Barkingside 2 Takeley 2

Essex Senior League, Monday 22nd August 2016

So Monday evening saw me at my first ESL game of the season for a top of the table clash between Barkingside and Takeley at Cricklefield Stadium in Seven Kings, Ilford.

Both sides have begun the season well and so this was billed as a potentially decent contest between two strong sides. Side had recovered well after a thrashing on the opening day of the season to sit fifth in the table whilst Takeley had four wins from five and sat top of the pile.

The hosts came into this one though off the back of a 7-2 mauling at Haringey Borough in the FA Cupon Saturday and their defensive frailties showed immediately from the off as barely thirty seconds into the contest Charlie Cole found himself clean through on goal and he duly lifted an effort beyond Sam Roach and gave Takeley an ideal start.

Side though to their credit regrouped and saw midfielder George Lutaaya strike the outside of the post from range on ten minutes and six minutes later they went one better, seeing skipper Paul Wrightcurl a delightful effort beyond Ronnie Yates into the top corner of the net and bring the hosts level.

The visitors, after making such a good start, had dropped considerably and it was the hosts who nearly scored again when Jason Fontaine almost got onto a ball into the box but visiting keeper Yates just managed to get to the ball first and end any danger. It was most certainly a game where their was no quarter given though in what was a tough battle out there as the teams reached the half time break all square.

Half Time Barkingside 1 Takeley 1

Takeley began the second half like they did the first, strongly, and almost netted in the first minute of the second half when Paul Tiffin had a sight of goal but hit his effort straight at Roach. But three minutes into the half the visitors did retake the lead after more defensive woes from the hosts, as after keeper and defender miscommunication, Tiffin had the simple job of sliding the ball into the empty net and give the visitors the advantage once again.

This would of no doubt frustrated hosts boss Gus Gulfer whose side had done so well in the first half to fight back after such a poor start, only to concede such a sloppy goal so quickly after the restart.

However right now his team were well on the back foot as the visitors looked likely to add to their lead and saw a Cole effort at goal saved by the legs of Roach before another hosts defensive lapse saw keeper and defender collide and leave the goal open but sadly for the visitors Cole could only hit his effort wide of the target in what was a huge let off for the hosts.

However whilst the game was still 2-1 the hosts were never out of the contest but they had not tested the Takeley keeper Yates at all in this second period although as the game entered the final fifteen minutes they were at least trying to probe the visiting back line.

The hosts though were not having things their own way as Takeley looked relatively comfortable with what was coming their way and frustrations almost boiled over when Side forward Luke With got into an altercation with Takeley defender Jack Leachman which ended with a booking a piece, but it was clear the hosts were cutting a frustrated figure.

Takeley had another chance to seal the points with five minutes left when Mitchell Das got in down the left but he could only slice his effort wide of the target and saw the Takeley winger hold his head in his hands as he knew they had passed up another opportunity.

The hosts gave it one last push in stoppage time and saw a corner into the visitors box cause a slight scramble and end with Lutaaya drag an effort well wide. You may have been forgiven that would be that, but five minutes into stoppage time Takeley gave away a silly free kick right on the edge of the box and Wright stepped up to smash the free kick beyond Yates into the top corner and rescue a point for his side.

Takeley would of no doubt rued those missed chances in the second half although the point does take them four points clear at the top whilst for Barkingside this is definitely a point gained and takes them up to third spot in the division.

Full Time Barkingside 2 Takeley 2

Romford 4 Hullbridge Sports 3

The Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round, Sunday 21st August 2016

So Sunday afternoon and my second FA Cup tie of the weekend saw me over at the Thurrock Hotel in Ship Lane for a match between Romford and Hullbridge Sports.

The ground had seen a cup shock the day before when Landlords Thurrock had lost at home to Thurlow Nunn One side Halstead Town and so Hullbridge were hoping they could also spring a surprise of their own against Ryman North Romford.

