Isthmian League One North, Tuesday 24th February
There was a bonus game over at New Lodge in Billericay on Tuesday night which saw Concord Rangers take on Brantham Athletic in the Isthmian One North, Concord had to get games played and with their pitch at Thames Road out of action because of the weather, Billericay accepted their wishes to hire the ground and 3G facility for the evening. (This game had originally been scheduled on January 3rd but was abandoned due to a freezing pitch at Thames Road)
The hosts have been out of action for a whole month due to the constant rain that has fallen in the UK over the past weeks, so catching up on games and also getting back to action on the pitch was necessary, and a win this evening would see them climb into the top ten on goal difference, a top ten finish was probably the best they could get from this season as the play off places are probably too far out of reach now.
Brantham Athletic were the visitors, and after winning promotion from Step Five last season by winning the Thurlow Nunn Premier, it's been an extremely tough season for them, one win in thirty games and just six points all season saw them rock bottom of the division and only a matter of time till their relegation is confirmed, this was not helped when the entire squad from last season and the management left the club, leaving them a total rebuild for this season in a much tougher league and step up. (This was what I was informed of prior to the game anyway).
Concord then were expecting to win this game, but being out of action for a month can be a hindrance sometimes, although they were certainly fresh and raring to go no doubt, Brantham had played three times in that same period that Concord hadn't, but had lost all three of those games, and after nine minutes of this one, it looked like a very long evening for the visiting side as the hosts flew out of the traps.
There were only four minutes on the clock when Owen Moore floated a lovely ball into the box were Stephen Toussaint leapt highest to nod home the opener, and after nine minutes it was two when Moore turned goal scorer this time, thumping an unstoppable effort into the top corner from an angle inside the box, and you felt at this point it was a matter of how many the hosts would net.
Brantham though didn't cave in and actually got themselves back into the game after twenty minutes when a ball played across the edge of the box was whipped past home keeper Charlie Brown brilliantly first time into the top corner by skipper Tom Lawson, and suddenly we had a game on, although the hosts so nearly restored that two goal cushion moments later but Oli Spooner's brilliant long range effort was superbly tipped onto the bar by visiting keeper Roan Tucker.
It was a superb game to watch and plenty going on, the action continued for the remainder of the half but no further goals meant a 2-1 score line at the break, and after half time Brantham had a couple of decent openings to level the game, but in the 57th minute some superb wing play by Moore saw him fire the ball across the goal and find Toussaint who applied the finishing touch and hand Concord a two goal cushion once again.
And in the 65th minute came the moment of the game when Spooner, who had seen an earlier effort saved of course, gave keeper Tucker absolutely no chance whatsoever as the ball sat up nicely for him some twenty five or thirds yard out and he duly smashed a brilliant effort beyond the keepers dive and into the top corner, it was a superb strike and the hosts were now cruising to victory, which didn't look likely earlier in the half.
Concord's number seven, Moore, was replaced in the 75th minute, but he has to be mentioned again, the attacker caused the visitors untold problems all game, and for me was MOTM for his terrific play and added to that a goal and two assists to boot, and the other star performer on the night, Toussaint, would complete the scoring with seven minutes remaining, as after he was pulled down inside the box by visiting defender Ross Mcguire, the picked himself to convert the spot kick and complete his hattrick as well.
A great night for The Beachboys then which at times looked difficult but they had enough in them to comfortably win the game & could have added more before the end as well, the win sends themselves into the top ten, for Brantham it was another difficult night although at 2-1 they were well in the game and had they levelled who knows what may have happened, they certainly didn't give up, so kudos to them for that, but they remain rock bottom with six points with relegation another step closer to being confirmed.
Full time Concord Rangers 5 Brantham Athletic 1
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