Benfleet 4 Canning Town 1

Pre Season Friendly, Saturday July 9th

My latest pre season outing saw me make my first visit to Benfleet's real home, Woodside, and they netted four against Canning Town on a very warm July afternoon to win their latest run out ahead of the new season.

Benfleet will be competing once again in the Eastern Senior League South division this season, which is step six and the lowest Senior status, and they so nearly won promotion last season but sadly lost in the semi final of the playoffs after what had been a very good season for them.

Canning Town did actually suffer the despair of relegation last season from the Essex Olympian Premier, which is Step Seven in the non league pyramid, the top level for Junior football, down to the Senior Division One, which is step eight, but they were reprieved after the season had ended meaning they will once again compete in the Premier Division.

It was a very warm afternoon in South Essex it has to be said, so this was going to be a real test of fitness for both sides, and it was the higher level Benfleet who had the better of the opening exchanges and they did grab the lead in the 28th minute after an over hit cross from the left was played back into the six yard box where a close range header put the hosts in front.

And five minutes before the break Benfleet doubled that lead when a cross from the left took a bounce, taking out the first defender and allowing the attacker to ghost in between that defender and another one behind him to nod past the stranded keeper from close range, and it meant the hosts had a two goal cushion heading into the half time break.

The visitors did get themselves back into the contest just before the hour mark when a free kick floated into the box saw a lovely header sent over the keeper and into the net, and headers seemed to be a thing in the contest as Benfleet restored their two goal lead with eighteen minutes to go as the ball somehow found it's way to the far post where a close range header went in via the keepers hand.

And guess what, four minutes afterwards came the final goal in the contest, again it was a header, as all the goals had been in this one, and it was a lovely glancing effort after a cross from the right which left the keeper no chance whatsoever, capping a decent day for the hosts.

Full time Benfleet 4 Canning Town 1

    

Norway 4 Northern Ireland 1

UEFA Women's Euros 2022 Group A, Thursday 7th July

Thursday night saw me down on the South Coast as I attended my first of two Women's Euros 2022 contests and saw Norway record an expected win against an heroic Northern Ireland side who at times more than matched their more illustrious opponents in an epic atmosphere at St Marys.

It was an historic evening for the Green and White Army who were making their first ever appearance in a major finals after beating all the odds to qualify for these championships, they only became full time in January incredibly and are ranked 47th in the world, by far the lowest of all the teams in this tournament, so just to be here was an incredible achievement.

Their opponents in contrast are two time winners of the competition and four time runners up too, and Norway have been mentioned as dark horses for the tournament, such is their talent within their squad, and they put in a clinical first-half showing, which highlighted the gap between a world-class outfit and a Northern Ireland team who were still finding their feet so to speak.

It only took the Norwegians ten minutes to get in front when Julie Blakstad was given all the space in the world on the left to stride in and fire inside the near post, and then just three minutes later a mistake at the back allowed the ball to be squared to Frida Maanum who had the simple task of side footing home, and at that point with less than fifteen minutes on the clock, you feared this could get messy for the GAWA.

Norway continued to dominate the opening half and were awarded a penalty after VAR deemed, along with the referee who went over to the screen, that a handball had been committed inside the box, and Caroline Graham Hansen struck home the spot kick, and Norway held a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.

The fear was that Northern Ireland would tire as the second half went on and Norway would go on and net a few more goals, but that never happened, which was a testament to the underdogs, and they started the second half brilliantly and managed to get the biggest cheer of the night when Julie Nelson made history for Northern Ireland as she became the first goalscorer for her country on the European stage when her header crept over the line four minutes into the second period to give Kenny Shiels' side hope.

It was fitting that Nelson was the player to have that moment, as the 37-year-old defender was one of the original players when Northern Ireland's senior women's team reformed in 2004 after being disbanded at the turn of the century, so you could say it was written in the stars, it was certainly a feel good moment that sent the very noisy GAWA support wild, they were going to enjoy this evening no matter what.

