It has been a few seasons since Lingfield has had an U18 team, but to provide a pathway for players from our thriving Youth section, we have re-entered this level in the East Division of the Combined Counties League

Probably due to our ground situation the lads were handed six away fixtures in a row. The reports coming back were that they were always in the games but not getting much of a break as they were on the wrong side of a 3-2 defeat and two 3-1 defeats. Clashes with U23 fixtures and games inside the ULEZ meant my first chance to see them in action was at Horley Town. Two soft goals early in the first half was the difference at half time. The lads came out fired up for the second half and really dominated the game. One goal was pulled back, but just that little bit of composure was missing in the penalty box, as chances were not taken. There was one glorious chance to level scores at the end of the match that flew over the bar so it remained 2-1 to the home side.

A trip to face a strong Carshalton Athletic side brought the heaviest defeat of the season so far with a 4-1 loss. Sutton Common Rovers were up next and with their First Team sharing at Carshalton Athletic, the U18 side play home games at Banstead Athletic's ground in Tadworth. A good first half for us, dominating the play and taking the lead. The home side had a chance to equalise with a penalty but it was ballooned over the bar and out of the ground. For all our good work, there was a feeling that a second goal was needed if we were to get our first win. So it proved as Sutton Common Rovers got a scrappy equaliser late in the game, but worse was to come as we conceded a late penalty and went down to a 2-1 defeat.

A period of rain meant there was a month before we had the first home match of the season with the arrival of an AFC Wisla Krakow side that had, like us, not picked up a single point so far. They had been on the end of some heavy defeats and they suffered against us too, as the lads dominated the game and ran out winners 9-0. We were three goals to the good very quickly and had made it four by half time. In addition to the five second half goals there was a missed penalty, along with other good chances not taken.

The next fixture was a return to Horley Town in the Surrey FA U18 Midweek Floodlit Youth Cup and a chance to do better than we did in the league game. This time we conceded just one soft goal in the first half, before battling back with another good second half but with time running out, our keeper Charlie Mist came up for a corner and, with some nice control and a good shot, levelled the tie. Straight to penalties and with Horley having missed one, it was the last of our five penalties to win the tie and Charlie Mist made no mistake to win the tie. Congratulations to our U18s for being the only Lingfield team to win a cup tie. The draw has handed them a tough tie with another trip to Carshalton Athletic on Friday 23 January but perhaps they can improve on the league game.

Next up in the league were Metropolitan Police and a game where we played really well but just could not get the goals our performance deserved. In the closing stages of the game we paid the price for not taking our chances and conceded twice. The reports from our visit to Corinthian Casuals suggested we could easily have won there as opposed to losing by the odd goal in five. In the return fixture it was a dominant performance that was worthy of more than just a 3-1 win. A failure to challenge their best player allowed him to get in on goal and rifle in a shot, but that aside, they really did not pose a threat.

A last fixture of 2025 was thrown in with a visit by Horley Town for game number three against them. A defeat followed by a drawn cup tie that we won on penalties meant we should be looking to get the win this time out. Having taken a one goal lead into half time, missed chances including hitting the woodwork twice cost us again, as a free header from a corner was followed by a second goal and an undeserved 2-1 defeat with the Horley Town goalkeeper being man of the match as he kept us at bay.

The team ended 2025 in ninth place in the table having played half of our twenty games. We have played Horley Town and Corinthian Casuals both home and away, but have yet to play Colliers Wood United or a Kingstonian side that has dropped just two points in their ten games.

The New Year was to get underway on 9 January with the return fixture against AFC Wisla Krakow who play at the Croydon Arena in South Norwood. The snow followed by rain put paid to that game and so the opening game of 2026 was at home against Balham. A 1-0 win saw the lads take revenge for losing the away fixture against a side sitting fourth in the table. The result moved us up to eighth in the table five points behind Colliers Wood United but having played two games more.

It is a break from league football for the next two weeks starting with Friday's Surrey Cup trip to a Carshalton Athletic side currently in second place in the table. Next week it is a Friday home game against Fleet Spurs who are currently bottom of the CCL West Division in the opening round of the Combined Counties League U18 Grant McLellan Youth Challenge Cup on 30 January. It you cannot make it to Carshalton then try and come along to Whyteleafe to support the lads in this second cup competition.

League games resume on 6 February with the return fixture against Carshalton United followed by a first meeting with the dominant Kingstonian side for a rearranged away fixture. All the forthcoming fixtures are here including the all important venues given some teams do not play where the senior side does. As we have seen the weather can change fixtures as can cup games. Let us hope the team can build on their recent results that place them in mid-table on form.