Sawbridgeworth Town 2 Takeley 3

Essex Senior League, Tuesday 30th August 2016

Tuesday night action this week came from Crofters in Sawbridgeworth as the hosts Sawbridgeworth Town took on local rivals Takeley in what is normally a fiercly competitive local derby.

The teams had already met in the league at Station Road this season and that ended in a 1-1 draw although the teams have had differing fortunes this season so far, Sawbo are yet to record a win whilst Takeley have won four of their six league games and remain unbeaten.

Despite this though a tight and competitive battle was expected although the hosts were caught cold immediately from kick off as a ball through saw Charlie Cole use his pace to get beyond the defence and smack an effort beyond Matt Pointer and see the visitors ahead after barely ten seconds of play.

It certainly was a flying start from the away side and four minutes later they incredibly doubled their lead and it’s a goal keeper Pointer will want to forget as a lofted ball forward towards the edge of the box saw the keeper come to claim the ball but the ball bounced high off the rock hard surface and sailed over his head, landing straight to the feet of Cole who duly accepted the gift to finish from the angle into the corner.

It had been a disastrous start for the hosts but to their credit they managed to regroup and mount a swift fightback and on twelve minutes grabbed a goal back when an effort from Reece Cosson from the edge of the box was hit into the ground towards goal and it bounced up into the six yard box where George Tubey managed to head home and reduce the arrears.

And six minutes later this crazy start to this contest continued when the hosts found an equaliser as a ball swung into the box saw Gavin Cockman rise to power home a header beyond visiting keeper Josh Knigh and wipe out Takeley’s early advantage. What a start!!!

The pace of the contest continued at a frenetic pace and Sawbo keeper Pointer was having a shaky start to this one, having been rescued twice by his defence, once either side of the hosts leveller. He was then rescued by his post moments later when Takeley full back Sean Sammoogan thumped a close range effort against the woodwork after Cole’s initial header had been blocked, and all this action had come inside the first half hour.

The visitors had created the majority of the chances but it was Sawbo who so nearly went in front two mins before the half time break as a ball across the box found it’s way to Cockman who somehow sliced wide of the target with the goal at his mercy and just the keeper to beat. However this breathless half of football ended all square and no doubt both sides could of done with the fifteen minute break!!

Half Time Sawbridgeworth Town 2 Takeley 2

The second half carried on pretty much the first half had ended tempo wise, frenetic, and ten minutes into the half Takeley managed to get their noses back in front again and it was a great goal too asReece Barrett bamboozled a defender with some brilliant skill on the edge of the box before finishing past Pointer to give the Station Road side a slender advantage.

Takeley were now aiming to add a fourth and restore the two goal lead they had early on in the contest and on the hour mark saw hosts keeper Pointer make a good save from George Powell‘s flick as the game continued at its 100 miles an hour theme.

As the game entered its final twenty minutes the hosts began to put some pressure on the Takeley defence as they searched for leveller but they found the visiting defence a solid nut to crack, however with ten minutes to go they almost breached it when a great floating ball over the top of the Takeley defence from Cosson saw Cockman run onto the ball but keeper Knigh came to save the effort.

The visitors were now a threat on the counter attack and Cole almost got in down the other end moments later but the bounce was too high for the striker and and Pointer managed to claim the ball on this occasion. It must be noted that the host keeper’s performance improved as the game went on after the shaky start he had endured.

As the game entered it’s final few minutes the hosts really tried to put pressure on the visitors back line but the away side stood firm and almost sealed the deal four minutes into stoppage time when another ex-Sawbo attacker, Mitchell Das, got in on goal but after rounding Pointer he blasted way over from an acute angle.

Would it prove costly? Well no as a couple of minutes later the referee brought this thrilling contest to a conclusion and Takeley had returned to the top of the league and opened up a two point cushion as well. For the hosts it’s three defeats on the spin and still no wins in the league so far. However judging on this performance the first one cannot be too far away.

Full Time Sawbridgeworth Town 2 Takeley 3

Wadham Lodge 0 Redbridge 0

Essex Senior League, Saturday 27th August 2016

So I was back at Kitchener Road in Walthamstow for the second time in four days as I came to see Wadham Lodge take on Redbridge in a ESL battle.

Both teams have had difficult starts to the season after much rebuilding in the summer but both had recorded decent wins over Haringey & Waltham recently so would have taken heart from that no doubt.

With both sides having very similar records so far this campaign it was always going to be a tight contest one felt. And sure enough the opening ten minutes yielded very little in the way ofgoal mouth action as both sides looked to feel their way into the contest.

Once past the quarter hour mark though Lodge began to take the reins and on 18 minutes so nearly grabbed the lead when a free kick swung into the box saw skipper Elliot Scott flick an effort towards goal which came off the bar and bounce down just before the line before it was cleared.

