06/02/2016 – Tollesbury FC versus White Notley FC
ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
TOLLESBURY FC: 1. WHITE NOTLEY FC: 1.
Date: Saturday 06th February 2016. Venue: The Garrison Ground, Colchester.
It was back to Premier League action this week, this after several weeks of watching cup action in either county or national competitions, I’m sure that some clubs welcomed the return of league football albeit in some very windy and soft conditions.
My venue this week was the Garrison Ground, Colchester where tenth placed Tollesbury FC would host White Notley FC lying in thirteenth place. Having seen both these teams earlier in the season I was surprised at the number of players who were missing either through injury, holidays, work or no longer being available, with Tollesbury signing on two players before kick-off, having a goal-keeper who I last saw playing as a forward and White Notley giving two young players their first run-out for the first team.
Before I get into the nitty-gritty of the match, the match had been scheduled to kick-off at 15:00pm, whereas normally, in February kick-off is 14:30pm so I had an extra half an hour for a welcome cup of tea, however would all club secretaries note that there is the ability to show the correct kick-off times on MITOO. A few clubs do it religiously but most do not, even though it is not difficult to do, but when cup ties are involved and evening matches are required then to add the kick-off time would be of great assistance for potential supporters (and maybe some players!)
The Match Official for this match was Mark Keeling, assisted by Joe Buda and Jack McKechnie, a new official in his first season in the ESBFL.
On a cold and windy afternoon, with the floodlights already beaming brightly the match got underway with Tollesbury earning an early free-kick which was wasted as Tiffin had strayed off-side. Playing with the wind, White Notley were passing the ball along the defensive line but were almost caught out when Gibbons intercepted a slack pass, skipping past Davis before crossing from the goal-line, but too high and behind the goal. Two minutes later and a long kick from visiting keeper, Palmer, found Codd giving chase but again the final cross was over-hit, then Murphy worked some space outside the penalty area only for his left foot shot to come back off the left hand upright and safety. New signing Andrade showed some neat skill approaching the penalty area until he was fouled by McLaren, Andrade took the kick himself with Corr clearing for the first corner of the match. Andrade was already looking to be a dangerous player if allowed to run at a retreating defence but as the half wore on he would have to come deeper to pick up the ball allowing defenders the time to get back. On one such occasion Andrade ran thirty yards with the ball, made the pass behind the defence only for Tiffin to have run forward too early and be caught offside.
On twelve minutes Andrade thought he had been fouled by Yeo but play continued with Yeo crossing the half-way line picking out Hawkins with his pass with the number nine guilty of lobbing the ball high over the cross-bar. Another burst of pace from Andrade set Tiffin away but when the return ball was laid into the path of Andrade he copied what Hawkins had done minutes earlier, lofting the ball high and wide, a scrappy affair so far, not helped by the wind. The persistence of Hawkins winning a crucial tackle led to him running towards goal but shooting narrowly wide then Corr won a tackle, ran around Martin but with only the keeper to beat he opted to pass across goal where King was fractionally short going for the loose ball. White Notley gained their first corner on twenty minutes when a shot by Yeo was deflected by Bright, Spooner took the corner short to Duckworth who won another corner, again taken by Spooner, this time, Corr laid the ball back to Spooner who blazed wide of the target. At the other end a corner taken by Gibbons saw Butcher foul McClaren then keeper Murrell was fouled when King chased a loose forward ball which he had every right to do. However, soon after, Yeo played another ball forward towards King who once again collided with keeper, Murrell and this time received a caution. Spooner was spoken too for dissent when a handball decision went against him and from the free-kick Palmer punched clear, pole-axing Corr in the process with the keeper recovering enough to parry the goal-bound shot from Gibbons with Duckworth making a good clearance up-field.
Andrade was probably guilty of trying to do too much for his team and when his incisive cross-field pass found Martin he was tackled hard by Mayes and the two players squared up on the touch-line. Mayes then fouled Tiffin and as the whistle blew he kicked the ball away to earn himself a needless caution. As play reverted to the other end Corr tried to lob the advanced keeper but the real story of the half was the high incidence of miss-placed passes, conditions were far from ideal with the wind but even close passing on the ground seemed impossible to achieve by both sets of players! Perhaps only two players had stood out in the first half, Andrade for Tollesbury, always dangerous when running with the ball but having to go a long way back to get it whereas Corr, in midfield for White Notley was shielding his defence and getting forward to support his forwards but with neither team creating any clear cut chances.
