Skipper Chancery Dash netted a brace as he inspired
St Margaretsbury to a terrific three points as they defeated Sawbridgeworth
Town in a fiercely contested local derby at Crofters in the Essex Senior League
Premier Division.
The hosts had the first
opening as new signing Sipho Mtyanda laid a ball into the path of Joe Wright who
rifled a first-time effort over the bar, but with two elapsed St Margs took the
lead as Ramone Cassidy-Sinclair walked through a gaping hole in the Sawbo
defence and slotted beyond keeper Jarvis Monk.
The frenetic start to the
contest continued and saw the hosts create three quick chances to level,
firstly when an acrobatic effort from Daryl Doolan saw visiting keeper Brad Ronson
pluck the ball out of the air, then another effort from the hosts went straight
at Ronson, before the hosts then flashed a ball across the dangerzone.
The visitors themselves had
a couple of efforts themselves as well to double the lead, firstly when they
saw an effort blocked before secondly saw another chance saved by Jarvis Monk,
it was certainly a game you couldn’t take your eyes off for a moment.
Dash then saw a free-kick
tipped over by Jarvis Monk, before the hosts keeper had to keep out a close-range
effort from the visiting side as they started to take control of this contest
for the first time.
But just as that looked
likely the hosts found the leveller after Wright had been hauled down inside
the box to win a penalty, he picked himself up to convert the spot-kick and
bring the hosts level in this contest.
Sawbo then had a couple of
openings as they tried to get in front, firstly seeing a near post flick kept
out by Ronson, and then secondly seeing another effort blocked, whilst down the
other end Dash saw a glancing header deflected over the bar, but the visitors
did suffer a big blow when loosing goalscorer Cassidy-Sinclair to injury.
It didn’t seem to affect them to much in this one though and
after his replacement Connor Scully had cut inside and fired wide of the near
post, St Margs grabbed the lead a minute before the break in controversial circumstances. A ball into the box saw Dash and Jarvis Monk go
up for a challenge and the keeper appeared to get both hands to the ball but
Dash appeared to head the ball but also knock the keeper off the ball too and
see it end up in the corner of the net.
Everyone expected a foul to be given but no, the referee
deemed it a legal challenge and the goal stood, much to the dismay of the
hosts. It meant the visitors went into
the break with a slender advantage.
Half Time Sawbridgeworth
Town 1 St Margaretsbury 2
The early exchanges of the second period saw the visitors so
nearly increase their lead, firstly when they got in on goal and try and lob
keeper Jarvis Monk who was outside his area, but the keeper saved with his head
somehow, and then Dash struck a free-kick against the inside of the post with
the keeper nowhere near it.
It meant the game remained in the balance and with the hosts
still in touching distance, and they almost found a leveller when Danny Wickenden
tried his luck from distance and saw the ball go inches wide of the far post,
and then they also saw an effort well blocked as the visitors had to dig deep
to keep their lead.
St Margs stood firm though, and with around seven minutes remaining
the game was pretty much done and dusted although there were some rather
unfortunate scenes leading up to it.
Luke Marshall was fouled outside the box by full back Louis
Monk, and the Sawbo player stumbled over the attacker, who took offence to him
standing on his ankle. They both went
head to head and then suddenly Marshall fell to the ground suggesting he had
been head butted by the full back, although contact looked minimal at best.
The referee though decided it was a head butt and sent off Louis
Monk, which again angered the hosts, and it meant the home side now were a man
short as well as a goal down. And from the
free-kick Dash saw his set-piece squirm through the grasp of Jarvis Monk and
into the net and seal the points for the visitors and also cap a fine
performance from the visiting skipper Dash.
Full Time
Sawbridgeworth Town 1 St Margaretsbury 3
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