I was at the big top of the table clash in the ESL on Saturday in the Matchday Centre as fifth placed Wadham Lodge took on second placed Basildon United.
Both teams are known for their good attacking style of play and the reverse fixture at The Hive earlier in the season had finished 4-3 to the Bees, so goals were again expected in this one.
And from the off both sides made it clear they were going to attack and the hosts almost had the ideal start as a ball to Charlie Georgiou saw the forward slot just wide of the post. The Beesthen went straight up the other end and saw Robert Clark fire just over the bar as the game took on a rather frenetic pace.
On 4 minutes Ben Sartain struck an effort just wide for Basildon whilst up the other end Georgiou poked a cross wide at the near post as the end to end nature of the game continued. On 13 minutes a good move by the visitors saw Brad Warner‘s shot go wide and a minute later Luka Frankis managed to get in for Basildon but after going round keeper Dan Mulrooney he lost his footing and saw the chance go.
Just past the quarter hour mark the Bees attacked again and saw a ball laid back to Warner who fired a great effort at goal but Mulrooney managed to beat away the effort and then on twenty minutes Bees forward Frankis, who was making his debut for the visitors after signing from rivals Bowers, outpaced the defence again but sliced wide. Wadham then went straight up the other end and saw Harry Honesty hit wide of the target.
Midway through this frenetic half a good move from Lodge saw Andre Bennett fire a dangerous ball across the six yard box but no one managed to get on the end of it and then on 26 minutes Frankis dragged one wide from a good position for Basildon. Two minutes later another Lodge chance saw an effort tipped over and then from the next attack a great clearance from the visiting defence denied Georgiou’s close range header.
As the game went past the half hour mark the pace began to slow down slightly after a rather hectic opening but nine minutes before the break Lodge went so close to opening the scoring when after a ball was laid back to Janel Alexander, his effort thumped off the Basildon crossbar and away from danger. Moments later Basildon defender Brendan Cavalier saw an effort tipped over by Mulrooney and then four minutes before half time a Clark free kick was glanced just wide by Basildon centre half Paul Shaves.
So despite both teams creating numerous openings the first half ended goal less.
Half Time Wadham Lodge 0 Basildon United 0
Basildon made a change at the start of the second half as keeper Grant Haywood went off injured so sub keeper Russell Harley took over in goal. Both teams continued their attacking philosophy and seven minutes into the half Sipho Mtyanda dragged one wide from the edge of the box for the Bees.
On 55 minutes Honesty got into the box for Lodge but saw his effort beaten away by Harley and then just before the hour mark a great defensive block denied Basildon before down the other end Georgiou went on great run before firing across goal and wide for hosts.
But then just past the hour mark Basildon struck twice in as many minutes to grab a strong hold on this game. On 61 minutes the visitors finally broke the deadlock when Sartain’s powerful effort was parried into the air by Mulrooney but as the ball landed behind him it spun towards goal and saw Frankis poke home from three yards. Then two minutes later Warner’s effort from inside the box deflected past a wrong-footed Mulrooney and double their money.
In the aftermath of the second goal Basildon manager Craig Gillam was sent off for apparently upsetting the referee but his team were now in a strong position. Lodge almost found a way back into the contest on 68 minutes but saw Basildon keeper Hayward produce a great save to deny a Georgiou curling effort from outside the box.
With just under twenty minutes to go a great run by Mike Finneran, another ex-Bowers player, saw him into the box but his eventual effort go wide of the hosts goal. Wadham were doing alot of pressing themselves but just could not find that end product and one such attack with seven minutes to go when Samuel Owusu burst into the box but his ball across goal was cleared from danger.
The Bees were looking dangerous on the break now and with Eden Nelson and Farhad Nyanjahaving come on their pace was a danger to the hosts and on 84 minutes Sartain broke onto a loose ball but fired a dipping effort over the bar for Basildon before another break three minuteslater saw Clark play a great ball to Mtyanda whose ball to the near post saw Finneran’s effort deflected wide.
Just as the game entered stoppage time the hosts had one final chance when after a corner had bounced around inside the box it eventually fell to Owusu whose effort went wide and the hosts had lost at home for the second time in three games. For the Bees it was a good three points and they stay just one point behind leaders FC Romania with two games in hand.
Full Time Wadham Lodge 0 Basildon United 2
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