The hosts continued to have the openings that came along although they were unable to really test keeper Jack Mernach in the visitors goal.

Redbridge had rarely threatened going forward until seven minutes before the break when a cross into the dangerzone saw Lee Weemes divert an effort inches over when he probably should of scored. It was a warning to the hosts however.

But with no further goal mouth action to speak of the half ended goal less with Wadham Lodge the happier of the two sides thus far you would of thought.

Half Time Wadham Lodge 0 Redbridge 0

The visitors came out after the break with much more purpose about them and pushed their opponents back, creating a couple of openings inside the first ten minutes of the half.

Lodge had effectively resorted to counter attacking football and one such break saw Usama Hamdan almost get in but keeper Mernach came to smother the effort before it could beat him.

However it was the Motormen who were doing most of the pressing in this half and midway through it skipper Adam Hunt saw a twenty yard volley go inches wide as they continued to have the better of the game since the half time break.

Wadham created a rare second half opening with around fifteen minutes to go when sub Russell Downes stung the palms of keeper Mernach and they went even closer inside the last ten minutes when Henri Okosi saw an effort cleared off the line by the visitors.

However despite the visitors creating several openings they hardly tested host keeper Jasdeep Singh Bhoarua, largely down to the two centre halves in the hosts defence producing wonderful blocks when required.

And so in a match where both teams had failed to keep a clean sheet all season it ended in a goalless draw. It’s one positive both sides can take from a game that wasn’t great but was also not the worst I’ve seen. Ok but not great is probably how this one will be remembered.

Full Time Wadham Lodge 0 Redbridge 0

Waltham Forest 1 Sawbridgeworth Town 0

Essex Senior League, Wednesday 24th August 2016

So Wednesday night saw me over at Kitchener Road, Walthamstow, for a match betweenWaltham Forest and Sawbridgeworth Town in the Essex Senior League.

Hosts Forest had started the season with three straight wins, scoring eleven goals in the process, whilst Sawbridgeworth Town were unbeaten having drawn their opening two games so this proved to be a tight and potentially exciting encounter.

Forest made their attacking intentions clear from the off when Moses stung the palms of Sawbokeeper Ponter with a fierce shot from outside the box whilst Sawbo fizzed one over the top, although it was given offside, as the start of the match was a fairly even affair.

Forest then went close again as Moses danced his way through three or four tackles to bear down on goal but Ponter again saved, this time with his legs, to thwart the hosts giant striker before Davidsonfollowed up and could only send his effort way over the crossbar.

As the game passed the quarter hour mark the hosts were beginning to crank up the pressure on the visitors defence but the Sawbo back line were able to deal with what was thrown at them thus far. Balls into the visitors box were causing some issues though and one such moment saw the loose ball come out to Mohammed whose effort was well wide of the target though but Forest were definitely looking more of an attacking threat.

Davidson whipped another dangerous ball in minutes later which almost found a team mate but saw keeper Ponter just get to the ball first was his fist to clear the danger. So although the half saw the hosts look the livelier going forward, Sawbo seemed fairly comfortable in the game as the half ended goal less.

Half Time Waltham Forest 0 Sawbridgeworth Town 0

The second half saw the visitors immediately look much more of a threat up front and they started the half on the front foot, seeing a long throw cause some issues and then one of the resulting corners go right across the face of goal.

Forest continued to look spritely up front and just before the hour saw another Davidson cross cause a scramble inside the box until the flag went up for offside and then moments later the hosts headed wide well when placed.

However on 63 minutes Sawbo created arguably their best chance of the game as a defence lapse presented the ball to Fortune about six yards out but his point blank range effort saw saved by Seetah’s legs and the chance was gone. It was a golden chance and tippified the visitors much improved attacking prowess in the second period.

The next moments of action saw the hosts scream for a penalty although in my view it was never a penalty in a million years and then see the visitors go up the other end and poke an opening well wide of the target as both teams looked to try and gain the advantage.

As the game entered it’s final twenty minutes or so Forest began to crank up the pressure although they were finding the visitors a tough nut to crack. One of the Forest coaching staff was sent from the dugout as the hosts began to look frustrated at not being able to get a breakthrough and the hosts saw Maxwell almost get in on goal but his control was poor and the chance went away.

Their was a flash of lightning behind the goal after this which looked menacing and angry and the hosts were to feel aggrieved and angry with ten minutes or so remaining when a Davdison corner swung into the near post saw keeper Ponter just about keep the ball out but on a second look it appears the ball did actually cross the line, hence the strong and fierce claims of a goal from the hosts, which fell on deaf ears.

However instead of letting this moment affect them, the hosts scored with their next attack as after some pressure from the visitors on the hosts backline, Forest broke down the other end and saw Moses play Rheo Jospeths in on goal and the hosts player slid a decent finish beyond Ponter and in off the post for the breakthrough with seven minutes to go.

