Hosts Hainault Athletic netted a 94th
minute winner as they grabbed only their second win of the season to haul
themselves off the foot of the table with victory over Debden Sports at
Barkingside Recreation Ground.
The hosts came into this one having lost five of their six
league games so far, whilst it was a mirrored season for the visitors who had
won five of their six games and knew a win could send them top of the table, so
understandably the Debden boys would have been confident of victory.
Athletic player/manager/chairman Damien Clark is good
friends with Sports joint boss Martin Brazier so it was obvious that ‘Damo’ had
his side well up for this one so I was expecting a pretty good battle out there
in nice mild sunny conditions in Barkingside.
And after both sides had efforts on goal, the hosts took a
seventh minute lead with a good finish across the keeper into the far corner,
and Hainault had made a good start to this contest.
The home side then saw a free-kick go straight at the
keeper, before they scuffed another effort wide, whilst down the other end the
visitors saw a curling effort go a foot wide of the far post before the hosts
keeper then tipped an effort wide of the post brilliantly.
And then Athletic missed a golden chance to make it two nil
when they saw the visiting keeper make a decent save with his legs, but it had
been a decent opening to this one
Athletic then missed another golden chance to score again
when they headed over from point blank range, before the visitors then struck an
effort wide of the near post, as they looked to try and get on level terms
before the break.
Sports then missed a decent chance late on in the first period
and it meant the home side held a 1-0 lead at the break and were certainly
making a mockery of their position in the table that’s for sure.
Half Time Hainault
Athletic 1 Debden Sports 0
It got better for the hosts two minutes into the second
period and worse for the visitors when Hainault doubled their lead as after the
keeper had saved an initial effort, the rebound was smashed home, and Debden
now had a mountain to climb.
However, it was a mountain they soon were making there way
up, as after they saw two long range efforts saved by the hosts keeper, they
pulled one back ten minutes into the half when a neat move ended with a cross
being converted first time into the bottom corner, and the visitors now
believed they could get something from this one.
Hainault tried to restore their two-goal cushion but screwed
an effort wide, whilst visitors were getting into good positions but were
finding that final ball lacking on many occasions as the hosts stood firm.
The hosts were under the cosh though, and Sports sent another
effort wide of the far post, and they had around twenty-five minutes or so to
find at least one goal to get something from this one.
But with just over fifteen minutes remaining they found that
leveller, as after two efforts had been blocked on the line by a desperate
hosts back-line, the third attempt from the visitors was rammed home, and you
felt that Debden may go onto win this one now.
Hainault though did curl a free-kick wide, but Debden came
so close to a third when they sent a close-range effort wide of the post, and
then thought they had taken the lead late on when powering home a header, but a
push meant the referee gave a free-kick to the hosts, much to their relief.
Credit to Hainault though as they rode out that storm and
then pounced in the fourth minute of stoppage time as when after the visitors
had lost the ball on the wing, the ball was played into the box and saw the
hosts ram home into the roof of the net to win this entertaining contest and
give ‘Damo’ a win over his good friend Brazier.
Full Time Hainault
Athletic 3 Debden Sports 2
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