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. Unfortunately, much as with the U23s, the season was plagued with a lot of postponed fixtures particularly as a few teams were not using their own club's pitch. As we approached our final three fixtures, two were cancelled as AFC Wisla Krakow and Colliers Wood United withdrew from the league. However, unlike the SCFL, the CCL decided to wipe their whole season from the records to leave our team bottom of the remaining nine team league. They also wiped all the results which deprived us of games we had already won. The results sheet attached is for our whole season and, as per the SCFL system, awards us wins against the withdrawn teams. The table has been created to reflect the award of matches against the withdrawn teams and I have to thank Horley Town for having a table on their website of before the withdrawals were made that I was able to build from. We finished in ninth place, separated from Corinthian Casuals from I believe goals scored, which is a much fairer representation of the lads season. Chessington & Hook United bested Sutton Common Rovers on goal difference.

Probably due to our ground situation and an anticipated return in October/November, 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.

There 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.

Metropolitan Police was 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.

The last fixture of 2025 was Horley Town for game number three against them. 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 opening game of 2026 was the home return against Balham and a 1-0 win saw the lads take revenge for losing the away fixture, and against a side then sitting fourth in the table. This was followed by the next round of the Surrey Cup and a second trip to Carshalton Athletic. A tough draw it proved as the home side won 3-0. Another cup game followed as we drew Fleet Spurs of the CCL West Division in the opening round of the Combined Counties League U18 Grant McLellan Youth Challenge Cup. The visitors were bottom of their division at the time and we made a great start as we roared off to a three goal lead but then eased off to let them get a sniff by conceding a goal. A highly dubious penalty gave them a second goal and a nervous end to the game to hold out and win the tie.

Back to league action as Carshalton United came to visit and delivered our heaviest defeat of the season to what is a youth academy side. They were able to take advantage of any mistakes as we lost 6-1 to the second best team in the league. Sutton Common Rovers came next with us looking to make amends for an away fixture we should have won. A disappointing evening as went behind and then ended up losing 3-1. Nothing easy for the nest fixture as the league leaders Kingstonian came for our first match against them. The lads gave them a good game in going down 4-2 once we had got to grips with their unsubtle style. It was another first meeting of the season as we travelled to Colliers Wood United and came away with a good 4-2 win and a good feeling that we could repeat it in the home return fixture.

Having been given a bye for the quarter finals of the Grant McLellan Cup, it was for a place in the final that we hosted Balham. There were chances to win the game but as we were level at 1-1 and approaching a penalty shoot out, the lads failed to defend a free kick and Balham nicked it at the death. A shame as a cup final would have been a great event for the lads.

A trip to Cobham to play Metropolitan Police brought an action packed first half that was a tale of poor officiating and a missed penalty. A good goal was chalked off for offside and the missed penalty meant we went in two goals down at half time. It got worse in the second half as the home side added two more goals but all credit to our lads for digging in and notching up two goals themselves to make the result more respectable. A trip to Kingstonian was not going to be easy given they were clear winners of the division and so it proved with a 3-0 defeat leaving us with three winnable games to improve our position. Unfortunately those three games became just one and a lost opportunity to improve our goal difference that might have seen us finish eighth. A tight final game against Chessington & Hook United saw us end the season with a win by a single goal.

The good news is that Matt Hodge and his team, that includes former First Team manager Bob Clements, will be back next season. As will the players as they are a squad that are a year below the age limit and were up against older teams this season. The team can look forward to playing in the FA Youth Cup next season as the entry for all FA competitions was required in March.

Matt recognised the pick of the players at our awards evening as follows:
Manager's Player of the Season: Oliver Rayner
Players' Player of the Season: Charlie Chatfield
Parents' Player of the Season: Thomas Siwoku
Top Goalscorer: Dylan Nguyen

Watch out for friendly fixtures during August ready for a season start in September that will have an FA Youth Cup Preliminary Round match very early.