Benfleet 0 May & Baker 2

Thurlow Nunn First Division South, Saturday 26th November

My first game for almost three weeks saw me over at Park Lane, Canvey Island, and saw goals from Rob Bagnell and Kalum Bama help May & Baker to a deserved three points over promotion rivals Benfleet.

Hosts Benfleet started the day in third spot and four points of league leaders Stanway Pegasus an came into this one off the back of win at Mile End against Tower Hamlets last weekend, however, their home form has not been the best this season, although of the eighteen league games played so far they have only played five at home, which is crazy.

They have only played six at home in total so far, and their only win at Park Lane this campaign came in an FA Vase tie against Newbury Forest, so although they have no wins at home in the league in late November, that is slightly unfair having only played so little at home this campaign so far, however, they would be up against grabbing that first league home win in this one as they were up against a very good side in May & Baker.

The visitors may have been four points and four places behind Fleet at kick off but they did have three games in hand in their opponents and were looking to get back into that top five and if they were to win those games in hand would be right in the mix to be at the summit of the division, although Bakers form after a magnificent win at now leaders Stanway Pegasus in early October had not been brilliant, one win in seven in all competitions, although that win was against, you guessed it, Benfleet, as Bakers recorded a 2-0 win at Parkside in mid October.

How would this one pan out then? It was certainly competitive, as expected, but it was the visitors who carved out the best openings in what was a tough and gritty, scrappy, goalless opening forty five minutes, Benfleet keeper Oliver Johnson was certainly the busier of the two on the pitch, Bakers Jack Riddell didn't really have a save to make although the hosts did have a couple of decent openings, but it was the visitors who edged ahead just before the break.

Bama was involved in the build up and the hosts were not helped either when centre half Sonny Hartman was down when the attack was coming, he did try and get up and get back but could only limp back and whether this had a bearing on the space left available for Bagnell who knows, but the Bakers midfielder fired a lovely effort into the bottom corner and hand his side the half time advantage.

Bakers continued to have the better of the play, and eleven minutes into the second period doubled their lead when Bama, who was MOTM in my eyes, backed up his assistant in the first half with a beautiful strike from outside the box, giving keeper Johnson no chance, and you felt even with over half an hour to go the visitors were well on their way to the points.

Fleet did force Riddell into a save, his only one of the contest, thereafter, and did also fire home although they were denied a comeback chance by the linesman's flag, but apart from this they were well marshalled by a solid Bakers back line lead by the brilliant Jamie Marsh with the visitors skipper leading by example time after time.

As said though the visitors could have added more goals and came closest to adding a third when crashing a curling effort off the bar, but they easily saw out the game to record a second win in eight, both of those against Benfleet by the same score line, to take them up to sixth and only one place and one point below their opponents who dropped two places to fifth after this defeat sees the wait for their first league win at home continue. 

Full time Benfleet 0 May & Baker 2