Coggeshall United 1 Long Melford 0

Buildbase FA Vase Second Qualifying Round, Sunday 15th September 2019


Mwetsi Matagni netted a ninth minute goal and it proved enough for Coggeshall United to battle their way past Long Melford at West Street to reach the Buildbase FA Vase First Round Proper.


The Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior South hosts had already knocked out Essex Senior League side Cockfosters in the previous round after extra time whilst Thurlow Nunn Premier Long Melford had to battle their way past Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior side Little Oakley in their previous round of the competition.


And it was the hosts who struck first in the ninth minute when a defensive slip allowed Ben Madden to get a shot away and although this was saved, skipper Matangi got the loose ball, rounded a defender before firing beyond keeper Ben Davlin into the far corner and the Step Six hosts led the Step Five visitors early on.


Melford to their credit responded well to going behind and saw three efforts blocked in quick succession, and then went close as they curled a decent effort just wide of the far post.  The hosts themselves could have doubled their advantage after another defensive slip, but this chance was not taken meaning the hosts ended the half with a slender lead.


Half Time Coggeshall United 1 Long Melford 0


The early exchanges of the second period saw chances for both sides, Melford hammered a free-kick just over the bar whilst the Weavers sent a high looping ball towards the far post which keeper Devlin had to be alert to and punch away.


Melford then sent a near post effort towards goal which was saved before the hosts probably should have doubled their lead when a square ball was somehow not converted with the goal at their mercy, and it remained 1-0 to the hosts.


Melford though were having quite a lot of the ball but despite pushing the hosts back into their own third, they could not really create anything of note.  Their only attempt came when a back flick towards goal ended up on the roof of the hosts net but apart from that the home side were soaking up all that was coming their way.


And as the game got into the latter stages and with Melford pushing more players forward in search of a leveller, Coggeshall looked dangerous on the counter and had chances to seal it, but were wasteful in trying to end the contest.


But that ninth minute goal from Matangi proved to be enough to send his side through as the Weavers had to show all their battling qualities once again to win this one.  Melford did have a lot of the play but were found wanting in the final third and hardly tested hosts keeper Lewis Down at all which will no doubt disappoint them.  Congratulations to Coggeshall United though who knock out Step Five opposition for the second round running.


Full Time Coggeshall United 1 Long Melford 0

Benfleet 2 Haverhill Rovers 5

Buildbase FA Vase First Qualifying Round, Sunday 1st September 2019

Max Dinnell netted a brace to help Haverhill Rovers progress into the Second Qualifying Round of the Buildbase FA Vase, setting up a tie at Colney Heath, after victory over Benfleet in a very entertaining contest at Park Lane.

The visitors, who play in the Thurlow Nunn Premier, started well against their Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior South opponents, and saw Dinnell cut inside and drag an effort wide, before the hosts then went close as a Jamie Brown free-kick took a deflection and needed a smart save from James Young to keep them out.

But from the resulting corner Benfleet took the lead as after Young had clawed out the corner, Emmanual Adetokunbo turned home the loose ball and the Step Six side had the early advantage.

And moments later it should have been two as Mason Shave got in but saw his effort slide wide of the near post, and then in the 15^th minute Haverhill levelled when Dinnell rammed home from inside the area and we were all square.

Brown then saw an effort deflect over the visitors bar, before another Benfleet attack saw them round keeper Young who had come to the edge of his box before the ball was cut-back to Brown who saw his effort blocked.

But the hosts were then rocked back on their heels as they fell behind in the 25^th minute when after an effort at struck the bar, the loose ball was prodded home by skipper Alfie Carroll and just like that the visitors had turned it around.

Fleet continued to attack though and saw an Ole Hunter lob almost catch out keeper Young, who managed to back pedal and turn the ball over the bar, but then came a controversial moment in the game when the visitors were awarded a spot-kick for a foul by Azeez Alabi, who was duly booked for the challenge.  It looked from my angle that the ball had been won but speaking to the officials after wards they said he played the man first.

