Barnston AFC 0 White Notley 4

Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division, Saturday 26th August 2020 

This weekend saw me take in my first ever Essex & Suffolk Border League contest, and it came from High Easter Road as Barnston AFC hosted White Notley in a Premier Division fixture on a rather cold and damp afternoon.

This was also my first ever visit to the ground and after getting lost (yes I still managed to do this despite it only being a small village!!!) I was welcomed by manager Josh Hutchins and assistant Callum Bolger which was nice (I had chatted to them on twitter prior to coming) so was nice to meet them in person.

After having a beer in their decent clubhouse (which was bought for me by the club, so many thanks for that) I settled down to see who was likely to have the best chance of winning this game.  Barnston had lost all three games so far this season but I had been assured they had played well in those games but just couldn’t find the back of the net, only three times so far.

They had though conceded twelve goals in those three games too, an average of four a game, so it does sound like there is work to do at both ends of the pitch.  They were welcoming a side in White Notley who had won their first three games too, netting thirteen times and conceding six, so on paper at least it looked as if the visitors were the ones who were favourites to take this one.

Football is not played on paper though and Barnston have a young hungry side who will eventually click, so maybe that could be today who knows?  The visitors though would have been confident of netting a fourth straight win to start the campaign though for sure.

Well, Notley had the wind with them in the first period and on the quarter hour mark they used this to their advantage when a kick out from the keeper caught the wind and sailed over the full back’s head, allowing striker Rory Bone to get In, round the keeper and slot into the far corner, and give the visitors the lead.

Nine minutes later and they had a two goal cushion as after the hosts had given the ball away, full back Peter Falco drove to the edge of the box and fired an effort at goal which dipped right in front of the keeper, zipped off the damp surface, and bounced through his grasp and into the net, they were two goals the hosts could of avoided but they had been punished both times and now had a hard task getting back into this one.

The hosts though to be fair were playing the better football, they had to, as anything played in the air came straight back at them, and once they did get the ball down they caused their opponents problems and did create three very good openings but as before failed to find the target.  Very frustrating for the home side indeed.

Notley were using the wind well though and caused problems for the hosts and did create some other openings themselves, and right on half time they grabbed a killer third to knock the stuffing out of the home side when a superb cross from the left by Bone found Regan Farley-Hearn at the back post and he sent a bullet header into the net, and the visitors had a three goal cushion going into the break.

Half Time Barnston AFC 0 White Notley 3

Barnston had the wind with them second half but that third goal had really made it a mountain to climb, and they struggled to create much with this and could not use it like the visitors had in the first forty five minutes.

In contrast Notley were playing the conditions much better and they found playing into the wind ok too and were playing some nice football on the ground, and in the 66^th minute saw them burst through and fouled, and although the referee initially gave a spot kick, after consulting his assistant give a free kick right on the edge of the box.

Did this make any difference, well no, because up stepped Rob King who struck a lovely left footed effort into the far corner and see the visitors add a fourth. 

Barnston were now in damage limitation mode and although they did have a couple of decent long range efforts, it was the visitors who towards the latter part of the game look likely to add more goals, with one acrobatic effort thumping against the post and three other efforts brilliantly saved by keeper Joseph Fanthorpe.

But no more goals were forthcoming and it meant White Notley ran out comfortable winners in the end and they now top the Premier Division table on goals scored now having won all four of their matches so far, whilst for Barnston AFC they sit bottom on goal difference having lost all four games so far.

The hosts had their moments in this one, especially first half, but they could not take their chances when on top and were punished by a very good White Notley side.  Barnston’s next game is a home one against second bottom Felixstowe & Walton United Reserves who also have no points, but have played a game more, so Barnston will know they must win that one to restore some positiveness to their side.

For Notley, they travel to fourth placed West Bergholt next weekend so that will be a tough game for them but one they feel they can win no doubt. 

Lastly thanks so much to Josh and Callum who made my day very enjoyable, and thankyou for the two beers and the burger and sweet potato fries after the game, much appreciated and it’s nice to know your appreciate what I do, so I do wish your club all the best and am hoping they can pick up that first win next week.  A super day was had!!!

Full Time Barnston AFC 0 White Notley 4