Essex Olympian League Premier Division, Wednesday 3rd April
Wednesday night saw the top two do battle in the Essex Olympian Premier division at The Aspect Arena, home of Concord Rangers & of course tonight's hosts Rayleigh Town, and they welcomed league leaders Old Southendian to the Island to see who could grab another win to add to both sides already long winning streaks and enhance their title aspirations.
The hosts were of course also looking to continue their charge towards promotion, and as long as they finished above closes challengers Sungate in the final standings, they would be celebrating Senior football next season regardless if they win the title or not (OS cannot win promotion in case anyone wondered due to their facilities meaning they have not applied too), they had a three point cushion back to third placed Sungate with two games in hand, and they were a point behind tonight's visitors with three games in hand.
This is largely down to their imperious form which has seen them net sixteen straights wins in the league since they were beaten by Catholic United way back in the second game of the season, but they were welcoming an OS side who were themselves on an eleven match winning run in the league, and their last league loss came against, you guessed it, Rayleigh Town, at Garon Park back in October, meaning something to to give in this one.
Could the league leaders enhance their title aspirations and gain revenge for that 2-1 loss back in late October, or could Rayleigh really take control of the league and promotion too with another win to add to many already gained this campaign and also gain top spot in the process with games in hand?
Well, the opening half hour or so saw little in the way of chances, with the best one falling to the visitors when Mitch Ali managed to get in behind the hosts backline and have a shot a goal, but his effort was weak and easily saved by Town stopper Josh Hudson, and the keeper was to have a big hand in the first real moment of drama on the half hour mark.
This was after OS, who were starting to get on top in the fixture, won a spot kick, and saw Matt Tonking step up to give the visitors the lead, well no, not quite, as Hudson stopped what was a pretty poor penalty, however, the assistant then notified the referee of an encroachment by the hosts, and therefore ordered the penalty to be retaken.
Tonking stepped up to try and put right what had just happened, but Hudson had other ideas, saving his penalty for a second time, and keeping his side level in the contest, although not for very long as it turned out.
This is because in the 33rd minute, a ball into the box saw keeper Hudson attempt to punch clear but saw an attacker (who I did not see who it was because I was a. still trying to type a tweet for the missed penalties, and b because trying to make out the numbers on the back of the shirts was proving very difficult!!!) beat the keeper to the ball, and although his header crashed off the bar, Nathan Elgie was on hand to fire the loose ball home and give OS a deserved advantage in this huge game.
The closest Rayleigh came to threatening the OS goal was when Owen Barratt fired an effort into the side netting via keeper Jonathan Pitts fingertips, but this was really the only threat they managed in what had been a rather poor showing so far from the promotion chasing side, they needed a response in the second period for sure, but that was not to be the case.
Five minutes after the break Rayleigh fell further behind as their long unbeaten winning run was in serious jeopardy as OS caught them cold with a ball being played through to Ali who rounded keeper Hudson before slotting home and giving the league leaders some breathing space and a real chance of netting a big win against a title rival.
Could Rayleigh respond? Well, not really and in fact better finishing from OS thereafter could have seen a more emphatic win, they had been really good in this contest and had done a number on Rayleigh for sure, and OS never looked like they would relinquish their advantage in this one and netted a twelfth straight win in the league to open up a four point buffer to their opponents, albeit having played three games more.
OS now take on Sungate at the weekend in Southend at Garon Park, and Rayleigh will be hoping and praying that OS take points off them in that one and help their cause to finish above Sungate come the end of the season, if Rayleigh win out for the rest of the campaign they will win the league and promotion, but it may not be as easy as that and it could get rather interesting before the season ends to see who wins the league and gains promotion (in the case of Rayleigh & Sungate of course).
Full time Rayleigh Town 0 Old Southendian 2
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