Ilford 2 Walthamstow 2

Essex Senior League, Wednesday 29th January 2020


Ilford netted fifteen minutes from time to see a well contested derby at Cricklefield end all square in an Essex Senior League contest on a chilly January evening in Seven Kings.


With Jonny Fowell feeling under the weather it was left to Adam Peek and Darrell Gosnell to take charge of the hosts against a Walthamstow side who were playing their first match since the departure of Ryan Maxwell, but the visitors knew a positive result would see then back into second.


There was an early chance for the visitors when Lewis Francis got clear but he stumbled as he went to shoot and it allowed hosts keeper Joe Taylor to make a save, and the resultant corner was then flicked wide by Ben Crilley.


Callum Ibe then saw a volley tipped wide by Taylor as the visitors threatened to grab the lead, but it was the hosts who edged ahead in the 21^st minute with their first real chance of the game when a cross was flicked on by Dom Wynter-Stevens into the six yard box and  Jordan Fisher was there to bundle the ball over the line from close range.


Stow though managed to level in the 33^rd minute when a through ball from Dwade James found Francis who managed to slot beyond Taylor into the bottom corner, and then James sent a powerful volley over the hosts bar as the visitors looked to edge in front themselves.


The game was then halted for a few minutes after Ilford forward Alfie Walker had to be stretchered off after a challenge, hopefully it is not to serious and he makes a swift recovery, but it isn’t nice to see someone leave the field of play that way.


Stow had one more chance before the half was out when Ibe poked wide of the hosts goal on the stretch, and it meant the game was all square going into the break.


Half Time Ilford 1 Walthamstow 1


Stow so nearly grabbed the lead inside the opening minute of the second period when after a decent run into the box by Ibe had fallen to James, he drilled a ball across goal which just invaded Francis who was coming in at the back post.


The hosts then volleyed an effort at goal which was straight at James Bransgrove in the visitors goal, but seven minutes into the second period Walthamstow went down the other end and won a free kick which was brilliantly curled home by Francis for his second of the game.


Ilford looked to fight back and saw Larry Akanbi break free, but his effort was well saved by Bransgrove, before the Stow keeper had to make another brilliant stop to deny Akanbi again, this time from a volley.


Stow themselves were looking for what could be a clinching third and saw a Vinny Murphy free kick go straight at Taylor, before Bransgrove had to make another terrific save down the other end to deny the hosts once again.


But from the resulting corner he could do nothing to prevent Fotey Jaiteh’s corner from going straight into the far corner, the ball seemed to bounce inside the area before going into the far corner of the net, and the game was level going into the final fifteen minutes.


Stow then saw substitute Emiel Aiken poke a cross to the near post wide, before The Foxes headed wide at the other end as both were searching for a winner, and the hosts had the final chance of the contest in stoppage time when Akanbi saw an effort brilliantly blocked by Murphy, and it meant this contest ended in a draw.


It means Ilford climb from 15^th to 12^th and are four points off a top ten position, whilst Walthamstow do go into second place on goal difference ahead of Hashtag United and five points behind leaders Saffron Walden Town.


Full Time Ilford 2 Walthamstow 2

Queens Park Rangers 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2

Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round Proper, Friday 24th January 2019

Goals from Morgan Fox and Sam Winnall saw Sheffield Wednesday edge past QPR in their all-Championship Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round contest to book their place in the Last 16 of the competition.

Hosts QPR came into this contest having defeated Leeds United at Loftus Road and would have been confident of dispatching a side who had been thrashed 5-0 at home by Blackburn Rovers only days previously.

However, Wednesday are four places above the R's in the Championship table so this had the potential to be a tight affair with the winners knowing they would reach the Final 16 of the competition.

Both managers though made wholesale changes from those weekend games, but it was the hosts who appeared to suffer the most as Wednesday edged the opening period although up until late in the half had the one and only effort that troubled either keeper in a half devoid of much goalmouth action it has to be said. 

But, with the half looking likely to end goalless, The Owls found a breakthrough three minutes before the break when Sam Hutchinson's quick throw-in caught out two home defenders and Fox collected possession unchallenged in the penalty area to fire a left-footed effort under goalkeeper Joe Lumley.

To be honest it was a deserved lead at the break for the hosts who showed much more intensity than their opponents who were found lacking in many departments in the opening forty five minutes and knew they had to improve in the second period if they were to progress into the next round.

Half Time Queens Park Rangers 0 Sheffield Wednesday 1

So what did the hosts have then? Well initially not a lot changed from the first period and Wednesday looked fairly comfortable, in fact the hosts first effort on target didn't arrive until the 66th minute.

This sparked a spell from the hosts though and saw them create some openings, the best ones seeing Owls defender Julian Borner denying R's attacker Eberechi Eze with a superb tackle, and then seeing an Ilias Chair effort go just wide of the left corner.

