Chelmsford City 2 Braintree Town 0

Vanarama National League South, Monday 26th December

Boxing Day 2022 saw me over at a familiar fixture at Melbourne Stadium as Braintree Town's winless run over their Essex rivals Chelmsford City was extended to ten games after goals from Tom Blackwell and Reece Grant handed The Clarets all three points in their Vanarama National League South contest.

These two often do battle over the festive period when they play in the same division, and this year was no different as after this game today the return fixture was pencilled in on New Years Day at Cressing Road, so two festive derbies for the clubs and fans to look forward to, and this season, unlike some others, saw both sides having decent campaigns so far.

Hosts City, like their opponents today, are right in the promotion mix for a place in the National League, sitting fourth although there is a six-point gap to third placed Havant & Waterlooville and then a further two-point gap to the top two in Ebbsfleet United and Dartford (those two meet over the festive period as well, with Dartford netting a 4-1 win today!!!)

Despite this though they are in a decent position play off wise, and with seven wins from eleven home games this season, they were certainly confident off turning over a Braintree side who themselves sit in eighth spot and five points behind their opponents today, so they knew a win here would certainly improve their chances of a play off spot, although with only four away wins in eleven this campaign, the odds were pointing towards a home win.

Chelmsford’s last win though had come back at the start of December, which was their last home game when they beat joint leaders Dartford 1-0, since then they have only played two league games, losing both away from home at Dulwich Hamlet and St Albans City, scoring only once in those two outings, before their home game against Slough Town and their trip to Hungerford Town were postponed due to the cold weather experienced over those weeks.

Braintree haven’t played a league fixture since early December, and in fact both December fixtures they have played out so far haven’t yielded no goals, recording goalless draws at Taunton Town and then at home against Oxford City, before games against Dulwich Hamlet and Hemel Hempstead Town were scrubbed due to the freezing conditions.

Town’s last league win did come at the end of November, a 3-2 home win over bottom side Hungerford Town, but when has form ever come into derby games eh? Regardless of who is better at home or away, and who is in form or not really does not count for much in derby games, so no doubt this one would be the same, and no quarter given either, these games mean so much to the players and fans of both, so a decent a no doubt feisty encounter would ensue.

It is worth pointing out that Braintree's last derby win against City came back in August 2010, a 3-0 win a Cressing Road, and it's been nearly SEVENTEEN years since Braintree last tasted success on Chelmsford shores, a 2-0 success back in April 2006, so it's fair to say results in this particular game do not favour the visitors well, although their have been a number of draws in that time too, although City have won five of those derbies since Town's last one twelve years ago.

Could Braintree then go on and grab a rare win in this fixture in recent times? Well, after only three minutes it did not look good for them as the hosts flew out of the traps and grabbed an early lead when Lodovica did well down the right before sending in a lovely ball which Blackwell managed to get across his marker and beat keeper Sims to the cross to head home and give the majority of the 1,178 crowd inside the ground something to cheer.

The hosts should have built on that cushion too only a minute later after Ludovica found himself baring down on goal, but he could not get the ball out from under his feet and the chance was ushered away by a scrambling visiting back line, but Braintree then managed to settle and were denied an equaliser on two occasions by the superb Ejeheri,  denying Rush before a ridiculous reaction save after the ball had rocketed towards the net moments after that.

The game became more congested thereafter but City did carve out one more chance before the break when Jackson's curling effort was saved by Sims, and early on in the second period City came close to doubling their lead when Jackson's header saw Sims tip over well, but thereafter the visitors began to have the better of the contest as they searched for a leveller, and saw hosts keeper Ejejeri make another brilliant save to deny them, tipping an effort from Rush around the post as he managed to get in on goal for the visitors.

And then came the big moment of controversy in the game with eighteen minutes of the ninety to go, when a cross into the box was deflected towards goal by a home defender and appeared to strike the hand of a City defender as the ball was heading in at the near post, some even were adamant the ball had crossed the line, but nothing was given, much to the amusement and surprise in the main stand, and then three minutes later salt was rubbed into those sore old wounds when the hosts were awarded what looked a soft penalty decision down the other end, and Grant stepped up on debut to fire home the penalty and give the hosts some breathing space.

The visitors felt hard done by that was for sure, but they were almost caught cold seven minutes from time when sloppy play at the back saw Blackwell in behind, but his ball across the box was poor and the visitors managed to clear their minds, it mattered not though in the end as City saw out the remainder of the contest to pick up another derby win against their Essex Rivals.

That moment in the 72nd minute was certainly pivotal, had it gone 1-1 who knows what the result might have been, but it's a game of margins isn't it and they certainly favoured the hosts today, and it is a result which sees Chelmsford cut the gap to third by three points whereas Braintree slip a place to ninth and three points off the play off places after this disappointing loss, although they do it all again on New Years Day at Cressing Road, can Braintree gain revenge, recent times suggest not, but we will see.

Full time Chelmsford City 2 Braintree Town 0