Barkingside 1 Burnham Ramblers 0

Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior South, Monday 2nd November 2020 

Monday night saw me over at Cricklefield once again for a Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior South matchup between Barkingside and Burnham Ramblers, and it saw Side take the points after James Peagram netted eight minutes into the second period to settle a scrappy affair on a clear cold night in Seven Kings.

This was to be the last game for both for at least a month due to the impeding lockdown measures that were to be enforced across the country from the Thursday following this contest, so both sides wanted to go into the enforced break in a positive frame of mind with a victory.

The hosts form coming into this one was good, unbeaten in three with two wins, netting seven goals in the process, whilst Ramblers had just come off back to back victories against Little Oakley and then May & Baker, netting seven goals in those two games, so both sides were confident coming into this matchup.

Side began the evening a point behind their opponents in tenth and knew a win would take them up a place and replace Ramblers in ninth and go two above them and be in touching distance of the top four, whilst three points for the visitors would see them climb a place to eighth and also be in touching distance of those towards the summit.

The opening exchanges saw a hosts effort parried away by Adam Seal in the visiting goal, whilst down the other end an effort from an angle was fired over the hosts bar, but it was a pretty average opening to the contest as both sides struggled to control the ball on a bobbly surface.

Side then came even closer when Jack Gibbons thumped an effort against the post, whilst Ramblers then responded with a great chance for Tom Ranger, this after Side keeper Duncan Smith had kicked a clearance straight to him, but he took too long to get his shot away and the chance went.

And the visitors went close again after Lee Scott burst in down the right but could only fire a high effort across goal and wide, before Side then had a great chance to grab the lead just before the half when Grant Francis got free down the left, but his effort across goal went just wide of the far post.

A rather scrappy encounter then so far with chances for both, but the game reached the break with no goals to show.

Half Time Barkingside 0 Burnham Ramblers 0

Would we get a goal in this one then was the question on many peoples lips after that first half, and eight minutes into the second period Side broke the deadlock to answer that Q in a positive way.

It was all down to superb work on the left by Reece Simpson, who burst down past the full back and cut into the box before sending an effort towards goal that although Seal managed to save, the loose ball was turned over the line by Peagram for a rather scrappy goal, in keeping with the contest, but it meant the hosts had a slender advantage.

Simpson himself had two decent chances to extend the hosts lead but was thwarted on both occasions, whilst down the other end Ramblers saw a dangerous corner almost catch out Smith and glanced off the bar, and they also saw Ben Ward head wide at the far post from point blank range as they searched for a leveller.

Side got in down the right a couple of times but both times failed to find a teammate with the balls in, and with time running out Side almost sealed the points with a second but Joe Oates rushed his finish and sent it wide when he had more time than he realised.

But it was Peagram’s 53^rd minute goal that ended up settling this rather scrappy affair at Cricklefield, and it sent Side up a place to ninth, replacing their opponents who drop a place to tenth. Both now go into the enforced break knowing that once they resume in December/January they could certainly challenge the top four with a decent run.  They would both need to be better than they were this evening though, that is for sure.

Full Time Barkingside 1 Burnham Ramblers 0