03/12/2016 – Report – Holland FC “A” versus Flitch United FC
ANDREAS CARTER ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION THREE
HOLLAND FC “A”: 0.
FLITCH UNITED FC: 3.
Date: Saturday 03rd December 2016. Venue: Eastcliff Stadium, Holland-on-sea
This week I took in a match to watch two more new teams who have joined the ranks of the ESBFL this season, home team Holland FC “A” are the third adult team run by the club and who joined when their First Team moved up to Step 6 in the Thurlow Nunn League, basically a young team despite Joy and Neil increasing the average age, that said their experience was most beneficial against their opponents.
Flitch United FC joined from the Mid-Essex Football League and last season they won the prestigious Essex Saturday Junior Trophy so their pedigree and ambitions are sound. Currently they sit in fourth place with one defeat but they have several games in hand, perhaps their Achilles heel will be the number of registered players on their books as for this game they only had the acting manager as a substitute and he kindly requested that I did not mention his age!
On another still, bright but cold afternoon the match official for this Division Three game was local referee Andrew Pitts assisted by the respective team managers. The match was advertised as being played at the Eastcliff Stadium, yes it is at Eastcliff, but a stadium it is not, however what has not changed is the fact that wind the always blows off the sea and straight down the large pitch which has no shelter from the elements.
The ESBFL had requested, following an edict from the Football Association, that all matches held a minutes silence in respect of the tragic Columbian air crash which took so many lives of a newly successful Brazilian football team. Holland FC themselves are no strangers to grief either as one of their up and coming youth players tragically died just a few weeks ago and the frontage of the clubhouse bears testament to a likeable lad taken so early.
Flitch United FC kicked off and the evergreen Joy stepped in the stop a promising attack whilst at the other end Haynes had the first shot of the game with Taylor making a decent save in a move started by Joy, then Williams and to Haynes who chested the ball down before shooting goalwards. Pyne for the visitors was caught off-side from a Savage pass forward and both teams at least after five minutes had started positively. Taylor teh visiting keeper launched a long clearance which O’Brien flicked on with his head with Pyne giving chase but his left footed volley was somewhat wayward. Allen (T) was spoken too by the referee for some persistent tackling attempts, on Morgan, there’s nothing like being keen to impress but there is a limit to which enthusiasm over-rides what is sensible! Allen (T) sent a fine ball forward towards Mallett and when keeper Taylor tried to clear the ball his miscued attempt flew behind for a corner and Holland followed this attack with a long throw-in from Mallett which Flitch defenders cleared towards the seaward end. Haynes for Holland made a good move through midfield but when his final pass fell to Williams his control let him down and he had a kick at defender Thorogood to earn the first caution of the game, perhaps other referees would have seen it as violent conduct but Williams must learn from these actions.
On sixteen minutes Joy man-handled O’Brien to the ground about twenty-five yards from goal, O’Brien took the direct free-kick and the ball cannoned off the defensive wall to Savage who scooted round Allen (A) and laid the ball back to MICHAEL MORGAN who looked up before planting a fine shot past Allen (H) the home keeper. Holland head dropped momentarily as they had failed to carry out basic defensive duties and paid the price as the experienced visitors started to dominate. On twenty minutes Layzell was guilty of a crude challenge from behind on Worth, whilst a free-kick was awarded, Worth had to leave the field of play and Layzell escaped what should have been a caution as the referee was clearly un-sited by a crowd of players. The free-kick taken by Heffer found Williams who had left his marker but his goal-bound shot hit the side-netting and when Flitch got forward again down the left side where Morgan raced onto a flick-on by Layzell but keeper Allen (H) was equal to his shot saving low down. The attempt by Worth to continue was futile and Neil entered the game in a wide, left side defensive position, but on twenty-seven minutes, when Flitch played the ball into a crowded area Holland failed to pick up the movement of MICHAEL MORGAN who turned to his left before knocking a low bouncing effort past the static defence and keeper into the bottom corner of the net.
Holland needed an urgent response to get back into this game but their final forward pass was either rushed, wayward or picked off by the visitor’s defence where Coopersmith and Thorogood stood firm. A free-kick from Heffer found Williams challenging with keeper Taylor, who dropped the ball but Thorogood cleared long to Savage but Allen (H) was quickly out to clear at his end. Savage hit a volley wide then Savage was caught off-side as Flitch finished the half the slightly stronger team.