And for the first few minutes the ESL side looked ready to cause a shock. Within a minute of the kick off Matt Brinklow played Luke Hornsley in and the striker saw his effort come back off the post but a minute after that a cross into the dangerzone saw Rob Hodgson head home from close range and give the visitors an early lead.

However the hosts regrouped and came back to level the tie up after only nine minutes as a ball swung in by left back Paul Preston saw Chinedu McKenzie head in off the post and bring the Ryman North side level in this contest. The hosts were most certainly finding their feet now and midway through the half they went in front when Preston, who was causing the visiting defence problems down the left, crossed for skipper Jamie Dicks to power home a close range header and see Romford turn this tie around.

The hosts continued to press and missed a couple of chances to increase their lead although the visiting side were far from out of the tie and proved this fact when Brinklow saw a decent effort well tipped over by hosts keeper Richard Wray five minutes before the break.

But then a minute into first half stoppage time Hullbridge gave away a stupid penalty when hauling down McKenzie inside the box and Matt Mitchell stepped up to slot home the spot kick and send the hosts into the half time break two goals to the good.

Half Time Romford 3 Hullbridge Sports 1

Sports knew an early goal back in the second half would change the look of this tie yet again and two minutes into it they should of had that goal as Hodgson somehow glanced a header wide from six yards out. It was a golden chance and one that should of been taken and the way he beat the turf after missing suggested he knew that too.

And moments later the miss was compounded when Romford made it four as McKenzie managed to drill a shot inside the near post for his second of the contest and suddenly the visitors were three goals behind with an even bigger almost impossible mountain to climb.

And for a period of time after the hosts dominated proceedings and could and should of added to their four goals, missing at least three decent opportunities, as they threatened to run away with the contest. However the hosts failed to capitalise on this period of dominance and had a warning from the visitors when a rare second half chance for the ESL side saw Jimmy Cox spoon over an effort at the far post when it looked easier to score.

As the half entered the last twenty minutes or so though the visitors began to get a foothold in the game once again as the hosts seemed to drop in tempo and the visitors thought they should of had a penalty when Hodgson seemed to be shoved over inside the box but saw nothing given and his protests ended with him being booked as Hullbridge looked a frustrated side.

However Hullbridge kept plugging away and they found a second goal with just under fifteen minutes remaining when Harry Skinner saw the ball drop to him outside the box and he fired a shot beyond Wray into the bottom corner and the Bridge boys had a sniff of an opening. The sniff became a real chance nine minutes later when they got another goal back as Hornsley was played in and he slotted home and suddenly the hosts were hanging on.

Sports now fancied their chances of getting something from the game and in the final minute of normal time won a free kick which was swung into the back post and saw Hodgson amongst others dive and appear to head just wide of the goal, however the linesman had his flag up for a free kick to Romford, and after discussion with the referee saw Hodgson dismissed for a second booking as he had put the ball wide with his hand and not his head and as it was deemed deliberate handball it was a bookable offence.

The final few minutes saw Romford cling on and take the win which at one point looked likely to be a comfortable one but ended up being anything but. However it is the Ryman North side who take their place in the First Qualifying Round and an away tie at Ryman Premier Harlow Town in two weeks time.

Full Time Romford 4 Hullbridge Sports 3

Sporting Bengal United 2 Clapton 0

The Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round, Saturday 20th August 2016

So my first weekend back in Blighty saw me see a local derby in the most famous competition in the world as Sporting Bengal United hosted Clapton at the Mile End Stadium.

Early morning rain had cleared although it was still a very blustery afternoon in East London so both sides would have to adapt to the conditions laid before them. However with a bumper crowd packed into the main stand at the stadium, mostly due to the attendance of the now well known Clapton Ultras, a great atmosphere welcomed the teams at kick off.

