08/03/2025 – REPORT – Alresford Colne Rangers FC versus Brightlingsea Town FC
CHELMSFORD CITY RACECOURSE
ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION.
ALRESFORD COLNE RANGERS FC. 6. BRIGHTLINGSEA TOWN FC. 4.
Date: Saturday 08th March 2025. Venue: Ford Lane, Alresford.
Once again, without a car on Saturday, I let the train take the strain, to travel from Wivenhoe to Alresford for a Premier Division, local derby, ninth placed Alresford Colne Rangers FC against third placed Brightlingsea Town FC, the teams had shared the points back in mid-November. The visitors needed to win to maintain a title challenge to Kings Park Rangers FC, who managed a narrow victory over Tiptree Heath FC to extend their lead at the top. The home team are now under the sole management of James Pickard whilst the visitors have Keiron Baker as player manager with Liam Holyman, his Assistant on the sidelines, and both teams had a player, Willoughby and Fosker on eighteen goals for the season.
The match official for this afternoon was the experienced Richard Oakes, who would have Scott Vine and Jamie Emery as his Assistant Referees, the game was allowed to flow, some big challenges, just one caution but several players were rightly spoken too and just managed to avoid the “sin-bin”.
Brightlingsea Town kicked off but lost possession through midfield which allowed Hargreaves to find Knevett down the right side, from his low cross HARRY WILLOUGHBY turned the ball home and there was only one minute that had elapsed! Brightlingsea Town equalised almost immediately, Sauka hassled Hargreaves whose back-pass toward keeper, Pickard took a wicked bounce, the keeper missed his fly-kick, and the ball rolled onto the far post where KEIRON BAKER bundled the ball home from the goal-line, it might even have been an own goal! Brightlingsea Town pushed forward again, Sauka, Baker (K) and Fosker linked up with the resulting cross scooped over his own crossbar by Oughton for a corner, taken by Sauka, with keeper, Pickard struggling with so many tall players inside the six-yard box, so when the ball dropped LEWIS BLANCHETT forced the ball home from close range, that’s three goals inside the first five minutes, two from defensive errors, that does not auger well! Oughton was cautioned for a clattering challenge on Sauka, the free kick was defended well but the visitor’s regained possession through Baker (K), Sauka and Fosker whose shot was saved by keeper, Pickard. It has been usual this season to see teams try to play the ball out from defence, today both keepers, Pickard and Groves were opting for the long high ball, given the height of the respective forward lines. A long clearance from keeper, Groves fell to Baker (K), Hargreaves fouled Sauka and Hunt let fly from the free kick which keeper, Pickard clasped at the second attempt then Willoughby had the ball in the visitors net from a cross-field pass from Smith but was rightly flagged for being offside.
After going behind so early, the visitors had got back into this match and had seen more ball possession, Hargreaves fouled Fosker and keeper, Pickard excelled twice to deny Fosker with his first attempt and again when Fosker hammered the ball goalwards from the rebound, those saves have probably made up for the keeper’s earlier error. The game was now a bit frantic, Harms from midfield pushed the ball wide to Gibbs, who’s cross, was overhit, then Griggs defended well against Willoughby down the left side. Another defensive error almost led to a home equaliser, Baker (C) under pressure from Knevett, played a short back pass to his keeper, Groves but Willoughby put the loose ball wide of the goal! The home equaliser came on twenty-six minutes, Bethell failed to reach the long ball forward from Pickard, the ball bounced up into the stomach of HARRY WILLOUGHBY who hit a thirty-yard dipping volley that gave keeper, Groves no chance, the term “worldie” comes to mind but where was VEO when you needed it, great goal though. Hargreaves looked like he had fouled Blanchett, no foul was given, and Blanchett was clearly not happy, then, Hunt made a fine tackle on Mitchell from a through pass from Willoughby.
On thirty minutes, Blanchet attacked against Hargreaves with the defender coming out on top with a goal kick, when the same two players met again, the tackle looked a foul but with nothing awarded, Blanchett sounded off and was spoken too, the next free kick did go the way of Brightlingsea Town, taken by Griggs with the unmarked Baker (C) heading wide at the far post. Midfielder, Thompson made a fine challenge on Willoughby then Oughton did likewise on Allison, conceding a corner, from which Blanchett showed good close control to find Sauka who scooped the ball over the crossbar. A caution was the result when Allison fouled Harms, the free kick taken by Balaam was cleared by Hunt and this set up an attack with Fosker finding Griggs whose driven cross was charged down by Balaam, from the resulting corner, taken by Blanchett, Baker (C) found space but headed wide once again, and the first half ended soon after.
HALF-TIME: 2 – 2.
A decent crowd had gathered for this local derby and thus far it was entertaining, mistakes galore but four goals and honours even, Alresford Colne Rangers kicked off the second half, Hunt targeted Baker (K) whose knock-down was just out of reach of Fosker. Willoughby held the ball up well against three defenders, Hargreaves blocked Hunt then Oughton fouled Baker (K), Blanchett took the free kick, left-footed but straight to keeper, Pickard. Five minutes into the half and Fosker forced a corner, Sauka took the kick and Baker (C) headed wide, clearly not his day. When Blanchett was fouled, he took the free kick himself, but the ball cleared the crossbar, then a misplaced pass from Baker (K) fell to Knevett who sent in a great cross that Mitchell headed wide then Sauka chased forward to gain a throw-in off Balaam. Brightlingsea Town kept up the pressure Blanchett found Baker (K), again the knock-down failed to reach Fosker, well placed on the edge of the penalty area.
