Essex Senior League, Saturday 16th September
My last Saturday game in September (I am off to Norway on
Wednesday until early October) saw me at a very familiar ground in the shape of
Lower Road, Hullbridge, as Sports were hosting West Essex in the Essex Senior
League.
And just like last weekend I was joining ESL President
Robert Errington and my good friend and buddy Scott W, and we were all looking
forward to what would be an intriguing contest between two sides who have had
very different starts to their seasons so far.
If you had have said that one of these sides sat third and
just two points behind the joint leaders Woodford Town and Romford having
picked up eighteen points from their opening nine games, and the other were
down in fifteenth with just eight points from their opening seven games, you
would have said Bridge were the former, and West the latter, that’s how it was
supposed to go right?
Well no, it was in fact the visitors who were sitting in
third after a very surprising (to most of us anyway!!!) start to their campaign
and had only recently lost their unbeaten record in the division when they were
beaten by league leaders Woodford Town in midweek, but prior to this they had
won four out of five in all competitions, netting fourteen goals in the
process, so were in cracking form you could say.
The Woodford loss had only been West’s second loss in
competitions thus far, the other one came against Step Four opposition in the
shape of Maldon & Tiptree in an FA Cup Replay after West had held them to a
goalless draw in the original tie, so they had certainly started the season
well with only two losses in thirteen competitive matches.
Hullbridge on the other hand have had slow start to life
back at this level, the 2018/19 ESL champions have won only two of their
opening seven league games so far, not the start they were looking for, the
season had started with a victory at Stanway Rovers, but since then their only
other win in the league came on Bank Holiday Monday when they defeated Athletic
Newham.
They have picked up three wins in cup competitions though,
two of those coming in the FA Cup beating Takeley before producing a memorable
performance to knock Waltham Abbey out in the following round, and only good
goalkeeping from the Kettering Town stopper prevented Bridge from continuing
on, so they know they do have good performances in them, could they now
translate that to the bread and butter of the league?
Many had seen this as a potential cracker as both sides liked to attack, and they were not to be disappointed as the game turned out to be one of the most entertaining contests I'd experienced so far this season, it began with the hosts having a good spell in the early exchanges before West probably should have had a penalty but after playing on and missing, the play was not brought back, much to the visitors dismay.
Hullbridge did get their noses in front after 19 minutes though after the dangerous Solomon Ofori fired an effort into the box and found Bobby Badham who applied a first time finish past Michael Corderoy although again the visitors felt hard done by as they were claming offside, but the flag stayed down and the hosts had the lead.
Both sides continued to pass up opportunities in what was a breathless end to end contest, but two minutes before the break West got themselves on level terms, which was probably deserved, after Zak Oliver, who had been a constant threat down the right for the visiting side, ended a lovely team move by firing across goal into the path of skipper David Bell who could not miss from a yard out at the back post.
It had been a brilliant first forty five minutes and the second half did not let up either but some comical defending handed West the lead early in the second period as a ball forward was not dealt with and allowed Ruden Bartlett-Antwi a chance to have an effort at goal, and although his prod towards goal was on target with keeper Rob Budd out of goal, the covering defender attempted to clear the ball away from goal but instead fell over in doing so and saw the ball find the net, oops you could say.
West had chances to seal it as well but could not, whilst Hullbridge saw Ofori, who was a menace all afternoon, see an effort from the angle superbly tipped onto the bar by Corderoy, but with just under twenty minutes to go the hosts were given a golden chance to level the contest once again when a lovely ball slipped into the box by Harry Brown found Ofori who was felled by Corderoy for a penalty, and Jason Banton, who had been superb all game, stepped up to convert the spot kick, setting up a grandstand finish to this one.
Both sides continued to attack and try and find a winner, but they could not do this, meaning this game ended all square, it had been a cracking watch it has to be said once again, so kudos to both sides for putting on such an entertaining contest.
So, what does that mean for both sides in the division, well the hosts remain 15th in the table but do pick up another point and are now six points off the top five and twelve behind leaders Romford, whereas West stay in third and remain two points behind the leaders and only a point of second now, still early days though and many more twists and turns to come for sure. What a game this was though, marvellous!!!
Full time Hullbridge Sports 2 West Essex 2
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