Wednesday were now having to do a lot of defending as the hosts cranked up the pressure, but they were almost gifted a second when miscommunication between keeper and defender almost allowed Nunu in to slot home, but the defender just managed to challenge and clear.

Eze then saw an effort go straight at Cameron Dawson immediately down the other end as the game had finally caught alight, but time was against the hosts as they continued to search for the leveller.

This always left then vulnerable to the counter attack though, and as the game entered stoppage time The Owls sealed their place in Round Five when Adam Reach squared for Winnall to slot home from close-range and send the noisy sizable Wednesday backing behind the goal wild.

The visitors though did then gift the hosts a small glimmer of hope when sloppy play allowed Nahki Wells in to round Dawson and slide home.

And deep deep into added on time and with the home side looking to complete a remarkable comeback, they sent a corner into the mix but after the loose ball had fallen to them outside the box, the resulting effort flew miles off target and the whistle went to confirm Wednesdays passage into the next round.

Full Time Queens Park Rangers 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2 

Wakebury 4 Collier Row 3

Essex Olympian League Division Three, Saturday 18th January 2019


Charlie Little netted all four goals for hosts Wakebury as they won a seven-goal contest against Collier Row in a Essex Olympian Senior Three contest at Shoebury Park on a nice crisp sunny Saturday afternoon on the Essex coast.


The last time I saw Collier Row in Saturday football was over two decades ago when they played in the Isthmian League in a ground I remember you had to go through a Garden Centre to get too!!!  

After a brief merger with Romford the Collier Row name disappeared from Saturday football for a while but has now returned in the Olympian Football League.


Wakebury themselves were playing their first season in the Olympian League too after three years as a Southend Boro Comm side after their formation in 2016, and they sat top of the division after ten wins from fifteen games, whilst Row were down in fifth spot but had five games in hand on todays opponents and nine points behind.


These two met in a cup game earlier in the season which finished 4-3 to Collier Row in controversial circumstances, so another closely fought battle was expected here, and the first chance fell to the hosts as Little lofted an effort towards goal which visiting keeper Lee Comber managed to tip over the bar.


Wakebury full back Sam Rowe then fired just wide of the upright, before a ball into the dangerzone fell to hosts striker Danny Buglione, but the ball hit him and bounced through to keeper Comber, and then another host attack saw a decent effort from Liam Jarrett tipped over by Comber.


The visitors then threatened for the first time and saw a powerful effort from Brandon Nicholson well saved by Joe Robbins in the Wakebury goal, before a follow up attempt by Eddie Hart was also well saved by Robbins.  Row then sent in a dangerous ball to the hosts back post but Elliott Long just failed to connect with it, and crashed into the post, meaning he had to come off soon after through injury.


The visitors then burst down the left and saw a powerful effort from Hart beaten away by Robbins, but just before the half hour mark Row took the lead when after the ball had looped up to the back post, Dan Reeve nodded the ball over the line from close range and the visitors had the advantage.


The hosts though had a big chance to level when Little was brought down inside the box after careless play from the visitors defence, but Little saw his spot kick saved by Comber, however, from the resultant corner Little made amends for that miss by climbing highest to glance home a header and the game was all square.  It also meant the teams went into the break level.


Half Time Wakebury 1 Collier Row 1


The second half was barely a minute old when Row got their noses in front for the first time in this contest as Hart drilled an effort across goal and in off the far post, but the hosts should of levelled immediately when they saw Ben Munday’s long range free kick tipped onto the bar, and from that corner they somehow headed over from point blank range.


In the 51^st minute though they did level, as good play from Harry Kateley saw him tee up Little who controlled the ball before sending a superb volley into the far corner, giving keeper Comber no chance whatsoever.


Little, who was causing Row all kinds of issues, sent another terrific effort at the visitors goal, but Comber tipped over brilliantly, before Little thought he had given Wakebury the lead from that resulting corner kick, but his header was ruled out for a push.


Twenty minutes into the second period though Wakebury did grab the lead once again, as after substitute Riley Oliver had burst into the box and seen his effort blocked, the loose ball was swept home by that man Little to complete his hat-trick and give the hosts the edge.


But, Row were not going to lie down that easily and give in, and five minutes later levelled the match up once again as Reeve sent a header back across goal and into the far corner for his second of the game, and it meant the contest was level going into the final part of the match.


Rowe then sent one of many long throws into the box, and this one fell to Oliver on the edge of the area, but he could only send an effort over the bar, before the visitors then won a free kick in a dangerous position on the edge of the area, but Hart saw this beaten away by Robbins.


