Pre Season Friendly, Tuesday 15th July
My final pre season outing before the start of the season, this because I fly off to Norway for three weeks the day after this fixture to see family etc, brought together two sides who have played a major part in my life and are the two closest Non League clubs to my heart for sure, Southend Manor & Witham Town.
The hosts, Manor, will be playing in the Thurlow Nunn South Division again this season, that is Step Six in the non league pyramid, whereas their opponents Witham Town are two levels above and will again be competing in the Isthmian Division One North this campaign, I live just the other side of the park to Manor's ground, and was involved with them in an official capacity for some years over a decade or so ago now.
And Witham is where I grew up and went to school, and me and my father were heavily involved with them in the late 90s and early 00s, and a number of their officials came to my father's funeral in 2008 and also had a charity game in his honour the season after that, so both clubs hold a special place in my heart for sure, so it seemed fitting my final pre season game would be between these two.
Manor were obviously expected to find this match tough seeing as they were up against a side in a division two steps higher, but it was the hosts who settled the better in the opening five minutes and almost took the lead but stuck the bar, however it was the visitors who struck first in just the eighth minute when they pounced on an error at the back to get in, round the keeper and slot home.
It was frustrating for the hosts who had made a lively start, but they were soon two goals behind as Witham produced a lovely move down the right and it ended with a ball across goal being tapped in at the far post, and although Manor certainly competed with their opponents in the opening forty five minutes they conceded again on the half hour mark when a lovely ball through the back line saw them run onto the pass and beat the keeper to the ball and find the net as a result, 0-3 at the break, tough on Manor if truth be told but Witham showed their ruthless side as they made the most of what they produced.
The second period though did not begin well for Manor though as they quickly found themselves four behind when after the home keeper has made yet another save to deny the visitors, the rebound was thumped home, and then twenty minutes into the period Witham added a fifth in a game that was now one way traffic for sure.
The home keeper was making several saves now to keep the score line down as Witham were totally overrunning their opponents now, and they did manage to find a sixth with twelve minutes remaining when after Manor failed to clear, the ball was fired home from close range, and that completed the scoring as Witham ran out comfortable winners in the end.
New Manor boss Billy Cove would have been pleased with his sides first half showing despite the score line, although they did fall away in the second period but no doubt he would have learned a lot from this, Gary Kimble in the other dugout may have been concerned with some stuff in the first half an hour perhaps, but would have been pleased with how his side kept their foot on the gas throughout the game, especially second half.
Full time Southend Manor 0 Witham Town 6
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