Benfleet were upset with the award, and their mood wasn’t helped when Luke Haines stepped up to convert the spot-kick, and Benfleet were now two goals behind.  They would certainly have felt hard done by to be two behind in this contest two.

The hosts though continued to attack, and skipper Tyler Hubbard sent a free-kick way over the bar as they looked to try and pull one back before the break, and then Rob Lacey fired just wide of the visitor’s goal.

But as good as the hosts looked going forward, their defending was letting them down, and three minutes before the break conceded again in disastrous circumstances as centre half Alabi managed to half block an effort on the line but he could only manage to then put the ball over his own line, rather summing up the hosts first half.  They had played well but found themselves 4-1 down at the interval after some clinical attacking play from the visitors.

Half Time Benfleet 1 Haverhill Rovers 4

The tempo of the game did not let up as the second half began in a rather frenetic manor, and after Hunter had skied a decent effort over for the hosts, Rovers made it five with more clinical forward play, as after good work from Tyger Smalls, he squared for Dinnell who slotted home from close range.

Almost immediately after though in the 49^th minute Benfleet grabbed one back as Sam Dulieu converted from close range (I Think, I actually missed the goal trying to tweet the Rovers fifth one!!!) and it meant the lead was back down to three.

Benfleet then nearly grabbed another when a goal-bound effort was blocked before the loose ball was fired over, before the visitors got in down the right through Smalls but his cross shot was blocked.

And then visitors came close to adding a sixth when Jordan Palmer saw his header brilliantly saved by Danny Confrey, before the corner fell to Sam Mills but he could only blast high over the bar from close range.

Rovers skipper Carroll then almost flicked a cross into his own net but was pleased to see his keeper Young gather the ball before it went past him, and then another great chance for Benfleet saw Shave someone put wide from ten yards or so.

The visitors then saw a Haines free-kick superbly kept out by Confrey, before another effort was blasted over the bar, before a good ball into the visitors box by the hosts almost found substitute Jerome Mayhew, but he could not reach the ball and it drifted out for a goal-kick.

Rovers then got in down the right but substitute Brandon McKay’s eventual effort was straight at Confrey, and then Benfleet almost had a third when after Brown had twisted and turned inside the box his effort was deflected making the save for Young a bit easier.

Smalls then got in down the left for Rovers but could not get beyond keeper Confrey who had come way out to thwart him, but the game was then brought to a conclusion some time after and it was the visitors who prevailed in what was a very entertaining game.  Benfleet did not deserve to lose 5-2 but poor finishing and some ordinary defending led to their downfall here.

Full Time Benfleet 2 Haverhill Rovers 5

Cockfosters 1 Coggeshall United 2 (aet)

Buildbase FA Vase First Qualifying Round, Saturday 31st August 2019


Lewis Soraf netted an extra time winner for ten-man Coggeshall United as the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Senior South side saw off Essex Senior League Cockfosters at Chalk Lane in their Buildbase FA Vase First Qualifying Round contest, setting up a Second Qualifying Round tie at home to Thurlow Nunn Premier Long Melford.


The visitors had the first chance of the game when a cross found Grame Montgomery who could only slice across the ball and send it out for a throw, and then another chance came for the visitors when player manager Cliff Akurang flicked a header towards goal but this was cleared off the line.


The hosts responded as Reece Mosanya burst into the box but his ball across goal was cleared away before Billy Healey burst down the right for the home side and his ball in found Luke Marshall whose goal-bound effort was blocked by a defender.


Mosanya then crossed for Healey to force a wonderful point blank save from visitor’s keeper Lewis Downes, however the ball was returned into the six-yard box where Healey headed home, but the ball had gone out of play for a corner according to the linesman so the goal was ruled out.


Montgomery then sent a low effort at the hosts goal which keeper Josh Bradley managed to help over the bar, and then Soraf sent a decent header at the Cockfosters goal but it was straight at Bradley who caught the effort.


