Essex Senior League, Wednesday 13th August
Another Wednesday night and another trip to Mile End to watch Sporting Bengal United, this time they were in league action against Hackney Wick in a rearranged fixture after the original game was abandoned two weeks ago due to a broken goal post, which was a new one for most of us!!!
Thankfully the goalposts were now fixed and all was well once again at Mile End, and both sides looked to catch up on that fixture and gain more points in their league campaigns, the hosts had come into this one off the back of a humbling 4-0 loss at Woodford Town whereas Wick had picked up a first win this season in the league after they came from behind to win at Hullbridge Sports.
Could Sporting then bounce back from that heavy loss or would Wick build on that first success in the league and make it back to back wins, well it was the hosts who flew out of the blocks and lead inside three minutes, Wick failed to clear their lines and allowed Noah Adejokun to apply and neat finish into the bottom corner, and for the rest of the half the hosts dominated.
They struck the bar with a free kick soon after and then also saw a header come back off the post, and they also saw another opening goal inches wide of the far post, they did however double their lead just past the half hour mark and it was either a absolute moment of genius, or just pure luck, whatever it was it was brilliant.
Adejokun got the ball on the right and sent a ball into the box with the outside of his boot, but the ball spun perfectly over keeper Teddy Baena who was a fraction off his line, and saw the ball end up in the far corner, whether it was meant or not who knows, but it gave the hosts a deserved second goal and breathing space.
Wick had been well below par it had to be said, their manager even made a triple change a few minutes before the break, that's how upset he was with his side, although they did concede again in the 44th minute when Adejokun completed a first half hat trick by ramming home from barely a yard out, and even missed another great chance before the half was out.
It could easily have been six or seven to the hosts at half time, they were that dominant, but they still held what looked like a unassailable three goal cushion at the break, and surely they were well on their way to the points and bouncing back from that defeat at the weekend.
Football is a funny game though isn't it, whatever was said in that visiting changing room at half time certainly did the trick, Wick were far more on it from the start of the second half and were a totally different side it seemed, and they duly pulled a goal back just before the hour mark when Issa Sidibe followed up to score on the rebound after his initial effort was blocked, game on now perhaps?
Wick were now totally on top and the hosts could barely get out of their own half, and you felt it was only a matter of time before Wick would find another goal to really make it interesting, and sure enough in the 77th minute they reduced the arrears further when a long ball brilliantly controlled before Sidibe was handed the ball to ram home superbly for his second and now the hosts were really on the back foot and clinging on somewhat.
Would they hold on or even somehow find a fourth goal to clinch this one and breathe a sigh of relief, they had barely threatened in the second period, a total contrast to the first half, and it was Wick who were doing all the running in this half after a very poor opening forty five minutes.
There was a whole heap of stoppage time of course, and five minutes into that Wick were handed a golden chance to grab that leveller and salvage what looked at half time like a very unlikely point, a foul inside the box gave Sidibe the chance to complete his hat trick and level the game, and he smashed home the penalty to do just that, could they do the unthinkable and actually win the game?
They nearly did just that, but missed a golden chance just before the end, they had enough openings in the second half to have won it, this had certainly been a game of two halves if ever I saw one, absolutely mad, bonkers, but brilliant entertainment, it means both sides earn a point, but weirdly both would probably have been disappointed with that, Sporting because they should have been out of sight at half time and led 3-0, and Wick because they probably should have won it at the end.
Football eh, never ceases to amaze does it.....
Full time Sporting Bengal United 3 Hackney Wick 3
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