Sawbo committed a few more men into attacking positions thereafter in an attempt to find a leveller and Forest almost sealed the deal but saw Davidson slice wide before Corriera saw an effort saved by Sawbo keeper Ponter. Fortune then was inches away from connecting with a far post cross up the other end before Cosson saw an effort deflected inches over the hosts bar as they looked to snatch a point.

They were unable to though and Forest took the points in a very hard fought win over the visitors. The hosts therefore made it four wins from four and are still the only side with a 100% record in the league this season as they move into third. For Sawbo this was their first loss of the campaign but they showed more then enough in this one to suggest they can be more than competitive this season.

Full Time Waltham Forest 1 Sawbridgeworth Town 0

Stanway Rovers 3 Barking 2 (aet)

The Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay, Tuesday 23rd August 2016

Tuesday evening saw me over on the outskirts of Colchester as I visited The Hawthorns,Stanway Rovers FC for their FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay tie against Barking.

It had been around twenty years since I last visited the ground and much had changed of course although the pitch and surrounding areas seemed similar to what I remember from before. Anyway it was a perfect sunny evening for football so it certainly helped the excitement build before kick off.

The sides had played out a pretty poor 0-0 draw at the weekend in East London so it was hoped that this replay would at least be a better spectacle. However for the first half hour or so the game was fairly quiet with only a couple of openings for the hosts comfortably dealt with by Jason Willis and the visitors heading a chance well wide of the target the only notable goal mouth action.

But then from nowhere came a lead for the Blues when a ball pumped into the box saw Paul Oshinsend a looping header over hosts keeper Rhys Hughes and into the net to see the visitors go in front. It was probably the only real moment of quality in the whole half if truth be told.

Just before half time both sides had openings, firstly when the hosts almost scored a comical own goal but managed to get back to clear, and then secondly Willis managed to save from point blank range after the hosts had miscued an effort when full contact may have resulted in a leveller, however it was the visiting ESL side who went into the half with a slender lead.

Half Time Stanway Rovers 0 Barking 1

The early exchanges in the second half saw the hosts apply much greater pressure on the Barking back line and saw an early chance go begging when a free kick was headed back across the face of goal and wide. The Blues spent much of the first ten to fifteen minutes of the second half pegged back as the hosts tried to find a leveller but on the hour mark Barking really should of made it two when Ricky Tarrard found himself in on goal but he lifted his effort over the bar.

And moments later the Blues should of netted again when a loose ball across the area found John Bricknell who looked certain to score but for a block on the line by a recovering defender. It was another golden chance for the visitors to double their advantage in the tie.

The hosts though were still doing a lot of pressing and with ten minutes left Jamie Shaw forced Willis into a decent stop at his near post as the Blues were being pushed back again. And then with four minutes to go the hosts were awarded a penalty for an apparent hold, although it looked slightly soft to me, and Shaw stepped up to send the spot kick in via Willis’s hand and the hosts had found the leveller.

The Blues were furious and went in search of a winner in normal time and low and behold they then won themselves a spot kick three minutes later for what I think was a push inside the box and James Peagram had the chance to win it for the visitors but his penalty was poor and straight at Hughes who saved the effort meaning the tie would go into extra time.

Full Time Stanway Rovers 1 Barking 1

So after that dramatic end to the game would extra time provide any more twists and turns? Well less than a minute into the extra half hour Stanway went in front when Shaw sent a looping header over a stranded Willis and it was the hosts who looked likely to add to their tally as they saw William Hunt’s effort well tipped over by Willis soon after.

And then two minutes before the end of the first period Stanway did increase their lead when Daniel Thrower drove into the box and rammed a left footed effort past Willis from inside the box and gave the hosts a two goal cushion heading into the half time break in extra time.

Half Time in ET Stanway Rovers 3 Barking 1

If you thought that was the end of the drama then think again. Barking knew they had to pull something out of the hat to get back into this tie and a minute into the second period they sawPeagram smash home a wonderful free kick to bring the scoreline to 3-2 and it was game on again.

Thereafter the Blues swarmed all over the hosts defence as they searched for the equaliser but although they continued to knock on the door Rovers continued to cling on to their lead. And with only a few minutes to go Barking’s joint manager and substitute Glen Golby struck a magnificent effort from range which struck the inside of the post and rolled across the goal and away.

Barking continued to press and the hosts then saw substitute Tyler Kemp sent off for a secondbooking for handball which led to another Barking set piece in a dangerous area. However the free kick was over hit and drifted out and Stanway had survived the barrage of attacks to take their place in the First Qualifying Round and a match with Barton Rovers.

This game may have began slowly but boy did it turn into a classic cup tie or what. Fabulous entertainment.

Full Time after ET Stanway Rovers 3 Barking 2