Goals from Stuart Paton and Ed Gould helped Old Southendian take a big three points against Kelvedon Hatch in an Essex Olympian Premier contest and win in what was the first game to be played on the new 3G facility at Garon Park.
The hosts had only won three of their eleven league games thus far and were in the bottom four of the division whilst Hatch themselves had won five of their eleven games and sat six points above their opponents in mid table.
And with the terrible weather recently pretty much every local game in the area on grass was postponed so a decent crowd came to watch this occasion as the hosts opened their new facility.
The hosts certainly seemed up for this game and started much the better and saw an early ball into the box spilled by visiting keeper Rob Hatton but the loose ball was hooked over, then OS saw a close range header go straight at Hatton soon after.
And Hatton had to be smart to make a superb close range save after a ball into the six yard box gave the hosts the chance to take the lead from point blank range, but Hatton proved equal to the task in hand to keep his side on level terms.
OS continued to dominate the contest early on and put together a superb move which ended with an effort going inches wide of the post, but in the 19th minute they did find the breakthrough when Stuart Paton lashed home a loose ball inside the box and the hosts had their first ever goal on their new pitch.
The visitors, who had been largely ineffective going forward, pounced on a loose clearance from hosts stand in keeper, player boss Connor Lane who was in goal as keeper Ryan Smith had been held up getting to the game, but Richard Kadima could only fire miles over the bar.
The hosts though were playing very well and another ball into the visitors area saw the hosts slice wide, before Hatch finally got a shot on target when Ashley Wackers-Kyriacou cuts inside and fired an effort straight at Lane, before Lane had to make another save soon after, and then the hosts volleyed wide down the other end.
Hatch were now starting to see more of the ball and fired wide from range, but OS were still threatening a second and saw Craig Paton almost doubled his sides lead but his effort was well saved by Hatton, before another dangerous ball into the visitors box just went over Craig Paton’s head before the ball back in was blocked out for a corner.
The visitors then attacked but sent an effort wide, and it meant the hosts went into the break with a slender advantage, an advantage that could and should have been greater.
Half Time Old Southendian 1 Kelvedon Hatch 0
Hatch knew they had to be better in the final third in the second period and they showed their intentions early in the half when curling a decent effort inches wide of the far post, and then Oliver Slater forced Smith, who had now made it to the game and replaced Lane in goal, into a decent top to keep OS ahead.
But Hatch were dealt a big blow when OS doubled their lead five minutes into the half when a cross towards the back post from Gould ended up in the far corner. You could tell by the face on the goalscorer that he certainly did not mean it, but they all count, and the hosts now had a two-goal cushion to protect.
It was certainly a blow to Hatch who almost conceded again when Nick Henesy broke forward and fed Craig Paton, but the latter could only fire wide, and then a loose ball punched clear by Hatton fell to hosts substitute Ellis Hemmings, but his effort flew wide, before another hosts substitute Nico Debouche dragged wide.
Then came a decent spell for the visitors who were at least showing more attacking prowess this period, and Hatch saw several efforts blocked as the ball bounced around the penalty area before being cleared, and then Kadima headed wide from close range.
Hatton then almost gifted OS a third when presenting the ball to Debouche, but the hosts player could only fire miles off target, but Hatch were now the team looking likelier to score and were pressing for a goal back and saw Dan Hawkes turn his marker but poke wide of the target.
Josh Smith then had a strike at OS’s goal but Smith got down well to save, before the hosts then fired across goal and wide at the other end, but with six minutes remaining Hatch grabbed a goal back to make it 2-1 after Kadima hooked home from close range.
OS almost sealed the points deep into stoppage time when a terrific long range effort from Matt Tonking was brilliantly saved by Hatton, but that proved the final piece of action and OS had picked up a big three points to lift themselves out of the bottom four and within touching distance of the mid table places.
Full Time Old Southendian 2 Kelvedon Hatch 1
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