Ilford 0 Sawbridgeworth Town 0

Essex Senior League, Wednesday 28th October 2020 

Wednesday night saw me take the trip over to Cricklefield for the first time this season as Ilford hosted Sawbridgeworth Town in an Essex Senior League match up, and it saw both sides pick up a point in what was a pretty drab goalless draw on a chilly clear night in Seven Kings.

Both sides sat in the lower half of the table at kick off, the hosts had played eight games and had only two wins so far, whilst The Robins had played three more games than their opponents and sat one place above them in 13^th spot but had only three wins this term so far.

And the visitors had the worst defence in the division too, having conceded 37 goals so far this season, whilst the hosts were averaging two goals a game in their nine matches so far, and were similar in conceding too, so many felt their would be goals in this game, although as your about to find out, this wasn’t to be the case!!!

An early attack from the visitors saw hosts keeper Josh Blackburn parry away, whist down the other end an in swinging free kick from Dimi Christou appeared to flick off a defender and go just wide of the far post.

It was becoming apparent though that both sides were struggling to get a foothold in the game as both struggled to get the ball down and play, often mis controlling or overhitting passes, or passing to the opposition.

In the 25^th minute though something happened!!! Ilford came so close to breaking the deadlock when the ball fell to Yemi Adelani who hit a lovely effort which crashed back off the crossbar, it was the closest anyone would come to a goal in the contest.

Larry Akanbi saw an effort which was eventually held by the visitors keeper, and then four minutes before the break Adelani was sin binned by the referee after taking exception to being booked for a late barge on the keeper, so it meant The Foxes would have to play a few minutes either side of the break with ten men.

Sawbo had a couple of openings at the end of the half, firstly when a ball into the middle was well held by Blackburn, and then Kieran Amos could only fire a decent opening over the hosts bar, but if truth be told it had been a poor half of football and unsurprisingly it was goalless as the contest reached the half way stage.

Half Time Ilford 0 Sawbridgeworth Town 0

Everyone in attendance, including myself, were hoping that all the exciting action was to come in the second period, but it soon became apparent this wasn’t going to happen, as the second period pretty much went the same way the first half had gone.

Ilford almost got Agyemang through on goal early on In the half but he was unable to get to the ball after decent defending, before Christou tried to line up a strike at goal but it ended up rolling along the ground into the keepers arms.

Christou tried to send a spectacular volley at goal but only managed to fire it well over the visitors bar, and then Agyemang attempted to direct a header at Sawbo’s goal but it was another simple save for the keeper.

Sawbo tried to create something at the other end but Blackburn clamed the loose ball, but there was not to much in the way of goal mouth action as both sides were still struggling to get the ball under control or find one of their own players with a pass, their was pretty much zero quality in this contest it has to be said.

Ilford then had a great chance, there weren’t many at either end, but after Adelani had totally miskicked an effort, the ball fell to Christou who saw his effort brilliantly blocked by a desperate defender, and it remained goalless.

You felt that maybe an awful error or a piece of individual brilliance could win this game I(although to be honest the former was more likely!!!) and Blackburn almost gifted the visitors a goal when his clearance hit a visiting attacker but they were unable to capitalise and the ball ended up being deflected wide for a corner.

Then down the other end came the moment we all thought might be the one moment of brilliance as Ilford won a free kick in a great position, but Adelani’s free kick almost ended up in Ilford itself it was so far over the bar, and that kind of summed up the game to be fair.

The visitors then had a late chance to maybe find a winner, but they snatched at the effort and it was straight at keeper Blackburn, but at least it was a shot on target, which had been few and far between, and in stoppage time The Robins again got into a decent position but the effort was curled off target and the game ended goalless.

This was easily the worst game I have seen this season, and for sometimes it had to be said, but, trying to remain positive it was a point for both sides and for Ilford it was a second clean sheet in succession whilst for Sawbo that was their first clean sheet of the season, so they would at least be happy with that.

Those were probably the only positives to take though from a poor game all round, but I have been blessed with a lot of decent games recently, so I was due a drab 0-0 eventually!!!  Still we still have football to watch and we can still go out and watch it, so that is the biggest positive of all!!!

Full Time Ilford 0 Sawbridgeworth Town 0