I was over at Leslie Field for my latest Pre Season outing as ESL side Burnham Ramblershosted Thurlow Nunn One side Braintree Town Reserves.
The hosts have had a Pre Season to forget you could say, three games, one goal and twenty two conceded says it all so no doubt against a side a step below them in the pyramid they would look to try and put in a positive performance.
Braintree Reserves are no mugs though and are a decent Step Six side and in only the fourth minute, moments after having a huge penalty shout turned down, took an early lead as a volley squirmed through the hosts keeper and into the corner.
Moments after the visitors had a chance to double their lead but saw a penalty saved by the keeper however in the tenth minute it was two when a free kick floated into the box was headed back across goal and saw a simple header placed into the far corner.
The visitors then forced another great save from the home keeper before another effort was well blocked as the visitors threatened another goal. The hosts then did manage a chance of their own but saw a close range header well saved although the flag had gone up in any case.
As the game reached its half hour point the hosts were having a decent spell and saw a penalty shout of their own turned down although they still hadn’t tested the visiting keeper and it remained 0-2 to the away side.
But then just past the half hour mark came a third Braintree goal as more suspect defending saw the visitors pounce to make it three, poking home beyond a stranded keeper after a ball forward caught out the backline.
Ramblers created two decent chances thereafter, one forcing a good save after the hosts had got in behind, and the other one blasted over from a good position, however four minutes before half timeTown made it four when more shoddy defending, this time from a corner, saw a visitors volley deflect into the corner.
And then just before half time it got worse for Ramblers when a breakaway saw a ball squared to the far post where it was tapped home and the visitors had a five goal cushion at the break. The hosts had been competitive at times but were very poor defensively and had been punished heavily.
The early part of the second half saw the hosts again have a decent spell and they saw a goal bound effort hooked just wide of the upright, whilst the visitors saw a header go straight at the keeper as they remained dangerous in attack.
And just beyond the hour mark the visitors carved the home defence open once again and saw the ball knocked to the back post where another tap in made it six for the Thurlow Nunn side.
Ramblers were doing alot of huffing and puffing but were not really getting anywhere whilst the visitors missed two further chances to make it seven. Ramblers then missed another one on one chance when the visiting keeper saved with an outstretched leg, then the hosts sliced wide after a scramble inside the visitors box.
And with just over ten minutes remaining another defensive error, the full back playing a ball across his own box straight to one of the lurking forwards who duly finished into the far corner and it was seven for the visitors.
So although the hosts had their moments, their defensive frailties were exposed by a decent Braintree side and it was another tough evening for the ESL side who on this basis are really going to struggle this season unless things drastically improve, especially at the back. That’s 29 conceded in four outings, lots to ponder you would say…..
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