It didn't take Norway to long to restore their three goal cushion though, as Guro Reiten curled home a low free-kick five minutes later and round out what, ultimately, was a comfortable Group A victory for the Scandinavian country.

A superb night though, a wonderful atmosphere, and a night were both countries could be happy with what they had seen, all good, and I cannot wait for my second and final game in these Euros a week on Saturday when Spain take on Denmark in Brentford's Community Stadium, that could be some game!!! Bring it on...

Full time Norway 4 Northern Ireland 1

Bowers & Pitsea 0 Sittingbourne 4

Pre Season Friendly, Tuesday July 5th

My latest pre season outing saw me over at The Len Salmon Stadium and saw a Harry Harding brace help Isthmian One South East Sittingbourne thump Isthmian Premier Bowers & Pitsea on a warm sunny evening in Essex.

The hosts were trying out plenty of players and had a squad of 22 for this friendly, and the first half squad did compete well with the Sittingbourne side although it was the visitors who probably edged it in terms of chances created, and five minutes before the break they managed to find the net when a lovely interchange down the right saw a ball fired across the box for Harding to sweep home across the keeper.

Bowers changed their entire XI for the second period and truth be told the youthful XI that played the second half were outplayed for the majority of the half by a much more experienced Bricks line up, five minutes into it came a cracking strike from Jason Banton, who cut onto his right foot before unleashing an unstoppable effort from just outside the box into the top corner, and then with just under twenty minutes remaining centre half Puemo bundled home a corner after the keeper had failed to claim it, although he was adamant he was fouled, but this fell on deaf ears.

And with five minutes left lovely work down the right saw a ball crossed into the six yard box where the dangerous Harding was lurking to beat everyone to the ball and nod superbly past thre keeper and complete a satisfactory evening's work for the Kent side, I spoke to a couple of their fans after the game and they said the club are putting quite a bit of money into it this term, so watch out for The Bricks!!!

It was a difficult night for the hosts but this is pre season and early pre season, so no point panicking just yet, plenty of time for new boss James Collins and co to shape a decent squad for the new season ahead in what is a new era for the club.

Full time Bowers & Pitsea 0 Sittingbourne 4

 

White Ensign 1 Shenfield AFC 3

Pre Season Friendly, Saturday July 2nd

My first game of the new 2022/23 season saw me over at The Len Forge Centre near Southend Airport as Essex Olympian Premier Shenfield AFC got their pre season campaign of to a winning start after defeating Essex Senior Ensign in warm conditions on the Essex coast.

Ensign had quite a few trialists making their first appearance for the club, it's been all change at the club players and management wise over the summer, so they are looking to build again ahead of the new season, and they were up against a Shenfield AFC outfit who looked to be fairly similar to last season, although I cannot be sure if this was the case.

The visitors edged ahead after just seven minutes when a ball slipped into the attacker saw him control and fire home, but that lead lasted just six minutes as the visitors gifted their opponents a leveller after trying to play around with the ball too much on the edge of their own area resulted in the attacker nicking the ball off them, winning a challenge with the keeper, and slotting into the empty net, oops.

It remained this way until the 63rd minute when Shenfield edged ahead once again, and it was a lovely goal too, as the twelve received the ball, turned his marker superbly, before firing an unstoppable effort beyond the keeper into the top far corner, and then with two minutes left Shenfield sealed the win when after the Ensign defence had stopped, the visitors stole in uncontested down the right, and the ball in eventually broke to the fourteen who took a touch before rifling home.

This was the first time a lot of the hosts players had played a game together, and it kind of showed, yes the visiting keeper did make some decent stops to thwart them, but there was a lot of sloppy errors and some disjointment amongst them, but this was the first game of pre season so hard to be too critical right now, this is what pre season is for after all, ironing out those errors and rustiness.

Shenfield looked ok and looked like they had played together a bit more than their opponents, but it's hard to judge after your first pre season match, they have plenty of time to get things sorted for the new season after all, but this was a decent start from them that's for sure.

