03/02/2024 – REPORT – Wormingford Wanderers FC versus Cressing United FC

CHELMSFORD CITY RACECOURSE

ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE

DIVISION ONE

WORMINGFORD WANDERERS FC.              3.       CRESSING UNITED FC.               3.

Date:   Saturday 03^rd February 2024.                       Venue: Robletts Way, Wormingford

            Its Division One this week, seventh placed Wormingford Wanderers FC against fourth placed Cressing United FC, the home team were hampered by player call-off’s and had no fit substitutes whereas the visitors have built steadily this season with an influx of players and with a new management team.

            I have to say the pitch at Wormingford looked in excellent condition, there was a breeze blowing which allowed the gliders from the nearby airfield to fly silently over the green expanse below, the only sound was the voices of the players and management teams, not all “pc” as they say but that’s passion, or banter or, you know the rest!

The referee for this match was young, Dan Goodman, apparently this was his first Division One match and overall, I thought he acquitted himself well, especially in the face of two very competitive teams where neither team ended with the same number of players, as at the start! I cannot recall a match where so many calls were made for handball, both teams were doing it and if they had all been upheld, it would have been a very “stop-start” match and we would still be there playing the added time of which there was plenty due to a serious player injury to French (D) who was taken to hospital, we trust the injury is not too serious and he recovers quickly.

            This match, on the agreement of both teams, kicked off early, good call as it happens and I was still updating my notebook as I walked across to the pitch, Wormingford kicked off and within the first minute were awarded a free-kick wide on the right-side, taken by Cracknell whose flighted cross was headed down by Mortlock with JAY ARMITAGE the first to react and flick the ball into the net. The first five minutes was very open, both teams trying to attack, Bearman fouled Armitage, the free-kick was clutched in the air by keeper, Mitson, from his clearance Norris fouled Barton (S) and from the free-kick taken by Cracknell the ball eluded everyone for a goal-kick. The first fifteen minutes remained fast and furious, both sides taking their attacks to the other team’s defence, there was plenty of encouragement from the sidelines too, not always politically correct, I suppose that’s passion about the game and up to now, non-offensive!

Barton (J) and Mortlock were quickly into any challenge, questions were asked of the referee, about their validity, but to me they were hard but fair, it’s a man’s game apparently, the Cressing management team were starting to ask for any fifty-fifty challenge, some given some not so! On nineteen minutes Cressing drew level, Carney played the ball over the top of Sainsbury, Hardy ran through and upon reaching the corner of the penalty area, laid the ball back to ANDREW FRENCH who rifled the ball home from twelve yards, a fine team goal. Buoyed by this goal, Cressing pushed forward in search of more goals, Carney started another move down the right side, again finding Hardy prepared to chase with his pace, however, his cross was fielded by keeper, Mitson. Wormingford were equally keen to score again, Barton (J) found Cracknell and when the ball was played inside, Barton (S) put his right-footed effort just wide, Barton (J) was cautioned for a foul on Hardy and the referee questioned whether the player, wearing number nine, was named in his notebook, simple error, he had written number nineteen against two players, the other being captain Lamb! A terrific block was made by Madden when Barton (S) was allowed some space to shoot goalwards and as the ball came back in Norris was hit full in the face giving a few more minutes of stoppage time at the end of the half.

            Norris, defending, gave away a corner, taken by Barton (J), this was cleared and as Cressing broke forward, Mortlock fouled Hardy to get a yellow card, then Bearman was also cautioned for a soft foul on Sainsbury, from the free kick, Armitage drove forward until he was fouled by French (D), his verbal spat earned him a “sin-bin” which would see him return at the start of the second half. Whittaker blasted over the crossbar as play resumed, Hardy was put away by Carney, good pairing that, Mortlock moved across to protect his goal, but Hardy struck a right footed shot that keeper, Mitson saved with his outstretched foot. The half was now into added time, a corner from Schofield forced keeper, Behrens to punch clear for another corner, this time taken by Barton (S), Cressing stood still and the unmarked MICHAEL SCHOFIELD found the back of the net shooting low through the crowded penalty area. As time ticked away, Cressing keeper, Behrens launched a long ball forward, Hardy gave chase, using his pace to clear the home defence but keeper, Mitson was alert to make a decent save.

HALF-TIME:    2 – 1.

            French (D) rejoined the match at the second half restart, two minutes in and Miller gave chase and set the ball back to TIMOTHY CLARKE who struck a hard and low shot that keeper, Mitson somehow managed to dive over and the score was back on level terms. French (A) was guilty of a glaring miss, firing wide with a free shot from inside the penalty area, Mortlock flattened French (A), who was not amused, the big defender already cautioned was walking a tight line with tackles like that! From the floated free-kick, keeper, Mitson just did enough to divert the ball away at the far post, but accidentally he landed heavily on French (D) who was quite clearly in severe pain with a knee injury. A lengthy stoppage followed with the stricken player carried off and taken to Hospital by Cressing, Chairman, Andy Thorndyke, the prognosis on Tuesday 6^th February is that the player is in a knee brace and awaiting a visit to the fracture clinic, everyone wishes him a speedy recovery, so with French (D) unable to continue, substitute Copas entered play. Hardy ran behind Mortlock and from his cross French (A) headed over the crossbar, these chances, have, to be converted though! Barton (S) passed to Foley and from his cross, Madden was deemed to have handled the ball, Schofield took the free-kick, Clarke headed away but only to Foley who sent a right footed shot wide of the right hand upright. Carney overhit a long ball forward, this was collected by keeper, Mitson, Cracknell fouled French (A) level with the centre-circle, Norris fouled Barton (S), a corner followed from the free-kick, punched clear by keeper, Behrens. Hardy, once again, got down the right side, from his excellent cross Miller headed wide for a goal-kick.