HALF-TIME: 0 – 2
Holland made further changes after the break bringing on Harvey and Westley for Heffer and Weeder and their team also started better but by pushing forward they might leave gaps at the back for Flitch to exploit an example of which was when Layzell ran through unchallenged with keeper Allen (H) saving at his feet. A brilliant run down the right side, from deep defence by Allen (T) ended when he was crowded out along the Flitch goal-line but a promising attack none-the-less. Unfortunately the same player then earned a caution for an off-the-ball incident with Layzell who rightly was also cautioned. Flitch defender Coopersmith received an untimely kick when tackling amongst a group of players and a lengthy delay followed as he received treatment on the field. Flitch raised their game again and Holland were, for a time chasing shadows as the visitors comfortably passed the ball around despite some physical challenges being made in this period.
Midfielder O’Brien for Flitch tried a long range shot but it was high and wide and Layzell once again ran through onto a ball from O’Brien only to drag the ball wide of the advancing keeper and the goal. Another penetrating run from Allen (T) saw his pass find Harvey whose shot was clean and direct but keeper Taylor had positioned himself well to save low down. Westley and Haynes worked another attack with the shot from Haynes ricocheting off Thorogood and safety whilst Savage sent a long and high ball forward to Layzell but Holloway and Neil combined to thwart the effort. Lacey defended well against Pyne and a Morgan corner was headed over by Pyne and to be fair the experience of the Flitch players was beginning to tell as they started another period of dominance. For Holland, Williams set Haynes away only for Coopersmith to foul him just outside the penalty area, however the free-kick from Haynes struck the defensive wall and the danger passed.
On eighty minutes a cross from Savage was punched clear by Allen (H) and Morgan was cautioned for diving into a rash challenge on Harvey, Neil took the free-kick, Coopersmith totally missed his clearance but Williams lobbed the ball high over the cross-bar from only six yards out! With five minutes remaining Flitch United sealed their victory, a high cross from the right wing by Smith was dropped in the air by Allen (H) whilst under a challenge from Pyne and with the loose ball falling at the feet of PAUL LAYZELL he had the simple chance of tapping the ball home for goal number three. A long clearance from Taylor fell once again to Layzell and despite being through on goal he mishit his shot straight at the advancing Allen (H). In the last minute Flitch played their ace bringing on the ageless Monk for the struggling Coopersmith however he never got a chance to touch the ball!
FULL TIME: 0 – 3
These teams have now met three times this season, whilst the margin of defeat for Holland FC “A” is getting better Flitch United FC always looked comfortable due to their experienced players, and as a quirk of the draw of the remaining cup competition the teams will meet again in the Tommy Thompson Cup. Both teams gave honest performances, a couple of cautions apiece, all warranted, but nothing really contentious as youth battled experience.
My Man of the Match selection this week despite good performances from Neil and Haynes for Holland FC “A” and by Layzell and Morgan, both were goal-scorers for Flitch United FC, goes to Daniel O’Brien in midfield for the visitors, who defended well then got forward to support and he played decent passes to colleagues all game.
Teams:
HOLLAND FC “A” Colours: Orange Shirts, Orange Shorts & Orange Socks
Harry Allen., Thomas Allen., Ashley Lacey., Alfie Holloway., Jack Worth., Christopher Joy., Josh Haynes., Jordan Mallett., Matthew Williams., Bradley Weeder., Connor Heffer.
Assistant Manager: Calvin Allen
Used Substitutes: Jonathan Harvey., Lucan Neil., Ben Westley
Unused Substitutes: Chay Barlow., Charlie Campbell
FLITCH UNITED FC: Colours: Royal Blue Shirts, Royal Blue Shorts and Royal Blue Socks.
Andrew Taylor., Dean Smith., Daniel O’Brien., Sean Thorogood., Ben Brett., Daryl Savage., Shane Pyne., Billy Sykes., Matthew Coopersmith., Paul Layzell., Michael Morgan.
Acting Manager: Richard Monk.
Used Substitutes: Richard Monk.
Referee: Andrew PITTS (Clacton-on-sea)
Man of the Match: Daniel O’BRIEN (FLITCH UNITED FC)
******************************************************************************
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 2:00pm in: 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
About Post Author
