Thurlow Nunn First Division South, Saturday December 28th
The final Saturday of 2024 saw me over at New Lodge, Billericay, for Hutton & FC Baresi's final game of the year as they did battle in the Thurlow Nunn First Division South.
These two had done battle over at Wodson Park in Ware in the corresponding fixture in the division in early November and FC Baresi had caused a surprise by beating Hutton 2-1, but the visitors today have been pulling off some surprising score lines recently against play off contenders.
Baresi, who sat 12th in the division and only two points off the top ten at kick off, came into this game having netted back to back away wins against play off contenders, like Hutton, winning 7-0 at Cannons Wood before recording a another clean sheet in a 2-0 win against Rayleigh Town.
Hutton therefore would have to be on their guard against a dangerous side who were more than capable of pulling off a positive result, although the hosts weren't exactly in top form themselves, yes they had netted two wins, home and away to Barkingside, recently, but the other four games since they had won at bottom side St Mags were all defeats, meaning their play off spot was was not as secure as it once was.
Three points was therefore important to grab before the year was out, and there was barely sixty seconds on the clock when Hutton grabbed the lead and a perfect start after Maxwell Appauh, fresh from his four goal haul in their last game, slotted across the keeper into the far corner, meaning no third clean for the visitors before the game had even started for them.
How would they respond, well if truth be told they could easily have been further behind on more than one occasion but Hutton's wastefulness in front of goal meant the visitors remained in the game, they did have their moments and remained a threat, and three minutes before half time they punished their opponents for their lack of finishing in front of goal when Benyamin Waren planted a header into the roof of the net to send the sides into the half time break all square.
How would the second half pan out then? Well, it turned out to be an absolute belter, and a bit barmy too, the early exchanges of the half were a bit tetchy, and plenty of yellows were handed out by the referee for either confrontations or dissent as both sides seemed to be getting frustrated with decisions against them, but on the hour mark and just after that, things changed for the better for the home side.
Firstly they won a spot kick on the hour mark which was slotted home to restore their lead, and then shortly after the visitors keeper was shown a straight red after a foul outside the box was deemed dangerous, meaning they would be down to ten men for the final twenty five minutes or so and have an outfielder in goal too, not ideal, advantage hosts surely now?
It looked certain that Hutton would go on to record a comfortable victory when they saw a shot from outside the box take a big deflection to wrong foot the stand in keeper and find the bottom corner with twenty minutes to go to increase their lead, but the ten men had other ideas and reduced the arrears five minutes later when after the hosts failed to clear their lines, Kishawn James prodded home from close range.
Hutton though restored their two goal cushion five minutes after that though to seemingly end Baresi's hopes of a comeback by curling in a beauty of an effort which even a normal keeper would have struggled to get anywhere near, and at 4-2 to the hosts with ten minutes of normal time to go, surely they would now cruise home with the extra man.
Well, not quite, as those plucky visitors just would not go away, and an absolute blockbuster from Jerrel Cato in the 85th minute meant the game was back in the balance once again, and now Hutton were holding on for dear life as Baresi so nearly levelled in the time remaining to grab what looked like an unlikely point at one stage.
Hutton did manage to hold on though to record a very important win and make it back to back home wins to see out the year, fair play to Baresi though who did not give up and almost scrambled something from the game, both played their part in what was a marvellous game of football in the cold and foggy conditions at New Lodge.
Full time Hutton 4 FC Baresi 3
Well, what a game, let's look to see the other results happened in the division over the weekend and what it does to the table:-
Friday December 27th
Barkingside 2 Burnham Ramblers 1
Cannons Wood 5 Southend Manor 1
Saturday December 28th
Basildon Town 0 Harlow Town 5
Enfield Borough 3 NW London 3
Hoddesdon Town 4 May & Baker 1
Newbury Forest 2 Coggeshall Town 2
Rayleigh Town 5 St Margaretsbury 0
Leaders Harlow thumped Basildon Town away from home to open up a ten point cushion at the top, Wick do have two games in hand though but Harlow continue to be in a very strong position at the top despite this, Rayleigh & Hutton both recorded wins to keep some distance to the ones outside the play offs who are chasing those places.
Cannons Wood also managed to record a big win to give themselves a gap to the ones below too, the likes of Hoddesdon Town for example who netted a big win today to at least not see the gap to the play offs increase today.
Down at the bottom Barkingside recorded a huge victory over fellow strugglers Burnham Ramblers to pull a four point gap to the relegation spots, whilst Newbury Forest got a useful point against Coggeshall Town, bottom side St Mags were thumped at Rayleigh and remain in a very precarious and hopeless position currently, eight points from safety as it stands and rock bottom.
So, another exciting weekend in the division, that's all for now, thanks for reading as always!!!
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