10/01/2017 – Report – Coggeshall Town FC Reserves versus Little Oakley FC
ANDREAS CARTER ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION
COGGESHALL TOWN FC RESERVES: 1.
LITTLE OAKLEY FC: 0.
Date: Tuesday 10th January 2017. Venue: The Crops, Coggeshall.
Despite leaving home at a decent time for this seven-forty-five kick-off I eventually arrived at The Crops with just five minutes to spare, having driven around the houses in northern Colchester to get past the accident blocking the A12. The result of this match would be significant as the hosts sat fourth in the table and with the visitors currently top and unbeaten, a close game was expected and the home team resisted the chance to strengthen up with players from their Thurlow Nunn squad who were watching after a training session.
The match officials for this evening Premier Division game were Mahdi Eldin, an official I had not met before and he was assisted by Jack Willmore and Ryan Smith. This was also the first time I had been to Coggeshall for a game under their new floodlights, an impressive sight to add to the other ground improvements made for this season.
Little Oakley kicked off and won an early free-kick, taken by Tynan (P) which was cleared and the visitors followed this attack with Dobkin finding Heath (J) to retain possession with a similar move involving the same players ending with Dobkin flagged for off-side. On eight minutes the game was warming up nicely, Coggeshall began to find their rhythm with Barnsley finding Osinoiki on the charge until Tynan (L) cleared with his feet and with Hammond completing the clearance up-field. Pratt had the first real shot at goal from a pass by Heath (J) but Whymark saved comfortably in the middle of his goal. Tynan (L) was forced to save low to his left from a snap-shot from Barnsley, this from across from Lowry, then Harman robbed Palmer (J) inside his own area to set Heath (J) away but after skipping past a static defender who had slipped over Heath (J) also fell to the ground but soon after the visitors did win a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, taken by Wood whose low shot hit the defensive wall who had resisted the urge to jump, clever effort by Wood but well read by the Coggeshall wall.
Despite there being chances at each end much of the football was made in midfield as each team sought domination, without any success and basically cancelling each other out with plenty of effort. On twenty-five minutes a snap-shot by Heath (R) forced Whymark into a decent save low to his left hand side for a corner, taken by Heath (J) but too long and high for Wood and Hammond attacking at the far post. Tynan (P) fouled Barnsley mid-half with Hammond clearing forward to Dobkin, the left side outlet until he too was fouled with the free-kick taken by Heath (J) finding the head of Hammond but also the roof of the net. When Heath (J) was seemingly bundled over inside the penalty area by Cullen, no free-kick/penalty was given so when play continued down the right side Dobkin crashed into Osinoiki for a free-kick but no caution despite a verbal rant at the match official! More fouls followed as the game momentarily became scrappy as things failed to work out for both teams with another Heath (J) free-kick, this time for a foul on Heath (R) by Cullen led to Osinoiki heading back to Whymark.
Whymark was forced to punch clear yet another Heath (J) free-kick under pressure from Hammond with Farthing clearing up and soon after Heath (J) had the ball in the Coggeshall net having latched onto a neat chip over the last defender by brother, Heath (R) but the Assistant Referee had his flag raised for off-side. With the Coggeshall midfield dropping off and not running with their earlier intensity they were far from being out of this game with Lowry finding Barnsley and then Osinoiki. On forty-three minutes Wood fouled Barnsley on the left side, Palmer took the free-kick with the ball bouncing harmlessly through to Tynan (L) standing six yards out. Pratt was spoken too by the referee for a foul on Osinoiki, taken quickly by Clark to Osinoiki with Pratt covering his defence to concede a corner which Tynan (L) catching and clearing and this competitive game had reached the half-way mark with neither team taking their scant chances.
HALF-TIME: 0 – 0
Coggeshall kicked-off the second half with neither team making changes but the competitive spirit did continue with Coggeshall taking the lead three minutes into the half. Cullen played a long ball forward from inside his own half and found JORDAN PALMER who stepped inside Reynolds, then keeper Tynan (L) to bury the ball in the net. Little Oakley shouted in vain for off-side but a look at a TV replay in the clubhouse after the game clearly showed Palmer (J) being a yard onside when the ball was played forward. Almost immediately after the restart Heath (R) won a challenge inside his own penalty area to advance forward cleverly avoiding three challenges before losing control of the ball inside the Coggeshall half, and crashing heavily into Lowry. Queue mayhem, as players and management remonstrated with each other and the match official, who received help from his Assistants, net result, a caution for Heath (R) with the Little Oakley, Assistant Manager, Sadler asked to leave the dug-out area. Lowry resumed after treatment, Little Oakley lost their rhythm as Coggeshall pressed forward seeking another goal as one might not be enough as the visitors are renowned fighters and would not give up this game without a fight.
