Hashtag United 3 Redbridge 3

Pre Season Friendly, Monday July 19th

My fourth pre season fixture of the 2021/22 season saw me over at The Len Salmon Stadium in Pitsea for Isthmian North new boys Hashtag United's home game with Essex Senior League side Redbridge, the league Hashtag United had of course won promotion from to take their place in their new division for the coming season.

It was the lower league visitors though who made the biggest impression in the opening half, and after they had come the closest to breaking the deadlock when thumping an effort against the underside of the bar, from the resulting corner their No.2 fired home from inside the box just before the midway point in the first period.

And ten minutes before the break they doubled their lead when a lovely pass found No.10 in on goal and he fired home emphatically despite being chased down by a defender, and the Motormen had impressed thus far in this one and held a two goal cushion at the break.

Things livened up a bit early on in the second period when Tag's four and Redbridge's Sixteen came together which caused a bit of a melee, and then moments later the same thing happened again, resulting in a booking for the visitors forward, it had certainly added some juice to this one though, and shortly after all of this excitement Redbridge looked to have landed the knockout punch when No.10, who looked more than decent, shifted onto his left foot before curling home delightfully twelve minutes into the second period.

Hashtag though soon got themselves a lifeline when after a foul inside the box the hosts won a penalty on the hour mark, which was dispatched emphatically by skipper Ross Gleed, and then with just under twenty minutes remaining Gleed again found the net to bring the hosts right back into the contest after firing home a free kick from the edge of the box.

The Motormen almost curled home a fourth but despite this it was pretty much all Hashtag for the final quarter of the contest, but after the hosts had gone close and also struck the bar, it looked like Redbridge may hold on, however, with a minute of normal time remaining enter Carlos Flood who rifled home a superb effort from outside the box to bring the hosts level, could they go on and take an incredible win?

They had the chance to in stoppage time but blazed over from twelve yards after a loose ball fell to them, and it meant the game would end all square and bring to a close a very entertaining contest. Certainly in that second half their was no quarter given, and with three flashpoints there was certainly nothing friendly about it, but a decent watch nonetheless and a decent fightback from the hosts in the end.

Full Time Hashtag United 3 Redbridge 3

Frenford 0 Hornchurch 3

Pre Season Friendly, Tuesday July 13th

My third pre season of 2021/22 saw me over at The Drive for Frenford's home fixture against FA Trophy holders Hornchurch, the hosts play three levels below their opponents so this would certainly prove a thorough test for the Ilford/Redbridge side, although this was The Urchins first pre season fixture so Frenford, who were a week or two into their programme, could see this as a slight favour towards them.

Despite this though the visitors were expected to record a comfortable victory, there last competitive fixture was of course at Wembley when they defeated Hereford to win the FA Trophy, an incredible achievement indeed and one they wanted to back up with a strong season in this time round as well, so how would their first match prior to the new season shape up.

The opening half hour saw Hornchurch have a lot of the ball unsurprisingly but they were made to work very hard by the hosts who themselves had a couple of moments going forward themselves, but just past the half hour The Urchins did make the break though when after Ruff had seen his long range effort deflected against the bar, Nash followed in and somehow headed his effort against the bar too, but Stimson was on hand to nod over the line from close range, a scrappy goal in the end but a goal it was a the visitors, who looked a bit frustrated up till that point, could release some of this.

Frenford were competing well against their Isthmian Premier opponents though and would have been very happy at the break, whereas Hornchurch would have wanted a tad more from themselves although this was their first pre season outing so understandably were getting some rust out of their system, but nine minutes after the break a bit of class doubled the Urchins lead as a lovely flick into the box from Spence found Dickson who had timed his run perfectly to dink a beautiful effort over the keeper and into the net.

Both sides then exchanged efforts at goal before Ruff then struck the post for Hornchurch, however with twenty minutes remaining the Urchins did add a third when lovely build up play saw the ball played to Nash who swivelled and struck a lovely left footed effort in off the post and see the striker finally grab a goal his good all round play deserved.

Frenford though continued to play well and did force a decent save from the visitors keeper, whilst the visitors did have more chances to add to their tally, but in the end they settled for three and a decent win on their first outing before the real stuff begins next month. Many positives to take from this one for both sides, I thought Frenford gave a really good account of themselves and showed they have a strong side to compete in the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior South division this season.

