Ilford 0 Tower Hamlets 3

Essex Senior League, Wednesday 22nd January 2014

Hooray finally an Essex Senior League game after a 5 week wait!!!  I popped to Cricklefield's to watch Ilford take on Tower Hamlets.  Ilford hadn't played for almost six weeks whereas Hamlet played 11 days go so technically they had more match fitness!!!  Anyway Ilford hit the post early on and played the better stuff for the first half hour or so before Hamlet started to come back into it.  The second half was mostly Hamlet creating chances, two of them gilt edged but they couldn't hit the back of the net.  That was until substitute Killingback burst through into the box and finished well past the keeper to finally break the deadlock on 77 minutes.  This sent pretend 'commentator', who had a headset and a microphone to hand, into raptures and his speaker was taking a battering, much to the amusement of fellow supporters around me!!!  His commentary is legendary around Essex non league circles!!  On 89 minutes it was 2-0 to Hamlet when Luke With's shot took a deflection which wrong footed the keeper and crept into the goal.  3-0 came in stoppage time when Dimitriou got into the box and slid the ball past the keeper.  So in the end Hamlet deserved their win and with that went to the top of the league by three points.  Ilford remain 10th in a frustratingly inconsistent season to date.  They play some good stuff at times but not for long enough.  But all in all it was a pretty good game to watch, and to be honest it was a game to watch, not something that has happened to often of late!!!

Frenford Senior 3 Holland FC 0

Essex Premier Cup 4th Round, Saturday 18th January 2014

On a day where most non league games in the Essex area were wiped out due to the rain, Frenford Senior had no such problems with a super playing surface welcoming us all.  Holland were the visitors from Holland-on-Sea near Clacton.  The visitors had a couple of good long range efforts just wide in the first 5 minutes but that was as good as it got for them as Frenford took control soon after.  On 7 minutes they took the lead when a shot was brilliantly saved by the Holland keeper but unfortunately he parried the ball up into the air and not over the bar and Damon O'Neill was there to tap the rebound into the goal.   It was 2-0 on 25 minutes as Frenford completely stamped their authority on this tie when and fantastic passing move ended with Stuart Williams being played in and he finished emphatically past the keeper.   Holland's task was made even more difficult by the referee when they had a player sent off for what seemed a 50/50 challenge and soon after a far worse tackle only warranted a booking, such is the inconsistency of some decisions.   The second half was a more laboured affair as Frenford took their foot off the gas.  Holland huffed and puffed but really didn't trouble the home goal all afternoon.   Frenford upped the anti again towards the end of the game creating some half chances before they made it 3-0 on 86 minutes with a lovely move down the left resulting in Danny Driscoll tapping home the cross from the left for a well deserved goal.  So Frenford deserved their win and place in the next round of the EPC.

Sporting Hackney 4 Cricklewood Wanderers 3

Middlesex County Football League Premier Division, Saturday 4th January 2014

For the second Saturday running I went to take in some Step 7 footie, this time I travelled to the 3G pitch at Mabley Green, Homerton, Hackney.  Sporting Hackney, who were mid table, took on second placed Cricklewood Wanderers, although Sporting's mid table placing was probably slightly false as they had six games in hand in most teams due to the weather over the last few weeks, hence the move from the marshes to the 3G surface at Mabley Green.   Anyway to the game and well, where do I begin!!   After eight minutes Wanderers took the lead after a ball over the top was run onto and finished well past the keeper.  The away side should of been 3-0 up after 15 minutes but firstly a one on one resulted in a good stop by the home keeper and then another through ball ended with the ball being hit against the bar with the whole goal gaping after the keeper was rounded by the striker, so somehow it was only 1-0.   On 20 minutes it was 1-1 when after a scramble in the box the ball fell to another Sporting player who poked the ball home.   The home side settled down after this and for the next 15 minutes or so it was very even and very entertaining.  Towards the end of the first half Wanderers created another couple of gilt edged chances but good keeping and poor finishing left the score at the half at 1-1.   It didn't take long for Wanderers to go back into the lead however as less then a minute into the second half they scored after the keeper had saved the follow up was smashed home.  It was 3-1 to the away side on 53 minutes when a ball across goal was tapped in from close range.  It seemed as if Wanderers would run amok after this as they continued to poor forward but they were pegged back on 58 minutes when a ball into the near post was flicked in for 3-2.  However the away side continued to carve out the better chances and they hit the woodwork again with a header and also the home keeper made a brilliant save down to his left to keep it at 3-2.  |Time and time again they got in behind the home defence but a combination of poor finishing, good keeping and defending kept the score at 3-2 somehow.   Sporting were still playing some neat football of their own and at 3-2 were still in the game.  On 85 minutes they brought the game level at 3-3 when a rebound off the keeper was smashed home.  They could of taken the lead soon after when a deep cross to the back post found a Sporting player but his volley was weak and easy for the keeper.  Wanderers forced a couple of corners as the game drew towards a conclusion but the home side held firm.   Then on 94 minutes, just as we all thought it would end a draw, the ball broke to Sporting on the edge of the box and a first time finish into the bottom corner from about 20 yards sent the home side 4-3 ahead and into ecstasy.  All players, management and coaches ran onto the pitch celebrating as if they had won the league!!!  It was an amazing end to an amazing game of football.  This was the last kick of the game as the referee blew for full time as Wanderers restarted the game.   These two teams are possibly the best two in this league and the game showed.  Quality game and the best I have seen all season.  Wanderers will wonder how the lost this game after creating most of the chances but football is a funny old game isnt it!!!!  Wonderful advert for non league. Thoroughly enjoyable.