West Essex 1 Walthamstow 1

Essex Senior League, Tuesday 28th December

My second game on Tuesday came from Mayesbrook Park, and it saw a hard fought 'Wadham Lodge derby' between West Essex and Walthamstow end all square meaning a share of the spoils in their Essex Senior League contest.

The game was of course scheduled to take place at Wadham Lodge, but recent rains left the pitch sodden and unplayable, so a late change to Barking's Mayesbrook Park 3/4G surface (sorry can never remember which one is what!!!) meant the game could go ahead after all and ended up being the only ESL fixture to go ahead on the day after all the rest were called off due to waterlogging.

Home side for the evening West Essex came into this one down in 12th spot having won nine, drawn six and lost nine of their league games so far, so a mixed campaign so far you could say, although they were on an unbeaten run of five matches in all competitions so were full of confidence, and they had to be as they were taking on runaway league leaders Stow.

Stow entered this contest having amassed a twelve point lead at the top so far, winning nineteen of their twenty four league games thus far this season, with three draws and the two defeats being the other five games, and since losing to Enfield back on November 17th, their only defeat in the following eight games in all comps was against Isthmian North side Brentwood Town, and that was an unlucky defeat as well.

There last five league games had yielded four wins and a draw, seventeen goals netted and only four conceded, so they were still favourites to take all three points in this one, so could they net a fourth straight win and increase their lead at the top?

The first major talking point came after just six minutes when Stow thought they had taken an early lead when Jason Hallett sent a header into the net, only to see it chalked off for a push, and then moments later West swept down the other end and Emmanuel Oluwole clipped a ball into the path of David Bell, and he brilliantly lobbed Stow keeper  Amarildo Cekrezi and saw the ball find the far corner, it was a superb finish and Stow found themselves behind.

Stow almost responded immediately but Callum Ibe's brilliant effort was tipped round the post by hosts keeper Kacper Ignatiuk, before seeing a Jason Beck effort clip the crossbar, and then Michael Osei was somehow denied by Ignatiuk at the back post, with the resulting corner being cleared off the line.

West did fashion another chance on the half hour mark when the brilliant Bell danced into the box but saw his effort well saved by Cekrezi, but the real question was could the home side hold onto their slender lead for the rest of the half, well not quite, as in first half stoppage time Stow levelled in fine style when a ball dinked over to Charlie Cole saw the striker produce an expert volley across goal and into the far corner, meaning the sides went into the half time break all square.

The general feeling amongst me and a few others was that goal would knock the stuffing out of West and galvanize Stow into a dominant second half showing and a comfy win...well that didn't happen as West rolled their sleeves and stood toe to toe with their opponents, and the dominance never really came.

Hallett did head wide before he was denied by the superb Igantiuk from another header,  and although he and Beck both had headers cleared off the line in a period of play which saw Stow try and turn the screw, they could not find a way past the home side who stood firm, and West were not without their opening too, but they failed to find that killer touch to spring a shock win.

In the end then it finished all square, a great result for West Essex who really worked hard for this, Stow will be disappointed not to have grabbed all three, but even they will admit a draw was probably a fair result, it all means West remain in 12th spot, Stow increased their lead to thirteen now and are still well on course for a title winning promotion season.

Full time West Essex 1 Walthamstow 1