13/08/2016 – Report – Ipswich Wanderers FC Reserves versus Coggeshall Town FC Reserves
ANDREAS CARTER ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION.
IPSWICH WANDERERS FC RESERVES: 0.
COGGESHALL TOWN FC RESERVES: 9.
Date: Saturday 13th August 2016. Venue: Humber Doucy Lane, Ipswich.
Welcome back, where has the summer break gone, for many, the school holidays have only just started, cricket is still being played, the weather has been kind so far with football training and friendly matches being carried out in earnest for at least four weeks and the season is underway already.
So what has happened in the Essex & Suffolk Border Football League in the summer recess, well we can report that Andreas Carter Sports (www.andreascartersports.co.uk/ ) have agreed to sponsor the league, hence the change of name at the top of my report and also to that shown on “The FA Full-Time” which will shortly be merged with the “all singing and dancing” “Whole Game System” (WGS) which this year is being used instead of MITOO which seems to have stopped functioning! There are those who have questioned the need to change and all the associated club administration changes required, but the all powerful Football Association are encouraging all football leagues to use their “state-of-the-art” system so our league has become one of many “pilot” leagues this year. Member Clubs and Club Officials have spent many hours correcting past errors in County databases so that this season we can start with the proverbial “clean-slate”, next season we are assured that things will be easier, let us see but a huge thanks to Alison Willmore who has nurtured this mammoth project and guided everyone through a challenging summer. At the time of writing, the results from yesterday are showing but the team player update facility has crashed but hopefully will be back working towards the end of the week.
This season the ESBFL will operate four divisions, Premier, then Divisions One, Two and Three, that’s an increase of one as the league has gained seven new clubs and eleven new teams despite losing the first teams of Coggeshall Town FC and Holland FC to the Thurlow Nunn Football League, we wish them well and there early results are very encouraging.
So back to business, where do I start, well I decided to head over to Humber Doucy Lane, Ipswich to see Premier League newcomers Ipswich Wanderers FC Reserves entertain Coggeshall Town FC Reserves who have stepped up one division to take the place of their first team. With the hosts First Eleven also at home the match was switched to the pitch behind the stadium and whilst the pitch was expansive and hard both teams should be able to play football on an even surface.
On a bright sunny afternoon the match officials for this first league game were Andrew Harvey, Alan Smith and Simon Lyons and generally they had a very quiet afternoon ensuring the “Respect” handshake was carried out before kick-off.
The match got underway with Coggeshall kicking off with both teams very tentative and the home team were awarded the first free kick when Cocklin (T) crashed into home defender Garwood, however the attempted free-kick was under-hit allowing Coggeshall to clear with Holdstock breaking quickly down the left wing to send a teasing left-footed cross across the face of goal with Fairweather, the home keeper struggling to reach the ball with Cocklin (T) retrieving the loose ball to win a corner which was cleared. This early break by the visitors showed their fast attacking intent and they kept this threat going throughout the match, in fact they were always quickest to the ball. On four minutes Ipswich were hesitant in defence allowing Cocklin (T) to win the ball and drive forward towards the goal and advancing keeper with the ball rolling agonisingly wide. Ipswich were again panicking when Holdstock ran at the stationary defence with Fairweather saving with his feet in another one-on-one situation to concede a corner. Coggeshall kept up this fast penetrating tempo, first to the loose ball, winning most of the fifty/fifty challenges and dominating any aerial challenge the afternoon looked set to be a hard baptism for the young home team.
Coggeshall keeper de Felice got his first touch after seven minutes and cleared long up-field, Starkie missed his header and Holdstock volleyed wide when really he should have scored! A minute later and Holdstock volleyed spectacularly wide, again a decent scoring opportunity but again poor defensive work gave the ball away to a lively player who had his eye on scoring goals. Keeper de Felice made a hash to trying to clear two back-passes but with no home player putting him under pressure he did manage to clear the ball. Flatts looked composed on the ball and gradually started to dictate the visitors pattern of play setting up Cocklin (T), after an error by Garwood, who forced an excellent save from Fairweather. Prime made a decent forward run down the left wing but ran out of pitch space but sadly had little support in attack but as the ball flew to the other end Cocklin (T) laid the ball into the path of Holdstock who forced another save from the exposed Fairweather, but surely a goal, by Coggeshall, is now overdue!
On twenty minutes Rose fouled Nichols in a rare home attack but once again the free-kick failed to clear the first line of the Coggeshall defence and when you have sent up your tall players it is such a waste as they then had to race back to defend against the fast forwards of the visitors. A strong run by Cocklin (T) led to a fine pass to Flatts who controlled, looked up but drove the ball wide of the target, but from a poor goal-kick the ball fell to Holdstock who again failed to beat the keeper who atoned for his error with a smart save and by my reckoning the visitors should have been at least four goals ahead and some frustration was beginning to creep into their play. I should not have worried as on twenty-seven minutes, Coggeshall forced a corner, Flatts played the ball in and defender DANIEL OSINOIKI rose unchallenged to head home from six yards out. Straight from the kick-off Ipswich lost possession inside their own half allowing Holdstock to race past the stationary defence only to clip the ball just wide of the goal. Three minutes later Coggeshall increased their lead, Cocklin (T) won possession just outside the penalty area and forced Fairweather into another fine save but with the ball not cleared Holdstock crossed back into the penalty area where MWETSI MATANGI crashed the ball home from close range.
