss). Their sole goal thus far has come from Kai Oram, so they were looking to kickstart their season today at local rivals, Alfold as they looked to improve on their eighth place thirteenth place finish of 2025-26.

With just three minutes on the clock a rash challenge in the penalty area led to a Rudgwick penalty. Kai Oram stepped up to calmly to slot the ball home, putting the visitors 0-1 ahead.

The remainder of the half saw Rudwick apply the greater pressure but neither side had the calm or precision to open up each other’s defences. The closest chance from open play came in the 44th minute, when Rudgwick’s centre forward tested the Alfold keeper from range. At half time the sides went in separated by a single goal but knowing this was still anyone’s game to win.

Alfold’s manager John Penalver changed the side up in the second half, moving into a more 4-2-4 system. This brought an immediate change enabling more passes to move quickly from the defence to attack, leading to two early chances which required fine saves from the Rudgwick FC keeper. Then a chance fell from a corner to Adam Wheeler, who finished confidently to tie the game at 1-1.

With 70 minutes on the clock there was controversy when Rudgwick FC players claimed they had scored, but the referee and assistant referee decided the ball hadn’t crossed the line. It was a tough call but I think from my shot we can see it was difficult to call and maybe no goal was the right shout.

The remainder of the half saw pressure from both sides. Alfold found space to attack down the right flank and Rudwick FC had some decent chances but at the fulltime whistle the points were shared, with the score remaining 1-1. The 45 fans who came out today had seen a real fight for the points and what was lacking in precision passing, was more than made up for in grit and steel.