The first fifteen minutes or so yielded very little in the way of attacking football, the only real attempt of note saw Clapton left winger Johnny Ashman cut inside and force hosts keeper Dwayne Esprit into a smart save to his left to push the ball away from goal whilst the hosts themselves were limited to a couple of long range efforts, both comfortably fielded by the giant frame of Pape Diagne in the Tons goal.

However the contest continued to drift along with not a lot of quality and although Ashman was looking lively down the Clapton left, he was ultimately ineffective along with everyone else as the tie was tight and tense and certainly not a classic. However the Tons almost gifted the hosts the lead just past the half hour mark when sloppy play allowed Zubair Hussain a sight of goal but he could only drag his effort wide.

It was a rare moment though as the half unsurprisingly came to a goal less conclusion and left both managers needing to try and get their sides to lift themselves to try and gain an advantage in a tie that so far had yielded very little in the way of goalmouth action. It was certainly to tight to call.

Half Time Sporting Bengal United 0 Clapton 0

You may have thought that the sides would come out all guns blazing and try and take the initiative in the tie but to be honest this never really happened as the match continued in its mundane affair. The Tons did have a couple of half chances, if you could call them that, and the hosts almost caught the visitors short at the back, but apart from this the first fifteen minutes of the half yielded very little once again.

Chances as you have probably worked out were few and far between but as the game entered the final twenty or so minutes the hosts saw a decent effort from Codey Cameron fly inches over the visitors bar whilst down the other end Clapton went close on three occasions in quick succession, one which saw them hit the post from barely two yards, although that was flagged offside anyway.

The game at least had slightly improved from the previous seventy odd minutes but the question on everyone’s lips was would anyone manage to find a winner? Sporting certainly went close to finding one inside the last ten minutes but saw the Tons defence somehow smuggle the ball out for a corner.

And then with four minutes of normal time remaining came the moment that saw the hosts grab a priceless lead. A cross came out to Hussain who hit a wonderful low effort from outside the box into the far corner of the net beyond Diagne in the Tons net and send the hosts wild with delight and then three minutes later they sealed their passage into the next round when a cross to the far post saw David Vaughan totally unmarked and he duly powered a header beyond Diagne and cued more celebrations with the home bench.

The referee did add on quite a bit of stoppage time due to many stoppages that had occured in the second half but Clapton did not threaten to find a way back into the contest and the full time whistle saw the hosts celebrate a huge win in their history as they reach the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup for the first time in ten attempts. They face Evo-Stik Premier sideKings Langley away on September 3rd and no doubt they will give a good account of themselves against higher league opposition.

Full Time Sporting Bengal United 2 Clapton 0

Vidar 5 Forde 4

POSTNORD-ligaen, avdeling.3, Saturday 13th August 2016

My final game of my Scandanavian tour for July/August 2016 was at Lassa gress, Stavanger, for a Norsk third tier match between Vidar and Forde.

I saw Forde a couple of weekend's ago at bottom side Sola and they were on the end of a 4-1 beating that day and with the pitch being sodden and slippery and the weather not ideal it sure had the feeling of a game that could yield afew goals.

But what was to come could not have been predicted.  Forde were completely over run in the opening twelve minutes and found themselves three goals down.  Firstly on six minutes Ingvald Halygunset rifled a shot in with his left foot from the right side of the penalty area, deceiving the keeper at his near post, before it was two for the hosts on ten minutes when after the visitors had blocked three efforts at goal the fourth saw Rogvi Baldvinsson smash home via the keepers hand from ten yards or so.

And when the hosts were awarded a penalty just two minutes later for a foul and Eirik Jakobsen converted the spot kick, you could of been forgiven for thinking that Vidar would run away with this one.  Well think again, because the next twelve minutes saw the visitors amazingly draw level in the contest.

Firstly just past the quarter hour mark Vetle Rygh stretched out a leg to convert a corner kick at the back post to make it 3-1 and then five minutes after this Thor Jorgen Spurkeland converted from a yard out and suddenly it was 3-2 and then remarkably it was 3-3 on 24 minutes when the visitors were awarded their own penalty and saw Kristoffer Haaland Iversen convert.

