John Hilliard netted
a hat-trick as White Ensign went second by thumping bottom side Newbury Forest
at the Basildon Sporting Village in a Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior League South
contest.
The game was barely a minute old when the hosts took the
lead as a loose ball fell to skipper Dave Limber and the centre half fired into
the roof of the net to give the promotion chasing side the perfect start.
The hosts then headed over before Forest had their first
chance but saw the keeper make a decent stop down to his left, but Ensign then
doubled their lead on just twelve minutes when Hilliard fired home a free-kick
from around twenty yards out, and the bottom side already had a mountain to climb
early on.
The visitors then sent in a decent cross, but it hit the
back of an attacker and was cleared, before Ensign then struck a long-range
effort wide of the target.
Ensign then saw another good move end with an effort going
over the top, before another across from their next attack was put wide at the
far post, and then Forest should of pulled one back when a good cross into the
box was volleyed over from close range.
An awful back-pass from the visitors allowed the hosts in on
goal, but after rounding the keeper and squaring into the box, a recovering
defender managed to blast clear for a corner, and then great one-touch play
from the hosts ended with a looping header going just wide of the Forest far
post.
Another Ensign attack saw the visitors struggle to clear
their lines, and after a shot had come in the keeper spilled, but managed to recover
the situation and save bravely at the feet of three Ensign attackers.
Sloppy play in the middle of the park from Forest allowed
Ensign to nip in and drive for the penalty area, but the eventual effort was
sent wide, and then a long throw into the visitor’s box was almost converted at
the far post before another long throw was headed over, and soon after the
half-time whistle went with the hosts holding a comfortable two-goal cushion.
Half Time White
Ensign 2 Newbury Forest 0
The early exchanges of the second period saw Ensign have a
shot blocked before another effort was cleared, before a decent ball into the
hosts box saw a powerful volley deflected behind by the home sides back-line.
But ten minutes into the half Ensign increased their lead as
Hilliard found himself free on the far side of the box before firing home for
his second of the contest, and you felt that the contest, if there was one, was
now over.
Ensign then saw a dangerous cross parried away, whilst down
the other end the visitors headed a chance onto the roof of the net, and then
an Ensign corner was headed straight at the keeper. If it had been either side of him it would
have surely been a fourth for the hosts.
There was almost an embarrassing moment for the home keeper
when he totally misjudged a Forest free-kick into the box, coming to far and
seeing it sail over him, but luckily for him it went out for a goal-kick, and
the danger was gone.
Forest were then asking for a penalty after they claimed a
foul inside the box, but the referee waved play on, it was a close call in my
view and could have gone either way.
And in the 73rd minute the hosts were given a
penalty when after the hosts had struck the post, and follow up effort hit the
arm of a defender and the referee pointed to the spot, which seemed slightly
harsh in my view, but Hilliard stepped up to complete his hat-trick and Ensign
had a fourth.
Forest then sent a looping header at goal but the keeper
plucked it out of the air, and then a decent run from the hosts ended with a
shot being blocked before a follow up effort was also blocked as Ensign looked
for more goals.
Ensign went close again after they saw an effort well tipped
over, whilst the visitors struck a free-kick over the bar as they tried to at
least find a consolation effort.
A great ball then released the hosts down the left, but the
final effort was into the side-netting, whilst the final chance of the game
fell to the visitors and it should have been a goal as a ball across the goal saw
an effort on the stretch diverted wide of a gaping goal, summing up the visitor’s
day.
It all means Ensign move into second spot now, still seven
points behind leaders Hashtag United with two games in hand, whilst Forest remain
bottom of the pile, two points off third bottom Brightlingsea Regent Reserves with
a game in hand and a point behind second bottom Fire United with three games in
hand.
Full Time White Ensign
4 Newbury Forest 0
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