Thurlow Nunn First Division South, Friday August 16th
My first competitive fixture of the new season in England finally came and it was from Cricklefield as Barkingside hosted Hoddesdon Town in a Thurlow Nunn South fixture, this was my fifth competitive fixture of the season, one in Scotland and the other three in Norway (although technically Norway's current season began before the previous season in the UK had ended, but anyway!!!).
My first friday night game of the season saw me checking out a Barkingside outfit who were unbeaten in their first three games of the league campaign, they opened up with a 1-1 draw at NW London before netting a 3-1 win against St Margaretsbury in the first home game, they then drew with 2-2 at home to Coggeshall Town before their first reverse came at home to AS London in a League Challenge Cup contest.
That game was eleven days ago so they had had a bit of a break since, so no doubt they would have been raring to go and put that loss behind them and continue their unbeaten league start against a Hoddesdon Town who after winning their first two league outings have lost two of their next three, and due to the cricket club using Lowfield, they will be playing away from home until September, which isn't ideal.
As said The Lilywhites won at Coggeshall & Dunmow to start their campaign, but losses at Southend Manor & May & Baker, albeit with a decent goalless draw at Harlow Town in between those games, has seen the visitors season stumble, although with only five games of the season gone it's still early days, could the visitors get back to winning ways here and end Sides unbeaten league start in the process? Hoddy had not played for almost a week themselves so both sides were certainly 'fresh'.
The first half certainly looked like both sides hadn't played for at least a week as well, to say there was little cohesion on either side was an understatement, and it made for a rather uninspiring opening forty five minutes, and in fact it took until the final moments of a stop start first half for any side to look like a threat when Hoddy forced hosts keeper Oliver Johnson into two saves, prior to this the only shot on target saw an Emmanuel Sergio effort from the hosts saved by Liam Nugent in the visiting net.
Chances though had been scarce, but the second half was to be a much more eventful and watchable affair, and ten minutes after the break Side grabbed the lead when a ball fizzed across the box from the right saw Jaeden Nathaniel run onto it and sweep a wonderful first time effort past Nugent and into the net, could the hosts go on and win the game now?
Well, Hoddy responded well and were level just fourteen minutes later when after Side failed to clear their lines, Jonah Evans fired an effort towards goal which took a massive deflection off a defender and went past Johnson in the hosts goal and the match was now level headed into the final twenty minutes or so, could someone be a hero and find a winner for their side?
As the game headed for stoppage time Barkingside were given a golden chance to win it when they were awarded a penalty after a foul inside the box, much to the dismay of the visiting contingent, however, they were to be cheering moments later when Obi Okafor saw his spot kick thump against the post, meaning the points were to be shared.
It does mean Barkingside remain unbeaten in four league games although they have only managed to win one of those, Hoddy do earn a point but they are now winless in four after a decent start, but as said before still early days.
Full time Barkingside 1 Hoddesdon Town 1
There was one other game on Friday night in the division between two of the so called 'big hitters' in Cannons Wood & Harlow Town as the two did battle at Parkside.....
Cannons Wood 1 Harlow Town 5
Both these sides were looking to lay down a marker ahead of the weekend's fixtures and get one over a potential promotion rival come the end of the season, and also grab a win to send them into the top five positions. It started well for the hosts when they went ahead after just eight minutes, but it all started to unravel eight minutes before the break for them when they saw two players sent off to go down to nine men and Harlow seized their numerical advantage. They levelled three minutes into the second period through Cav Clarke before going in front through James Folkes, and then further goals from Denzel Effah, who netted a brace, and Leon Antione saw Harlow hammer the nine men and go into third, leaving the hosts well beaten and down in 12th, although it appears they were not happy with the officials following this defeat and pointed to that moment before half time when they went down to nine men, oops.
Here is how the league table looks after Friday night's action:-
And here are the six fixtures that take place on Saturday:-
Brimsdown Vs Rayleigh Town
Coggeshall Town Vs FC Baresi
Dunmow Town Vs Basildon Town
Hackney Wick Vs NW London
May & Baker Vs St Margaretsbury
Southend Manor Vs AS London
Rayleigh Town will be looking to build on a pretty decent start to life as a Senior club with victory against Brimsdown who have lost three of their first five this season, Coggeshall Town will fancy netting a fourth win of the season at home to winless FC Baresi's whose start to Senior life remains winless so far.
Dunmow & Basildon will do battle trying to grab a win to shoot them towards the play off spots, and Hackney Wick will try and continue their perfect start to the season against a NW London side who have one win from four so far, and at Parsloes May & Baker will try and grab a third win of the season at home to a St Margaretsbury side who have just one solitary point from five games thus far.
Finally at Southchurch Park, Southend Manor will look to try and continue their solid start with victory over an AS London outfit who themselves will be looking to grab a second league win of the season to try and get them up the table away from the bottom three spots which they currently occupy.
Anyway enjoy the weekend and whatever game you do go and watch, enjoy that too!!!
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