Thurlow Nunn Division One South, Wednesday 19th October
My first mid week action since August came from the East End and saw a Liam George brace plus a Shermandin Artmeladze spot kick help Sporting Bengal United take three points against Barkingside at 'fortress' Mile End in their Thurlow Nunn One South contest.
I mentioned fortress Mile End their didn't I, well for very good reason, as in the eight games they have played on the ground this season, they have won seven of them, netting twenty one goals in the process and only conceding six. That's six home wins and one away win, the away win being when they were they were the away side against Tower Hamlets, who also use Mile End as their home ground too.
That 'away' win is one of only two they have had this season, with their only win away from Mile End in the league being a 2-1 win at Oakside against Newbury Forest, their form at home against their form away could not be more different, so they are certainly making their form at Mile End count right now, imagine how they would be if they could sort out their away form too.
Today's visitors were Barkingside and they were looking to join a very small list of sides who have won at Mile End this season, leaders Burnham Ramblers are the only ones to have done this so far, could Side join that list, well they were certainly in good form, one defeat in nine in all competitions, and that defeat was an unlucky 3-2 loss at Essex Senior League Takeley, although four of those league games were draws, and draws were becoming a habit for the visitors, they need to turn some of them into victories if they want to be in the mix for promotion.
Still, they are showing all that they are a side that is hard to beat, and early on in this contest they were probably the better side and created a couple of decent openings, but on 27 minutes it was the hosts who struck the opening goal of the contest when Ashaan Siddik, back at the club helping out his beloved Bengal side (I believe he is dual signed with Stansted), produced some lovely work down the right before getting almost to the goal line and cutting a ball across goal for George to thump home from a yard or so out.
How would Side respond to this set back, they had been the ones doing most of the pressing up till then, well, they probably should have levelled but saw an effort roll across the goal line before a defender cleared, and then disaster for the visitors came when they attempted to clear their lines, but instead sliced a miskicked effort back into their own area, and straight to George who duly fired home to double the hosts lead, an awful mistake from the visitors punished, and they would go into the break two goals down and leaving themselves a mountain to climb.
Bengal suffered a blow when George had to go off at half time because of a trapped nerve in his shoulder (at least that's what I think he said when coming to sit in the stand for some of the second period) however Side could not get themselves back into the contest and then with twenty minutes remaining Bengal sealed the points with a third as after Artmeladze had been brought down inside the box, he picked himself up to slam home the penalty, although he was then replaced soon after following a knock.
It mattered not though for the hosts who ended the game strongly, and were searching for another four goal haul at home, they had netted four in each of their last three at Mile End, and they did come very close to doing it again, but just failed, but it's another win at home and it puts them up to seventh now and just two points off the play off zone.
For Side, it's only a second loss in ten but this loss will disappoint them, they had plenty of openings but were wasteful in the final third, and silly errors at the back proved very costly here, and this loss means they remain 13th in the table and eleven points off the top five, food for thought you could say, but they need to cut out those errors if they want to progress that is for sure.
Full time Sporting Bengal United 3 Barkingside 0
No comments:
Post a Comment