Vanarama National League South, Wednesday January 1
My first game of 2025 saw me over at an Essex Derby in Chelmsford as a very wet Melbourne Stadium hosted Chelmsford City's home clash with Aveley with both sides looking to get their new year's off to a good start.
The visitors needed the points more if truth be told, they were in the bottom four of the division and eight points from safety with half their league games gone, second season syndrome had certainly hit the Millers in the second tier of non league after making the play offs last season, and they had a lot of work to do in the coming months if they wanted to stay at this level for another season.
They were up against a Chelmsford side who themselves were not hitting their heights this campaign, a very disappointing campaign so far so them down in 14th spot and kind of in no mans land right now, quite a few points above the drop zone but quite a way away from those play off spots too, which they are normally accustomed to being around.
A crowd of 868, with a small contingent from Aveley, braved the elements to come and see if their sides could pull off a good result on the opening day of the new year, any doubts about whether the game would be on were never really a worry as the pitch was playing very well despite all the rain that had fallen since late morning, a testament to the groundsman for that!!!
Could the sides put on a show for the ones who had come out to watch? Well, City should have netted early on in the piece as Osman Foyo's cutback found Critclow who looked odds on to score but instead fired his effort straight at keeper Holden, Aveley responded with a decent chance of their own midway through the half when Anifowose flashed a ball across the six yard box but nobody could get on the end of it.
Chances though were few and far between as both sides struggled with the conditions, City created another decent effort ten minutes before half time when Sam Oguntayo floated ball into the box found Jake Hyde, but his header was straight at Holden, had it been either side of the keeper then City could well have gone ahead, however in the 39th minute the hosts were to edge ahead.
The Clarets won a free kick near the corner flag on the right hand side, and Oguntayo's cross found Foyo who nodded a lovely header back across goal and into the far corner, giving the home fans something to cheer in a half that had been largely frustrating for them. It was a half that would end with them holding a slender lead though.
Aveley would have been annoyed at the way they conceded the goal as well, they were still right in this contest though and knew if they could find the next goal then it was anyone's game still, they certainly pushed the hosts back a bit in the early exchanges of the second period although they failed to really test Collins in the Chelmsford net, something that would have disappointed them too.
And they were lucky not to have fallen further behind with just over twenty minutes remaining when a counter attack saw Crichlow sent through on goal, but he could only slot wide of the post, and then Aveley had two golden chances to level, Bin-Semekula's free kick from the left wing glanced off the top of the bar, and then Coleman De-Graft somehow sent an effort wide from a few yards out, a hands in hand moment for sure.
Aveley sensed though the nerves in the hosts ranks, City needed a second goal you felt and they thought they had it in the 82nd minute when a quickly taken free kick from Donaldson was converted from close range by Charlie Ruff, however the referee called play back, much to the annoyance of the home crowd and bench, it was tense.
City then had another chance to seal the points in the 87th minute but fluffed their lines again, Ruff finding Hyde inside the box but they took too long and allowed a defender to get back to block, could Aveley punish their opponents for not sealing the deal, well sadly for them, no as this game would end up being settled by that late first half header by Foyo.
Not the greatest of games if truth be told, but Chelmsford wouldn't care about that, it's three points and a clean sheet to start 2025, even if it was a bit of a grind at times, for Aveley it's another disappointing loss, they had their chances but failed to hit the target, and defeat means they remain eight points from safety with twenty two games to go.
Full time Chelmsford City 1 Aveley 0
There was plenty of other games in the division on New Years Day so shall we see what happened and how it affects the table:-
Considering the poor weather only two games failed to take place/finish, Hampton & Richmond's home game with Dorking Wanderers was postponed whilst Hornchurch's home game with Tonbridge Angels was abandoned at 1-1 in the 37th minute due to waterlogging, all other games went ahead and finished.
League leaders Torquay edged their derby game against Truro to remain a point clear at the top whilst second placed Boreham Wood thrashed mid table Slough to remain a point behind the leaders, Maidstone edged struggling Welling to remain in third, whilst two play off sides clashed down in Sussex as Worthing and Eastbourne Borough shared a goalless draw.
Their was a big bottom two clash at St Albans as the hosts, who came into this one a point behind second bottom Enfield Town, netted a 2-1 win to leapfrog them, Weymouth and Aveley into fourth bottom spot, although they are still seven points from safety despite this, Weymouth did pick up a point themselves against Salisbury, but the four in those relegation positions are still in a precarious position as we enter the new year.
Anyway, that's my first blog of 2025 done and dusted, thanks for reading, here is to many more during the year!!!
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