So the first weekend of February saw me over at Crofters to see an in formSawbridgeworth Town take on Sporting Bengal United who themselves were playing well without the luck in recent weeks.
I was also in attendance to award joint Sawbo managers John & Mark Watters the ELRGrassroots Football Show manager of the month award for January after their fine start to the year,which has seen them climb into seventh spot. (pic below)
The hosts were dealt a blow before kick off though when Joe Wright was injured in the warm up meaning he could not take his place in the starting line up and although the first opening saw home skipper Matt Frew head over it had been a rather scrappy start to the contest.
However on twenty minutes an attack from the visitors saw them burst into the box and see Lewis Deamer mistime a challenge and give away a penalty, which he was duly booked for.Oscar Mendes then converted the spot kick and the Mile End outfit had a shock lead.
And two minutes later it was to get worse for the hosts after Deamer decided to lunge into a tackle and get the man and not the ball and receive another yellow and was therefore dismissed from the field meaning Sawbo would play the remainder of the contest with ten men.
And with the game just short of the half hour mark the visitors struck again to leave the hosts in a hole and a half when a free kick whipped in from the left saw David Vaughan get across his marker to flick the ball home at the near post and double Sportings advantage.
The hosts needed a spark from somewhere and nearly found it just past the half hour mark when Reece Cosson squared to Toby Cleaver but he could only scuff well wide when it looked certain he would score and then moments later the visitors saw Vaughan in for the visitors but his effort was straight at the keeper.
Then on 34 minutes controversy as Cleaver got in behind the defence and looked to be fouled but the referee claimed that the striker clipped his own heels so gave nothing and this rather incensed the hosts bench, none more so then John Watters who was threatened to be sent to the stands for dissent although in the end chose to leave the dugout and take his place on the far side.
It had certainly been a frustrating half for the home side and it nearly got worse still when the visitors went close twice in two minutes as Jack Lamb saw his header tipped over from point blank range and then a mad goalmouth scramble on the hosts goal line eventually cleared. Had the visitors gone three goals ahead the game might well have been gone for the hosts.
Sawbo though did end the half well and saw Cleaver send a looping header just over in first half stoppage time before Cosson then headed wide as the hosts looked for a way back into the contest. However despite the scoreline you felt the home side weren’t out of it just yet although had work to do that’s for sure.
Half Time Sawbridgeworth Town 0 Sporting Bengal United 2
The second half was only two minutes old when the hosts almost got that all important goal back when Cosson thumped a cut back over the bar but the home side, despite being a man short, were the ones on the front foot. Just before the hour mark Cosson was denied again, this time seeing his effort brilliantly tipped wide as it looked like being one of those days for the home side.
However just before the hour mark Gavin Cockman, on as a second half substitute, managed to cut inside and thump an effort in off the post and the hosts now really did believe they could get something from the contest.
Sawbo continued to knock on the door and saw a free kick headed just over by Cleaver before another effort was cleared off the line as Sporting were clinging onto their now fragile advantage.
And in the 67th minute the door was finally blown down as the ten men levelled as who else butCockman raced through to slots home and now you felt their would only be one winner now. Cockman had certainly transformed the game for the hosts there was no doubt about that.
Another player who was having a fine game for the hosts was Cosson and he fired one across goal with around fifteen minutes left as they hunted for a winner. And with a minute of the ninety left it looked like they had missed that final chance when Cockman side footed over from twelve yards as the headlines were about to be written.
But in the 93rd minute the visitors gave away a free kick on the edge of the box and one last chance was presented to them. Cosson duly stepped up to crack home the free kick into the bottom corner and send the home side into raptures and saw John Watters scale the perimeter fence and celebrate with his side, including a double knee slide which was a good moment.
It had certainly been a great comeback with ten men and showed the character this side has and it also continued their great run as they now go level on points with fifth placed Stansted. For Sporting it was a gut wrenching defeat and summed up their season to date, and with rivalsTower Hamlets winning it meant they dropped back below them into third bottom, capping a poor day for Imrul Gazi’s side.
Full Time Sawbridgeworth Town 3 Sporting Bengal United 2
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