Hullbridge Sports 2 Greenhouse Sports 0

Essex Senior League Premier Division, Saturday 22nd August 2015

My latest Saturday afternoon fare came at Lower Road, Hullbridge as the battle of the Sports, Hullbridge Vs Greenhouse, took place in the ESL.

The hosts had made a decent start to the season and were unbeaten whilst the visitors arrived having lost their opening three fixtures of the season. The first ten minutes saw a lack of goalmouth action as both teams looked to make the first move and the first real bit of excitement didn’t arrive until 12 minutes when a first sort of effort on goal came from the hosts as Clarke’s attempted overhead kick went well wide. It had been a pretty even start though.

Moments after this effort Greenhouse should have taken the lead when Calance found himself clean through on goal and his prod past Mason hit the inside of the post before being cleared off the goal line in what was a big chance for the visitors. On 19 minutes Hullbridge’s Clarke got down the left and crossed to Cox whose weak effort was straight at the keeper and was an easy save for Aliu.

However on 27 minutes came a moment of inspiration from Hullbridge’s winger Matt Brinklowas from nowhere he got the ball on the right, cut inside onto his left foot before hitting a dipping effort over Aliu and into the net from twenty five yards out for what was a great strike and saw the hosts in front. Hullbridge 1 Greenhouse 0.

Apart from this flash of brilliance from the hosts they didn’t really do a lot else in a half that saw Greenhouse find themselves in good positions on more than one occasion but they were wasteful when they got into those positions. This was highlighted two minutes before the break when Greenhouse got in behind the Bridge defence but Koroma’s finish was woefully wide and it summed up the visitors in front of goal. Bridge therefore went into the break ahead but were far from convincing.

Half Time Hullbridge Sports 1 Greenhouse Sports 0

Bridge so nearly doubled their lead five minutes into the second half as the ball eventually fell to Cox inside the area following a nice passing move from the hosts and his effort beat keeper Aliu but not the post as it came back off the inside of it then moments later a cross was flapped at by Aliu which saw Cox come in at the back post to seemingly head into the goal but he headed it over instead and Greenhouse survived.

The hosts were now the better side this half as they were doing a lot more pressing than they had been doing in the first half and on 63 minutes they did double the lead when after Cox had miss-volleyed an effort across the edge of the penalty area Matt Brinklow ran onto the ball and hammered it past keeper Aliu into the bottom corner for another decent strike from the winger, his second of the game. Hullbridge 2 Greenhouse 0.

Bridge were looking more comfortable now although Greenhouse were still a threat when they did venture forward and on 71 minutes almost got a goal back when a ball knocked across goal saw no one able to reach the ball and it drifted away for a goal kick. Bridge had switched off slightly now and on 77 minutes Greenhouse, who were now seeing more of ball as a result, saw a good chance materialise from the edge of the box but Ramarievelo’s effort was blasted miles over.

Brinklow almost got his hat-trick moments later though as Greenhouse keeper Aliu made a right hash of his cross and saw the ball thunder back off the bar then a minute later a ball whipped into the area was flicked over the bar as Bridge threatened another goal. Greenhouse then broke up the other end and saw another poor finish which was easy for Mason to save.

With eight minutes to go a great run from substitute Jamie Buffin saw him attempt to chip keeper Aliu but the visiting stopper used his height to pluck the ball out of the air before it went over him. Greenhouse had one more chance as we went into the 90th minute when a cross from the right was headed wide by the unmarked Aldhalia which was in keeping with the visitors finishing today. Hullbridge though were good value for their win after a much improved second half showing and it was them who took the points today.

Full Time Hullbridge Sports 2 Greenhouse Sports 0

Hullbridge Sports 1.Mason 2.Offord 3.Taylor 4.Skinner 5.Hodgson 6.Payne 7.Clark 8.Wallace 9.Cox 10.Clarke 11.Brinklow
Subs 12.Morgan 14.Gerada 15.Buffin 16.Hunwicks

Greenhouse Sports 1.Aliu 2.Soile 3.Serrar 4.Holmes-Lewis 5.Akrofure 6.Talabi 7.Aldhalia 8.Solomon 9.Calance 10.Ramarievelo 11.Koroma
Subs 12.Osei-Kumaning 15.Duberry 16.Lawal 17.Mackangou