With four minutes of the ninety remaining came the winner though, and it came from the hosts, as who else but Little got onto a loose ball to fire past the onrushing Comber and make it 4-3 to the hosts, ironically the score line Wakebury lost to Row by earlier in the season, which I mentioned earlier.


Several minutes of stoppage time followed, and Row almost got in and but for a brilliant last-ditch tackle, they would have had a shot at goal from close range.  The whistle did go though after six or so minutes of injury time, and the hosts had netted a very good win over a tough side.


It all means that Wakebury are four points clear at the top although they have played more games than others, whilst Row remain in fifth and now twelve points off the lead, albeit with five games in hand.


Full Time Wakebury 4 Collier Row 3

Tottenham Hotspur 2 Middlesbrough 1

Emirates FA Cup Third Round Proper Replay, Tuesday 14th January 2020

Early goals from Giovani Lo Celso and Erik Lamela helped Spurs to defeat Middlesbrough at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in their Emirates FA Cup Third Round replay, setting up a Fourth Road clash against Southampton.

I had not been to the new Spurs stadium so once I saw the original tie at the Riverside end 1-1, I immediately sourced for tickets and at only £20 a piece (plus a booking fee obviously) I felt these weren’t badly priced.  As luck would have it, I managed to source a freebie, so that certainly helped. (thanks to Martin Brazier for that!!!)

I had seen the new ground from White Hart Lane station before, and I described it like a spaceship had landed in North London, it is huge and standing right next to it confirms this observation!!!

After walking up what seemed like a billion flights of stairs (which almost killed me!!!) I reached level five in the West Stand and saw the inside of the stadium for the first time, and my word it’s impressive.  One word of warning, if like me you were in Row 21 of the upper tier and do not like heights, this is not a seat for you!!! My work it’s high, but the view is fantastic, and there are four giant screen’s you can look at too so certainly no problem following the action.

Anyway too the action on the field now, and Spurs had named a pretty strong XI for this one, like they had done in the first game, so they were serious about this competition and their opponents too, despite their lowly league position in the Championship.  And backed by 3,700 noisy Boro fans, the visitors would have been up for this after they had taken this one to a replay.

But, after just two minutes of the contest Spurs led after a howler from Boro keeper Tomas Mejias, who had played under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid in 2011, as the keeper tried to play a ball out to one of his defenders Marvin Johnson but saw Lo Celso intercept the pass, cut inside another defender, and then roll the ball into the far corner.

It was the worst possible start for the visitors, but they should of rectified this early setback eleven minutes later when Lukas Nmecha had a golden chance to score, but he saw his effort well saved by Spurs stopper Paulo Gazzaniga, and this proved costly only three minutes later.

That is because Spurs went up the other send and made it 2-0 and Boro boss Jonathan Woodgate would have been unhappy with the way they conceded this goal too, as after Jonny Howson was dispossessed, Lamela was laid in and he flicked home with the outside of his left boot and Spurs had a dream start when moments earlier it could have not been.

The remainder of the half thereafter saw Spurs miss chances to put the tie to bed as Boro struggled to cope with their attacking flair.  Lamela shot over on the turn, Ryan Sessegnon had an effort pushed wide, Japhet Tanganga shot just off target and Lucas Moura wasted a chance from a counterattack.  They did take a 2-0 lead into the break though and were looking comfortable at this stage.

Half Time Tottenham Hotspur 2 Middlesbrough 0

Boro knew they had to be better if they were to stay in this tie, and knew they were lucky to still be in it at half time, but they competed much better in the second period although you felt Spurs may have taken their foot of the gas a bit.

The hosts still had chances in the half though and you felt a third goal would end this contest once and for all, and one chance saw Christian Eriksen up in arms after he should have also been put through on goal, but team-mate Moura instead opted to shoot instead and could only drag an effort wide.

Eriksen nearly scored late in the second half when his low delivery in the penalty area was missed by everyone and Mejias had to get down well to push the ball away one-handed, but Boro had a spell in the final twenty minutes where they briefly threatened to mount a fightback.

Paddy McNair shot well over when unmarked eight yards out and Lewis Wing's direct free kick was pushed around the post by Gazzaniga, but with seven minutes remaining George Saville pulled one back late on for Boro with a low strike from 20 yards out, meaning a nervy ending for the hosts.

Middlesbrough substitute Rudy Gestede had a chance to force extra-time, but he could only head over the bar from eight yards as Spurs held on for the win.  The hosts themselves had the chance to seal it before that when a brilliant run down the right by MOTM Tanganga saw him fire across goal but substitute Son Heung-min could only divert wide at the far post.

Spurs though did take the win although made hard work of it in the end, but they now face Southampton at St Mary’s in the Fourth Round a week on Saturday, looking to avenge their 1-0 defeat their on New Years Day in the Premier League.

Full Time Tottenham Hotspur 2 Middlesbrough 1