Full time White Ensign 1 Shenfield AFC 3

Pre-Season Fixtures 2022/23 (ESL/EaSL/EOFL/EAL)

 

Pre Season ahead of the 2022/23 season gets underway in early July so I have compiled a list of fixtures for clubs competing in the Essex Senior League, Eastern Senior League, Essex Olympian Premier and the Essex Alliance Senior Division.

These are the fixtures I could find after delving through twitter so if I find anymore and they are not on this list I will add accordingly, and if there are any not on this list you know about please let me know and I will add accordingly too.

Saturday July 2

Athletic Newham Vs Harpenden Town

Barkingside Vs Southend Manor

Basildon Town Vs Leigh Town (2pm)

Benfleet Vs Sawbridgeworth Town (3pm)

Burnham Ramblers Vs Saffron Walden Town (3pm)

Cambridge Press Vs Enfield (Neutral Venue)

Canning Town Vs Runwell Sports (2pm)

Cornard United Vs FC Clacton (2pm)

Flitch Academy Vs Halstead Town (Neutral Venue)

Frenford Vs Buckhurst Hill (3pm)

Harpenden Town Vs Athletic Newham

Holland Vs Dovercourt Rovers (Plough Corner)

Ilford Vs Oxhey Jets (Castle Green Leisure Centre, 2.45pm)

May & Baker Vs Chadwell Heath Spartans (Robert Clack, 2pm)

Newbury Forest Vs Witham Town (12pm)

Sungate Vs Redbridge (1.30pm)

Stanway Pegasus Vs Ipswich Vale Exiles (Stanway School, 3pm)

Stanway Rovers Vs Chatham Town (1pm)

White Ensign Vs Shenfield AFC (Len Forge Centre)

 

Tuesday July 5

Athletic Newham Vs Sporting Bengal United

Basildon Town Vs Chadwell Heath Spartans (7pm)

Buckhurst Hill Vs Stansted (Chigwell School, 7.30pm)

Herongate Vs Southend Manor

Little Oakley Vs East Bergholt (7.45pm)

May & Baker Vs Romford (Parkside, 7.45pm)

Saffron Walden Town Vs King’s Lynn Town

Stanway Rovers Vs Harlow Town (7.45pm)

 

Wednesday July 6

Coggeshall Town Vs Halstead Town (7.45pm)

May & Baker Vs Romford (Parkside, 7.45pm)

 

Saturday July 9

AFC Barnston Vs Toby

Athletic Newham Vs Bexhill

Barking Vs AFC Hornchurch (3pm)

Basildon Town Vs Earls Colne (2pm)

Benfleet Vs Canning Town (3pm)

Buckhurst Hill Vs Tilbury (Roding Lane Pitch Two, 3pm)

Burnham Ramblers Vs Shenfield AFC (3pm)

Canvey Island Vs Romford (3pm)

Clapton CFC Vs Catholic United

Cornard United Vs Little Oakley (2pm)

Dagenham United Reserves Vs Dagenham United

Epping Town Vs Takeley

Frenford Vs Stansted (3pm)

Harwich & Parkeston Vs Stanton (3pm)

Hatfield Town Vs Rayleigh Town

Holland Vs Achilles (Plough Corner)

Hullbridge Sports Reserves Vs Runwell Sports (2.30pm)

May & Baker Vs Ilford (Robert Clack, 12pm)

Peckham Town Vs Enfield Borough (2pm)

Springfield Vs Redbridge (2pm)

Stanway Pegasus Vs Long Melford (Stanway School, 3pm)

Stanway Rovers Vs Great Wakering Rovers (2pm)

Waltham Cross Vs Coggeshall United

Welwyn Garden City Vs Sawbridgeworth Town (3pm)

White Ensign Vs Kelvedon Hatch (Len Forge Centre)

White Notley Vs Halstead Town (2pm)

Woodford Town Vs Cannons Wood

 

Tuesday July 12

AFC Barnston Vs Takeley

Athletic Newham Vs Brimsdown

Benfleet Vs Enfield

Buckhurst Hill Vs Witham Town (Chigwell School, 7.30pm)

