Catholic United 2 Leigh Ramblers 2

Essex Olympian League Premier Division, Tuesday 21st February

Southchurch Park was my venue for another midweek outing in the Essex Olympian Premier Division, and saw a late leveller from Owen Reynolds rescue a deserved point for Leigh Ramblers in what was a scrappy & hard fought local derby against Catholic United.

Catholic United are the closest side (just) to league leaders Hutton, sitting second in the division with the gap to the top at eleven points before kick off and with the hosts having two games in hand (tonight’s one being one of them and next Tuesday being the other) they could bring that down to five, putting the pressure on the league leaders perhaps, especially if they were to slip up at all.

It’s been a good season for them too, ten wins and three losses in the league, and in most seasons that would probably be enough to be at the summit, but Hutton are having an even better season, hence the big lead at the top of the league, but Catholic are flying and since losing to Rayleigh Town in the County Cup in mid-January they have won the five games since in all competitions netting fourteen times and conceding just three.

In fact in the league they have won five straight since they lost at home Old Southendian on bonfire night, and last time out they thrashed struggling Bishop Stortford Swifts 4-0 at Len Forge, so they were heading into this one full of confidence and welcomed a Leigh Rams side whose form since the turn of the year has been mixed for sure, despite their fourth placed position in the division.

In fact a win for Rams here would see them climb level on points with their opponents, but after winning their first two games of 2023 they had not won in four, losing three of those games and only drawing one, and although they did manage to return to winning ways at the weekend against bottom side Galleywood at Slades Lane, form certainly suggested a home win here, but who knows. Leigh have won half their league games this season and have a positive goal difference, so were not to be taken lightly that was for sure.

The opening half saw for chances for both although it wasn't the best game in terms of quality on a rock hard surface, the hosts probably came the closest when they saw a dipping effort cannon back off the bar, but six minutes before the break they did edge ahead when a ball in from the left found Liam Oliver on the edge of the box and he sliced a volley over Dylan Skinner and into the corner of the net which meant the hosts would hold a slender advantage at the break.

In terms of chances created the home side probably shaded the first period, but the second certainly saw the visitors on the front foot early on and they only took three minutes to find parity when good work on the left from Chido Mutsvaire saw him find Andrew Webster and the latter's powerful effort was too hot to handle for hosts keeper Louis Godwin-Green, who could only help the ball into the net whilst attempting to save the strikers effort.

Just past the hour mark though Catholic were to restore their lead when Oliver burst into the box from the left hand side and was brought down, meaning a penalty to the home side, Oliver picked himself up to take the spot kick, and although Dylan Skinner saved this, Oliver was on hand to bury the rebound before anyone else could react, advantage Catholic once again.

But Rams did not give up and were rewarded for a decent second half showing when as the clock ticked over 90 minutes a ball into the box saw Webster hand back across goal for substitute Reynolds who managed to apply the finishing touch past a despairing Godwin-Green and a defender on the goal line who did their best to keep the effort out but failed, meaning the match entered a whopping chunk of stoppage time in the balance.

Deep into stoppage time Rams were reduced to ten men when Jamie Skinner was shown a second yellow for a challenge on Aaron Baldwin, and after the final whistle their was more drama when Rams striker Webster was shown a red card during the post game handshakes for something he said to the referee, and then Rams assistant Nathan Dewberry was also shown a red card after something he said to the referee as he walked off, the visitors were unhappy with the referee and felt he had not given them much during the game hence the apparent dissent, you could say their was more drama after the final whistle then the whole game combined.

Disappointing for Rams then who will now lose two key players due to the red cards, however they will be more than happy with this showing and grabbed a decent point as a result, for Catholic this wasn't their greatest display and its two points dropped, which will make league leaders Hutton very happy indeed, with their lead only cut by a point this evening to ten, and Catholic only have one game in hand now.

Rayleigh Town will also be happy with this result too, they are now two points behind second placed Catholic in third, and have a game in hand now, whereas Leigh Rams remain fourth and are remain three behind second place and just one behind third, although they have played three and four games more respectively than those two, this was also Catholic's first draw in the league all season, not one they were hoping for at the start of the evening.

Full time Catholic United 2 Leigh Ramblers 2