Southend Manor 0 Witham Town 0

Pre Season Friendly, Tuesday July 27th

My seventh pre season prior to the 2021/22 season saw me over at Southchurch Park for a match between Essex Senior League Southend Manor and Isthmian North side Witham Town and the game ended up in stalemate as neither side could find the net in a rather uneventful contest in the majority.

When I heard this game was taking place I had to go, one because it is on my doorstep, and two because both these sides are close to my heart, I grew up in Witham and my dad took me to my first ever football match there against Rainham Town in 1990, and he even went on to become the programme editor there for six years too, so lots of fond memories at Spa Road.

And of course I was heavily involved at Manor for a few years more recently too and they are now my local side so when these two do meet, which isn't very often, then it's hard to pass up the opportunity, the last time I saw them do battle was several years ago when Town netted a 1-0 win at Southchurch Park in a big top of the table clash in the ESL as they went onto win the league that season ahead of Manor who ended up runners up.

A lot has happened since then, Manor have remained a ESL club with many changes to personal at most levels in both management and playing squad, whilst Town got as high as the Isthmian Premier before settling into the North division for the last few seasons, however neither side have really threatened the top spots of their respective divisions lately.

For Manor this was the final friendly before their league season gets underway at the weekend against Sporting Bengal United at Southchurch Park, so this was the final chance for them to look at the squad and see who would be making the grade come Saturday, whilst for Witham they have slightly longer before competitive action although it is getting ever closer for them too now.

The game itself was not a great spectacle at times, chances were at a premium and any that did come along were off target as neither keeper had that much to do, and in fact the best chances probably came in the final quarter of the contest, Manor sliced a great opportunity wide when well placed inside the box, prompting one of the funniest comments I've heard for some time 'he could not hit water if he fell out of a boat' from a friend standing nearby, I am still laughing now!!!

Town then somehow missed from point blank range after the keeper had failed to come and deal with a cross into the six yard box, but if truth be told both sides failed to really test either keeper as said before, and this hard fought contest ended all square, Manor look young but tough and will need all that toughness in the season to come, but I thought they did well against higher league opposition.

For Witham well this was a lot less dramatic than their last pre season game when they drew 5-5 at another ESL side in Stanway Rovers, this after being 5-0 down with sixteen to go!!! A clean sheet will no doubt please them, but they lacked cutting edge in front of goal on this occasion, however more minutes in the tank for both, and for Manor the real thing starts at the weekend.

Full Time Southend Manor 0 Witham Town 0