Essex Alliance League Senior Division, Wednesday 1st November
I popped over to Lower Road, home of Hullbridge Sports, for an Essex Alliance Senior Division clash between Chadwell Heath Spartans and Bakers693, the hosts hierarchy are well known to the Bridge Boys, player manager Aaron Hunwicks played for the club whilst his father and Spartans Chairman Neil was club photographer for a number of years, so surroundings for those two at least were familiar.
Spartans of course normally play their home games at Lakeside Sports Ground 3G, but the pitch at Lower Road was like a billiard table and perfect for football, so there would be no issues with the playing surface despite it being played on the night before and the wet weather that has been around lately, so no doubt both sides competing in this contest would have looked forward to the surroundings and facilities for the evening.
Getting to the ground was a challenge for some mind, including myself, due to temporary traffic lights in the village which caused some hefty delays getting into Hullbridge, and with some of the visiting side not arriving at around 7.30pm, it meant a slight delay to proceedings and an 8pm start, no biggie, and kudos to Spartan's chairman Neil Hunwicks who bought me a beer on arrival, it was certainly needed after a stressful journey on the bus due to the delays!!!
So, how have both sides started their league campaigns? Spartans were looking to jump into second spot behind leaders FC Baresi who have been the stand out side so far this campaign, Spartans had played eleven league games, winning five, drawing four and losing two, whereas visitors Bakers693, part of the May & Baker family, had played nine games, winning four, drawing one, and losing four as they were down in tenth out of fifteen sides in the division.
Spartans were coming into this contest off the back of a decent 2-0 success at Sporting Hackney, a team in a similar position to their opponents this evening, Bakers693 saw their game scheduled for Friday night at Haringey Borough U23s postponed so they had not been in action since the previous Friday night away at Aveley U23s, but they also picked up a 2-0 success in that one so both were coming into this game off the back of identical victories so would have felt good about themselves.
I was expecting a decent game if truth be told, and a great battle between two sides who try and play football, but the game really failed to get going for the first hour, the opening forty five minutes saw hosts keeper Lamar Johnson made a couple of decent stops to keep the visitors out, whilst Spartans only real opening saw Enoch Salami's effort well blocked by a defender, but that was about it for goalmouth action.
The opening exchanges of the second half yielded little as well, but just before the hour mark Spartans so nearly got ahead when skipper Elie Fanga got clear of the backline but saw his lob over the onrushing keeper bounce off the inside of the post and someone stay out as a relieved keeper managed to get back to claim the ball before it went over the line.
You thought at this stage it was destined to be goalless, but barely a minute later on the hour mark, Peter Adeleye, who had only come on as a substitute moments before, got clear in the same way his strike partner had done moments before, and this time he applied a deft touch past the onrushing keeper and saw the ball roll home with him chasing after it just in case it didn't reach the net, finally a break through!!! Thank goodness!!!
Could the visitors respond? Well, with fifteen or so minutes left of the ninety they were handed a golden opportunity to level the contest when they were awarded a penalty after one of their players was shoved over inside the box, and after a lengthy wait to take the spot kick, the visitors ballooned the spot kick miles over the bar and out of the stadium, it was probably one of the worst penalties I've seen, certainly a forgetful moment for the striker you could say!!!
It meant Spartans remained ahead, and a minute or so into stoppage time at the end of the game they sealed the deal with a second goal as player boss Aaron Hunwicks curled a beautiful corner to the far stick where Courtney Holness was waiting to send a header in off the post, and cue more celebrations from the home side who had had to work very hard for this victory, so no doubt it made it sweeter and more satisfying.
Spartans then go up to second spot, six points behind the leaders FC Baresi after a six win of the season, Bakers693 remain in tenth and will wonder what could have been had they netted that spot kick and levelled the contest, we will never know now but it meant Spartans could go on and take the points in a good battle in the end, a slow burner you could say!!! But at least it got going eventually.....
Full time Chadwell Heath Spartans 2 Bakers693 0
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