08/10/2016 – Report – Colne Engaine FC versus Connaught Red Star FC

ANDREAS CARTER ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE

 

DIVISION THREE

 

  COLNE ENGAINE FC:                         1.

CONNAUGHT RED STAR FC:              6.

 

Date:   Saturday 08^th October 2016.                                    Venue: Burches Meadow, Colne Engaine

 

With so many new Member Clubs or Reserve Teams being admitted into the ESBFL for this season, I thought I would take in another new venue as well, this time to Burches Meadow at Colne Engaine who would entertain Connaught Red Star FC, both clubs having stepped up from the Colchester & East Essex Football League this season.

 

Colne Engaine FC, two victories and three defeats to date, have been in the ESBFL before when merged firstly, Panfield Bell FC and secondly, Wormingford Wanderers FC and last season reverted to the village side that first existed in 1921. Their pitch is a compact affair, fortunately the hedgerow on one side and behind one goal have recently been cut back but being on the top of a hill I’m sure the wind will howl across there later in the season whereas the playing surface slopes away in various directions!

 

Connaught Red Star FC are a relatively new club and having plied their game in the CEEFL and reaching the Premier Division decided to take the next step into the ESBFL, to date four victories and a single goal defeat to a strengthened Holland “A” team suggests that they have adapted well to their new league, in a Division which is certainly going to be competitive as the current League table suggests.

 

On an overcast afternoon with a slight threat of rain the match official for this Division Three game was referee, Jack Ridge, who advised me he was officiating, his first ESBFL match, having acted as Assistant Referee in other games this season. Generally I thought he had a good first game, helped by players who wanted to keep the game flowing and not be drawn into arguments.

 

The home team kicked-off and pushed forward seeking an early breakthrough however, it was the visitors who almost scored first, as when the home defence dithered in clearing the ball, Howe picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area to strike it against the post before it bounced to safety. Colne Engaine kept the ball well when moving it out of defence prompted by player manager, King with Connaught relying on errors such as when Ball conceded as corner kick as Hammond threatened. A long cross from Isom, wide on the left side also cleared defender Ball and Hammond headed narrowly wide. On twelve minutes Yates upended Howe just left of a central position twenty yards out, McMillan sent in a fine shot which home keeper, Rolfe, was more than equal too diving high to his left to push the ball away for a corner. Metson crashed into McMillan with the players shaking hands after their close-encounter and on fifteen minutes the home team took the lead, perhaps against the general run of attacking play, when Waight headed on and CARL METSON showed his experience to avoid being off-side and run on to slot the ball past the advancing keeper.

Colne Engaine buoyed by this goal kept up their own tempo in an attempt to increase their lead with Waight and Metson the main danger players, whilst their defence also played soundly with Yates heading confidently back to Rolfe despite the close attention of Hammond. Connaught for their part probably had more ball possession and sprayed it around the pitch with ease but without any final attacking threat, perhaps the compact pitch had something to do with this as their own pitch at Langham is one of the biggest in the league! As Connaught pressed, Isom won a corner and surely an equaliser was overdue, Hammond cut in from the right wing sending a left-footed curling shot just wide of the far post then Thurston broke through down the left wing to force an excellent save from Rolfe, by now the busier of the two keepers. As the end-to-end play continued a decent chance fell to Burrage when he scuffed the ball to keeper Smith, this after a free-kick taken by Ball was awarded for a foul on Metson.

On thirty-three minutes Metson held the ball up well for Morris whose long shot was always rising too high to trouble Smith and the visitors had Lewis to thank for a perfectly timed challenge on Morris as he pulled back his shooting foot close to the penalty spot. Metson was again in the thick of the home attacking action forcing Smith to save at the near post and from a long clearance from McMillan, Johnson-Pooley ran through only to be seemingly baulked by the advancing keeper Rolfe on the edge of his penalty area but essentially the attacker had lost possession of the ball and the keepers outward momentum caused the inadvertent coming-together of the two players. A low corner kick from Metson found Morris standing almost on the goal-line but with his back to goal he could not turn to strike the ball goalwards and Connaught managed to block his back-heel and clear their six-yard box to chase downfield winning a corner themselves which Lewis headed wide. At the half-time break, the game had been an even contest with Colne Engaine, on the balance of play probably lucky to be one goal to the good.

