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 51st 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
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