12/09/2026 – REPORT – MATES FC versus Southminster United FC Reserves
ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DIVISION FOUR SOUTH.
MATES FC. 0. SOUTHMINSTER UNITED FC RESERVES. 4.
Date: 12th September 2026. Venue: Margaretting Playing Filed, Margaretting.
With so many new teams to visit and venues to see this season, I chose to drive down the A12 to Margaretting, been past it, hundreds of times but never visited the village, to watch MATES FC play Southminster United FC Reserves in Division Four South. Unbeknown to me, the Kick-Off time had changed to 2pm and I arrived just five minutes beforehand, but time to catch up on teams sheets at half-time!
MATES FC are a Club, founded as recently 2017 by Dave Chase, he recruited some of his own mates to volunteer and help create a new online and in-person mental health support group, that mantra remains today and the organisation thrives across various sporting activities, long may it continue.
Last week MATES FC suffered a seven goals three defeat against league newcomers, Ingrave Park Royals FC, whilst Southminster United FC Reserves are a newly formed team, within an established Club but today this was their first match, not even a friendly had been played for a variety of reasons!
On a pitch with a marked dip at one end, there are annoying hedges behind each goal, but there were signs of green returning to the grass colour, todays, Match Official was Sophie Mason, a young female referee who has stepped up to adult, Saturday football, on this showing she did very well, helped with committed players who rarely fouled, and showed no dissent in a very sporting match.
The visitors kicked off but it took five minutes for the first shot at goal with Brown (G) forcing visiting keeper, Gradner to save at his near post, from his clearance the ball was moved swiftly to the other end where home keeper, Scott (J), saved from a cross-cum-shot from Scott (C) running down the right side. Looney struck a decent shot from outside the penalty area but the ball flew harmlessly wide, then Brown (B) struck a right footed shot that keeper, Gradner saved on his goal-line, from the corner taken by Looney, Boyle rose at the far post but headed the ball down where keeper Gradner managed to palm the bouncing effort, up and over the crossbar. For the first ten minutes MATES were the dominant team, Southminster United Reserves were still finding their feet, but the players looked experienced and provided they compete and not tire, then they must improve as the game progressed.
Home defender Chalk, managed to get himself out of trouble when trying to do much with the ball inside his own penalty area, clever footwork eventually saw him escape but his forward pass was intercepted by Scott (C) who ran forward to feed Codling whose rasping shot was saved by keeper, Scott (J). It was not until the twentieth minute that we had the first foul, this by Brown (G) on Gill, over on the far touchline, thus far the game had been played in a fine spirit, with plenty of commitment from both teams. When Scott (C) burst through the home defence, keeper, Scott (J) failed to catch the bouncing ball which went wide, Scott (C) retrieved the ball and sent in a cross that was too deep and MATES cleared the danger. The first real goal chance came when Brown (G) ventured down the left side sending in a cross towards Thurston who connected with his right foot but steered the ball wide of the goal at the far post. Driscoll and Moore, for Southminster United Reserves, worked the ball forward from midfield, a midfield that was beginning to get a grip on the game.
A long throw in from Codling was headed over his own crossbar by Thurston, a corner followed and the second foul came around the thirty minute mark, but two honest teams out there today, no dissent and no cause for the match official to get involved. When Brown (G) hesitated going for a through ball, keeper, Scott (J) decided to advance to save but the ball hit Moore and rolled out for a goal kick, at the other end Brown (D) broke through but as he hesitated to shoot, it took a combined challenge from Davies and Knight to block any further advance towards goal. Scott (C) down the right side for the visitors was seeing a lot of the ball and keeper Scott (J) was once again way out of his penalty area to clear the ball, another throw in from Codling was headed clear by Boyle, but only to Codling who shot goalwards, the ball drifting wide. Davis (D) did well down the left side, winning a corner, the home team had tried to play the ball out of defence from goal kicks, but CHRIS SCOTT pounced on a misplaced pass to put the visitors one goal ahead on forty minutes. A second goal followed two minutes later, a corner was swung in from the left side, keeper, Scott (J) under pressure, punched the ball up into the air inside the six-yard box, when the ball fell to ground there was LEE KNIGHT, who reacted quickest to sweep the ball home through a crowd of players. The visitors had raised their game considerably now and another goal followed inside that five minute spell, Brown (B) had been caught offside from a cross field pass from Looney, from the free kick Scott (C) forced keeper, Scott (J) into a fine save, however the ball fell free and BEN CODLING followed up to make it three goals before half-time which followed minutes later.
