Southend Manor 1 Woodford Town 2

Essex Senior League Premier Division, Wednesday 18th October 2018

A Jack Grosvenor header ten minutes from time saw Woodford Town to all three points with victory over Southend Manor at Southchurch Park, lifting them into sixth in the ESL Premier Division as a result.

The hosts certainly started the better of the two sides and almost netted inside a minute but saw a close-range effort mis-kicked meaning the keeper could gather easily, whilst another two efforts from Manor went over the bar.

Woodford, who had been on the back foot for the majority of the opening fifteen minutes, saw a deflected effort go over the bar but in the 19^th minute they took the lead with their first effort on target as a Ethan Kessel free-kick found the head of Malaki Toussaint and the midfielder sent a downward header into the net from point blank range.

Manor, who had missed another good opening prior to Woodford’s opener, passed up more opportunities thereafter when an effort at the near post was beaten away before a square ball across the area was struck over the bar, and then a powerful header also went over the target.

More Manor chances then followed, seeing the keeper make a decent save down to his left, and then another close range header again missing the target, but the visitors were beginning to look dangerous on the counter and almost nipped in a couple of times as the half went on, and towards the latter part of the half a good ball to the far post by Woodford nearly found an attacker, before a mis-kicked attempt inside the box ended up being easily gathered by the keeper.

But after all that it was that 19^th minute header from Toussaint that separated the sides at the break although Manor will wonder how they were not at least level after all the chances they had created in that period.

Half Time Southend Manor 0 Woodford Town 1

The home side had a great chance to level twelve minutes into the second period when they were awarded a penalty after a foul inside the box, although the visitors were adamant that they had won the ball and were very unhappy with the awarding of the spot-kick.  Charlie Barlow stepped up but saw his penalty saved anyway as the hosts passed up the chance to level.

There were fewer openings in the second half for the next twenty minutes or so and the only efforts on goal both came from Kessel, however both were straight at Manor keeper Klinton Makayabo who managed to comfortably save both efforts, and the game was becoming scrappy.

But then with eleven minutes to go the hosts did find an equaliser when sloppy defending allowed Manor substitute Rhys Fatt in to slot home and set up an interesting last ten minutes or so, and the hosts looked like they believed they could now go on a win it.

Woodford though had other ideas and with Manor still celebrating their leveller the visitors mounted an attack and caught their opponents cold as a ball into the box saw keeper Makayabo come for a cross but see Woodford centre half Grosvenor beat him to the ball to nod into the unguarded net and immediately restore the visitors lead.

Manor pushed forward in search of another leveller and were looking susceptible to a Woodford counter attack, and one such counter saw a decent stop from Makayabo deny a clinching third for the visitors.  But the hosts could not find another goal and it meant the visitors held out for the points.

Full Time Southend Manor 1 Woodford Town 2