Amazingly that wasn't the end of the scoring in the first half hour as the hosts managed to edge themselves back in front again when Jakobsen glanced a header home and then on 31 minutes came the eighth goal of a crazy half hour when the hosts made it 5-3 as Daniel Berntsen powered home a close range header from another set play and this crazy half ended with the hosts 5-3 ahead.  Unbelievable.

The second period saw Forde actually have the better of the play and push the hosts back in the first ten minutes or so of the second half.  However the visiting coach was then sent from the bench for having one to many things to say to the referee, and then moments later the ball burst after being in the middle of a rather strong tackle.  It was all happening!!!!

And then just past the hour mark the visitors made it 5-4 when a cross from the left from Carl Joakim Kvist deceived the hosts keeper and thumped in off the inside of the far post and it really was anyone's guess which way this game would turn next.

It so nearly went 5-5 as well as the visitors burst through but the host keeper tipped the effort onto the outside of the post and saw the home side breathe a sigh of relief.  Vidar themselves then went close a coupld of times as they tried to add a sixth and clinching goal but it was the visitors who were pressing for a leveller.


In the five minutes of stoppage time that followed the end of the game Vidar saw Jakobsen hit the frame of the goal and then saw the hosts just about keep out the Forde attacking line as they clung onto a 5-4 win.  What a game and what a way for me to finish my tour, wonderful.

Åsebro 3 Färgelanda 1

Swedish Division Five, Dalslands FF section, Thursday 11th August 2016

So my first ever Swedish game saw me in the seventh tier of the countries pyramid for a Division Five encounter at the top of the Dalslands FF section as hosts Asebro took on unbeaten league leaders Fargelanda at Asebro's Rudevi IP ground.  It's quite a neat little set up their and here are some photo's I took two day's prior to the game:-

The visitors had won nine of their ten league games, drawing the other, as they lead their opponents by ten points.  Asebro knew they needed to try and end this unbeaten record and defeat the visiting leaders in order to try and close the gap to their opponents.  However as the teams warmed up and took to the field (pics below) people wandered how this match up would go.

Well the hosts didn't take long to let everyone know how they would approach this game, taking the lead with less than a minute on the clock as a cross floated in from the right found Fredrik Grenander who managed to loop a first time header over keeper Henrik Albinsson into the far corner.

Thereafter the visitors started to dominate possession but we're unable to really test hosts keeper Henrik Abom and when the hosts did get forward they still looked like they could grab a second.

However you felt the visitors pressure would eventually tell but no the hosts then put together some good football with just over ten minutes until the break when goalscorer Grenander turned provider, releasing Peter Eriksson in on goal with a sublime pass, and the latter duly slipped a first time finish beyond keeper Albinsson in off the post to double the hosts advantage.

So at the half the visitors unbeaten run looked in danger although you felt they were still far from out of the game especially if they could find an early goal back in the second period. Here are some first half pictures:-

And sure enough ten minutes into a fairly even competitive half the visitors grabbed a goal back when Tobias Andersson glanced a header beyond Abom and it was very much game on.

The hosts though still looked to attack although they had adopted a more counter attacking approach as Färgelanda continued to probe the Asebro back line but the half was much more even on the possession count as both teams had openings.

And with fifteen minutes to go hosts winger Alassane Ouarma burst down the right and cut back inside and was fouled for a penalty which saw Grenander convert with ease and give the hosts a two goal cushion once again.

The visitors missed a couple of decent chances to get themselves right back in the contest but then saw the hosts miss a great chance when Ouarma hit wide when clean through however it was the hosts who ran out winners thus closing the gap to the leaders and ending their unbeaten league record as well.  Here are some second half photos:-

So Asebro close the gap to seven points although they will need Fargelanda to lose a few more if they have any chance of winning the league.  Should be an eventful last seven games as they say.