So I was over at Hargrave Park on Wednesday evening for what proved to be an intriguing match up in the ESL as Stansted hosted Greenhouse Sports.
The hosts knew a win would take them into the top ten whilst for the visitors a win would put a little daylight between them and the bottom three places.
The hosts came into this off the back of a 5-0 thumping of their rivals Takeley and they carried on that confident approach in this game early on and carved out an opportunity within the first two minutes when an early corner for the hosts saw keeper Hamza Sadouk half punch out but the resulting effort from the hosts was wayward.
On five minutes a free kick from Sam Ashford almost crept in but Sadouk managed to punch clear of the Greenhouse as players were following in hoping for a tap in and then two minutes later another Stansted attack saw the ball played out to Matt Ashwell down the left and his cross found Tom Lakin who sadly for the hosts could not beat Sadouk from close range.
It was no surprise then when the hosts did take the lead on twelve minutes when a cross saw the ball flicked on twice, eventually finding the prolific Lakin who easily finished from close range and see his side into an early lead. Greenhouse almost responded two minutes later though and only a great last ditch tackle from Mark Roach denied them a clear effort on goal and then the visitors saw a shot cleared away from goal soon after.
The hosts then began to exert some more pressure on the visitors goal but couldn’t carve out aclear cut chance. However just before the half hour mark they doubled their lead when after a good spell from the visitors the hosts caught Greenhouse on the break and saw Lakin race clear from the half way line and finish confidently past Sadouk for the hosts second. It was Lakin’s fifth goal in a game and a half following his hat-trick on Saturday.
Six minutes before the half time whistle the visitors were probably fortunate not to go down to ten men when Edurahim Oyemakinde appeared to swing an arm at Matt Gill,catching him right in the face, but none of the officials saw it as a definate edge had come into the game by now. And then in the 44th minute the visitors got a goal back to frustrate their opponents even more when good skill from Ange Ramiravelo on the right saw him cross into the six yard box were the ball was flicked home by Mickandress Mack and gave Greenhouse hopes of a comeback.
Moments after this though Stansted really should of restored their two goal cushion when Matt Wedlake saw his point blank effort saved by Sadouk before seconds later Wedlake again had an opportunity but could only fire his effort inches wide after a one two with Lakin. So the hosts went into the break ahead although the visitors were well in this contest too.
Half Time Stansted 2 Greenhouse Sports 1
The visitors, boyed by their late first half goal, started the second half well but it was the hosts who carved out the first chance of the half but saw a weak header from close range by Jack Hayes easily gathered by Sadouk. Greenhouse continued to have more of the ball but almost came a cropper ten minutes into the half when keeper Sadouk failed to gather a Jack Isherwood free kick but Lakin’s follow up effort was headed off the line, preventing the striker’s second hat-trick in less than a week.
On the hour mark a corner from the hosts saw the Greenhouse goal lead a charmed life as powerful Hayes header was tipped onto the bar before the follow up effort was somehow blocked and cleared away from goal and then with just under twenty minutes to go a ricochet fell to Lakin who totally miscued his effort across goal. The game, while still at 2-1, was still in the balance as the next goal was crucial.
Two minutes later Stansted sent a deep ball into the visitors box which saw Lakin head wellwide and then on 75 minutes skipper Tom Le Masurier wacked just over the bar for the hosts as they looked to seal the points. With just over ten minutes remaining another great ball into the visitors six yard box saw the hosts fail to convert and then substitute Tom Hollamby fired one across goal for the hosts but no one could convert.
Greenhouse were never out of the contest though and were looking dangerous going forward without managing to create a real clear cut chance. With eight minutes left they broke in numbers but yet again the final ball in was too far in front of Ilias Antzara coming in on at the back post and he couldn’t divert the ball in whilst at full stretch.
Greenhouse continued to look threatening going forward and the hosts had to remain alert to this fact that whilst they had the better chances, they still only had that one goal cushion. The closer the match got towards the end the visitors looked more likely to level and deep intostoppage time the visitors were piling on the pressure and Ramarivelo fired one across the box but it failed to find a Greenhouse shirt and yet again the chance was gone. Stansted managed to hold on and pick up the points, taking them into ninth whilst Greenhouse remain fourth bottom.
Full Time Stansted 2 Greenhouse Sports 1
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