Benfleet 1 Frenford 0

Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior South, Wednesday 16th September 2020 

Wednesday evening saw me over on the island of Canvey for my first tase of Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior South this season as Benfleet welcomed Frenford to Park Lane.

The hosts were playing their second league game of the season, they had drawn their first 2-2 at Spa Road against Hackney Wick, and they had also almost caused a big surprise in the FA Cup at Brantham Athletic, eventually losing out on penalties in that one in what was a fantastic effort against a decent Thurlow Nunn Premier outfit.

Frenford came into this one having won both their league games so far against Holland and Harwich & Parkeston, and both also saw them collect clean sheets so they could not have started the season any better, so they were looking to make it three on the spin here.

The opening exchanges saw Fleet get in down the right thanks to good work from Sam Dulieu, whilst the visitors saw a long range effort well tipped round the post by home keeper Flo Gislette, but chances/openings were at a premium in the opening half, although when a chance did come along it was a very good one.

One of these saw the hosts thump an effort against the woodwork, whilst down the other end Gislette had to be alert to make a smart stop to prevent the visitors from edging ahead, and all this added up to a goalless opening half with neither side really getting the upper hand.

Half Time Benfleet 0 Frenford 0

Frenford started the second half the better and saw a near post effort tipped wide by Gislette, and later on in the half they had a brilliant chance to go ahead when they got in down the left, but the effort was dragged wide of the far post and Benfleet could breathe a sigh of relief.

It was a half that saw quite a few niggly injuries which saw the game broken up and very stop start, it wasn’t a classic that was for sure and both sides were giving the ball away quite a bit too, it was all a bit of a struggle out there!!!

Benfleet themselves had hardly threatened the visitors at all in the final third in this half, but after Frenford saw an injury to one of their full backs, they were down to ten men for the final ten or so minutes after they had used all three substitutes, and this saw the hosts begin to threaten.

They struck a decent opening straight at the keeper with about six minutes remaining, but with two minutes of normal time left they grabbed what proved to be the winner as a free kick from the right was flicked on into the six yard box and it ended with centre half Cameron Harris putting the ball in from close range.

It was the first goal Frenford had shipped this season and it was a poor one to concede too, very scrappy and in keeping with the contest that had gone before it.  Things were to get worse for the visitors in stoppage time too as their skipper Lewis Bartrip had a moment of madness and was given a straight red after an off the ball incident, meaning he will now miss three games.

Benfleet saw out the remaining minutes to record their first win of the season, it wasn’t pretty that is for sure but they won’t mind that at all, this was certainly a well earned one and it’s a clean sheet to boot too.  For Frenford it was a disappointing evening, they probably didn’t deserve to lose but they did, and they will have to regroup and go again in the Vase at the weekend.

Full Time Benfleet 1 Frenford 0