Pre Season Friendly, Saturday 11th July
I made a trip to a lovely part of Essex on the River Crouch for my latest pre season action as Thurlow Nunn South side Burnham Ramblers took on Essex Senior outfit Saffron Walden Town who made the trip from another lovely part of Essex, it was still a round trip of around 100 miles though, showing just how big this vast county of Essex really is.
Ramblers are of course under new management this season, and are looking to build a side who can maybe challenge for the playoffs again this season, they were up against a Walden side who themselves had turned up to this fixture with a mix of first team players, trialists & U18s, giving them all valuable minutes in the legs and an idea of how the players on show will perform.
Walden will no doubt want a playoff run themselves this season, but today for both sides was about getting some more fitness in ahead of the season, and the game would be taking place on the outside pitch at Leslie Field, which was a first for me as every other game I have seen Ramblers play there has been in the main stadium, so a sort of first for me!!!
The first half was not much of an event really, there were barely any real clear cut chances to report, and sadly for Ramblers they lost their starting keeper not long into the game due to a groin strain, well that's what I heard anyway, so not an ideal warm up for him that's for sure ahead of the season, this prompted a drinks break, followed by another one about five or ten minutes later, no comment!!!
A forgettable first half was followed by a much better second period, and it was only two minutes old when Ramblers got themselves ahead, Walden lost the ball in their final third and the hosts struck a lovely effort from outside the box into the bottom corner, advantage the hosts then, however, Walden responded well to going behind and were level just before the hour mark.
It came when a nice though ball sent the striker in behind the defence, and he managed to beat the onrushing keeper to the ball and fire home a nice effort with his left foot from the angle, bringing Walden level, and they could easily have been ahead shortly when they struck the post, but after a decent spell from them, and following another drinks break, Ramblers were the ones looking likelier to find winner.
They couldn't though, and although Walden also had chances on the counter, the game ended all square and saw both sides come away from this one with plenty of positives to take from it no doubt.
Full time Burnham Ramblers 1 Saffron Walden Town 1
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