So my latest Saturday saw me over at Nutters Lane in Wanstead as Snaresbrook hostedGreat Baddow in a top of the table clash in the Essex Olympian Senior One Division.
The hosts sat in fourth place knowing an win would take them closer to the top three whilst the visitors sat second and knew a win would take them to the summit of the division as league leaders Catholic United were not in league action.
Conditions were pretty damp and dismal as the game kicked off almost ten minutes late, and after two minutes the hosts had the first effort at goal after a backheel set up a chance but the effort went straight at the visiting keeper. Three minutes later and the visitors first sight of goal saw a free header at the back post go into the keepers arms before an effort flashed across the hosts goal just invaded players before the visitors then shot wide.
Action swung up the other end on eight minutes when a ricochet fell to the hosts just inside the box but the effort was straight at the keeper before the visitors attacked again on 17 minutes and saw a good effort from outside the box force a decent save from the keeper, then the resulting corner was headed just over.
But then on 20 minutes the hosts took the lead as after a foul from the visiting centre half, the ball ran through to see Matthew Shrubsole go clean through so the referee rightly allowed the advantage and the home striker duly slotted home to give the East London side the opening goal of the contest.
Moments later Baddow hit an effort wide and then just before the half hour mark only a brilliant save from the hosts keeper, tipping over a visitors first time effort, kept them in front and then two minutes later another chance for the visitors saw the ball fly across the face of goal and miss the far post by inches.
Three minutes before half time Baddow again caused problems in the hosts box but the final effort sailed over and just before half time the hosts almost pinched a second goal when they sent a decent effort just over the bar but they did make it to the break a goal to the good.
Half Time Snaresbrook 1 Great Baddow 0
The hosts came out and almost netted a second straight after the restart when forcing the visitors keeper into a decent save, with the resulting corner seeing a close range header go straight at the keeper. Then a minute or so later another chance for the hosts after a poor defensive header saw a shot which was poor and straight at the keeper.
Would the hosts rue missing these opportunities? Well on 50 minutes the visitors had their first effort of the second half but the long range effort was straight at the keeper and then three minutes later Baddow saw another effort drift wide of the near post, however they were to find a leveller a minute later when Daniel Gage drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box and the game was back in the balance once again.
After this setback the hosts went on the front foot to try and retake the lead and on 57 minutes they went so close to going back in front but saw the keeper brilliantly tip a lob just over and then just past the hour mark the visitors put together a decent move which ended with a ball across goal then an effort blocked at the near post.
Snaresbrook then saw a 64th minute effort almost embarrass the visiting keeper as he let the slippery ball escape from his grasp and go across the face of goal before the hosts wanted a penalty, firstly for a foul, and then for an effort that was blocked, as they claimed it had hit a hand. The visitors then wanted a penalty of ther own in the 69th minute for a foul but it looked an ambitious shout and fell on deaf ears.
And then with twenty minutes left the hosts really should of taken the lead when a cross into the box found Bradley O’Donovan, who last season was part of the Berkhamsted side who reached the last 32 of the FA Vase, totally unmarked and alone about ten yards out but he headed his effort way wide of goal and cue hand in hands moment from the hosts. It was a great chance indeed.
The relieved visitors then should of gone in front themselves three minutes later when they headed over a corner from point blank range but with just over ten minutes to go they managed to get their noses in front when after a ball was hit across the box, the ball was returned into the dangerzone and was side footed home from close range by Dane Nelson to spark joyous scenes on the visiting bench and amongst the Baddow players.
The remaining ten or so minutes saw the visitors hold their opponents at arms length and take a very hard earned victory against a decent Snaresbrook outfit. It was a really good competitive contest and it meant that the visitors rose to the top of Senior One whilst the hosts slipped a place to fifth.
Full Time Snaresbrook 1 Great Baddow 2
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