Thurlow Nunn First Division South, Tuesday February 25th
It was back to normality for me after my weekend adventure, and it was familiar surroundings and a very local one for me in the shape of Southchurch Park and a Thurlow Nunn South contest between Southend Manor & Barkingside, and it was a biggie down at the bottom of the division too.
Southend Manor were only above Barkingside, who occupied the final relegation place in third bottom, on goal difference, both were on twenty nine points although Manor had played a game less, but a win for either would see them put three points between themselves and those bottom three positions, and with only a handful of games to go, this was important.
Manor came into this contest having ended a run of eleven games without a win stretching back to October 12th by thrashing Dunmow Town 6-2 at Southchurch Park, a result that came right out of the blue, whereas Side had been going through a right mixed bag lately, winning three out of four at home but losing five straight away from home, so maybe Manor after that success at the weekend were perhaps slight favourites in this one, but only just perhaps.
Well, it was soon apparent this would be a long night for the visitors as the hosts flew out of the blocks, obviously buoyed by Saturday's 6-2 success, won a penalty after just five minutes after a foul inside the box and Lenny Asamoah rifled home the spot kick to give Manor an early lead, and for the remainder of the half Manor continued to churn out the chances but could not add to that lead and saw Side keeper Harrison Crowther make saves to keep his side in it.
However, twelve minutes before half time Crowther was to have a nightmare when a corner from Ashley Drury saw the keeper make a right meal of it and end up punching the ball into his own net to double Manor's lead and finally give them some breathing space, a shame for Crowther though who was having a good game up till that point, Manor though more than deserved that lead though, and to be honest Side were lucky to only be 2-0 down at the break.
Could Side turn it around in the second half? Well, Manor almost made it three when Mihail Elenkov swept an effort off the crossbar, and Crowther then had to make another save from Asamoah to keep out the hosts, despite this though Side seemed to be getting back into the contest and just before the hour mark were right back in it when Gerard Thompson-Shaw glanced home a header from a corner, game on!!!
Well, it was game on for barely a minute sadly for the visitors as Manor quickly went back to being two goals ahead as Asamoah swept home his second of the game, and this seemed to knock the stuffing out of Side and for the remainder of the contest Manor were the ones looking to add to their tally once again.
And Manor ended the contest once and for all when they did add a fourth goal with thirteen minutes remaining as Asamoah won a second penalty for his side and duly picked himself up to convert another spot kick and complete his hat trick in the process, and then with four minutes remaining Asamoah capped a wonderful display by turning provider, chesting a ball back to Ronnie Blake for the latter to drill home a lovely effort to make it five for the hosts.
It had been a rout if truth be told, and it could have been more, Manor now have won back to back games after none in eleven, netting eleven in those two games as well, some turnaround, and it sees them go up a place and three points above the drop zone, for Barkingside this was a bad evening, another defeat away from home and they remain in the bottom three with their goal difference taking a battering.
Full time Southend Manor 5 Barkingside 1
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