Burnham Ramblers Vs Great Wakering Rovers (7.45pm)

Earls Colne Vs Springfield (7pm)

Herongate Vs Hutton

Sungate Vs Romford (IWRFC, 7.45pm)

VCD Athletic Vs Ilford (7.45pm)

West Essex Vs New Salamis (7.30pm)

White Ensign Vs Hullbridge Sports (Len Forge Centre)

 

Wednesday July 13

May & Baker Vs Redbridge (Parkside, 7.45pm)

Shenfield AFC Vs Basildon Town (7pm)

 

Friday July 15

May & Baker Vs Woodford Town (Parkside, 7.45pm)

 

Saturday July 16

Athletic Newham Vs Welling United

Barking Vs East Thurrock United (3pm)

Basildon Town Vs Southend Manor (2pm)

Benfleet Vs Earls Colne (1pm)

Brightlingsea Regent Vs Stansted (3pm)

Burnham Ramblers Vs Fisher (3pm)

Canning Town Vs Snaresbrook (2pm)

Catholic United Vs Romford (Len Forge, 3pm)

Chadwell Heath Spartans Vs Basildon United

Enfield Vs Harlow Town

Enfield Borough Vs Brimsdown

FC Clacton Vs Harwich & Parkeston (3pm)

Halstead Town Vs Witham Town (3pm)

Harold Hill Vs White Ensign (Venue TBC)

Heybridge Swifts Vs Stanway Rovers (2pm)

Hoddesdon Town Vs Ilford (Wodson Park, 3pm)

Hutton Vs Harold Wood Athletic

Ipswich Wanderers Vs Holland

Kelvedon Hatch Vs White Ensign (St Martins School, 2.15pm)

Kulture Klub Vs Dagenham United

Little Oakley Vs Wivenhoe Town (2pm)

Old Southendian Vs Toby

Punjab United Vs Redbridge (3pm)

Romford Vs Catholic United

Runwell Sports Vs Coggeshall United (2.30pm)

Stanway Pegasus Vs Rayleigh Town (Stanway School, 3pm)

Takeley Vs Bishop’s Stortford

Waltham Cross Vs Hackney Wick

Welwyn Garden City Development Vs Buckhurst Hill (3pm)

Woodford East Vs Walthamstow Reserves (2pm)

 

Monday July 18

Erith Town Vs Barking (7.30pm)

 

Tuesday July 19

Athletic Newham Vs Hackney Wick

Basildon Town Vs Stansted (7pm)

Buckhurst Hill Vs New Salamis (Chigwell School, 7.30pm)

Brimsdown Vs Coggeshall United

Catholic United Vs Cannons Wood

East Thurrock United Vs Ilford (7.45pm)

Frenford Vs Redbridge (7.45pm)

Jolof Sports Vs Toby

May & Baker Vs Hutton (Robert Clack, 8pm)

Stanway Pegasus Vs East Bergholt (Stanway School, 7.30pm)

Stanway Rovers Vs Chelmsford City (7.45pm)

Whitton United Vs Holland

Woodford Town Vs Fisher

 

Wednesday July 20

Benfleet Vs Redbridge (7pm)

Burnham Ramblers Vs Rayleigh Town (7.45pm)

Enfield Vs Wormley Rovers

Runwell Sports Vs Southend Manor (7pm)

Wivenhoe Town Vs Cornard United (7.45pm)

 

Thursday July 21

Brantham Athletic Vs Halstead Town (7.45pm)

Buckhurst Hill Vs Hashtag United (7.45pm)

Little Oakley Vs Harwich & Parkeston (7.45pm)

 

Saturday July 23

Athletic Newham Vs Holmesdale

Barkingside Vs Catholic United (Marconi Sports Ground, Chelmsford, KO TBC)

Basildon Town Vs Sungate (2pm)

Benfleet Vs Holland

Buckhurst Hill Vs Grays Athletic (3pm)

Burnham Ramblers Vs Chelmsford City Reserves (3pm)

Canning Town Vs Colne Athletic (2pm)

