Clapton 2 Southend Manor 0

Essex Senior League, Saturday 16th November 2013

I travelled to 'The Dog' for game one of my Saturday as this was moved to 1pm due to the home sides floodlights not working.   The game kicked off in bright sunshine and both sides struggled to get the ball under any sort of control due to the bobbly nature of the pitch and didn't help in a pretty drab first 45 minutes.  Manor's keeper Joe Williams made a good near post save in Clapton's only real chance of the first half while at the other end Dan Williams had a couple of chances himself as well as Manor full back Deshaun Stevens having one too after a lung busting run down the right.   The 'Clapton Ultras' did their best to create a good atmosphere but this didn't really improve matters in the second half as again both teams struggled on the poor surface.  Clapton started to make more of an impression on the game as the second half wore on and Manor were struggling to get out of their own half at times.  It was no surprise that the home side took the lead on the hour mark when Roy Hallowell jinxed his way through a couple of challenges inside the area and then poked the ball into the top left hand corner past Williams for a 1-0 lead.   Manor continued to struggle to create anything going forward and Clapton were now in the ascendency and doubled their lead on 73 minutes when a cross from the left was glanced home by Rafael Dyyille past Williams's left hand into the corner for 2-0.  Manor tried in vain to get back into the game but it was one of the games were it just wasn;t going to happen for them.  The only attempts on goal for Manor in the second half was a long range which flew well wide and also substitute Rhys Fatt turned his marker about 20 yards out but his snapshot flew well wide also.   Clapton saw out the game confortably for a 2-0 win.

Concord Rangers 1 Whitehawk 1

Skrill South Division, Tuesday 12th November 2013

The Aspect Arena was the setting for my latest footie fix and it was between two sides who had both been promoted from the Ryman Premier Divison in the summer.  Concord had obviously come up via the playoff's and Whitehawk came up as Champions.  Both teams were 18th and 19th going into this game so it was expected to be a tough battle with not much between the sides.   The first half was fast paced and a tough physical battle but neither keeper had anything to do in the way of saves.  The best two chances, one for each side came in the last ten minutes of the half.  First Concord's Sam Collins hit a rocket of a shot just over Dillon Phillips crossbar from just outside the box and then just before half time Concord keeper Jamie Butler saw a snapshot from inside the box deflect just wide of his right hand post for a corner.   The second half started in dramatic fashion.  Concord's Sam Higgins got in on goal only to hit his effort wide of the post.  Then the Whitehawk centre back Hakeem Adelakun said something to the referee who immediately reached for his red card and sent him off.  This meant the away side had to play most of the second half with ten men and initally Concord pressed the away side back but then Whitehawk started to get forward themselves and for a while it was just like the first half, even with not much in the way of chances.   Mid way through the half Concord's Butler had to turn over a snap shot from outside the box, this was the first save any keeper had to make, in a warning to the home side not to take the ten men too lightly.   Concord finally started to push their opponents back in the last ten minutes of the half and but for a splended one handed save from Whithawk stopper Phillips it would have been 1-0 to the hosts.   It seemed the game would then drift to a 0-0 draw but bang on 90 minutes the away side crossed the ball over and substitute Sam Gargan acrobatically volleyed past Butler to give Whitehawk a 1-0 lead and apparent victory.  It was scarcely deserved but nonetheless Concord had four minutes of stoppage time to grab a goal.   They spent most of those four minutes pumping the ball into the Whitehawk box desperately praying for a break and in the 94th minute after another pinball-esque scramble in the box the ball broke to Sam Higgins who duly smashed the ball past Phillips on the half volley to make it 1-1.  This was virtually the final kick of a match that in all honesty had a draw written all over it.   Concord, although releaved to grab a point in the end, would still be disappointed they couldn't put the ten men away.  As for Whitehawk, despite conceding so late on, I'm sure they would have been happy to come away with a point.

Southchurch AFC 2 Berry Rangers 1

Colin Tyler Cup 1st Round, Sunday 10th November 2013

Sceptre League Division Eight side Southchurch AFC entertained Sceptre League Division One Berry Rangers at Futures College this morning.   On paper it was no match but this Southchurch side are a good side with will and determination and it was hard to see who was in what division as the home side took it to their higher placed opponents.  The home side had much the better chances in the first half and their first goal was a cross from Justin Gent that defeated everyone including the keeper and went in at the far post for 1-0. Rangers had their moments and from one of these they equalised after Southchurch failed to clear there lines for 1-1. But the home side continued to bang on the door of the opposition and from a long throw the ball was flicked on and Scott Smart stole in to head past the keeper for 2-1.  The second half was a much more scrappy affair but both teams had their chances to score but in the end Southchurch ran out winners and well deserved as they wanted this game more than their opponents.