Thurlow Nunn First Division South, Saturday 30th December
My final game of 2023 saw me over at Rookery Hill, Corringham, as struggling Basildon Town welcomed an in form Clapton in a Thurlow Nunn First Division South contest, with both sides looking to end the calendar year with three points for very differing reasons.
The hosts are embarking on their second season in Senior Football and after almost winning promotion last season, they are finding the 'second season syndrome' very tough indeed, although that is mainly down to big changes on and off the field which saw player manager Marcus Bowers depart for Great Wakering Rovers a couple of months ago along with several of the playing staff too.
In came Alec Simm & Andy Everett as manager and assistant, now Simmo was joint manager at May & Baker when Everett was also at Bakers too in a chairman capacity, so both have been reunited and tasked with the job of pulling Town away from the drop zone, they sat two points above it in 18th at kick off but even before kick off they were up against it in this fixture.
This was because fifteen players were unavailable for one reason or another, meaning the hosts would have to field a team made up of half their reserve side who play in the Essex Olympian Division Two, that's Junior football and four levels below, so a tough task indeed, but it was an opportunity for them to show what they could do at this level at least.
It would be tough though against a Clapton side who are harbouring an outside chance of grabbing a play off spot, something which seemed impossible early on in the campaign which saw the Terry Mac side bottom of the league and looking lost, but once ex boss 'Bash' came back to take the reins after Ross Weare left for a job in the Boreham Wood academy, thing have turned round big time for sure.
They found themselves in eighth spot, nine points off the top five, and believing that if they could have a superb second half of the season they could just could grab a play off spot, providing others above slipped up too, and give themselves a chance of making an instant return to Sep Five football and Essex Senior League status once again after their relegation last season.
Like Basildon the visitors had youth in their squad too today, two sixteen year olds in the starting line up plus four under the age of eighteen amongst their substitutes as well, as 'Bash' mentioned before the game, if you are good enough and put the effort in then you are old enough, never a truer world spoken I'd say.
The game itself turned out to be a very decent battle, Town almost grabbed a sensational lead barely thirty seconds into the contest when a ball across goal was thumped against the post from a yard or so out, and the hosts also stuck the same post later on in the half in what was their two best openings.
Clapton themselves saw a header cleared off the line, two other efforts go just wide of the far post, and another effort well saved by the home keeper, it meant the half finished goalless with both sides certainly putting in great effort and commitment, the second period did see the visitors look the more dangerous and they saw another couple of efforts fly just the wrong side of the post once again.
This did not mean Basildon were without there chances though, they forced a decent stop from the visiting keeper, and were screaming for a penalty in stoppage time at the end of the game although this was probably wishful thinking perhaps, Clapton probably should gave had a penalty of their own earlier in the half but this fell in deaf ears too, so maybe the referee was levelling it up, who knows, both sides felt they should of had one.
But alas there were no goals, although plenty of endeavour and effort for sure, and despite the zero goals tally it was still a very enjoyable contest to watch, Simmo and Co were very proud of their sides efforts, especially with half of them made up of their reserve side, Bash & Co were disappointed to not take all three points but they came up against a determined home side who certainly earned their point today, both sides did and they both end the year with a point a piece.
Full time Basildon Town 0 Clapton 0
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