Benfleet 4 Canning Town 1

Pre Season Friendly, Saturday July 9th

My latest pre season outing saw me make my first visit to Benfleet's real home, Woodside, and they netted four against Canning Town on a very warm July afternoon to win their latest run out ahead of the new season.

Benfleet will be competing once again in the Eastern Senior League South division this season, which is step six and the lowest Senior status, and they so nearly won promotion last season but sadly lost in the semi final of the playoffs after what had been a very good season for them.

Canning Town did actually suffer the despair of relegation last season from the Essex Olympian Premier, which is Step Seven in the non league pyramid, the top level for Junior football, down to the Senior Division One, which is step eight, but they were reprieved after the season had ended meaning they will once again compete in the Premier Division.

It was a very warm afternoon in South Essex it has to be said, so this was going to be a real test of fitness for both sides, and it was the higher level Benfleet who had the better of the opening exchanges and they did grab the lead in the 28th minute after an over hit cross from the left was played back into the six yard box where a close range header put the hosts in front.

And five minutes before the break Benfleet doubled that lead when a cross from the left took a bounce, taking out the first defender and allowing the attacker to ghost in between that defender and another one behind him to nod past the stranded keeper from close range, and it meant the hosts had a two goal cushion heading into the half time break.

The visitors did get themselves back into the contest just before the hour mark when a free kick floated into the box saw a lovely header sent over the keeper and into the net, and headers seemed to be a thing in the contest as Benfleet restored their two goal lead with eighteen minutes to go as the ball somehow found it's way to the far post where a close range header went in via the keepers hand.

And guess what, four minutes afterwards came the final goal in the contest, again it was a header, as all the goals had been in this one, and it was a lovely glancing effort after a cross from the right which left the keeper no chance whatsoever, capping a decent day for the hosts.

Full time Benfleet 4 Canning Town 1