Full Time Frenford 0 Hornchurch 3

AS Rawreth 0 Bishop's Stortford Swifts 7

Pre Season Friendly, Saturday July 10th

My Second pre-season friendly of 2021/22 saw me over at The Warren for the very first time as a guest of hosts AS Rawreth (AS standing for Academy Soccer) for their first warm up game for the new season against Bishop's Stortford Swifts.

Both sides were under new management, and both had very different squads to the ones that ended last season' campaign, both sides play under the Essex Olympian Football League banner, AS Rawreth are in Division Two this season whilst Stortford Swifts will again be competing in the Premier Division, two levels above.

It was the visitors who broke the deadlock on 16 minutes when a lovely through ball found an attacker who produced a lovely finish beyond the keeper, and then twelve minutes before the break it was two for the visitors as another pass in behind the back line again found a striker free, and he tucked it away with another decent finish.

And three minutes before the break Swifts made it three when another wonderful ball from out on the right was curled behind the back line and the striker produced a wonderful finish from an angle on the right hand side of the box, and it saw the visitors go into the break three goals to the good, the hosts hadn't barely troubled their opponents so far.

Six minutes after the break Swifts added a fourth in one where the hosts keeper would rather forget, as a tame shot from outside the box saw the ball slip through the grasp of the keeper and through his legs and into the net, and then just before the hour mark Swifts added a fifth when a free kick from the right side of the penalty area went across goal and ended up in the far corner.

Swifts were running riot now and quickly added a sixth when a ball over the defenders head bounced up nicely for the attacker who sent a lovely lob over the keeper and into the net for a superb finish, and then with thirteen minutes remaining came the final goal of the contest when a free kick from a more central position was fired at goal and although the keeper got a hand to it, he could not stop it finding the bottom corner.

The hosts did at least show a bit more attacking intent in the second period and did hit the bar on one occasion, although this was from a visitors head, but in the end Swifts ran out comfortable winners. A good run out for both sides though and many more pre season games for both to shape their squads ahead of the new season.

Finally, many thanks to AS Rawreth for being so welcoming and inviting me as a guest to this game, the set up is fabulous and would put some senior clubs to shame, thanks to all who took the time to speak with me as well and tell me more about the club, and a big thanks to Callum Bolger, the assistant manager who took me to and from Wickford station, it was very much appreciated. A good club indeed and one that would be well worth a visit.

Full Time AS Rawreth 0 Bishop's Stortford Swifts 7

Hullbridge Sports 2 Stansted 1

Pre Season Friendly, Tuesday 6th July

My first pre season game of the 2021/22 season saw me over at a familiar setting of the Hullbridge Sports and Social Club in Lower Road, Hullbridge, for a match up between Hullbridge Sports and Stansted.

I say familiar but since Bridge were promoted to the Isthmian North division back in 2018/19, when they beat Stansted to the title by five points, my visits to Lower Road have gotten less, and in fact my last visit there was pre season last summer, so that will hopefully change this coming season.

The game was played out on one of the back pitches as the stadium pitch is currently being readied for the new season, and after some light rain prior to kick off, it turned out to be a pleasant sunny evening if a little bit breezy, which is normal for this part of Essex!!!

Bridge were playing their second pre season of their build up to a third season at Step Four, and hoping this season would be their first one completed at this level after the last two were curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but they had more than held their own in those two shortened campaigns so they were hoping that this would be another solid one.

Stansted as mentioned were pipped to the Essex Senior League title by Bridge back in 2018/19, and in their two curtailed ESL campaigns since they had ended in sixth when 2019/20 ended and then were second behind Hashtag United last season when that was ended, so two very solid seasons to back up that close call prior to that with Hullbridge.

This game also saw two brothers up against each other, Mark Watters had joined the hosts management set up in the summer break whilst John Watters is of course in the management set up at Stansted, so brotherly love would be put to one side for ninety minutes at least in this one.

The hosts new forward line of Lewis Francis, Michael Mignot, Charlie Cole and Tony Martin certainly gave Stansted something to think about in the first half, and on twenty minutes one of those gave the home side the lead when an overhead kick back across goal was Cole send a close range header into the net, and then Stansted saw one of their defenders suffer an ankle injury meaning he had to be carried off the field after a lengthy delay being treated by both physios, I hope he makes a swift and full recovery.

Stansted though put these set backs behind them and levelled ten minutes into the second period after a good start to the second period as Jack Mitchell produced a wonderful half volley into the top corner from the edge of the box, it was an exquisite finish and the game was now in the balance.

