Southend Manor 2 White Ensign 1

Essex Senior League, Tuesday February 1st

Tuesday saw me over at Southchurch Park as a late thunderbolt from substitute Meschack Kisoka handed Southend Manor a deserved win over an off colour White Ensign and pick up a huge three points in their battle for survival down at the foot of the Essex Senior League.

Manor have been trying to rescue what had been a poor season so far, James Wakeling and his new management team had played four games since they had come into the club and after narrow losses to Walthamstow and Woodford, they had picked up a massive win at St Margaretsbury before being heavily beaten at West Essex at the weekend, the first real disappointing performance under the new regime.

And they were up against local rivals White Ensign who were on a eight match unbeaten run in the division, winning five of those games scoring a number of goals too, and they were coming into this game off the back of a very hard fought home win against Hoddesdon Town, so on paper at least this looked like a difficult game for the hosts however this was a local derby so form normally goes out the window.

This was the third attempt at trying to play this fixture too in recent weeks, the original contest was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch, and then the rearranged fixture two weeks ago was postponed after less than three minutes due to fog, so everyone was hoping this game would actually be completed, Manor knew a win would take them out of the bottom two and a point above Sawbridgeworth Town with a game in hand, Ensign knew a win would take them into the top five.

Prior to the game I took a wonder around the pitch, taking in the new additions to the ground, a perimeter fence three quarters of the way around the pitch, and a new covered terrace plus new dugouts, it looks really good now, and when the fence is completed plus other small additions, it will look like a proper little ground, so real good to see that the club are finally doing the needed improvements to stay in the division.

They obviously needed to pick up points too to stay in the division and they certainly began this game well and took the lead just before the midway point of the first half when lovely play down the left from Andre Embalo, who impressed in the opening forty five minutes, saw him cross into the six yard box where Isaac Acquah was waiting to convert first time and hand the hosts the lead.

It was a lead that wasn't to last too long though as barely a minute later Ensign had levelled after the hosts had switched off, a long ball saw Christian North, the hosts keeper, try and get to the ball but Ensign attacker Jason Reynolds-Blanche got to the ball before him and lofted an effort beyond him and into the empty net, it was a poor goal to give away and it handed Ensign a route back into the contest.

Manor had been the better side in the opening forty five minutes but had failed to stamp home their pressure with goals, and this continued into the second period too and saw goal scorer Acquah miss a golden chance when he sent a effort straight at the keeper, but the second period also got more and more tetchy too, typical for a local derby you would say, and this almost came to a head when Manor's star man Embalo got into an altercation with an opponent, and after both were booked, he was taken off for his own good as he needed calming down somewhat.

Manor though continued to search for the winner they deserved as Ensign continued to struggle to really get anything going, but it looked like it would be one of those nights after a stinging long range effort struck the post (it may have been tipped onto the post) but, with 84 minutes on the clock came the winning moment, and it was a goal worthy of winning any game too.

Ben Allen, who had also had a decent game, did superbly down the right and managed to get past his man and send a ball across the area into the path of substitute Kisoka who sent a first time rocket at goal which although the keeper got a hand too, could not prevent it from whistling into the top corner, and it cued mass celebrations with his mates on the side-line, it was a wonderful strike and it handed Manor a massive three points and a good bounce back from Saturday. 

It sees them climb out of the bottom two as said earlier, it had been a marvellous performance from the hosts here against a side who had been going very well under new management too, however Ensign were not at the races in this one and there unbeaten run comes to an end here, although still sitting in eighth spot and just two points off fifth spot, so still a very decent position in their first season at this level.

Manor next welcome Ilford to Southchurch Park at the weekend hoping for more joy against one of their ex management in Adam Peek, so no doubt he will want to stick a spanner in the hosts works, whereas Ensign will look to start another unbeaten run perhaps as they travel to Cockfosters in North London.

Full time Southend Manor 2 White Ensign 1