Thurlow Nunn First Division South, Tuesday 3rd March
My first game of March came from The Southchurch Park Arena in Southend as Manor hosted Coggeshall Town in a Thurlow Nunn South fixture, the hosts were on a three match unbeaten run after holding high flying Newbury Forest to a goalless draw, netting a 1-0 win at FC Romania & then holding Burnham Ramblers to a 2-2 draw at the weekend.
This had helped the home side pull themselves seven points away from the bottom three and given themselves some breathing space, they were up against a Coggeshall Town side this evening who were in the top five of the league (in fourth spot) and knowing if they could get back to winning ways this evening they could increase the gap to sixth spot and make their top five position a bit more comfortable.
The Seedgrowers had been on a nine match unbeaten run before they succumbed to fellow play off chasing Rayleigh Town at the weekend, but there was no hangover from that early on in this contest as the visitors took just three minutes to break the deadlock when a corner from Hollocks was headed into the net by a hosts player, and after just eight minutes it was two when Chandler Wray played in Alex Banyard who fired a lovely finish over the keeper and into the far corner.
A stunned Manor tried to stem the tide against them and attempted to get themselves back into the contest but after 25 minutes it was three for the visiting side when Wray grabbed another assist, crossing for Tyler Hayes to apply the finishing touch, and it seemed at that point how many would Coggeshall get, they were cruising with less than half an hour on the clock.
However, two minutes later came a spectacular own goal from the visitors, a ball into the box saw a defender attempt to volley clear but got it completely wrong and sent a superb volley whistling past his own keeper and into the far corner, and it gave the hosts a route back into the contest, a contest they actually edged for the remainder of the first half, but Coggeshall did get to the break with a two goal cushion.
It was still all to play for though, especially if Manor could find the next goal, and they did just that nine minutes after the break, Finlay Ledger was played in behind the visiting back line but his finish seemed weak, but the keeper somehow let it through his grasp and the ball tricked inside the post and Manor were now right back in the contest and it most certainly was game on!!!
That hope though lasted five minutes as Coggeshall restored their two goal cushion just before the hour mark, Wray with his third assist of the game, crossing for Banyard to prod home from close range and add his second of the night, and with just over twenty minutes to go the visitors added a fifth goal, you know who, Wray, produced some lovely skill before crossing the ball for Joshua Ambrose to tap home from close range.
The visitors then added a sixth goal with twelve minutes to go when Adam Hewitt's ball found Ambrose who beat the offside trap to cut inside and fire a lovely finish beyond the keeper, and the hosts day got worse late on when they were reduced to ten men following a professional foul by Ole Richards, and although Manor continued to battle and fight, they were well beaten in the end by a good Coggeshall outfit.
The visitors then bounce back from their weekend disappointment in style, and they remain fourth but increased the gap to sixth placed Brimsdown to six points and still with three games in hand too, so they are a strong bet for the play offs right now, for Manor there three match unbeaten run comes to an end in disappointing style this evening, they showed glimpses in this one and almost came back from three goals down, but in the end they fell well short but do remain in 15th spot and seven points above the drop zone.
Full time Southend Manor 2 Coggeshall Town 6
