Essex Senior League, Tuesday 22nd/Wednesday 23rd September
There were six midweek matches that took place in the Essex Senior League in the latest mid week of the season as the campaign edged towards the latter part of September, and I was over at The Old Spotted Dog in Forest Gate, East London, to see newly promoted Clapton Community take on Saffron Walden Town.
The hosts first season at this level following their journey from junior football in the Middlesex County League to here after winning promotion via the Thurlow Nunn First Division South play offs last season hasn't started how they would of hoped, five games, four defeats and just the one point so far, so they were hoping they could heap more misery on a Walden side who had lost four of their opening six games themselves.
Walden had won the other two games they had played this season, but unlike Clapton were conceding rather too many goals for their liking, fifteen of them in the six games so far, and had only scored five goals in that same period, Clapton as said had only shipped seven goals in their five games so far despite only picking up that solitary point, but goal scoring was also an issue for them too, just the one goal thus far, yes one.
Neither side were doing it up front so far then, would that change in this one? You felt in the first period it was two sides who were struggling with confidence so far this season, the hosts barely created anything of note, but did see a glancing header go inches over the bar, Walden looked dangerous, especially down the wings through Samuel Black & Jamal Obeng, but as with the season so far no end product, meaning the half would end goalless.
Both sides were certainly working hard though, and giving as much as they could, but it was Walden who certainly on the front foot early in the second period, but they just could not capitalise on their dominance and as the half went on the hosts began to see more of the ball and try and punish Walden for not grabbing a lead early in the second period.
Would we get a goal though, that was the question? The answer to that was, yes, and it came in the 77th minute, as the hosts doubled their goal tally for the season, a ball forward down the right half of the pitch saw substitute Andre Odeku run towards the ball, and he looked up to see visiting keeper George Colton also running towards it, he was never getting there and by the time he realised this and started running back towards his goal, Odeku had already got to the ball and lobbed a lovely finish over him and into the far corner, and send the hosts & their fans wild with delight.
Walden now had around fifteen or so minutes to rescue themselves, but it's been a season that just hasn't gone right so far, and in keeping with it so far, they just could not muster a leveller meaning Clapton Community picked up a big win, and their first of the campaign, quadrupling their points tally so far in the process. It was also a second clean sheet of the season too, one more than Walden have managed thus far, despite this being their first win, showing that they have been in most of their games, and finally this one had fallen in favour of them.
For Walden though this was a disappointment, they just haven't got anyone to put the ball in the net and drawing a blank against up till this point the bottom side in the division will be a worry to them, no doubt things will need to change sooner rather than later before a poor start becomes more of an issue.
Full time Clapton Community 1 Saffron Walden Town 0
Barking 2 White Ensign 0
The Blues continued on their merry way this season by seeing of Ensign at Mayesbrook Park, Josh Gruby netted after just eight minutes to give the hosts the lead before Teddy Bowden's goal in first half stoppage time doubled their money, Phillip Hayford was sent off for the hosts late on however it didn't stop them gaining all three points.
Benfleet 2 Basildon United 2
Ten man Basildon were denied all three points at Woodside late on after a late goal from themselves appeared to have given them all three points, Mason Shave had given Benfleet a 14th minute lead but Oluwatise Biyi-Akinsuyi then levelled eight minutes later, The Bees then saw Bade Aleketu booked twice in a matter of minutes early in the second half but Billy Boag handed them the lead with six minutes to go. But, a late Jacob Wiggins penalty denied them the win and made sure Fleet would pick up a point.
Hackney Wick 1 Harwich & Parkeston 5
Jake Gordon netted a hat-trick as Harwich & Pakeston smashed five past Hackney Wick at Spa Road in Witham, Gordon got his first after just seven minutes but then saw Mason Rees level just before the quarter hour mark, but Gordon then restored the visitors lead just before the half hour mark to see them lead at the break. It remained that way until eleven minutes from time when Ruben Carvalho was sent off for Wick, resulting in a penalty which saw Gordon complete his hat-trick, and then Tiwa Odufuye & Louie Bloom add futher goals late on for the visitors to see them to a superb win.
Halstead Town 2 Frenford 4
Frenford's brilliant start continued as they netted four away at Halstead despite going down to ten men in the second period, Declan Kama gave the visitors a 19th minute lead & it remained this way until Rian Patel doubled their lead nine minutes into second period. James Everleigh then pulled one back for the hosts on the hour mark, and when Kevin Jordan was sent off with just over twenty minutes remaining for the visitors, Halstead may have fancied completing a comeback. But, Yousaf Hoque restored the league leaders two goal cushion with ten minutes to go, Theo Duffin reduced the arrears once again in the 87th minute but Asad Ahmed sealed the points for Frenford in stoppage time.
West Essex 1 Hutton 1
The spoils were shared at Wadham Lodge, it remained goalless until the 73rd minute when Callum Leahy gave Hutton the lead but Marcel McDonald made sure West got a share of the spoils by levelling from the spot in the 86th minute.
Let's see how the table looks after all of this mid week action.....
Frenford now have a five point cushion at the summit of the ESL, an incredible turnaround after somehow escaping the drop last season, Barking move into second spot after their win, leapfrogging both Halstead, who lost, and Heybridge Swifts in the process.
Harwich & Parkeston moved into the top ten after their thumping win, Clapton climb from bottom spot up to 16th after netting their first win of the campaign, leapfrogging Hackney Wick, who got thumped, Hutton, who drew and are still without a win, Sporting Bengal United and winless GWR, who are now bottom of a very early league table, who saw that coming?
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