Chelmsford City 4 Bishops Stortford 0

Vanarama National League South, Monday 26th December 2016

So Boxing Day was again upon us and my annual pilgrimage to the surroundings of Melbourne Stadium, Chelmsford, as Chelmsford City hosted Bishop’s Stortford in a Vanarama National League South encounter.

It was a lovely crisp bright sunny December afternoon in Essex too so this would hopefully encourage some decent football from both sides.  However the hosts were on a seven game winless streak in the league, drawing six of those, to fall out of the play off spots.

The visitors were in a much much worse situation however as they occupied the bottom spot in the division having only won four league games all season, so neither side were in much form winning wise at least, although two of those wins had come since the start of November, including a 3-1 win in their last away trip.

Despite this the hosts were probably favourites to take the three points in this one and with their current manager, Rod Stringer, being the ex-Stortford boss this also added a nice little twist to the match up no doubt.

Stortford knew they could make things difficult for their local rivals if they could play a good game and add to that winless run the hosts have been experiencing the league but to be honest it never looked likely to happen as the afternoon went on.

City knew an early goal would help settle any nerves and sure enough in the 12th minute won themselves a penalty kick after Kane Haysman burst into the box before being pushed to the ground from behind by Michael Richens.  And although Shaun Jeffers saw his spot kick saved by Voss, Max Cornhill swept home the rebound to net a goal on what was his 100th appearance for the club and give City the vital breakthrough.

Stortford tried their best to respond but saw Paul Rogers downward header well saved by Ross Fitzsimons but this was the visitors only attack of any note in the first half hour as City dominated the ball and the play.

However despite this the hosts couldn’t find that second goal to go with their dominance, that was until ten minutes before half time when Elliott Buchanan glanced home a Robbie Willmott free kick from the left to net his first goal in a City shirt and make sure the hosts took a firm grip on this contest.

City continued to create the openings but failed to find another before the break and were almost made to pay when Stortford’s Aaron Greene sent a dipping effort just over the bar, but this was another rare attack from the visitors and saw the hosts go into the half two goals up and cruising this one thus far.

Half Time Chelmsford City 2 Bishops Stortford 0

City knew a third goal would kill off any Stortford thought’s of a comeback and they could and probably should of added to their tally in the early exchanges of the second period. The best chances came to Willmott, whose cross was headed off the line by Rogers, and Jeffers, who saw a downward header saved and then a shot strike the frame of the goal.

Stortford’s only real threatening moment came early in the half when Evans Kouassi’s pacey run ended with a feeble attempt at goal but it was the hosts who looked likely to add to their tally and sure enough midway through the second period a stunning strike from Willmott from almost thirty yards out left keeper Voss clutching thin air as the ball flew into the bottom corner and sealed the points for City once and for all.

Stortford knew the game was up but they were in danger of folding completely and with fifteen minutes remaining saw a rampant City make it four when full back Matt Young saw his first shot blocked before the defender picked up the loose ball and picked his spot expertly to find the bottom corner for his first ever City goal to boot.

Jeffers was trying his hardest to find a goal and he came oh so close again inside the last ten minutes when he saw his point blank stretching effort hit the bar, the second time he had struck the woodwork in the game, before his good work almost found Cornhill whose effort flew wide.

However it mattered not as City ran out convincing winners and put an end to that winless run in the league to go just outside the playoffs in sixth spot, whilst for Stortford it looks like a long season as they remain bottom, seven points from safety and after today’s performance, which was poor at best, you can see why. Work to do as they say.

Full Time Chelmsford City 4 Bishops Stortford 0

Southend Manor 2 Hullbridge Sports 4

Essex Senior League, Saturday 10th December 2016

So I was over at my local football ground in the shape of The Southchurch Arena to see a top six local derby clash between Southend Manor and Hullbridge Sports in the Essex Senior League.

Manor have been doing very well this season and sat second only three points behind leadersBarking prior to kick off whilst Sports sat in sixth after a solid season to date so this was always billed to be a decent battle, as is normally the case with these two when they meet.

Before kick off their was an impeccably observed minutes silence for the late Margaret Errington and with her husband and league chairman Robert in attendance this made the moment even more poinent indeed.

It was also learned prior to the game that neither of these teams would be applying for promotion to the Ryman North this season so would this have an effect on either side? Who knows but we would soon find out.

It certainly didn’t affect Manor early doors as they started the better of the two sides and on seven minutes saw Eamon Payne fouled attempting to beat keeper James Pellin resulting in ayellow card for the goalkeeper and a penalty for the hosts, which saw Aundre Spencer step up and convert and give the hosts a deserved lead.

Manor continued to have more of the possession early on but found Sports, especially through Charlie Little, a threat on the counter. After Little had gone close he went one better on twenty minutes in spectacular style as he drove into the box before hitting a superb effort beyond hosts keeper Lewis Down and into the top corner and the ex-manor winger had his goal against his old foes.

However Manor so nearly caught the visitors cold moments later as Payne got in behind but saw his effort brilliantly tipped wide by Pellin. It proved pivotal as just before the half hour mark the visitors took the lead when after a comedy of errors at the back from the hosts, they gifted the ball to Matt Brinklow some thirty odd yards out, and with keeper Down stranded the Bridge winger sent a lob over him and into the empty net and the visitors had turned it round just like that.

