The first weekend of December saw me take in a double header as I attended some Friday night football and then Saturday afternoon one too, and I had two decent looking games lined up as well with the venues Roding Lane in Buckhurst Hill and The Austin Arena in Clacton-on-Sea, below are how both games went, let's get into this now.....
Friday 2nd December
Buckhurst Hill 1 White Ensign 2
The friday night fare came Roding Lane, Buckhurst Hill, as the hosts were welcoming Southend side (although they do play in Great Wakering) White Ensign to their shores, the visitors had only had 48 hours to recover from their 6-2 loss at home to league leaders Enfield, something they were not to pleased about, but they were looking to try and bounce back from a game they did lead 2-1 at one point before Enfield pulled away.
Ensign's November form in the league had been mixed you could say, an excellent win at Romford and a superb draw at Saffron Walden Town (their opponents had levelled in stoppage time) had been in with defeats against Redbridge, Ilford, FC Clacton and then Enfield, although the Clacton game could have easily gone the other way, but they were a tough run of fixtures, and this one at Buckhurst Hill would be no different.
The hosts had had a tough week or two themselves though, losing some key players to other clubs who had been ever presents over the last few years in what has been a superb rise for the club through the leagues, so their thumping 4-1 home win over Sawbridgeworth Town last time out was a welcome distraction and relief from all of that, and they were looking to make it back to back home wins here.
That win over Sawbo ended a run of two successive losses in the league, Hill had suffered a set back at strugglers Clapton before been beaten at Barking too, and early on in this one they were suffering another setback after just six minutes in this contest when Ensign grabbed the lead when Alfie Lindfield got into the box to fire an effort in off both posts, meaning the hosts character would be tested again.
Two early injuries for the home side didn't help their cause either, but they did manage to find a leveller just before the break when good work down the right by Fehinti Falola saw him find Ezekial Bademosi who took a couple of touches before thumping a superb effort past visiting keeper Charlie Martin to send the sides in level at the break, momentum with the hosts you felt?
Well, four minutes after the break they lost all that momentum through their own stupidity when a defensive howler allowed Lindfield in to fire home and restore the visitors advantage, team talk well and truly out of the window as a result, and the hosts would have to come from behind again in order to take anything from this one, and prevent a third loss in four games.
They had their moments of course, with one effort from Hassan Nalbant being superbly saved by Martin, but Ensign could easily have sealed the deal themselves and saw one long range effort from Iyiola Adebayo thump against the hosts bar, but it had been a brilliant battling performance from the visitors who saw out the game for a superb win and a welcome three points.
It all meant Buckhurst Hill now slip to tenth in the division after the weekend games as their recent poor form continues, whereas Ensign ended the weekend in fifteenth spot and only five points below their opponents and the top ten, time to look upwards perhaps now rather than below?
Full time Buckhurst Hill 1 White Ensign 2
Saturday 3rd December
FC Clacton 2 West Essex 1
Saturday's game saw me over at The Austin Arena in Clacton-on-Sea for the very first time, this was the only ground in the current Essex Senior League I had not visited, so I thought I'd put that right, and it was also a top of the table clash between the third placed hosts and the fourth placed visitors, so a good game was expected.
The hosts started the day five points ahead of their opponents, and their form in November had been rather good you could say, four straight wins since their home loss to Takeley at the end of October, and fourteen goals to boot as well, was a fifth straight win on the cards here?
They were up against a decent side though and would find it tough that was for sure, West were the best of the rest you could say after the top three although their form through November had been a mix of results, the month beginning with losses to Stansted and Athletic Newman, before they beat strugglers Clapton at home before a superb 3-0 win at Little Oakley, which was a stand out result for sure.
They came into this contest having lost narrowly to second placed Redbridge, but it was a very tight 1-0 loss so could have gone either way, how would this big game go?
It was a game that produced little in the way of major chances if truth be told, the enormity of the contest was evident as both sides did not want to lose it, the hosts created the bulk of any openings that did come in the opening forty five minutes, there was a huge shout for a penalty after a goal bound effort struck an arm of a defender in the eyes of the hosts, although I feel it hit his side with the arm by it so the right decision was made.
And visiting keeper Arthur Leblond made a terrific save to deny the hosts the lead, tipping away a shot from outside the box when it looked like it was heading into the top corner, West did create one chance, and it was arguably the best one late on in the first half when a mistake at the back allowed them in and it ended with an effort from an acute angle being deflected onto the post and our for a corner.
The game was at times scrappy, and was getting increasingly niggly too, understandable with what was at stake, West probably edged the second period in the early exchanges but as the game entered it's final twenty minutes, it all changed.
The hosts won a corner and swung it into the six yard box in the 70th minute, and big striker Adam Tilson rose highest to plant a header home from close range and send the hosts wild, you felt it was such a big goal in such a tight and tense contest as this, what did the visitors have in response?
Well, what happened instead was a second goal for the home side, who had their tails up now, and Tilson was involved again, racing into the box before being taken out by West keeper Leblond for a stonewall penalty. Leblond did his best to redeem what was a stupid challenge by saving Jake Clowsley's spot kick brilliantly, by non of his defenders reacted quick enough to prevent Charlie Collis from netting the rebound and doubling The Seasiders advantage, West had it all to do now, only twelve minutes of normal time remained.
Tensions were evident amongst the players and both benches, this almost boiled over when hosts full back Jenson Mulqueen and visitors attacker Saliu Lo-Seye went into a challenge with the former coming off worse, causing a rather angry reaction from the hosts, personally there was nothing wrong with it but the hosts were calling for a red card, a yellow was issued instead but tensions were running high shall we say.
What was also irritating the hosts was the amount of stoppage time being added on, and when West pulled one back six minutes into it, a free kick crossed to the back post being converted by Tala Lo-Seye, their irritation went up a notch, mixed with nerves no doubt, and hoping West would not pull off the comeback of comebacks.
After a few more tense moments the referee blew for full time after eight minutes of stoppage time and the hosts could celebrate a huge three points, the game itself wasn't a classic but it was a terrific battle played by two sides fully committed to the cause, and that is all you want isn't it.
It means that FC Clacton now have put an eight point gap between them in third and West in fourth, with the top three now well ahead of the chasing pack, The Seasiders are also only second to Redbridge on goal difference as they continue to chase Enfield who are five clear at the top of the division and are the ones to catch.
West are only fourth on goal difference in a three way tie on 29 points with Stansted and Little Oakley, and there is only four points separating them and eleventh placed Athletic Newham in what is a very tight division in that section, meaning every result counts for sure.
Full time FC Clacton 2 West Essex 1
Finally, let's look at that updated table shall we.....
Enfield continue to lead the way, with the top three now pulling clear of the rest, fourth down to eleventh is only separated by four points, whilst down at the bottom things look more and more bleak for Southend Manor week by week. Clapton's recent revival has given them a chance of catching the ones above, but it will still be a tough assignment for sure.
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