Clapton CFC Vs Woodford Town

Colney Heath Vs Stansted (3pm)

FC Lahti Vs May & Baker (Kisapuisto Stadion, 3pm)

Harwich & Parkeston Vs Clapton (3pm)

Galleywood Vs Toby

Glebe Vs Barking (3pm)

Great Wakering Rovers Vs White Ensign (Burrows Park)

Halstead Town Vs Hadleigh United (3pm)

Holmesdale Vs Athletic Newham (3pm)

Ilford Vs Basildon United (Castle Green Leisure Centre, 2.45pm)

Ipswich Wanderers Vs Little Oakley (3pm)

Kelvedon Hatch Vs Stanway Pegasus (St Martins School, 2.15pm)

Leighton Town Vs Enfield

Long Melford Vs Saffron Walden Town (3.30pm)

Lymore Gardens Vs Harold Wood Reserves

Old Barkabbeyans Vs Dagenham United

Rayleigh Town Vs Frenford

Redbridge Vs Leyton Orient U23 (11.30am)

Romford Vs Brentwood Town (3pm)

Runwell Sports Vs Chadwell Heath Spartans (2.30pm)

Southend Manor Vs Hullbridge Sports

Stanway Rovers Vs Brantham Athletic (1pm)

Takeley Vs Harlow Town

Tilbury Vs Hutton

Witham Town Vs Hackney Wick (3pm)

Wivenhoe Town Vs Sawbridgeworth Town (3pm)

Woodford East Vs Belstone (3pm)

Wormley Rovers Vs Brimsdown

 

Monday July 25

May & Baker Vs Stansted (Parkside, 7.45pm)

Tilbury Vs Romford (7.45pm)

 

Tuesday July 26

Bowers & Pitsea Vs Southend Manor

Earls Colne Vs Holland

Frenford Vs Bishop’s Stortford Swifts (7.45pm)

Haringey Borough Vs Woodford Town

Hutton Vs White Ensign (EMR Stadium)

Redbridge Vs Newbury Forest (7.45pm)

Runwell Sports Vs Beacon Hill Rovers (7pm)

Saffron Walden Town Vs Chelmsford City XI

Stanway Pegasus Vs Brightlingsea Town (Stanway School, 7.30pm)

Takeley Vs Witham Town (7.45pm)

 

Wednesday July 27

Billericay Town Reserves Vs Rayleigh Town

Wivenhoe Town Vs Long Melford (7.45pm)

 

Friday July 29

Heybridge Swifts U23s Vs Toby

 

Saturday July 30

Canning Town Vs Lymore Gardens (2pm)

Catholic United Vs Basildon United (2pm)

Chadwell Heath Spartans Vs Athletic Newham Reserves

Hoddesdon Town Vs Brimsdown

Hutton Vs Old Chelmsfordians

Lymore Gardens Vs Canning Town

Runwell Sports Vs Hashtag United Development (2.30pm)

Sungate Reserves Vs Dagenham United

Toby Vs Harwich & Parkeston

White Notley Vs Rayleigh Town

Woodford East Vs Clapton CFC (2pm)

 

Tuesday August 2

Athletic Newham Vs Heybridge Swifts

Hadley Vs Brimsdown

Woodford East Vs Frenford Reserves (8pm)

 

Friday August 5

Billericay Town U23s Vs Toby

 

Saturday August 6

Brimsdown Vs Hatfield Town

Canning Town Vs CSM London (2pm)

Dagenham United Vs Toby Reserves

Harold Hill Vs Catholic United (1.30pm)

Hatfield Peveral Vs Rayleigh Town

Hutton Vs Woodford East (12.30pm)

Runwell Sports Vs Hullbridge Sports (2.30pm)

Wakebury Vs Chadwell Heath Spartans

White Notley Vs Kelvedon Hatch

 

Saturday August 13

Chadwell Heath Spartans Vs Redbridge Reserves

Lymore Gardens Vs Ilford Reserves

 

List last updated 27/06/2022 at 19:15