            Cressing, keeper, Behrens had to advance outside his penalty area to head clear, his team broke forward through Hardy, keeper, Mitson, was quickly out, the ball ricocheting off the hands of Hardy to Sainsbury who fouled Bearman, and another yellow card was brandished on sixty minutes. At this stoppage, Cressing replaced Miller with Collier, Carney fouled Barton (J) down the left side, Mortlock took the free kick, Barton(S) was in the mix of players in the penalty area and was adjudged to have been fouled by defender Madden with a penalty kick awarded. Whittaker took responsibility for the spot kick only for keeper Behrens to dive to his left and make a fine save near the base of the post, was that the get out of jail card, for Cressing, behind then level, behind again then level and now a missed penalty, leaves them with something to chase! Collier was set away from a long clearance, his pace put him in a good position, the ball was on his favoured left-foot, surely, he should score, but no, keeper Mitson rose to tip the ball over the crossbar, this, despite the ball getting a deflection off Lamb on the way goalwards. Some niggly fouls continued to creep into this competitive match, no quarter had been given, but when Sainsbury and Clarke clashed the visiting player was cautioned for stupidly walking over the prone defender and catching him on the way! Hardy had been the main outlet for Cressing, his pace and close control was always causing problems, Collier was caught off-side from which Schofield found Armitage, who moved the ball on to Barton (S) and his weak effort was collected by keeper Behrens. Collier missed a sitter of a chance as play went to the other end and a goal-kick followed.

Now these days teams like to play the ball out from the back, some teams do it well, others make mistakes when under pressure, Mitson took the goal-kick, short to Lamb, Lamb was closed down by Bearman, passing the ball back to his keeper, who tried to take the ball round AARON COLLIER, who won the loose ball cleanly and planted it into the empty net and put his team in front for the first time. French (A) failed to move back at a free kick for delaying the restart at a free kick, he was replaced by Blake but Collier chased forward and gained a corner off Lamb. The first action from Blake saw him cautioned for a foul, from the free kick, Collier eventually cleared from the goalmouth melee, this is desperate stuff now, Cressing led but only just, at this point French (A), already substituted, sounded off towards the referee and was given his second yellow and a red card for dissent! Barton (J) fouled Hardy, not for the first time either and saw his second yellow card of the match leading to his dismissal and from a clever free-kick, keeper, Mitson struggled to catch the ball whilst back-pedalling, did he go over the goal-line, Cressing thought so, the referee was unable to judge from his positioning and neither could the Assistant on the far side who was still level with the penalty area and to be fair no one was going to guess or assume one way or the other. Collier was sent away by Bearman, Collier had done all the hard work, found space, controlled the ball, set the ball up, leaned back and smashed the ball over the keeper, hitting the cross bar, again so close, could this miss come back to haunt the visitors! At the other end, carnage, Mortlock was seemingly fouled inside the crowded penalty area, a spot kick was awarded, Lamb took the kick, keeper Behrens saved the ball, diving once again to his left, but the referee, rightly ordered a re-take, firstly the keeper was off his goal-line and another defender had encroached inside the penalty area, keeper Behrens being cautioned before the retake. ELLIOT LAMB cooly slotted the ball into the net this time sending the keeper the wrong way, to once again level the scores, however, before the restart, keeper, Behrens spoke out of turn and received a second yellow card followed by a red card, with Blake taking over the gloves for the remaining minutes.

FULL TIME:     3 – 3.

            This was a feisty match, to be honest there was no really vicious tackles, however there were too many fouls, many of them silly, niggly fouls, but players should learn that once the referee issues a card early in the match then everyone else should be forewarned, personally, by applying the laws of the game, the referee did well to manage two teams who started competitively and played that way till the end, dissent was the cause of at least two second yellow cards, of which there were ten with three players receiving two plus the statutory red card. On the balance of play a draw was probably right, on chances created then Cressing should have won, but if you fail to take those chances then you only have yourselves to blame.

            Now, let’s turn to my “Star Player”, I’ll keep it short this week, I was impressed with Armitage for Wormingford Wanderers FC, scored the first goal and was pivotal is many of the home attacks. For Cressing United FC, one player stood out, non-stop from start to finish, James Hardy.

Teams:

WORMINGFORD WANDERERS FC:  

Colours:                        Blue Shirts, Blue Shorts and Blue & White hooped Socks.

Team:

Andrew Mitson., Will Sainsbury., Elliot Lamb (C)., Sam Mortlock., Jack Cracknell., Michael Schofield., Jay Armitage., William Foley., Joel Barton., Samuel Barton., Kieran Whittaker.

Manager:                      Mark Norman.

Unused Substitutes:      Mark Norman., Ben Lloyd.

CRESSING UNITED FC:

Colours:                        Claret Shirts, Claret Shorts and Claret Socks.

Team:

Aiden Behren., Redmond Carney., Zak Johnson., Daniel Norris. (C)., Ben Madden., Timothy Clarke., James Hardy., Daniel French., Daniel Miller., Andrew French., Luke Bearman.

Manager/s:                   Darren Stone & Therese Addison.

Used Substitutes:          Craig Copas., Aaron Collier., Alex Blake.

Unused Substitutes:      Sean Goode., Wesley Assan.

Referee:                       Dan Goodman.

Star Player:                James HARDY                         (CRESSING UNITED FC)