The teams remained level as we passed the hour mark, a great cross from Balaam was met on the volley by Knevett, the ball just clearing the crossbar another great effort, and with play stopped Allison was replaced by Hodgson. Smith fouled Fosker, whose free kick crashed back off the crossbar, Baker (C) chased after the loose ball and headed back towards goal where CHARLIE THOMSPON popped up to head the ball into the back of the net. At this stage Brightlingsea Town replaced Hunt with Northover, from a throw-in taken by Griggs, Baker (K) headed on with Blanchett volleying the ball just wide from outside the penalty area. Alresford Colne Rangers made their one and only change on sixty-two minutes, off went Gibbs with Ogbebor taking his place, Oughton and Baker (K) had a fine tussle over the ball, the defender getting the ball back to his keeper and from his long clearance, Mitchell held the ball up well before laying it off to Willoughby whose fired wide, this game still had goals in it. Another long clearance from keeper, Groves found Baker (K) who laid the ball off to Sauka with Balaam conceding a corner, taken by Sauka with keeper, Pickard clutching the ball on his goal-line. When the long high clearance bounced near the edge of the visitor’s penalty area, Willoughby controlled the ball well, turned to face three defenders but HARRY WILLOUGHBY still found enough room to blast the ball into the net to complete his hat-trick.
We had now entered the last fifteen minutes and it was three goals apiece, not sure who wrote the script for this match but when Bethell fouled Willoughby twenty-five yards out near the touch-line, only one thing was on a certain players mind, HARRY WILLOUGHBY, he set the ball up and hit a finely struck free kick, the ball cleared keeper, Groves, whether the sun was in his eyes or not, the ball hit the inside of the far post and nestled in the back of the net, from a goal down to a goal ahead! Another goal followed, this time at the other end, a poor miss-directed header from Balaam by-passed keeper, Pickard and ASHLEY SAUKA had a simple task of scoring an equaliser as the game swung one way then the other, with keeper, Pickard injured in the process. With twelve minutes remaining, this match remained competitive, Baker (C) went down with cramp, not the first player to suffer that ailment and with the visitor’s defence stretched Northover needlessly fouled Willoughby over by the corner flag. Baker (C) was unable to continue and along with Blanchett they were replaced by Seymour and Simmons and the extra minutes were starting to add up. When Alresford Colne Rangers swept the ball out wide to the right side, there was Willoughby, a shimmy here, then a burst of pace left his defender behind and from his low driven cross there was JAKE MITCHELL to smash the ball home from the edge of the penalty area, that’s it, surely! Two more minutes were signalled, a high shot from Seymour tested keeper, Pickard who held the ball at the second attempt and Thompson lashed a speculative effort over the crossbar, Brightlingsea Town had to push forward now, to try to salvage a point, and it was somewhat inevitable that when keeper, Pickard launched another long ball there was HARRY WILLOUGHBY running through to score his fifth and his teams sixth goal, and that was it, game over.
FULL TIME: 6 – 4.
Now that’s what you call a game of football, probably not for the respective managers perspective, but spectators were treated to a goal-fest, ten goals in fact, and there could have been more if mistakes, and there had been plenty, had been punished like some of the others.
For the second week running the Club, Alresford Colne Rangers FC are fortunate to have facilities like their Clubhouse, the pitch is always well maintained by a stalwart committee and once again there was a good atmosphere both inside and outside after the match had ended with food being supplied.
Turning to my Star Player, no contest, with five goals and an assist, in fact an all round five-star display its Harry Willoughby.
Teams:
ALRESFORD COLNE RANGERS FC
Colours: Red & Black Shirts, Black Shorts and red & Black Socks.
Team:
Sebastian Pickard., Lewis Hargreaves., Kane Smith., Jack Balaam., Kenzie Oughton (C)., Henry Goodwin., Callum Knevett., Ziggy Harms., Jake Mitchell., Harry Willoughby., Charlie Gibbs.
Manager: James Pickard.
Used Substitutes: Osas Ogbebor.
Unused Substitute: Lennie Lock., David Dance., James Pickard.
BRIGHTLINGSEA TOWN FC.
Colours: Blue & Black Shirts, Black Shorts and Blue Socks.
Team:
Matthew grove., Ricky Griggs., Callum Hunt., Jake Bethell., Conrad Baker (C)., Harry Allison., Charlie Thompson., Lewis Blanchett., Ashley Sauka., Rocha Fosker., Keiron Baker.
Manager: Keiran Baker.
Assistant Manager: Liam Holyman.
Used Substitutes: Connor Seymour., Henry Hodgson., Fraser Northover., Matthew Simmons.
Unused Substitutes: Philip Burnett.
Referee: Richard Oakes.
Assistant Referee’s: Scott Vine
and Jamie Emery.
STAR PLAYER: Harry WILLOUGHBY (ALRESFORD COLNE RANGERS FC)
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