03/09/2016 – Report – Kelvedon Social FC versus Hedinghams United FC
ANDREAS CARTER ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION ONE
KELVEDON SOCIAL FC: 1.
HEDINGHAMS UNITED FC: 1.
Date: Saturday 03rd September 2016. Venue: The Chase, Kelvedon.
Despite Kelvedon Social FC being back in the ESBFL league for two seasons, gaining promotion after the first, my reporting travels had not seen me visit their home ground so a long overdue visit to The Chase was my match for the day. Not much has changed, a village club using council facilities on a public playing field, the slope remains but with the extremely dry weather lately the pitch resembled a parched desert rather than a lush green pitch but as they say, it was equal to both teams.
Kelvedon Social FC have a joint management team this season with players Canavan and Matthams stepping up to jointly manage a team that has largely kept together since re-entering the Border League. Likewise Hedinghams United FC, again under the stewardship of Nick O’Dell have many familiar faces still playing and supporting and hoping to improve on last season’s final placing.
The match official for this Division One game was Colchester based Adam Wolton who would be assisted by Club Linesmen and with a slight hint of the much needed rain in the air he oversaw the “Respect” handshake before kick-off.
Kelvedon kicked off up the slope with both teams adopting a cautious start with play end-to-end, with Hedinghams getting the first corner with Tyler chasing, the corner kick being played back by Pyman to Jarvis who drove the ball well wide. Young was caught coming back from off-side on the left side but he was involved in the first real attack by Kelvedon crossing into the penalty area where Thurston forced keeper Argent into a good save. From the resulting corner taken by Fisher, George headed clear to Jarvis who sent Tyler away with Burton covering at the back for the home team. Kelvedon were asking for every decision especially the close challenges but the referee allowed play to continue in most incidences, another corner, this time, by Tyler of Hedinghams with Pyman flicking the ball on but Chandler was just too short of reaching the ball inside the six yard box. Kelvedon were looking to use the long ball forward and use the pace of Young but Hedinghams had adopted a high defensive line to nullify the threat.
Despite a poorly timed challenge on Tyler by Loe, the referee allowed play to continue with Tyler in possession, that, was until Burton intervened with a timely tackle then a break by Young saw his cross safely held by Argent. Pyman and George, so often the play makers for Hedinghams worked the ball wide to Tyler and from his cross Burton again rose to head clear with Chandler having to get back to the edge of his penalty area and challenge Young, running at pace down the left side. Gilbert received treatment after Webb fell over him from a tackle and it was the home team, who, slightly against the run of play who scored first on twenty-eight minutes. With Young seemingly off-side, returning from an attack, the ball was played forward into space where BEN TURNER continued his run from his own half, picking up the ball wide on the left side before cutting in towards goal and having drawn the visiting keeper, passed the ball into the empty net.
Two minutes later and Hedinghams drew level when Pyman worked his way past two defenders only to be up-ended by keeper Bissell, no arguments a penalty, which was coolly struck home by ALEC PYMAN. Kelvedon, through dogged determination had raised their game to score first and after the equaliser looked to score again but the final pass was over-hit although a long ball forward to Young saw his cross reach Fisher who volleyed high and wide. Several petty fouls followed as we headed towards half-time but both teams stuck to their task, George found Jarvis who turned Burton only to shoot over the cross-bar, a long throw-in from George set his team away with Pitkin covering and Johnson set Young away but frustratingly his cross was fielded by the unchallenged keeper. Another ball forward from Johnson found Turner who volleyed over the cross-bar but a better attacking chance. The half, despite having a goal apiece was not a spectacle to watch with defences holding firm with Pitkin making a crucial tackle on George whilst at the other end a corner taken by Fisher saw Argent punch clear, with Thurston heading the ball back into the danger area where Pyman headed clear off the goal-line.
HALF-TIME: 1 – 1
There were no changes to team personnel at the second half restart George sent a long ball forward which was chased by Jones whose deep cross found keeper Bissell, a foul by Catchpole on George on the half-way line followed with Burton clearing the free-kick taken by Chandler. When Fisher was fouled just outside the penalty area by Mills, Turner took the free-kick but only found the head of Chandler, dominating the aerial balls inside the penalty area. Another foul by Jarvis on Catchpole led to Turner taking the free-kick which George unceremoniously cleared up-field, Webb defended a cross from Barnes, who was back helping his defence one minute then was seen supporting the attack in the next. A free-kick from Fisher found the head of Gilbert but through a crowd of players, Hedinghams defended to clear the ball off the goal-line then another attempt by Fisher saw Chandler head clear. On fifty-five minutes a free-kick from Chandler found the head of George which allowed Tyler a golden opportunity to score but keeper Bissell made an excellent point-blank reflex save six yards out, to keep the scores level.