But in stoppage time at the end of a contest that had been well contested and played hard but fair, Hullbridge netted a winner as Cole was on hand to prod home the loose ball inside the box for his second of the game and the winner for his side, maybe a draw would have been a fair result but results don't really matter too much in pre season and no doubt both sides would have taken a lot from this contest.

Full Time Hullbridge Sports 2 Stansted 1

      

Buckhurst Hill 0 Ongar Town 2

(Josh Charles holding the Charles Charity Cup flanked by Ongar players Eamon Payne and Aaron Blair, many thanks to Reiss Rasmussen (@Reiss_Raz) for this superb photo)

Charles Charity Cup, Friday June 4

Friday night saw me over at what I now think will be my last game until preseason in July (I think!!!) for a match between two Essex Olympian League sides, Premier Division champions Buckhurst Hill and Division One Champions Ongar Town.

This was a much-anticipated contest between what many feels are the two best sides currently in the whole of the Olympian, so this was in some ways a match to see who would take the honours and call themselves the best across the whole league, but as I said that is what some were saying, not me!!!

The two sides were playing for the Charles Charity Cup, this game had been set up to raise money for a young guy called Josh Charles, who sadly has been diagnosed with Bone Cancer in his lower leg, meaning it will have to me amputated, so Ongar decided to set up this match against Buckhurst Hill to raise money for Josh and the Bone Cancer Research Trust, so a very good cause indeed.

This was a cause close to my heart because I myself lost my father to this disease in August 2008 after a four year battle with it, so I was more than happy to support the cause and also help the Charity and Josh himself as he continues to battle this illness, and there was a super turnout at Aveley’s Parkside venue, I would say several hundred were there, and with everyone giving at least a fiver on the gate, that’s a lot of money raised so that is fantastic!!!

Onto the actual game and Ongar began quite well in the first fifteen minutes or so and had a wonderful chance to take the lead after a mistake at the back from Buckhurst Hill, Aaron Blair, scorer of 100 goals in three seasons for the club, raced clear but saw his effort saved before one of his teammates curled the loose ball just wide of the far post.

The rest of half though belonged to Buckhurst as they began to take control and settle, and had it not been for Ongar keeper Tim Pitman, formally of Hashtag United no less, Ongar would have found themselves two or three goals down at the break, after he pulled off three wonderful stops, one of them was out of this world quite frankly, and Ongar were disappointed with their first half showing and no doubt were told this at half time.

Ongar, roared on by the majority of the large crowd inside the stadium, began the second half well but unlike the first half managed to find the net ten minutes after the break, and what a goal it was too, as after Buckhurst had lost the ball in midfield, skipper Mitchell McCabe picked the ball up and let fly from outside the box and found the corner of the net superbly and cue mass celebrations in the stands and on the field, but they knew Buckhurst would come back at them so needed to try and keep a lid on it.

And they so nearly levelled Buckhurst moments later when a cross to the back stick was thumped against the post, had that gone in who knows what would have happened, but it did not, and it was another chance that they had seen go begging.

Ongar though were playing much better in the second period and were playing the football that had won them the Division One title and promotion to the Premier Division, and with Buckhurst pushing forward for a leveller they left gaps at the back which Ongar tried to expose, and four minutes from time they sealed the contest when a lovely move ended with Joshua Boxhall curling a delightful finish into the far corner, cuing more celebrations.

Maybe it was fitting that Ongar did win this for Josh in the end, and they certainly celebrated the victory with gusto, this meant so much to the Ongar boys and they had given probably the best Olympian side for some time a defeat, showing they will be one of the favourites for the Premier title next season no doubt.

Full Time Buckhurst Hill 0 Ongar Town 2

 

A great night then and lots of money raised for a lovely gentleman and a good cause too in Bone Cancer, hopefully the money raised will make some difference and I wish Josh all the best going forward, keep fighting fella!!!

It had been a high-quality contest too between two sides who did the Olympian proud, I wish Buckhurst Hill all the best in their new venture in Senior Football and the Thurlow Nunn South Division, and good luck to Ongar in the Premier Division of the Olympian, two ambitious sides but two lovely clubs as well, so very pleased for both.

And lastly a big thank you to Ongar centre half Eamon Payne, who picked me up from work and took me back to Upminster afterwards, a can’t thank you enough for that gesture, but would also like to thank May & Baker boss Jordan Harris and Aveley volunteer Stevie B for also offering to give me a lift to and from Parkside, it doesn’t go unnoticed and I am blessed to know such wonderful people, this is the non-league family at it’s best, so proud to be part of it. Have a good summer and see you on the other side…

Here are some snaps of the game I took…