Michael Salako netted
an 84th minute winner as Hullbridge Sports edged out ten-man
Woodford Town at Lower Road to go two points clear at the top of the Essex
Senior League Premier Division.
Both sides knew coming into this big top of the table clash
that victory would take them top of the division, the hosts knew they would go
two clear at the top with a game in hand whilst the visitors, who were fifth,
would take over at the summit on goal difference.
So a big incentive for both sides then, and the early
exchanges belonged to the visitors and Taku Mashingaidze had the first opening
for the visitors when he forced a smart stop from hosts keeper George Marsh, and
then another Woodford chance saw Temi Babalola lob wide after Marsh had come to
clear with his head but headed it straight to the striker.
The hosts first chance saw them go even closer than their
opponents when hotshot Nathan Scarborough managed to get in and round keeper
Alex Reed but see his effort from the angle strike the post, and the game remained
goalless through the first fifteen minutes.
But then in the 17th minute came a dramatic
moment when Woodford centre half Luke Edgar was sent off for dissent towards
the official and it left the visitors down to ten men for the remainder of the
game and it certainly looked like it was most certainly advantage Hullbridge
now.
From the outset though it didn’t affect the visitors and
after the red card they created a couple more openings, firstly when Mashingaidze
sent a ball across the goal and almost found Samir Ali, before secondly Andrea
Mantovani struck wide of the post from a decent position.
But as the half went on the hosts began to take control and
saw Emmanual Okunja take a pot shot at the Woodford goal but it was easy for
Reed, before more chances saw Salako poke home from close range but was given
offside, Luke Hornsley see an effort blocked before Jimmy Cox then curled an
effort over from the edge of the area.
The hosts were really knocking on the door towards the end
of the half and Hornsley saw an effort well saved by Reed, and then just before
the break Reed made a terrific double stop from Okunja to keep the scoreline
blank, and it meant the teams went into the half time break level but with the
hosts certainly with the momentum.
Half Time Hullbridge
Sports 0 Woodford Town 0
That momentum initially carried into the second period as
Hullbridge dominated the first ten minutes of the half, and saw Cox send a
lobbed effort at goal which Reed caught, and then after Reed had parried an
effort into the path of Hornsley, the Hullbridge forward sent his rebound
effort way over the bar.
The hosts also flashed a couple of dangerous balls across
the six-yard box as they continued to threaten an opening goal in this one, but
then from nowhere Woodford so nearly took the lead themselves when substitute
Giorgiou Sallangow found himself clean through but he tried to dink over Marsh
but fluffed his effort and Marsh grabbed the loose ball.
Woodford then saw Jaden Thompson-Brisset find himself in
space inside the hosts box but could only fire an effort straight at Marsh, and
the visitors were suddenly right back in this contest.
But in the 61st minute the home side did finally
break the deadlock in fortuitous circumstances as a shot from Scarborough was
saved by Reed but the ball bounced back off Woodford defender Bailey Brown and
back into the net for an unfortunate own goal and the hosts now had a slender
lead.
That lead should have been doubled soon after too as Scarborough
found himself in a great position but could only drag a left-footed effort wide
of the target, whilst down the other end Woodford threatened to level as
Thompson-Brisset saw an effort saved by Marsh, before another second half
substitute, De’juane Taylor-Crossdale, went even closer to a leveller when sending
an effort under Marsh and off the post.
The hosts though didn’t heed those warnings and saw Woodford
find an equaliser when Taylor-Crossdale raced in behind to slot under Marsh and
into the net, and you felt the momentum was now with the visitors and they
could possibly turn this one around.
Mantovani had a chance to give the visitors the lead when a
ball was played to him in a good position, but his left footed effort flew way
over, whilst down the other end the hosts forced Reed into yet another save,
and the game remained level heading in the final ten minutes.
And with six minutes remaining the hosts grabbed the winner
when Salako struck an effort through Reed, who should have done better, and
into the net. It was tough on Reed who
had been excellent all game but the hosts now had the lead once again.
And it was a lead they were not to relinquish meaning they
returned to the top of the table, whilst it had been an extraordinary effort
from the visitors to play with ten men for 73 minutes and push the hosts all
the way, but defeat leaves them still in fifth but now five points off the top.
Full Time Hullbridge
Sports 2 Woodford Town 1
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