Southend Manor Reserves 4 Great Wakering Rovers Reserves 3

Reserve Shield Semi Final, Wednesday 30th April 2014

The Southchurch Arena was the setting for first of this seasons ESL Reserve Shield Semi-Finals as Southend Manor took on Great Wakering Rovers in what was billed as a potential cracker it being a local derby as well as a semi final.

The game started slowly with both teams looking to stake their presence on the match.  On 10 minutes Manor made the first move.  A corner was played out to Harrison Grant who took a touch and the smashed the ball past the keeper from a good 20 yards or so out for a great goal and a 1-0 lead for the hosts.

It should of been 2-0 on 18 minutes when Manor forward Ollie Thursby beat the offside trap but he could only lob the ball over the bar. Rovers immediately went down the other end but the eventual effort on goal was struck well wide.

On 24 minutes another good chance for the hosts when Alex Stephenson played a ball across the box into the path of Nick Henesy who sized up the opportunity but then completely missed his kick allowing Rovers to clear there lines. Then from this clearence Rovers found themselves through on goal but Manor keeper Alex Warren saved well.

A minute later it was 2-0 to Manor.  A ball over the top found Rhys Fatt bearing down on goal and he duly knocked the ball past the advancing keeper to give Manor a commanding position in the game.

That commanding position was strenghtened further a minute later when a long ball into the Rovers box was headed past a stranded keeper by Alex Stephenson for 3-0.  Manor were totally dominant at this stage and well worth their 3-0 advantage.

After this though Rovers did slowly carve a way back and on the half hour a nice move ended with a weak effort into Warren's arms and then on 39 minutes a through ball from the away side resulted in the forward rounding keeper Warren but the finish was tame and Manor defender Dan McCarthy managed to get back and clear the ball before it bobbled into the goal.

McCarthy was there again three minutes later to produce a great last ditch challenge to prevent a clear shot at Manor's goal.  This was the last moment of goal mouth action in the half as Manor went in 3-0 up at the break.

The second period was only three minutes old when Rovers brought themselves back into the contest with a good finish from inside the box to make it 3-1. Three minutes later it was 3-2 when hesitation in the Manor backline allowed Rovers to lob Warren into the empty net and it really was game on now as Manor just couldn't get out of their half.

Rovers continued to pin Manor back in their final third and it was no surprise on the hour mark when they equalised with a truly wonderful strike from at least thirty yards out past the outstretched hand of Warren into the top corner.  It really was an incredible comeback from the away side.

However just as it looked as though Manor would crumble completely they picked themselves up and duly re took the lead on 62 minutes when a great ball across the box from Martin Fiander was tapped home by Ollie Thursby for a 4-3 lead.  It really was an incredible 17 minutes of football.

After this is calmed down somewhat but you just never knew which way it would go next.  On 74 minutes Rovers had a golden chance to level once again and they found themselves in a great position in front of goal but the volley from ten yards out was weak and straight at keeper Warren.

Manor had a chance to seal the tie eight minutes from time when a corner from the left was run onto by Alex Stephenson but he got his header all wrong and ended up glancing it across the goal instead of into it.  Ollie Thursby then had a chance near the end when he rounded the keeper but his effort was tamely hit and the defender got back to clear.

Into injury time and Rovers had one last chance when they were given a free kick outside the box but this came to nothing eventually and Manor held on for a 4-3 win and a place in Sunday's Reserve Shield final against either East Thurrock United or AFC Hornchurch at Takeley's Station Road ground.

Braintree Town 1 Concord Rangers 2

Essex Senior Cup Final, Tuesday 29th April 2014

Braintree Town and Concord Rangers did battle in the Essex Senior Cup Final at Victoria Road, Dagenham.  Both teams have had good seasons in their respective divisions and Braintree would have gone into this slight favourites seeing they were in a higher division although to be fair this was predicted by many to be a tight match, me included.

Town started the brighter and almost took a 3rd minute lead when James Mulley burst into the box and his shot across Concord keeper Jamie Butler hit the post and bounced out but was cleared before any Town player could score.

Concord's first forray into the Braintree last third came on 10 minutes when Gary Ogilvie  burst into the box before going down after tangling with a defender but no penalty was forthcoming, which looked the correct decision.