 

HALF-TIME:       1 – 0

 

Connaught restarted the second half and they needed to keep up their attacking play to stand any chance of scoring with Waight fouling McMillan to give the ball back to the visitors. It was noticeable that both goal-keepers had big kicking ability perhaps helped by the size of the pitch rather than having any wind assistance. When Waight flicked the ball forward Metson was caught off-side much to his own annoyance and Isom sent a low shot goalwards which Rolfe saved comfortably. A fine pass by Ball found Waight and his rasping left foot effort was parried by Smith who opted to use his fists this time. Brand, like Isom, for Connaught, had been the visitor’s creative players and he sent a curling right footed effort just past the post but his team were getting closer and they were forced to substitute the injured Thurston with Taylor.

Connaught equalised after fifty-five minutes when Isom found KEITH HAMMOND and he curled a fine shot beyond the dive of Rolfe into the far corner of the net and soon after Howe stung the hands of Rolfe after turning Ball inside out just outside the penalty area. Metson was fouled by McMillan wide on the right side, Metson took the free-kick only to see his driven and curling shot drift wide of the far post, any touch on the ball would have been dangerous! On the hour mark we had probably the only incident of controversy when defender King was held and turned by Howe deep in the penalty area, for what should have been a foul however the unsighted official allowed play to continue with the home defence stopping expecting a free-kick. The alert Howe crossed to Isom who was unceremoniously dumped on the ground inside the penalty area allowing SAM WALKER to score at the second attempt after Rolfe had parried his driven spot-kick whereupon Ball spoke out of turn to earn the only caution of the game.

Colne Engaine annoyed at conceding two quick goals hit back and a cross from Wells fell to Burrage who should have scored with only the keeper to beat when missing the ball completely a miss they would rue as when a corner taken by Johnson-Pooley was headed upwards it fell kindly to CRAIG ISOM who swept the ball home from four yards out. Another half chance fell to the home side when a cross from Pearce fell to Metson who missed the chance when well placed in front of goal allowing Connaught to replace Hammond with Cole with Metson also be substituted to be replaced by Hansey. On sixty-eight minutes Connaught scored the best team goal of the game with the ball being played from right wing to left wing by Cole, Higgins and Isom to LUKE JOHNSON-POOLEY who rounded Wells and comfortably beat Rolfe standing at the near post. Once again Waight ran at the visitors defence, outpacing two before shooting goalwards only for Smith to parry the ball safely wide.

Colne Engaine replaced Ball with Eary and the home team continued to push forward leaving gaps at the back and once again they forced keeper Smith to save a low shot from Burrage, however it was Connaught who scored again when a corner from Howe was not cleared and BYRON HIGGINS struck from close range for goal number five, this after eighty-three minutes. Two minutes later and the score was six when NATHAN TAYLOR won a challenge on the half-way line before proceeding to work his way up field riding two tackles and when a call to shoot was heard from his team mates he duly obliged to comprehensively beat keeper Rolfe from twenty yards out. Rolfe did deny Connaught any further goals saving from Higgins in a one-on-one situation then the same player again from a corner taken by Cole when he showed his agility with a point-blank reflex save.

 

FULL TIME:        1 – 6

 

Once again I saw a good game of football, both teams had their chances, Colne Engaine held a slender lead at half-time but Connaught came out fighting, got themselves level early in the second half, had a bit of fortune with the lead up to the penalty decision and eventually ran out comfortable winners with six different goal-scorers and a win that keeps them third in the table.

 

My usual Man of the Match selection really had to come from the winning team despite a fine display from home keeper Rolfe, who denied Connaught on numerous occasions. For Connaught, they got stronger as the game progressed and always looked dangerous in attack but Brand and Isom for me stood out through midfield with the latter player just edging out his team-mate by leading his team by example and creating and scoring a goal.

 

 

Teams:

 

COLNE ENGAINE FC:                          Colours:            Red Shirts, Red Shorts and Red Socks.

Paul Rolfe., Joshua Wells, James Ball., Alex McCall, Harrison Yates., Steven King., James Burrage., Joseph Pearce (C)., Carl Metson., Macauley Waight., Joe Morris.

 

Manager:                      Steven King

Assistant Manager:        Thomas Owen

Used Substitutes:          Callum Hansey., Ben Eary

Unused Substitutes:      Thomas Owen

 

 

CONNAUGHT RED STAR FC:              Colours:            Navy & White Shirts, Navy Shorts & Navy & White Socks

Robert Smith., Alex Brand., Sam Walker., Craig Isom., David McMillan., Michael Lewis., Jack Thurston., Luke Johnson-Pooley., William Howe., Byron Higgins., Keith Hammond.

 

Manager:                      Craig Isom

Used Substitutes:          Nathan Taylor., Stephen Cole.

Unused Substitutes:      Danny Sharp., Daniel Troy.

 

 

Referee:                       Jack Ridge                                (Wickham Bishops)

 

Man of the Match:      Craig ISOM                             (CONNAUGHT RED STAR 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