A brilliant move by the visitors ended with Mwetsi Matangi totally missing the ball when presented with a goal scoring chance from point blank range, and then Ricky Loveridge fired just wide of the hosts goal from distance.


Akurang then saw a header strike the hand of a Cockfosters defender inside the box but the referee deemed it accidental before full back Lee Flynn sent a header at the hosts goal but Bradley got down to save, meaning the half ended goalless.


Half Time Cockfosters 0 Coggeshall United 0


Good football from the visitors saw Matangi fire over from inside the box, before Ryan Wade then fired inches wide for the hosts when in truth he should of hit the target, but the second period was devoid of much goal mouth action as the weather began to turn.


Cockfosters keeper Bradley then had to come off injured and was replaced by Adam Seymour, and in the 71^st minute he was picking the ball out of his own net after a mistake from the defence allowed Loveridge in to slot home and give the underdogs the lead.


Rian Carroll then fired just wide for the hosts as they looked for a leveller, and with seven minutes remaining won a penalty kick after keeper Downes had fouled Healey inside the box, and Wade stepped up to fire home the spot-kick and Cockfosters were level.


The visitors then saw a super effort brilliantly saved by Seymour, before Marshall then broke the visitors offside trap but could only send his effort across goal and wide, and then Flynn sent a long-range effort at the hosts goal but it was punched over by Seymour.


Stoppage time then saw Coggeshall skipper Mensah sent-off for something off the ball which I didn’t see if truth be told, and then Cockfosters almost nicked it at the death but missed, meaning extra time would be needed, and the visitors would have to play it with a man light.  Advantage Cockfosters you would say?


Full Time Cockfosters 1 Coggeshall United 1


Well the first chance of extra time fell to Wade who forced a save from visiting keeper Downes, but it was the visitors who were creating the openings as substitute Ben Madden volleyed wide before the same man then fired a long range effort straight at Seymour as the ten men were doing ok in the extra period.


Loveridge then sent a free header straight at Seymour in the hosts goal, before the same man then fired another effort at the hosts net.  Wade had had the ball in the Coggeshall net twice in the opening period of extra time too, but both were flagged for offside, and he then sent a free-kick just wide of the visitors net as time expired in the first period of the extra half hour.


So, would we get a winner in the final fifteen minutes?  Well, Wade got in for the hosts but shot straight at Downes, and then the hosts somehow failed to go in front when George Beattie got in down the right and sent a ball right across goal but Wade could not divert the effort into the net.


Montgomery then almost punished the hosts for hesitant defending when skying over from point blank range, but with six minutes of extra time remaining Coggeshall grabbed the winner when Soraf struck home from the edge of the box and saw the ten men advance through to the next round.


Full Time (after extra time) Cockfosters 1 Coggeshall United 2

Hullbridge Sports 1 Canvey Island 3

Isthmian League North Division, Monday 26th August 2019

Goals from Josh Hutchinson, George Purcell and Tobi Joseph saw Canvey Island make it three wins from three after they saw off Hullbridge Sports at Lower Road in their Isthmian North contest.

The hosts were playing their second ever home game at this level and had picked up one point from their two games, loosing their opening game at home to Witham Town 3-0 before grabbing an encouraging goalless draw at Aveley, but they were up against a Canvey side who had beaten Romford and Grays Athletic 2-1 in their opening two games.

It was the visitors who started the better and had the first effort at goal when Purcell saw a deflected effort fly wide, and in the 14^th minute they grabbed the lead when a ball across found it’s way to Hutchinson who slotted home from an angle.

Jason Hallett then rifled one wide of the hosts goal as the visitors dominated the opening twenty five minutes or so, but the hosts did then create a couple of decent chances which both fell to Timothy Monsheju, firstly poking over from inside the box, and then secondly seeing a good strike well saved by Canvey keeper Lamar Johnson.

