So it was July 4th, Independence Day across the pond in the US of A, yet in little oldEngland it was more pre season football as the local non league sides continued their build up to the new season.
Last night (Monday) saw me over at Wadham Lodge on the 3G surface there as Waltham Foresthosted Brentwood Town. Forest will again be competing in the Essex Senior League this season whilst for Town they will be back in the Ryman North after relegation from the Premier last season.
New Brentwood manager is of course Tony Ievoli, former Forest and of course Wadham Lodge manager, and his new look squad contained some former players from both those sides too. For Forest they were looking to build a squad to have a far better crack at the ESL this time round after last season’s struggles and it was they who had a decent start here as they had a couple of decent chances in the first quarter hour of the game.
The game itself would be, in agreement of both sides, be split into three thirty minute periods. This was so both squads could have decent run outs and use all the players sufficiently as of course this is pre season and that’s what it’s all about. The latter part of the first period remained goal less although both sides looked lively going forward.
After around 35 minutes (due to the hosts failing to notify the referee that three thirty minute period’s had been agreed!!!!) Part One ended with the scoreline at 0-0. The hosts were still just edging it going forward though.
End Of 1st: Waltham Forest 0 Brentwood Town 0
The Ryman North side came out brighter at the beginning of the second period of thirty minutes and three minutes into this went in front as Russell Downes received the ball inside the box and duly rammed home a left footed effort for a very well taken goal to give the visitors the lead.
Thereafter for about ten minutes or so the hosts continued to have more of the attacking threat but just could not find an end product as the Brentwood back line stood firm. As the period was coming to it’s end the visitors started to have their best spell of the game and three minutes before the end of it doubled their lead as a through ball saw Downes run onto it, round the keeper, and slot home for another well taken goal and a 2-0 lead for Town.
However Forest were to pull one back right at the end of the second period as the hosts caught Town napping and burst into the box before a ball squared to the back post saw a Forest player finish from close range and bring them right back into this contest.
End Of 2nd: Waltham Forest 1 Brentwood 2
So following yet more wholesale changes for the final third of this contest the game was becoming a rather feisty encounter with some rather heavy challenges going in although the scoreline still remained 2-1 in favour of the visiting Ryman North outfit.
Forest again had a spell of pressuring the visitors but as was the pattern in this contest the hosts could not find a way through. Brentwood themselves had chances to kill the game late on themselves, on one occasion seeing the same player heading against the bar within five seconds of each other.
However the contest ended with the visitors running out winners although boss Ievoli will demand improvement from his new look squad although their were no doubt positives to take from this too. Forest new boss Kem Kemal can also take many positives from this defeat as his side created plenty going forward but were guilty of lapses in concentration for both goals.
So a good competitive workout for both sides and a more than useful exercise for both squads.
Full Time Waltham Forest 1 Brentwood Town 2
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