Sports almost made it three a few minutes later when Down was forced to tip an effort across him wide of the far post before the hosts saw a couple of efforts blocked before Daniel Okah could only lift over the final effort when a lob would of been better. However the visitors went into the break ahead and the next goal would no doubt prove crucial.

Half Time Southend Manor 1 Hullbridge Sports 2

The first ten or so minutes of the second period were fairly quiet but then in the 57th minute came another bad moment for the hosts when skipper Vinny Murphy apparently elbowed an opponent off the ball and me and a few others wondered what the linesman on the near side was flagging for but he had spotted it and the hosts skipper was duly shown the red card.

Midway through the half saw Hullbridge take advantage of that extra man as they netted twice in as many minutes to really take control of the contest. On 66 minutes Luke Osborne volley home and corner after being left totally unmarked in the middle of the box and then on 68 minutes Harry Skinner got across his marker to convert at the near post despite Down’s best efforts to keep it out and the visitors now had a 4-1 lead with an extra man.

To be fair to Manor they attempted to battle back and with twelve minutes remaining saw Lee Rome brought down by Pellin for another penalty and the visitors keeper shown his second yellow and therefore dismissed from the field, much to his disgust. It meant Sports forwardJimmy Cox had to don the gloves for the final twelve minutes and the first thing he did was to pick the ball out of the net as Payne sent the penalty beyond him and Manor had a small lifeline.

To be fair though they never really threatened the Hullbridge net in the final fifteen minutes or so and Okah saw his frustrations get the better of him as with two minutes left he said one to many things to the referee and was shown a second yellow and therefore sent off meaning the hosts ended the game with nine men.

So a derby which saw six goals, three red cards, and plenty of action ended with the visitors taking the points and sees them up to fifth in the table, whilst Manor stay second although with Barking’s win at Sawbridgeworth Town means they now trail the leaders by six points.

Full Time Southend Manor 2 Hullbridge Sports 4

Millwall 5 Braintree Town 2

The Emirates FA Cup Second Round Proper, Sunday 4th December 2016

So my FA Cup journey took me to The New Den and Braintree Town‘s latest attempt to create more history as they took on League One side Millwall for a place in the coveted Third Round Proper and a chance to mix it with the big boys.

The Irons had already created history by reaching this stage of the competition but were in no mood to see it end here on a lovely crisp sunny December afternoon. Town had of course dispatched Bromley and Eastbourne Borough in previous rounds, both at home, but this was always going to be a much tougher task against a side who are hovering just outside the league one play off places.

However backed by 300 plus Iron’s behind one of the goals making plenty of noise the underdogs were certainly not short of passionate support. And the first quarter hour saw each side with a chance, Town heading wide early on whilst the Lions thumped an effort just wide from outside the area. It had been a fairly even start to this cup tie though.

And then in the 16th minute came a moment of magic for the visitors as they took a shock lead when striker Michael Cheek burst through some rather powerpuff Millwall defending to thump a brilliant effort into the top corner of the hosts net and send them and their travelling supporters wild. However the term ‘your at your most vulnerable when you have just scored’ was no more apparent here as straight from the restart Millwall levelled when Harry Smith side footed a cross home to settle down the hosts nerves rather.

The next ten minutes or so saw the League One hosts pounce on sloppy play from the National League visitors and in the 21st minute found themselves in front when after Braintree had failed to clear a corner, Smith was on hand to thump the loose ball home, and then four minutes later sloppy play allowed Shane Ferguson the freedom of The New Den and he duly drilled an effort into the far corner and you feared the game was getting away from the underdogs at this point.

However to their credit the visitors rallied and in the 34th minute pounced on a defensive slip to see Jack Midson bearing down on goal and he kept his cool to slot home inside the near post and Town were right back in this contest once again. They finished the half strongly too and had chances to level the tie before the break but couldn’t find the net so saw the hosts go into the half time break with a very fragile lead indeed and a rather unimpressed home crowd letting them know as they walked off too!!!

Half Time Millwall 3 Braintree Town 2

Braintree Town’s boss Hakan Heyrettin’s team talk at half time probably went along the lines of ‘lets keep it tight first fifteen minutes of second period and maybe nick a goal along the way’ however this was blown out the window two minutes into the half as sloppy defending from Town saw the ball fall to Smith six yards out and he duly netted for his hat-trick and Millwall’s fourth. It was a blow to Town who now had a two goal deficit to make up.

However they did not let this deter them and for the next twenty odd minutes dominated proceedings and had three or four really good openings to pull goals back, the best of those falling to Cheek whose close range volley was well kept out by Millwall keeper Jordan Archer. Millwall’s only attack in that period almost yielded a fourth from Smith, who headed inches wide, but it was pretty much all Braintree but they just could not find that net.

This obviously took a lot out of the National League side and as the game entered its final twenty minutes Millwall began to get a lot more possession as they began to wind that clock down and try and retake control of this contest although of course they still had that 4-2 lead.

Braintree kept trying to get forward as much as possible but time was now against them and it was looking more and more likely they would be picked off on the counter, and with pretty much the last kick of the contest the Lions roared one more time to finally kill off the Iron’s challenge when Aiden O’Brien tapped in from close range to put a rather harsh looking scoreline on proceedings for the visitors.

Indeed 5-2 was flattering for the hosts who knew they had been in a contest here but ultimately the League One’s finishing was better on the day as they capatilsed on any lapses served up to them. However Braintree Town can be mighty proud of what they achieved and no doubt left South Londonwith their heads held high.

Full Time Millwall 5 Braintree Town 2