Hackney Wick 0 Coggeshall United 1

Thurlow Nunn Division One South, Wednesday November 17th

Wednesday night saw me back at my spiritual home of football in the shape of Spa Road, Witham, as Hackney Wick and Coggeshall United did battle in a Thurlow Nunn South contest, and visitors skipper Lewis Soraf netted the only goal of the game to continue his sides decent form.

Hosts Wick have been having a decent season so far and in touching distance of the top five, however recent form has been mixed, and they were welcoming a Weavers side who had won their last three conceding only one goal and netting ten, with two of those wins against sides who are also vying for play off spots.

And a win for Coggeshall in this one would see them level on points with their opponents in eighth and just five points off that all important top five, whilst Wick knew if they could muster the points in this one they would be only two points off fifth placed Wivenhoe Town with a game in hand to boot.

A tight contest, unsurprisingly ensued, and the winning moment came just past the half hour mark when a shot towards goal from outside the box found Soraf inside the area, and he managed to control and before poking an effort into the bottom corner of the net before he was mobbed by his happy teammates.

Both sides did have other openings too in the first period, Wick did see a cross shot thump against the far post in what was their best opening, and into the second period Wick again found the woodwork from another cross shot, whilst The Weavers saw long range efforts to close to the keeper who managed to save comfortably.

Wick though did more of the pressing in the second half, as they tried to find a leveller, but Coggeshall stood firm and showed why they had conceded very little over the last three games, but Wick missed a glorious chance near the end when they struck the bar once again before the rebound was somehow headed over from point blank range, and after several tense minutes of stoppage time, the visitors could celebrate a fourth straight win.

It was a very hard fought one though, but a win is a win as they say, whereas Wick, who have now lost two straight, will wonder how they didn't find the net in this one. Both are now five points off the top five but will no doubt be in the mix for a play off place come the end of the season, along with quite a few others I suspect, should be some battle that.

Full Time Hackney Wick 0 Coggeshall United 1