Due to plans in the evening I decided to attend a match with an earlier kick off time of 2pm and so headed over to The Len Forge Centre and White Ensign’s home clash with local rivals Rayleigh Town at the top end of the Olympian Premium Division.
This was supposed to be Rayleigh’s home game but due to the poor weather the game was switched to the 3G surface at Len Forge which guaranteed the game would go ahead and so this was now White Ensign’s home game. And it was the new found hosts who grabbed an early lead when a poor ball across the backline saw Ensign winger Darren Burrell nip in to intercept the pass and run in on goal and slot past the keeper for the ideal start for the hosts.White Ensign 1 Rayleigh Town 0.
On 7 minutes Ensign saw a corner headed over by their centre half as the hosts had definitely started the better in sodden conditions it has to be said. However just a minute after this the visitors equalised with a very scrappy goal. A shot was saved and then the follow up was pushed up into the air and it came down in front of the goal was pushed out to the edge of the six yard box where Alex Witham finally squeezed the ball through a couple of bodies and into the net. White Ensign 1 Rayleigh Town 1.
Ensign came back at their opponents and stuck a 13th minute free kick just over the crossbar but the next opening came for the visitors six minutes later when a diagonal cross sailed over a defender’s head and saw the visitors with a free shot at goal from the right hand side but it was straight at the keeper.
Midway through the half the hosts forced four corners in a row with the last one finally seeing a poked cross dribble into the keepers grateful hands and then just before the half hour mark a good effort from range from the visitors saw a dinked effort sail just over the bar. Just past the half hour mark sloppy play from Ensign saw the visitors pinch the ball off them in their own final third and saw the resulting effort from just inside the box brilliantly tipped wide by the hosts keeper.
Four minutes before the break only a great last ditch tackle from a Rayleigh defender stopped the hosts getting a shot at goal as they looked likely to score but this meant the half ended all square in what was a tight well contested game so far.
Half Time White Ensign 1 Rayleigh Town 1
The second half started wonderfully well for the visitors after they capitalised on poor defending to see Steve Barker go clean through and slot home to give the away side the lead. White Ensign 1 Rayleigh Town 2
The visitors threatened moments later when they curled a free kick just over before play switched up the other end and saw two great defensive blocks deny the hosts a clear shot a goal. Then on the hour mark Ensign full back Yaw Danso cut inside but hit his effort well over the bar. The visitors though seemed fairly comfortable and were keeping the hosts at relative arms length.
The away side had to do more defending on 64 minutes when a good cross into the six yard box saw a desperate clearance as the hosts were doing their best to get back into this contest although they were failing to really test the Rayleigh keeper which would have been disappointing for them.
The hosts won a free kick in a very decent position on 73 minutes but yet again saw the effort go way off target over the bar. But then with thirteen minutes to go the hosts did level in fortuitous circumstances when a cross saw the ball squirm from the keepers grasp, see a defender clear the loose ball but the clearance went straight towards Gary Ticehurst who headed home from six yards out and it was a level game once again. White Ensign 2 Rayleigh Town 2.
You could see how much the game meant to both sides as their were some physical challenges going in and no doubt one more goal would probably turn out to be the winner. With six minutes to go the hosts had a great chance when a ball over top of Rayleigh defence saw winger Burrell run onto the ball, round the keeper but overrun the ball off for goal kick. In his desperation he fell over but the referee wasn’t falling for that trick.
Both teams then squandered great chances early in stoppage time as they were both going for a winner and then two mins into stoppage time a corner saw the Rayleigh keeper drop the ball again and then see an effort cleared off his line before the grateful keeper gathered the loose ball. Just a minute later only brave keeping from the hosts stopper thwarted a Rayleigh attack as the keeper dived at the strikers feet to smother the chance.
It wasn’t a frenetic end to a keenly contested derby and it ended all square in what was a thoroughly entertaining encounter played in awful conditions it has to be said. Thank goodness for the 3G surface that’s all I can say oh and the covered seating at the ground too!!!
Full Time White Ensign 2 Rayleigh Town 2
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