Just after the half hour mark Matangi almost became provider working the ball into Holdstock who lobbed the ball over the advancing keeper and to the left of the goal, another missed chance and opening scorer Osinoiki crashed a fierce volley into the side netting, a good effort. Another move started by Cocklin (G) led to a fine pass from midfield to wide left where Cocklin (T) took the ball in his stride but his cross failed to test the overworked home defence. Coggeshall continued to be quickest to the ball, throw-ins and free-kicks were swiftly taken with Ipswich watching rather than reacting and consequently losing any advantage. Another rising shot from Holdstock hit the metal fencing way behind the goal with the new “sponsored” match ball puncturing on impact! Fairweather had to race forty yards out of his goal to head clear as the visitors threatened whilst his opposite number de Felice had to dive at the feet of Phillips in what was the home team’s first real attack but nevertheless good goal-keeping. The first half ended with Otono being held back by Matangi who questioned the match officials decision to no avail, it was a definite foul.
HALF-TIME: 0 – 2
With no changes to playing personnel after half-time it was the home team that kicked off but once again poor defending allowed Coggeshall to gain possession, Holdstock bullied Clarke off the ball and he sent in a low cross which eluded three other defenders before falling at the feet of THOMAS COCKLIN who had the simplest of tap-in chances for goal number three with keeper Fairweather injuring himself in the process. A flurry of substitutions followed, Rose., Cocklin (G) and Cocklin (T) departed to be replaced by Holland., Cruz and Okosi for Coggeshall with Ipswich replacing Nichols with Scott. On fifty-eight minutes Holdstock was through on goal but when faced with the advancing keeper he again pushed the ball wide of the goal however a minute later EDILSON CRUZ raced through with a strong run following an astute pass by Flatts, cutting inside the last defender before driving the ball past the keeper at the near post. On the hour mark Starkie limped off to be replaced by War but the goals kept coming as on sixty-two minutes Cruz bull-dozed his was down the left wing before crossing to THOMAS HOLDSTOCK who placed a fine left foot effort wide of the keeper but this time inside the net.
The one-way traffic persisted, the introduction of Cruz down the left for Coggeshall caused many problems with Holdstock almost the beneficiary of another goal but his aim had reverted to being close but not close enough! Holdstock was fouled by War, Holdstock took the free-kick only for Fairweather to save but he was helpless as Coggeshall scored for the sixth time. Flatts again set the move going, THOMAS HOLDSTOCK turned War with ease and scored his second goal of the match and we still had fifteen minutes to play. Garwood stopped an attack by Holdstock to concede a corner, taken by Flatts but headed clear by War to set prime galloping away just as he had in the first half, beating three defenders before being crowded out as the visitors defence recovered. Ipswich replaced Otono with Alexander but when Garwood clearly fouled Holdstock inside the penalty area, Holdstock passed up the chance to complete his hat-trick by giving the ball to Flatts who promptly leathered the ball against the right-hand upright to be cleared.
As if the home team needed any warning it took less than three minutes for another goal to be scored, Holdstock a continual menace all match broke free and when his pass found PERRY FLATTS he swept the ball home from inside the penalty area despite the keeper getting his fingers to the ball. Another mazy run by Cruz, who beat three players was only stopped when Fairweather saved. With three minutes remaining defender DEAN GILDER picked up the ball inside his own half and with home players standing off him he strode forward, rode a couple of tackles before having a free shot at goal, it went in of course much to the delight of his management! Finally, in the last minute, the home team capitulated once again allowing HENRY OKOSI to score from close range.
FULL TIME: 0 – 9
Well, I must admit that I was expecting to see a much closer match with Ipswich Wanderers FC Reserves having dropped down from the Suffolk & Ipswich League (SIL) whereas Coggeshall Town FC Reserves have stepped up a division to fill the place left by the departure of their First Team. I was advised that some of the young (16 & 17 year old) home players had played in an academy match in the morning of the game, my personal feeling is that the ESBFL Premier Division is a very physical and competitive league and will test even the most experienced of players so to try to play two games on the same day is asking for results like this to continue! This result in itself showed that Coggeshall Town FC Reserves mean business but their victory was made all the more easier by tired players who will need to toughen up and make their presence felt if they are to compete at this level.
Despite what I thought was a mature performance by Flatts, a goal and several assists, this week my Man-of-the-Match selection goes to Thomas Holdstock of Coggeshall Town FC Reserves. It took me quite a time to get to that decision as despite eventually scoring two goals this player must have missed at least six more with his non-stop running and chasing down defenders however on this form he will be a handful for most defences this season.
On behalf of the three match officials and myself I would like to thank Matt Nicholls and Keith Lloyd of IWFC for their hospitality before, during and after the match when hot food was made available.
Teams:
IPSWICH WANDERERS FC RESERVES: Colours: Blue Shirts., Blue Shorts and Blue Socks.
Bailey Fairweather., Paul Starkie., Jordan Clarke., Sam Garwood., Jamie Preece., Benjamin Prime., Brandon Archer., Ryan Milbourne., Zak Phillips., Kieran Nichols., Ivan Otono.
Manager: Tom Page.
Used Substitutes: Macauley Scott., Tyler War., George Alexander.
Unused Substitutes: Jordan Fleming.
COGGESHALL TOWN FC RESERVES: Colours: Red & Black Striped Shirts., Black Shorts and Red Socks.
Stefano de Felice., Daniel Osinoiki., Matthew Rose., George Cocklin., Lee Green., Dean Gilder., Perry Flatts., Mwetsi Matangi., Thomas Holdstock., Thomas Cocklin., Keiran Adams.
Manager: Cliff Akurang.
Used Substitutes: Mark Holland., Edilson Cruz., Henri Okosi.
Unused Substitutes: Cliff Akurang.
Referee: Andrew Harvey (Colchester).
Assistant Referee’s: Alan Smith (Chelmsford).
and Simon Lyons (Sible Hedingham).
Man of the Match: Thomas HOLDSTOCK (COGGESHALL TOWN FC Reserves)
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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
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