Hullbridge Sports carried on their build up to a first ever season in the Isthmian League by hitting five against old Essex Senior League foes Enfield in a pre-season game at Lower Road.
The hosts, who won the ESL Premier last season, began their first ever season at Step Four on August 17th whilst Enfield begin their latest Senior League campaign at Hadley this weekend so it’s getting towards the end of both sides pre-season workouts as they both look to shape a squad ready for the 2019/20 season.
It didn’t take long for the hosts to go in front either as they burst down the right and sent in a cross which went in off a defender inside the opening minute, and it was nearly two moments later when Adebayo Sotoyinbo sent a powerful effort at goal which the keeper managed to beat away.
But in the 11th minute it was two for the hosts when new signing Jamie Salmon curled home a beauty of a strike from the edge of the box into the top corner as the Isthmian North side stamped their authority on proceedings early.
The visitors tried to respond by stealing in at the back post, however the volley was sent back across goal and away from danger, before a visitor’s corner to the back post was headed towards the near post but beaten away by home keeper Lewis Greene.
Midway through the first half though Hullbridge added a third as after the keeper had dropped a cross, Joe Wright was on hand to fire home the loose ball and the home side were threatening to run away with this contest.
The visitors almost netted another own goal as a Courtney Homans cross was sliced just over the bar, and from the resulting corner Salmon could only head wide of the target before another home attack saw a cross flicked across goal before eventually finding it’s way to Salmon, but his chip towards the goal was easily saved.
Sotoyinbo then stole possession for the hosts and laid in Yemi Adelani whose dinked effort was tipped over, and then Wright managed to charge down a visiting defensive clearance before firing at goal but this was also beaten away.
Enfield though managed to pull one back with two minutes of the first half remaining, and it was a very familiar face for Hullbridge folk as ex-midfielder Joe Pattison managed to fire into the bottom corner after a loose ball had fallen to him inside the box to reduce the arrears to two.
The three-goal lead was almost restored immediately though but Wright could only send his header at the keeper, and it meant the hosts went into the break with a two-goal cushion.
Half Time Hullbridge Sports 3 Enfield 1
There was an early chance for the hosts in the second period but centre half Jamal Allen saw his effort blocked, but six minutes into the second period Bridge made it four when Soytoyinbo struck home brilliant across the keeper into the far corner.
Another chance for the home side saw Sotoyinbo burst down the left before playing a ball across to Dan Okah whose effort was straight at the keeper, before Enfield then got themselves into a good shooting position but sent an effort way over the bar.
Another hosts effort was then beaten away by the keeper, before a chance for the visitors saw a decent effort struck wildly off target but take a nick off a defender in the process, before a low dangerous cross from the visitors was well fielded by Greene.
The hosts then fired wide from long range before the visitors keeper almost gifted Hullbridge a fifth after his clearance went straight to Hornsley, but his effort was way off target, before good play from Enfield saw an effort almost squeeze through Green’s grasp but the keeper managed to stop the ball going in by diving on top of it.
Then a terrible Crossfield ball by the visitors allowed Hornsley to intercept and run through at goal, and although he was held up briefly he managed to get a shot away which hit the post before the follow up from Nathan Scarborough was saved, but with four minutes left it was five for the hosts when after Perry Dunn had played a wonderful pass out to Scarborough, his ball across to Hornsley saw the striker control and then fire home left-footed.
Pattison then fired wide for the visitors before Hornsley almost flicked home another for the home side, and although Enfield curled a free-kick wide late on they were well beaten here by a very strong and clinical Hullbridge outfit.
Full Time Hullbridge Sports 5 Enfield 1
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