My second Essex Senior League game of the weekend saw me over at Barking‘sMayesbrook Park as tenant’s West Essex were hosting Ilford.
Ilford had won six of their seven games this month whilst the hosts had also been on a decent run until their home defeat to Southend Manor in midweek, but with two attacking sides on show a decent game was definitely on the cards.
The hosts started the better in the opening few minutes but it was Ilford who really have take the lead on five minutes as after keeper Jack Coker had parried out an effort from Sipho Mytanda to Carl Mullings, the forward from inside the six yard box hit his effort straight at Coker for a poor miss.
Four minutes later and Ilford were holding their heads in their hands again as another Foxes chance saw an Eden Nelson glancing header well saved by Coker who dived brilliantly to his left to push the ball away for a corner.
On 13 minutes the hosts forced Ilford keeper Chris Clark to punch over his on bar for a corner but from this corner Tom Macleod volleyed an effort miles wide. Ilford then saw Mullings fire wide of the near post in the 20th minute as the Foxes threatened again.
But then a minute after that the hosts found a breakthrough when Michael Mignot burst down the right and saw his ball across goal tapped home by Cameron Gray at the far post and just like that the hosts led.
It almost got worse for Ilford in the 25th minute too when a visitors free kick was blasted against their own player and almost allowed Isaac Marfo in on goal but the bounce of the ball allowed keeper Clark to come out and avert any danger.
The hosts were now looking the better wide following the goal and on 27 minutes saw a corner flash across goal but no one was there to touch it in at the far post before moments before the break the hosts felt aggrieved after a bounce of the ball defeated Ilford fullback Chris Lockwood and saw Mignot try to get clear and claimed he was pulled back, but nothing was given which didn’t please the home bench/players/spectators.
However they would of been pleased with their teams efforts as they went into the break a goal to the good.
Half Time West Essex 1 Ilford 0
Whatever was said in each dressing room went out of the window seconds into the restart as the hosts made it two almost straight away as Nick Walk nodded home a loose ball after Ilford had failed to clear their lines and they were right up against it now.
The hosts went for a killer third and ten minutes into the half Marfo blasted way over from a good position before centre half Daniel Christie struck an effort against the post three minutes later although it was offside then down the other end Ilford saw another golden chance go begging when the normally reliable Nelson got clean through but could only slot his effort wide.
On the hour mark Mytanda tested hosts keeper Coker from miles out, seeing the keeper punch away for a corner, before on 65 minutes the hosts should of sealed the deal when after Mignot had beaten keeper Clarke to the ball, he crossed to Marfo who netted but was offside so the goal was ruled out.
With just over twenty minutes to go Coker produced a good stop to deny Ilford substitute Joe Killingback and as the game entered into it’s last fifteen minutes the hosts were defending well against quite a few visiting attacks.
Ilford though did eventually find a breakthrough in the 86th minute to give them a sniff of a comeback when skipper Isaac Nkosi headed a powerful effort at goal and saw Nelson get a touch to divert the ball home and give the Foxes hope they could maybe snatch a point.
However Mignot should of made the final few moments more comfortable for the hosts two minutes later when he saw his close range volley lack power and went straight to Clark, but it mattered not as the hosts held on for a very well earned three points.
Full Time West Essex 2 Ilford 1
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