Concord were getting into the game now after a slow start and on 15 minutes the ball bounced across Town's six yard box causing a little concern but the ball bounced away and out of danger.

Then the breakthrough on 17 minutes. A delightful ball over the top of the Town defence found the run of Sam Collins whose delightful finish past the keeper Nick Hamann gave Rangers a 1-0 lead.

Town tried to respond to this set back and on 21 minutes Daniel Holman swivelled on the edge of the box but hit his effort just wide of the far post. The action then switched straight up the other end and Tony Stokes, Concord's captain, looped a header wide of Town's goal.

There was a hint of desperation in Town's attacking play as they seemed to find it harder than they thought against this tough Concord side and this was in evidence on 40 minutes when Town striker Daniel Holman shot from way out but his effort sailed miles wide and out of the ground near enough.

However Town should of been level bang on half time when a ball into the box produced two efforts on goal, one which was blocked by a Town player in error as he couldn't get out of the way and the other a great save from concord keeper Jamie Butler to deny Town an equaliser which would of given them a big boost after a frustrating half.

Concord has the first sight of goal in the second half when on 47 minutes Tony Stokes flashed a ball across Town's six yard box but the ball invaded everyone coming in. The game started to get a bit physical as the referee was letting an awful lot go, much to the dismay of both teams, benches and fans alike.

On the hour mark Town's winger James Mulley headed over from close range when perhaps he should of hit the target while two minutes later Concord's Stephen Cawley struck an effort from the edge of the area across goal but wide.

Then on 68 minutes a flashpoint as it seemed a Town player appeared to stamp on Concord's Tony Stokes after a challenge from the Concord captain but the referee took a different view of the situation and booked the player.  Town were made to pay for this though as from the free kick came the second goal as the place kick was parried out by Nick Hamann into the path of Concord's James White who managed to bundle the ball over the line for 2-0 and dreamland for Rangers.

Five minutes after this Town somehow didn't score when  a downward header towards goal was scrambled off the line but still looked line it would creep in as it went across goal but drifted just wide for a corner, suming up Town's luck in front of goal in this game, and to be honest the evening as a whole had been a frustrating one for them.

Concord seemed pretty comfortable with anything Town through at them and time after time Steve King headed anything away and with his centre back partner Paul Goodacre they held firm to deny Braintree any way to goal.  Four minutes of injury time were held up and after all of these had been played Town finally got a goal when James Mulley poked the ball over the line after a goalmouth scramble from a corner, but it was literally too little too late as from the kick off the referee blew his whistle to end the tie and make Concord Rangers 2013-14 Essex Senior Cup winners.

Fulham 3 Chelsea 2

FA Youth Cup Final 1st Leg, Monday 28th April 2014

Fulham entertained their local rivals Chelsea in the 1st leg of the FA Youth Cup Final at Craven Cottage.  A decent crowd of 4,457 turned up to catch a view of some up and coming superstars. 