Hallett then saw a deflected effort hit the hosts bar down the other end, before Hutchinson stung the palms of hosts keeper Rob Budd from outside the box, and it meant the visitors held a one goal lead at the break.

Half Time Hullbridge Sports 0 Canvey Island 1

Hallett headed over early in the second period, before Albert Levett burst into the hosts box but saw an effort blocked by the defence, whilst the hosts saw substitute Luke Hornsley saw an effort blocked down the other end.

But with 56 minutes on the clock Canvey grabbed an important second to double their lead when Joseph squared for Purcell who side footed home from close range and give the Canvey fans behind that goal more to cheer.

It was almost three soon after too as Hallett saw an effort across goal saved by Budd before Jamal Allen had to be quick to clear the ball off the line before Joseph could poke the ball over the line, as Canvey looked like they could go on and win by more.

But then came two huge chances for the hosts to get back into the game, and both fell to substitute Matthew Baxter, firstly getting through on goal by shooting straight at Johnson, and then seeing another effort from close range saved by Johnson before he then had to be alert to save a backward header by a defender.

And with ten minutes to go Canvey made them pay by sealing the contest with a third as substitute Samrai Gebrai, who had recently signed from ESL side Walthamstow, set up Joseph to turn and fire beyond Budd.

Yemi Adelani, another hosts substitute, fired an effort towards the near post which Johnson got down well to tip round the post, before Purcell saw a terrific effort at the hosts goal saved by Budd, and then a Hullbridge corner was headed over the bar by centre half Perry Dunn.

Hullbridge did at least net a consolation in the 89^th minute when after Hornsley had been pushed over in the box, Adelani stepped up to slot home the spot-kick, but it was too little too late for the hosts who have now lost two of their first three at this level.

Full Time Hullbridge Sports 1 Canvey Island 3

Haywards Heath Town 2 Tunbridge Wells 1

Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round, Saturday 24th August 2019


Nico Cotton struck home just past the hour to help Haywards Heath come from behind to defeat Tunbridge Wells at Hanbury in their Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round tie on a very warm day in West Sussex.


The hosts came into this one as slight favourite seeing as they were a league above their opponents, and they had also won their first two games in the Bet Victor South East Division to sit top after two games.


The visitors though had won all three of their games in the South East Counties League to sit top as well, and they had defeated Pagham away in the Extra Preliminary Round by a score line of 2-0, so they were sure to be difficult opponents for the home side no doubt.


The opening fifteen minutes saw the hosts get into a good shooting position but then fail to pull the trigger, whilst the hosts keeper managed to punch clear under pressure from the visiting side, but not much else happened in the early exchanges.


The visitors then saw an effort blocked on the edge of the box before the hosts broke down the left but ended up shooting tamely at the keeper, and then midway through the half the referee halted play for a couple of minutes for a drinks break as it was very hot out there.  It had certainly been a rather slow-paced encounter thus far so we all hoped the drinks would liven it up a bit!!!


The hosts saw a free-kick from the right glanced straight at the keeper, before the home side really should have broke the deadlock but saw a header from point blank range straight at the keeper again.


But then from nowhere in the 33^rd minute Tunbridge Wells struck as a brilliant quick free-kick released Danny Powell down the left-hand side and he fired home a superb finish from the angle and put the Step Five visitors into the lead.


Haywards Heath then fired wide as they looked to try and find a response before the break, and moments before half time they won a very soft penalty kick it has to be said, but the hosts took full advantage as Callum Saunders rolled home the spot-kick to level the tie up.


In first half stoppage time the visitors were unhappy after the hosts keeper had fouled one of their attacker’s way outside the box, but with covering defenders about, this could be the reason why the referee chose to book the keeper and not send him off.  There were also shouts for handball by the keeper too but I didn’t see this clearly enough.