George tracked back to challenge his opposite number Turner and concede a corner, taken by Fisher with Chandler heading back over his own cross-bar and we reached the hour mark with Kelvedon having more possession, but lacking any clear goal threat. Young and Barnes attacked for Kelvedon with Tyler covering however Barnes regained possession only to send his cross straight to Argent. On seventy minutes Hedinghams replaced Jarvis with Scott but Kelvedon persisted with Pitkin finding Young whose growing frustration was compounded when his cross fell into the hands of Argent at the foot of the near post. George tried to bull-doze his way through a crowded area with Burton stopping him feeding Barnes who passed to Young and from a cross by Turner, Chandler rose to head clear. With fifteen minutes remaining Webb chased a long ball forward with Pitkin hurt as the two players collided when falling out of the playing area. Kelvedon replaced Fisher with Brown but Webb for Hedinghams continued to pop up all over the pitch to stop attacks or get into positions to help his own team-mates, much the same as in the first half, but sometimes players like Webb, go un-noticed.
A decent run forward by Pyman saw him elude two tackles but his final shot was scuffed wide, a corner from Young found Burton but he could not get good direction on his header and Kelvedon replaced Thurston with Matthams. When Tyler chased a long ball forward keeper Bissell had to advance out of his area to head clear for a throw-in, taken by George to Tyler who was shackled by Pitkin who was also having a decent game for the home team. With five minutes remaining a foul by George on Turner, just outside the penalty area, led to a corner and at this late stage a draw was clearly the fairest result. Matthams had a header fly just wide from a Barnes, Young combination, then Young was again caught off-side and he proceeded to chase back to commit probably the only deliberate foul of the game, this time on Welch, on another day, probably a caution, but at this late stage the verbal warning was sufficient.
FULL TIME: 1 – 1
In a match that did not really capture the imagination or have any real outstanding moments my Man-of-the-Match selection was going to be limited to someone who put in a lot of effort, defending when required and getting forward from midfield to support, again as required, so this week despite the efforts of Pitkin of Kelvedon Social FC my choice is Daniel Webb of Hedinghams United FC.
In mid-week I had tried to take in the Premier Division game at Hatfield Peverel between the home team and Barnston AFC but after only six minutes a nasty injury to Anthony Roll of Hatfield Peverel FC who had turned to chase but fell awkwardly led to the game being abandoned. The early diagnosis after a trip to hospital in an ambulance was a dislocated elbow and a suspected break, however both teams, the match officials and the ESBFL wish the player a speedy recovery.
Teams:
KELVEDON SOCIAL FC: Colours: Yellow Shirts, Black Shorts and Black Socks.
Thomas Bissell., Paul Barnes., Jordan Johnson., Peter Gilbert (C)., Kieran Burton., Troy Pitkin., Martin Young., Ross Catchpole., Dan Fisher., Luke Thurston., Ben Turner.
Manager: Matthew Canavan & Jay Matthams.
Used Substitutes: Kye Brown., Jay Matthams.
Unused Substitutes: Matthew Canavan.
HEDINGHAMS UNITED FC: Colours: Red Shirts, Black Shorts and Red & Black Socks.
Keith Argent., David Mills., Danny Welch., Sam Jones., Jaimie Chandler., Harry Loe., David Jarvis., Daniel Webb., Callum Tyler., Alec Pyman (C)., Sam George.
Manager: Nicholas O’Dell.
Used Substitutes: Stephen Scott.
Unused Substitutes: Reece Watson., Godfrey James.
Referee: Adam Wolton (Colchester)
Man of the Match: Daniel WEBB (HEDINGHAMS UNITED FC)
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Request to Club / Fixture Secretaries
This season the fixtures, results, referees and “kick-off” times will be shown automatically on “The FA Full-Time / The Whole Game System” ( http://full-time.thefa.com ) but would all Club / Fixture Secretaries please advice any agreed changes, as required, to Alison Willmore ( mjw1947@sky.com ) especially for evening games and for those matches being played under floodlights etc.
KO is 3:00pm from: August to October
KO is 2:00pm in: November, December & January
KO is 2:30pm in: February
KO is 3:00pm from: March to end of season
Cup Matches:
Kick-Off times for ESBFL cup matches, are generally 30 minutes earlier than those shown above but check competition rules beforehand.
Kick-Off times for Essex County Football Association cup matches are published on the ECFA web-site.
( www.essexfa.com/competitions/county-cups )
ESBFL “web-site”
The web-site for the Essex & Suffolk Border Football League is: www.esblfootball.com
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