When Okosi was flagged off-side, he deliberately kicked the ball away, just as Tynan (L) was about to retrieve the ball, thus delaying the restart and was duly cautioned after the referee had the matter brought to his attention by his Senior Assistant on the dug-out side. Reynolds, Hammond and moved the ball forward to Heath (R) but from his wide pass Dobkin’s cross hit the training lights behind the goal. Coggeshall had a corner on the hour mark, taken by Knight but cleared by the head of Wood, midfield remained congested but the home team were putting the better passing moves together with a long cross from Mensah landing on the roof of the net. A slight drizzle had started making both the ball and the pitch slippery but players adjusted accordingly. Harmon went down with cramp and the visitors replaced Heath (R) and Pratt with Eldridge and Kioussis (J) respectively whilst Coggeshall took the opportunity to replace Barnsley with Blanche. Kioussis (J) went down heavily after Whymark took the ball off his toes but soon recovered to play a ball into the path of Polley whose shot flew wide. Reynolds pushed forward to win a corner for the visitors then Eldridge beat Lowry and benefitted from a rebound off Farthing to set the ball up for Heath (J) whose rasping shot from six yards cannoned back off the left hand upright, another chance goes by!
Osinoiki fouled Dobkin but the visitors failed to get the ball forward and had to defend as Osinoiki crossed to Palmer (J) who knocked the ball down to Okosi who blasted the loose ball over the cross-bar from close range, and another chance goes begging. Kioussis (J) and Tynan (P) were at loggerheads when an encouraging move broke down mid-half, a split second delay in the return pass seeing the visitors lose possession but at least some passion was shown. Eldridge looked lively chasing forward onto a long pass from Hammond then Polley set up Harmon but his shot was weak towards Whymark. Polley set up another ball forward for Eldridge and from his driven cross, home skipper Cullen cleared over his own cross-bar for a corner taken by Eldridge finding Kioussis (J) whose shot hit defender Cullen. Little Oakley continued to press forward with Coggeshall having to defend albeit by conceding free-kicks, one taken by Hammond fell to Tynan (P) who turned to play in Heath (J) but Farthing cleared.
With less than fifteen minutes remaining, Little Oakley needed to calm down and play their kind of football with Blanche caught off-side as the home team looked for a quick break, Tynan (P) was fouled, Heath (J) once again took the free-kick but Whymark caught the high ball with ease. Hammond and Wood started another attack with Dobkin beating Lowry with Farthing getting injured, turning his ankle as he blocked the low cross for a corner kick. Dobkin was replaced by Palmer (N) with the industrious Harmon taking the captains armband as Coggeshall replaced Farthing with Adams. A weak back-header by Reynolds towards Tynan (L) almost let Knight in on goal with the keeper missing his attempt to kick clear but Hammond was covering with his defence stretched. Kioussis (J) fouled Knight but the free-kick was wasted and when the ball was played wide to the right side Kioussis (J) looked up and seized an opportunity to send over a teasing cross which eluded the back-pedalling keeper who was grateful to hear the ball strike the far upright and rebound into his arms. From the keepers up-field clearance Wood fouled Knight to receive a caution and the final action saw a ball from Polley just fly past Reynolds who had got forward to set up a final attempt to equalise.
FULL TIME: 1 – 0
As expected this was a very competitive game, both teams wanted to attack, midfield play dominated, chances were at a premium and normally from an error so a single goal victory allowed Coggeshall to move into third place. For Little Oakley, having gone so far this season without a league defeat, this set-back might be a blessing or reality check for the ambitious club and they will no doubt be rooting for Coggeshall Town FC Reserves to put up a similar performance when they entertain second placed Gas Recreation FC, under lights next Wednesday 18th January 2017 (19:45pm), I’ll be there to see fair play!
Now for a Man-of-the-Match selection, Clark and Cullen were solid for Coggeshall with this more of a team effort whereas Harmon supported both defence, midfield and attack but for me rock solid defender Hammond caught my eye with a whole-hearted display.
Teams:
COGGESHALL TOWN FC RESERVES: Colours: Red & Black Shirts, Black Shorts and Red Socks.
Laurence Whymark., Hayden Lowry., Abednego Mensah., Luke Clark., Nicholas Farthing., Lee Cullen (C)., Ben Barnsley., Henri Okosi., Jordan Palmer., Abraham Osinoiki., Matthew Knight.
Manager: Chris Hudson.
Assistants: Brian Sawyer.
Used Substitutes: Toby Blanche., Lewis Adams.
Unused Substitutes: James O’Dell., Dean Gilder., David Leader.
LITTLE OAKLEY FC: Colours: Blue & Black Shirts, Black Shorts and Blue Socks.
Luke Tynan., Louis Reynolds., Jamie Dobkin (C)., Rory Harmon., Lewis Wood., Benjamin Hammond., Stephen Polley., Patrick Tynan., Jordan Heath., Ryan Heath., Robert Pratt.
Manager: Sean Tynan.
Assistant Manager: Paul Sadler.
Used Substitutes: Jacob Kioussis., Sam Eldridge., Nicky Palmer.
Unused Substitutes: Nathan Kioussis., Mark Palmer
Referee: Mahdi Eldin (Witham)
Jack Willmore (Clacton-on-sea)
Ryan Smith (Silver End)
Man of the Match: Benjamin HAMMOND (LITTLE OAKLEY 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 2:00pm in: 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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