The resulting free-kick was then brilliantly saved by the keeper, and it meant the teams went into the break all square.  It had certainly been a slow burner this one so far, and had certainly livened up in the final fifteen minutes of the period.


Half Time Haywards Heath Town 1 Tunbridge Wells 1


The hosts looped a header onto the roof of the net early in the second period, and then a decent chance fell to the home side again as the ball fell to them inside the box, but a poor sliced finish went way wide of the target.


The hosts went close again, firing across goal and wide, but just beyond the hour mark their early second half pressure told as Cotton fired home a brilliant effort from twenty or so yards out into the bottom corner and the hosts had turned this one around.


However, once the home side had gone in front the visitors began to threaten a leveller, and almost immediately responded but sent an effort straight at the keeper, before another effort from the edge of the box went wide.


The visitors then somehow failed to level when a cross into the six yard box was fired at goal from point blank range but the ball hit the keeper on the line and stayed out, and with the hosts hanging on somewhat cleared another visitors effort off the line as the clocked slowly clicked towards ninety minutes.


In the several minutes of stoppage time that followed the hosts did have chances to seal it, firstly curling miles wide from a good position, and then secondly seeing a goal-bound effort blocked by a defender.


And then the hosts missed what proved to be the final act of the game when curling wide from eight yards out when it looked easier to score, but it mattered not as Haywards Heath progressed into the First Qualifying Round of the competition.  Well played to both teams who gave it all in searing heat is has to be said!!!


Full Time Haywards Heath Town 2 Tunbridge Wells 1

Ilford 1 Tower Hamlets 0

Essex Senior League, Wednesday 21st August 2019


Clifford Newby-Harris rammed home an 82^nd minute winner as Ilford picked up their first win of the season at the expense of Tower Hamlets in their Essex Senior League encounter at Cricklefield.


The Foxes had begun the season not in the best of form and came into this one off the back of a 3-0 home defeat against Hoddesdon Town, whilst Hamlets had won their first league match last time out with a 4-1 win at Sawbridgeworth Town with striker Ezra Ndukuba grabbing a hat-trick in that one.


The hosts had the first effort at goal but saw visiting keeper Jack Gannon get down well to save, before Miles Mercury then had a shot at the hosts goal but saw it go straight at Hugo Rosetti, and then the hosts should of taken the lead but saw Ryan O’Connell head wide from close range.


A long-range effort from the visitors then went straight down the throat of Rosetti, before Anthony Musoke, Hamlets wing back, cut inside onto his right foot and fired a decent effort at goal, but Rosetti got down well to save.


A long ball from the visitors almost found Ndukuba who did manage to throw a head at it and glance it towards goal but keeper Rosetti fielded the ball easily, and although the visitors had shaded the half on chances created, it had been a poor game up till then and was goalless at the break.


Half Time Ilford 0 Tower Hamlets 0


So, would the second period be any better? Well the hosts almost led when a corner was almost turned in by Hamlets centre half Ali Omar, whilst the hosts then dragged wide soon after, but to answer that question, no the game hadn’t really improved in this half.


Chances were at even more of a premium in the second period as it turned out and Hamlets keeper Gannon had to punch clear under pressure but there wasn’t too much else to write about if truth be told as the game entered its final quarter.


Valter Simao then headed wide for the hosts before they then went down to ten men for the final twelve minutes or so after they saw a player off injured and because they had already used their full quota of substitutes, they had to finish the game a man short.


Advantage Hamlets then you would say?  Well no actually as the Foxes saw Nic Keyamo almost get in the clear but see a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Kirwan-Meade thwart him, but with eight minutes to go Ilford took the lead when Newby-Harris rammed home from close range and the ten men had the lead.


Hamlets only response of note saw a great run down the right by centre back Omar, but his final ball, a toe poke from the angle, was straight into the arms of Rosetti, and it meant the hosts took the three points in what had been a rather poor game all in all, although the hosts won’t care about that.


Full Time Ilford 1 Tower Hamlets 0