Catholic United 3 Canning Town 2

Essex Olympian League Premier Division, Saturday 21st May

The penultimate Saturday of May saw me over at The Len Forge Centre for Catholic United's final home game of the Essex Olympian Premier season, and they fought back from two goals down with half an hour to go to defeat Canning Town, relegating the visitors in the process.

The only thing left to decide in the division going into this weekend was who would take the final relegation spot (assuming two go down which seems to be the case now) currently occupied by Canning Town, and they knew if they won their final three games they would leapfrog Springfield and send the Chelmsford side down in their place. 

This would be a tall order though for the Beckton based side, Catholic were embarking on their final game of the season, and after the Hoops 4-0 reverse last weekend at Ongar Town which saw the Lakeside based side clinch the championship, the hosts wanted to go out on a high here, and then Canning would play two games against Sungate, the side trying to beat Catholic to sixth place.

 But whilst it's still mathematically possible you have to try and believe don't you, and after just three minutes Canning had the perfect start as a long range effort thumped back off the post and hit Louis Godwin-Green, who was playing his last game before retiring from football, on his back and went back into the net for an unfortunate own goal, and the visitors now had something to build on.

They would ride their luck somewhat for the remainder of the half though as Catholic carved out several openings but either found the visiting keeper in the way or wayward passes, crosses or finishing deny the hosts a leveller, and so it meant at the halfway stage of this contest, Canning Town were keeping their slim survival hopes alive for another game ahead of the first Sungate game on Tuesday.

And five minutes after the break this looked even more likely when Canning doubled their advantage after a cross from the right looped over Godwin-Green and found the far corner, pretty sure the full back did not intend to find the net, but he did nonetheless and now Canning had a two goal cushion and it was looking very good for them indeed.

The hosts were not going to let their final game of the season end in disappointment though and after Ronnie Bridges had come on to officially become the top appearance maker for the club with 202 appearances in the green and white hoops, they managed to find a goal back just past the hour mark when Frank Craik fired into the bottom corner from just inside the box and put some nerves back into the visitors camp.

Just seven minutes later though Catholic were level as a corner drilled in from the right by Alfie Whiteaker hit a visitors defender on the thigh and flew into the back of the net, and Canning now knew unless they could find a third goal and win the game, they were heading through the trap door into Division One, although the hosts were most certainly in the ascendancy now.

And with fifteen minutes remaining Catholic completed the comeback to take the lead when a good break by the hosts saw Whiteaker drive down the left and produce a lovely cross into the box where Tom Kearney was on hand to send a power close range header into the back of the net on what was his 200th appearance for the club, and drill another nail into the coffin for Canning's survival hopes which were fading fast.

Canning were given late hope when the hosts were reduced to ten men with eight minutes remaining after a sin bin, although the visitors knew they needed two goals in the final part of the contest to keep their survival hopes alive, and although they hit the bar late on they could not muster up enough openings to create what would have been an incredible finish had they found two goals to win the contest, and it meant Catholic would run out winners on the day and sadly for the visitors confirm their relegation to Division One for next season.

After the game a lovely touch from the Catholic players who gave their keeper Godwin-Green a guard of honour as he now retires from football to spend more time with his family, and I would like to take this opportunity to say well done to Louis on an excellent career, and I really hope he enjoys his retirement, he is an excellent keeper but also a wonderful man too, so I wish him all the best.

Full time Catholic United 3 Canning Town 2