Essex Senior League, Saturday 17th February
Mid February now and there were another eight games in the Essex Senior League including two big ones bringing together four sides who had serious play off ambitions, one at The Terry Mac between fifth placed Athletic Newham & fourth placed Sporting Bengal United, and the one I attended at Lower Road as sixth placed Hullbridge hosted seventh placed Barking.
The season is now entering it's final two or so months so results now are becoming even more important in terms of the final shake up, and for Bridge & Barking it was an important game to see who could keep that momentum going as well, Hullbridge had won four our of five games in the league in 2024 to get themselves right back in the play off mix, whereas Barking have been on a fifteen game unbeaten run stretching all the way back to late October, an incredible run of form following a change of management at that time.
Could the hosts end that long unbeaten run, or could The Blues stamp their mark on this one and continue their amazing form and charge towards the top five, well the opening twenty or so minutes saw the visitors have two brilliant chances, heading wide with one such opening before seeing another header glance of the post, but in the 25th minute they did get their noses in front deservedly when Luke Hirst played in strike partner Tony Martin who thumped an effort beyond Lamar Joseph-Johnson into the bottom corner via the keepers hand.
The hosts did actually respond well to going behind and probably had the better of the latter part of the half, and they thought they had levelled when Michael Dixon snuck in behind the visiting defence to finish past Max Spence from close range, however, the assistants flag on the far side went up to deny them, but they would have certainly gone into the break with some positive things to take from that, but they were not to build on this as the second half began badly for them.
This is because barely two minutes after the break Barking won a penalty after Hirst had got in down the left, and after cutting inside he was brought down for a stonewall spot kick, and Martin duly stepped up to send Joseph-Johnson the wrong way from the spot and hand the visitors a two goal advantage, it was going to be a mountain to climb against a side who had only conceded six goals in that fifteen match unbeaten run.
And on the hour mark things became even more difficult for the hosts when their skipper Samuel Owusu, who had been booked only minutes before for pushing and shoving with Blues Jack Folan, was shown a second yellow for a late lunge on Shane La-Rose (I think) meaning this hosts would now have to try and get back into this game a man light for the remaining half hour or so, not likely to be honest.
And sure enough with seventeen minutes left Barking sealed this one when they added a third goal when substitute Bradleigh Rowland fired a decent effort at goal which took a slight nick off a defender and ending up in the bottom corner, game set & match.
And in the 94th minute and with pretty much the last action of the contest, Blues added a fourth and it was a ball forward which keeper and striker went for, the strikers foot did seem a bit high but no foul was forthcoming, and allowed Hirst the simple chance of slotting into an empty net to cap a fine performance from him after an assistant and winning the penalty for the second goal, he didn't stop running all game and for me was probably MOTM for his all round work rate and performance, so for him to get a goal with the final kick of the game was well deserved.
It also capped a fine win for the visitors who apart from a spell from the hosts in the latter part of the first period were comfortable and totally deserved the three points here today, for Bridge it was a fairly flat and subdued performance so they will need to put that right in their next game for sure. That's sixteen games unbeaten now for The Blues too, with eleven of those being clean sheets, an amazing run.
Full time Hullbridge Sports 0 Barking 4
Right, lets see what happened in the other seven games in the division this weekend.....
Athletic Newham 3 Sporting Bengal United 1
Hosts Athletic Newham won the other big contest at the top of the table, defeating Sporting Bengal United at The Terry Mac, they took the lead after thirteen minutes when an attempt to clear the ball by the visitors hit Andy Greenslade and rolled back into the net, and it was 2-0 just before the half hour mark when Reece Simpson slotted home. And the hosts pretty much ended the contest three minutes after the break when Idris Aminu got some luck when after his initial effort was saved the ball bounced back off of him into the net. Sam Edwards did net one back for Sporting just before the hour mark, but it was merely a consolation for the visitors who fell to defeat here.
Coggeshall Town 1 Tilbury 3
It was bottom vs top at West Street, and it was the league leaders who netted another win to open up an eight point lead at the top of the division. The game was only nine minutes old when Tilbury got their noses ahead when Roman Campbell poked home from close range, and Campbell was to double The Dockers lead from the spot eleven minutes before the break to hand them a two goal half time advantage. The hosts did make things interesting though when pulling one back just past the hour mark when Adedejo converted a cross from Roy Syevens, but their comeback charge was made harder when the hosts saw James Pugsley sent off with twelve minutes to go for a late challenge on Donovan. And in the 90th minute David Knight sealed the points with a third for the visitors.
Frenford 3 FC Clacton 2
Hosts Frenford saw off FC Clacton at The Drive, Tom Potter headed the hosts ahead after just five minutes and they led 2-0 at the break after Camara had netted midway through the first period, the visitors did pull one back just past the hour mark but Frenford restored their two goal lead four minutes later when Morgan slotted home a penalty. Clacton reduced the arrears once again with twenty minutes to go, but the hosts held on to net a big win here.
Little Oakley 2 Takeley 1
Oakley came from behind to defeat Takeley at The Memorial, the visitors led from the spot but Oakley then levelled when Harry Mann's left footed effort found the roof of the net, and then Dan Rowe found the far corner to hand the hosts the half time lead, a lead they were to not relinquish meaning they grabbed all three points in this one. Takeley also saw a man sent off in the second half too as they fell to defeat here.
Romford 4 West Essex 3
Promotion chasing Romford won a ding dong battle at Rookery Hill, West took the lead after just five minutes when Effah nodded home, but Romford levelled just six minutes later when Dorrell tucked away a finish and then lead in the 21st minute when Nalbant capitalised on indecision in the visitors back line. But just three minutes after that West were level when Ayoola powered home a header, only to see Romford regain the lead twelve minutes before the break when Nalbant pounced again. West levelled once again though two minutes after the break when Bartlett-Antwi slotted home, but in the 84th minute Romford netted the winner as substitute Phillips bobbled one home and settle a crazy contest.
Saffron Walden Town 3 White Ensign 2
Walden had to survive a fightback from Ensign to eventually win this one at Catons Lane, Stan Leech & Tom Head netted inside five minutes to have the hosts two goals up, but Ensign netted one back three minutes before the break through Ezekiel Bademosi and with six minutes left levelled through Henry Hart. Both sides then went for a winner, but it was the hosts who netted a 93rd minute winner through Ryan Melaugh as The Bloods claimed all the points here.
Stanway Rovers 3 Buckhurst Hill 1
Rovers got the better of Buckhurst Hill at The Hawthorns, George Okoye & Jose Noel Santa de La Paz netted late in the first half to hand the hosts a two goal cushion, and although the visitors saw a deflected effort find the net to reduce the deficit, Rovers saw Tom Maycock net late on to seal the points for the home side.
Right, where does that leave sides in the table, let's have a look.....
Down at the bottom, games are running out for Coggeshall Town to try and pull themselves out of the one likely relegation spot in the division, they trail Ilford by ten points although they do have two games in hand, although it's not looking likely right now they will get themselves out of that position.
Finally, congratulations to Great Wakering Rovers today who saw Perry Dunn net a 95th minute winner at Highworth Town to seal a 3-2 win and reach the Quarter Finals of the FA Vase, joining Romford who got through last weekend of course, having two sides in the last eight of the Vase is an amazing achievement for the league this season, fingers crossed at least one of them can go on and win it!!! It's also worth noting that Tilbury came so close to making it three in the last eight but they lost out on penalties to North Greenford United last weekend, but well done to them for getting so far in the competition too, NGU face Romford now in the Quarters whilst GWR host Falmouth Town for a spot in the semi finals.
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