They had to wait until the 10th minute before the first chance came when a deflected shot from Chelsea’s Isaiah Brown was saved by the legs of Fulham stopper Marek Rodak.  On 13 minutes another effort on goal from the away side saw Jordan Houghton’s long range effort go wide.  In the 15th minute Fulham had their first chance when a corner was headed wide by their tall number five Cameron Burgess.  Thus begun a period of pressure from the home side as on 22 minutes there was a big penalty shout when George Williams went down in the Chelsea box but the referee waved away their protests.  Five minutes later another shout for a Fulham penalty, this time for a handball, again was dismissed by the referee. However on 29 minutes the referee was pointing to the spot in Fulham’s favour, third time lucky you might say, when Patrick Roberts was brought down but Moussa Dembele’s spot kick was awful as he chipped it over the bar. This seemed to wake Chelsea up and on 35minutes they had the ball cleared off line from a Jay da Silva shot before the follow up attempt from Isaiah Brown was well blocked by Cameron Burgess. Chelsea then immediately had another chance when Dominic Solanke got in on the left hand side but his effort was saved by Marek Rodak. Four minutes later and Dominic Solanke was in for Chelsea again but his effort was saved easily but from the following ball into the box Jordan Houghton found himself with the ball about twelve yards out but his effort was again saved by keeper Marek Rodak. This was the final act of the half as the score remained 0-0 with Fulham rueing that missed penalty no doubt.  Chelsea came out in the second half with the bit between their teeth and carved out a decent chance on 47minutes when Jay da Silva’s cut back to Ruben Loftus-Cheek was ballooned over when Loftus-Cheek should have done much better.  However two minutes later the boys in Blue had the lead.  A ball across to Jay da Silva, who had been causing problems down the left all evening, was controlled well by the Chelsea winger before he unleashed a shot across Rodak and into the far corner.  Cue celebrations in front of the Chelsea supporters occupying that part of the stadium.  Chelsea were flying by now and a minute later Dominic Solanke broke into the box but his ball across goal drifted wide of the Fulham upright.  On 55 minutes it should have been 2-0 to the visitors when a corner into the box found the head of Jake Clarke-Salter but he could only direct it wide of the post when he probably should have scored. For the next ten minutes or so Chelsea had more possession and Fulham had a couple of moments in the Chelsea area as well, one a free kick which caused some panic in the back four before keeper Bradley Collins was fouled, and another moment where Fulham refused to shoot after a spot of pin ball in the Chelsea area eventually was cleared. However Chelsea still looked the more dangerous and the more likely to score again. But how wrong I was as Fulham turned the game on its head in nine second half minutes.  Firstly on 70 minutes a corner from the left was nodded home by Moussa Dembele to make it 1-1. Immediately after that Fulham stopper Rodak had to make a great save to deny da Silva. Then on 72 minutes Fulham took the lead. Emerson Hyndman drove at the Chelsea back four before unleashing a shot from about twenty yards that beat Collins down to his left and went in off the post to give Fulham a 2-1 lead.  Marek Rodak then caused some panic in the Fulham area when his attempted punch went up in the air instead of away but was cleared eventually before Fulham’s night got even better on 79 minutes when another corner was headed back across goal for centre back Cameron Burgess to nod home unchallenged from six yards out to make it 3-1 and send the Fulham faithful into a chorus of ‘Easy Easy Easy’.  It had been anything but to tell the truth but this turnaround came from nowhere. However Chelsea regrouped and finished the last ten minutes strongly. Firstly on 82 minutes Jay da Silva ghosted in at back post unmarked but his header was saved by Marek Rodak’s legs before being scrambled away. Then a minute later Chelsea found a goal when substitute Fankaty Dabo cut inside and struck a shot past Rodak’s fingertips and into the corner to make the last few minutes interesting indeed. With second’s of the ninety left Chelsea almost levelled the tie when a  corner was cleared out to Kasey Palmer who hit his shot inches wide of the upright.  Four minutes of added time was then played with Fulham throwing bodies in the way of any Chelsea attempts as they desperately tried to get an equaliser but Fulham held out to win a fantastic game of football 3-2. The second leg is on May 5th at Stamford Bridge and if it’s anything like this game you should be in for a treat. 

Thorpe Athletic 2 Leigh Town 0

Southend Borough Combination Premier Division, Monday 21st April 2014

Today I took in a top of the table clash (4th v 3rd) in the Southend Borough Combination Premier Division as Thorpe Athletic took on Leigh Town.  Thorpe were looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat on Saturday but were slow out of the blocks today, allowing Leigh to put pressure on there back three.  As a result Leigh could and should of been ahead but they could not convert chances that came there way.  Thorpe gradually found there way and took the lead on the half hour mark when former Southend Manor player Chris Baddeley played a one two before running onto the ball and smashing home from 20 yards giving the keeper no chance.  Thorpe finished the half well and went in 1-0 up at the break, although Leigh would have felt hard done by.  The second half started with Thorpe on the front foot and causing Leigh some problems at the back, as they took a while to get going in the second half.  But they gradually started to gain some sort of control and pushed the Thorpe boys back, but there final third let them down.  Then on 87 minutes Chris Baddeley struck a thunderbolt from about the same distance as his first goal past the desparing dive of the Leigh keeper for 2-0 and game set and match.  Leigh tried in vain to get a goal back but it was too little to late and Thorpe ran out 2-0 winners, and good response after that defeat on Saturday.  As for Leigh, they more than played there part in a good game of football played in the right way.  A very enjoyable watch on a nice warm and pleasant Bank Holiday Monday.