I was at an important game down at the foot of the Essex Senior League table on Tuesday night as Burnham Ramblers hosted Tower Hamlets at Leslie Field.
The two sides had met on Saturday and saw the Mile End side come out 4-1 winners which put a little daylight between them and the bottom two sides. It was therefore important that the hosts got something from this game and knew a win could see them climb off the foot of the division.
The visitors so nearly had an early lead though when they saw Rahim Adama Bamba hit a terrific effort off the bar with the keeper getting the faintest of touches after six minutes but almost immediately the hosts themselves struck the frame of the goal from an acute angle as both sides looked to get their noses in front.
But on ten minutes the breakthrough did arrive and it came from the home side as Charlie Hughes struck a shot across the keeper and in off the far post and the bottom side had the advantage.
The hosts were now on the front foot and in the 17th minute saw a good chance fall to them inside the box but the effort was straight at the keeper and then moments later another effort was side footed just wide of near post after a decent run and cross down the left hand side.
The visitors did threaten again midway through the half though when the lively Bamba went close again, hitting a dipping effort just over the bar, but in the 25th minute the hosts doubled their lead when a poor defensive header went up into the air and saw Hughes volley home from close range and give the hosts a two goal cushion.
And four minutes before the break things were to get even better for the hosts as Hughes burst clean through on goal and he duly rounded the exposed keeper and slotted home into the empty net for his hat-trick and Burnham’s third. It had been a wonderful half for the hosts whilst for the visitors it had been a fairly poor one as their defending once again had let them down.
Half Time Burnham Ramblers 3 Tower Hamlets 0
The hosts immediately threatened at the start of the second half and after a terrific run into the area and ball across goal was scrambled away by a desperate defence and the remained on the back foot for the opening ten minutes of the half as the hosts tried to kill them game off once and for all.
Hamlets first chance of the half came in the 56th minute when firing a decent chance inches over from inside the area and then in the 66th minute came the visitors best chance to date when Bamba raced clear of the Burnham back line, but he saw his effort saved by the keeper before moments later up the other end the hosts saw an effort tipped onto the bar.
Burnham had another chance to kill the game stone dead in the 73rd minute when they saw the keeper make a decent near post save before the return ball in saw Hughes blast over when well positioned.
And then a minute later the visitors did get on the scoresheet when from nowhere Leoman Medrado took aim from twenty five yards out and struck a decent effort into the bottom corner and suddenly Hamlets had a lifeline.
However the visitors didn’t really threaten to find another goal which would of made the contest even more interesting and the hosts, who were reduced to ten men with three minutes left following a second booking for Bobby Bird after a late challenge, looked fairly comfortable.
The hosts did in fact almost add a fourth goal in stoppage time but Hughes somehow hit the post from close range, however it mattered not in the grand scheme of things as the hosts picked up a huge three points which took them off the bottom on goal difference and also gained instant revenge for their defeat only three days before.
Full Time Burnham Ramblers 3 Tower Hamlets 1
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