HALF-TIME: 0 – 0
White Notley replaced King with Steadman at the second half restart and new signing Davis was cautioned for kicking the ball away after fouling the substitute as he saw early action on the left side. A better move from Tollesbury, starting with Davis, then Gibbons led to Tiffin chipping the ball to keeper Palmer and when Andrade floated in, a free kick, Tiffin ghosted in to head goalwards only for the ball to strike the base of the left hand upright for a goal-kick. On fifty-five minutes we had a goal, Spooner took a throw-in to Steadman who turned and wriggled along the goal-line finding Hawkins whose lay-off was driven home from close range by REECE CODD giving Murrell no chance to save. At this point, nothing seemed to be going the way of the home team O’Brien fouled Corr and a fine pass from Lopez was miss-judged by Tiffin who, had he controlled the ball, would have had only the keeper to beat!
Tollesbury made their only substitution on the hour mark replacing Lopez with Haines but White Notley had got forward looking for a second goal, a corner created by Steadman was taken by Codd to Spooner who driven effort flew well wide of the crowded goal area. When Murrell launched a long ball forward Andrade controlled it cleanly, playing a pass into Tiffin who returned the pass only for Andrade to shoot wide of Palmers goal. Numerous free-kicks littered this half and the poor finishing was summed up when Butcher not only cleared the goal but also the catch fencing at the road end, this from just outside the penalty area! A teasing free-kick from Davis almost caused confusion in the visitors defence as with Haines threatening, Palmer elected to advance and punch clear, missing the ball completely but catching Corr with McLaren sweeping up behind them on the six yard box. Tiffin tried to latch onto a through ball from Davis but once again he was caught off-side but with fifteen minutes remaining there was nothing wrong when the equaliser was scored. White Notley had two good attempts to clear the ball out of defence so when O’Brien pushed the ball into KARL ANDRADE he turned and swept the ball past Palmer who had little chance to save.
Corr and Butcher clashed heads going for the same ball and both teams plugged away but still failed to create any further chances, Tiffin was fouled by Mayes, Gibbons took the free-kick and Haines headed wide. A strong run from defence by Martin led to a decent cross which Corr headed out for a corner, taken by Gibbons with Bright volleying over the cross-bar having sneaked up at the far post.
FULL TIME: 1 – 1
This was not a great spectacle of a game by any means, two teams in the lower half, fighting for their Premier Division status with league positional changes remaining unaltered.
For my Man-of-the Match choice this week, as I had said earlier, only a couple of players deserved a mention, Andrade continued to be the more constructive player for Tollesbury and Corr, who gets the decision, was always in the thick of the action for his White Notley team.
ESSEX PREMIER CUP
On a different note, congratulations to Little Oakley FC for beating much fancied White Ensign FC by three goals to one to reach to the Essex Premier Cup, semi-finals, let’s hope Weeley Athletic FC can emulate them next week (13th) when they travel to play their delayed quarter-final against Harold Wood Athletic FC who narrowly defeated a gallant Holland FC on penalties (FT = 1-1)(ET = 2-2)(Pens = 4-5).
Semi-Finals (27th February 2016, 2:00pm)
This draw will be broadcast on BBC Essex at around 5:30pm on Wednesday 10th February. You can listen on DAB Radio or online at www.bbc.co.uk/essex.
Teams:
TOLLESBURY FC Colours: Green & White Shirts, Green Shorts and Green & White hooped Socks.
Michael Murrell., Daniel Martin., Charlie Davis., Will Butcher., Jamie Bright., Ben White., Andrew Gibbons., Aidan O’Brien (C)., Karl Andrade., Jonathan Tiffin., Christian Lopez.
Manager: Ben Rollo.
Used Substitutes: Corin Haines.
Unused Substitutes: Simon King., Ash Stoneman.
WHITE NOTLEY FC: Colours: Orange Shirts, Black Shorts, Black Socks.
Jack Palmer., Matthew Mayes., Craig Spooner., Ross McLaren., James Duckworth., Mitchell Yeo., James King., Dylan Murphy., Max Hawkins., Daniel Corr., Reece Codd.
Manager: Scott Hiskey.
Used Substitutes: Daniel Steadman.
Unused Substitutes: Thomas Griffiths., Scott Hiskey.
Referee: Mark Keeling (Braintree).
Assistant Referees: Joe Buda (Clacton-on-sea)
Jack McKechnie (Maldon)
Man of the Match: Daniel CORR (WHITE NOTLEY FC)
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