HALF-TIME: 0 – 3.
Before the second half restart, MATES took off Thurston and Howard, sending on Henderson and Ajayi but hesitant defending saw visiting keeper, Gradner, pick up a back-pass, with every defender on the goal line, Brown (B) played the ball sideways to Looney who thrashed the ball high over the goal. Everitt who had also entered play for the visitors gained a free kick, taking it himself he missed the target and Southminster United Reserves looked to increase their lead, this did happen on fifty minutes, home defender Whiteley thought he had been fouled, which allowed Scott (C) to run through only for keeper, Scott (J) to save but he was helpless when BEN CODLING ran through to slot home goal number four at the near post, game over, me thinks! Romero entered play and MATES took off Ajayi and sent on Lally, keeper, Scott (J) made another fine save to deny Davies (R), the keeper punching away a rising effort, Davies (R) was another player that had grown into this match, his midfield industry was now more noticeable and Whiteley did well to cover his initial error aided by Boyle.
Romero, seeing the keeper way out of his penalty area tried a long-range effort from fully forty yards, the ball bouncing just wide as the keeper quickly back-tracked, Brown (G), chased a long forward ball, he beat keeper, Gradner, but Cooch was covering, conceding a corner. Home keeper, Scott (J) had been the busier of the two custodians all afternoon and he was quickly out of his penalty area to deny Codling by heading the ball away to safety. At this stoppage, MATES re-introduced Thurston and Howard for Looney and Brown (G), these “Roll-On / Roll-Off” substitutions are hard to follow at times. MATES put an attack together through the persistence of Brown (B) and Brown (D), the corner taken by Ajayi was headed out for another corner by defender Davies (J).
Home keeper, Scott (J) was outside his penalty area again with twenty minutes remining, this time denying Romero, Everitt entered play for Southminster United Reserves replacing Moore who had received a knock then Brown (D) left the pitch with Ajayi once again returning. MATES had another chance to score when Brown (B) found Ajayi, but he dragged his effort wide. Dymond replaced Romero with ten minutes remaining whilst MATES took off Boyle and sent on Brown (G). Brown (G) fouled with his first challenge back on the pitch, Scott (C) lined up his free kick but was denied by a superb flying save by keeper, Scott (J) who leapt high to palm the ball, destined for the top left corner, over the crossbar, with Scott (C) holding his head in his hands, not believing his effort had been saved! The final scoring chance fell to Ajayi for MATES but the effort failed to test keeper, Gradner and the match concluded soon after.
FULL TIME: 0 – 4.
Perhaps not the best of matches, MATES FC will feel the scoreline should have been closer but they failed to score and made too many errors, especially when coming out of defence, Southminster United FC Reserves, without any pre-season matches grew into this match and won by what looks like a comfortable scoreline.
Turning to my choice of Star player, having never seen either team play before, all the players were new to me, as was the Match Official, whom I thought had a good game, the venue was also new, a village with a well-maintained football pitch. For Southminster United FC Reserves, Scott (C) and Codling stood out going forward whilst Knight and Davies were solid at the back. For MATES FC, the three Browns were always involved, but without a fine performance from keeper, Scott (J) the scoreline might have been greater.
Teams:
MATES FC:
Colours: Green & Black Shirts, Black Shorts and Green Socks.
Team:
Joseph Scott., George Brown., Adam Whiteley., Adam Chalk., Bailey Thurston., Connor Boyle., Jason Howard., Reece Looney., Ben Brown., Danny Brown., Paul Oluatosinmile Ajayi.
Manager: Simon White.
Used Substitutes: Jim Iliffe., Stephan Henderson., Kyran Lally.
Unused Substitute: Simon White.
SOUTHMINSTER UNITED FC RESERVES
Colours: Claret & Blue, Claret Shorts and Claret Socks.
Team:
Aden Gradner., Dennis Cooch., Lee Knight (C)., Jack Davies., Liam Gill., Ricci Davies., Alex Russ., Toby Driscoll., Owen Moore., Ben Codling., Chris Scott.
Manager: Jozef Dymond.
Used Substitutes: Scott Everitt., Jozef Dymond., Charles Romero.
MATCH OFFICIAL:
Referee: M/s Sophie Mason
STAR PLAYER: Joseph SCOTT (MATES FC)
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