Thurlow Nunn First Division South, Saturday October 19th
My latest outing saw me visit Leslie Field, Burnham on Crouch, for the first time this season and probably the first time for a while for a Thurlow Nunn South contest between Burnham Ramblers & Basildon Town, this was part of five games in the division today, more on those later including a huge top two clash in Harlow.
For now let's concentrate on the game I was at, Ramblers are having another tough season to date, after being saved from going out of senior football last season due to reprieves after they finished bottom of the division, they are in 15th place but only two points above the bottom three, there form of late has been poor as well, as after a brilliant win at home to Coggeshall Town, followed by a draw at Dunmow Town, it's been five straight defeats, three in the league & an FA Vase & Essex Senior Cup loss too.
Their opponents today haven't exactly set the world alight either this season, they sat 11th in the division and only five points ahead of their hosts today, their form since the start of September has seen them win a couple of home games in the league, one of which was against Hackney Wick who are probably one of the best sides in the division, but they have also suffered three defeats, although they were against some tough sides too, but there had been some good performances in there for sure.
No doubt Ramblers though would be up for this one against a local rival in Bas Town, they needed to arrest this slide they were on but it would be a tough ask against a Town side who have given some of the best sides a good run for their money lately, conditions underfoot would be slick no doubt either due to the morning rain that had fallen in the area, that could make for some drama perhaps, who knows.
The opening forty five minutes was attritional at best, but any openings that did materialise went to the hosts, and their best chance came whilst the visitors were down to ten men after Lewis Brown, one of their centre halves, had been sin binned in the 27th minute for back chatting the referee, and it nearly cost them and only a decent stop from visiting keeper Joe Durrant prevented the hosts from taking the lead.
Ramblers would have been pleased with their first half showing and I overhead them saying to one another as they walked back down the tunnel at half time 'this one is winnable' and on the first half showing yes, it certainly was, the visitors had not been at it for large parts of the opening forty five minutes and no doubt they were given a stern talking to at half time, and it seem to work.
They were right on the front foot from the get go in the second period and just three minutes into it took the lead when a gorgeous cross from full back Marcus Bella found Luke Winter who got ahead of hosts keeper Jordan Hudson to glance home a header, and the deadlock had been broken in this contest, did Ramblers have a response?
Well apart from a decent stop from Durrant to deny them on one occasion, not exactly, and in fact had Town not been wasteful in front of goal they would have won by more, they saw several guilt edged chances come and go and the worry for them was whilst it was 0-1, one moment for Ramblers could cost them.
Ramblers did get up a head of steam midway through the second period but then during that lost substitute Joe Howard for ten minutes after he back chatted the referee so was duly sin binned, not helping his sides cause, Town as said could not capitalise on their openings but it mattered not for them as they managed to keep a clean sheet at the other end and run out winners thanks to that early second half header from Winter.
So, a welcome three points for the visitors, a win that takes them into the top ten, whereas for Ramblers it's another disappointing loss and they remain perilously close to the bottom three as a result.
Full time Burnham Ramblers 0 Basildon Town 1
Right, let's see how the other games in the division went today, including that huge top two clash in Harlow:-
FC Baresi 3 Enfield Borough 4
It was 14th Vs 16th in Ware with the hosts coming into this one of the back of a marvellous 4-1 win at Hoddesdon Town in midweek, whereas Borough's last league outing saw them lose 2-0 at Hackney Wick to continue a winless run of five games in all comps. It turned out to be a cracker of a contest, the hosts grabbing a one nil lead before the visitors came back to lead 1-2 at the break, that lead was increased after the break, and although the hosts pulled it back to 2-3, Borough restored that two goal cushion. Baresi did pull one back to make it interesting, but it was Borough who held on to take all three points.
Harlow Town 1 Hackney Wick 2
The best two sides arguably in the division went head to head in Harlow, league leaders Town went into this one a point ahead of second placed Wick with a game in hand so knew a win here would open up a small gap, Wick themselves knew a win would take them two clear at the top, so a lot was riding on this even if it's still early days. It was the visitors who who would draw first blood after just seven minutes when a superb ball into the box from Leo Lopete saw John Silva apply the finishing touch, and the visitors were in a very strong position at the break when Lopete ended a brilliant run by firing past James Pellin in the Harlow goal five minutes before half time. Could the hosts pull this one back? Well, they did pull one back with around twenty minutes of the ninety to go when Denzel Effah found the net, and despite almost fifteen minutes of added on time being played, Wick held on for a huge win to take them to the top of the table!!!
Hoddesdon Town 3 Barkingside 0
Nine placed Hoddy were looking to bounce back from a 4-1 loss at home in midweek and get their season back on track against a Barkingside outfit who are only out of the bottom three on goal difference and have lost their last eight in all comps. The hosts took control of the contest late on in the first period, Connor Bolton put them ahead seven minutes before the break and then two minutes later it was two as skipper Jack Gibbs found the net, and the points were sealed late on when skipper Gibbs grabbed a second of the game, firing home after the visiting keepers attempt to punch clear fell to him inside the box, meaning the hosts duly bounced back from their midweek loss.
Hutton 3 Southend Manor 2
Third placed Hutton were looking for maximum points in this one to try and keep tabs with the top two, with the gap to them before kick off four points, they were up against a Manor side whose season is in steady decline after a positive start, the tenth placed side did net five last time out against Newbury Forest in a 5-3 win though so were coming into this one in confident mood. And when the visitors had a 2-0 lead, it looked as if they were going to come away from New Lodge with a very impressive win, but in a thriller of a contest, Hutton dug deep and managed to turn the match around to win 3-2 and reduce the gap to second place in the process.
Right, let's have a look at the table after today's games:-
Hackney Wick go back to the top of the pile following their massive 2-1 win over Harlow Town, and with Hutton coming from two goal down against Southend Manor to win 3-2, they are now only two points off second spot, Hoddesdon Town moved up a place to eighth after their win over Barkingside, and Basildon Town move into the top ten after there win over Burnham Ramblers.
A big win for Enfield Borough at FC Baresi sees them now four points clear of the bottom three, Burnham Ramblers drop a place as a result after their loss today, Barkingside remain 17th after a ninth straight defeat in all comps, Manor fall out of the top ten after their disappointing loss, only five points separate 12th placed Dunmow and 18th placed Newbury Forest, so it's very tight down there for sure.
So that's you all up to date with the Thurlow Nunn South, thanks for reading as always!!!
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