18/04/2026 – REPORT – Thorpe Athletic FC versus Tiptree Heath FC
ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION.
THORPE ATHLETIC FC. 2. TIPTREE HEATH FC 0.
Date: 18th April 2026. Venue: The Austin Arena, Clacton-On-Sea.
As the season drifts to a conclusion, there are still numerous matches that will influence who will be this seasons Premier Division champions, today the teams in second and third place, were playing their Knock-Out Cup semi-final. Thorpe Athletic had three matches remaining and sat one point of ahead of East Thurrock Community and three points ahead of Great Bentley, who have a game in hand. Thorpe Athletic have gradually crept up the table and with eleven victories and a draw since their last defeat at the start of November have mounted a strong challenge, todays opponents Tiptree Heath had failed to raise a team last Saturday and today they had just eleven players, however, on paper the team looked fairly strong but their captain and central defender Tollhurst was playing in goal, desperate times perhaps!
Today’s Match Official was Benjamin Cooper who would have Timothy Moffat and Barry Frost as Assistant Referee’s, I’d not met these two latter gentlemen before, there were no cautions and little sign of dissent, marvellous stuff!
This match had been switched, due to a double booking, at mid-day, from Kirby Playing Fields to the very grassy, Austin Arena, Clacton and within a few minutes of the match commencing, it was noticed that the corner flags were still to be put out, you just can’t get the staff these days! Tiptree Heath kicked off, lost possession and Thompson burst into the Tiptree Heath penalty area, fell to the ground under a challenge from Sainsbury but the closely positioned referee waved play on. A cross from McAndrews was plucked out of the air by keeper, Tollhurst, with Thompson flagged for off-side, McAndrews flashed a shot just wide having picked up a loose ball played out by Odupitan, anything on target would probably have been a goal as keeper, Tollhurst was well beaten. Barnard forced the first corner off Seymour, Barnard curled in the corner kick but keeper, Tollhurst punched the ball away at the far post, this match, even after just five minutes, looked destined to be a rearguard action by the visitors. Defender, Lamb, fired the ball wide from a long throw in by MacAndrews, from the goal kick restart, Tiptree Heath pushed forward through Leavett down the left side against Humphries, the eventual cross was good but easily cleared by Harms. Pointer, for the home team, a recent acquisition from Belle Vue Social was caught offside from a pass by MacAndrews, and the pressure was beginning to increase on the visitors. Home keeper, Evenett got his first touch of the ball on twelve minutes, having been a spectator up to that point, his clearance found Shuttlewood who gained a throw in off Odupitan, taken long by MacAndrews, and played out for a corner by Carr. Barnard took the corner, once again keeper, Tollhurst punched clear but only to MacAndrews whose dribble forward was defended by Seymour and keeper, Tollhurst gathered the loose ball.
Barnard drifted in from the left side and gained a free kick when he was fouled by Mitchell, MacAndrews took the free kick with Odupitan heading clear, Thorpe Athletic were now laying siege to the Tiptree Heath defence, but credit to them they defended well, led by player-manager, Abrehart-Briggs. Okunowo, for Tiptree Heath made a telling foray forward, after rounding Harms he ran on but shot well wide and after fifteen minutes, they had successfully thwarted the home teams attacks. Okunowo then attacked again down the left side, his pass inside fell to Carr who turned to shoot, but straight to keeper, Evenett. His opposite number, Tollhurst again commanded his penalty area, catching a high driven cross from MacAndrews, Thompson and MacAndrews linked up to send over a cross for Barnard, but my attention was diverted to the small aircraft coming into land at the local aerodrome. Sainsbury conceded another corner, awarded to Thorpe Athletic when Sainsbury covered his defence, again the curling in-swinging corner was caught by the dominant, Tollhurst. At this stage, my opinion was that with all the possession by Thorpe Athletic, they needed some new options, the visitors had defended well, so far, but might tire as the game progressed on a hard pitch.
With thirty minutes on the clock, home keeper Evenett was till to be troubled and certainly had not had to make a save, Lamb fouled Carr inside the centre-circle, Rogers took the free kick finding Carr who early attempt to shoot was not forthcoming as keeper, Evenett had read the flight of the ball and intercepted on his six yard line. With so much possession, it was inevitable that some frustration was becoming evident in the home players and some silly fouls followed, from one, Abrehart-Briggs sent a long ball forward but keeper, Evenett had an easy catch as there were no Tiptree Heath players anywhere near the keeper. A long throw in from MacAndrews was headed clear by Abrehart-Briggs but only to Harms whose shot flew narrowly wide, Lamb defended strongly when Carr threatened to break clear, the clearance down the left side reached Shuttlewood whose fine cross was headed clear at the far post by Abrehart-Briggs. On thirty-eight minutes Shuttlewood fouled Leavett, Rogers took the free kick but drove the ball into the four-man defensive wall and Thorpe Athletic broke forward, with a foul committed on Hunt, MacAndrews struck his free kick straight to keeper, Tollhurst standing on his goal line. Thorpe Athletic scored in the forty-second minute, Barnard drifted in and out from the left side and when his cross was blocked inside the six-yard box in stepped JOSHUA POINTER to score his first goal for the club, this was from close range. Just before the half-time break a deep cross from Shuttlewood clipped the top of the post and crossbar, but was that a cross or a shot at goal!
HALF-TIME: 1 – 0.
For all their first half effort and chances Thorpe Athletic kicked off hoping to improve their game and score the goals their dominance required, a low cross in from the right side from MacAndrews, was blocked at the near post by Sainsbury, Abrehart-Briggs was down seemingly injured, could have been cramp as his fellow defenders had been very active in the first half. Thompson and Barnard have a good understanding up front for the home team and with good service from the reliable MacAndrews you can see why they are the division’s top scorers with sixty-eight goals. Thorpe Athletic continued to push forward from all areas, MacAndrews was blocked off down the right side, similarly, Barnard got the same treatment down the left side, down the middle Pointer looked dangerous but keeper, Tollhurst, was equal to his attempt at goal. A smart volley from Thompson was turned away for a corner by the overworked visiting keeper, Tollhurst, who on fifty-five minutes made a great save to deny MacAndrews who had run on to a through ball from Pointer who was set up by Barnard.
Thorpe Athletic increased their lead on fifty-five minutes, Pointer kept running down the right side, cutting inside he found LUKE BARNARD who, despite calls from the visitors for an off-side decision, scored off the inside of the far post, and that’s twenty-nine goals for the season. When Richardson ventured forward into the penalty area his progress was blocked off by Sainsbury, from the corner taken by Barnard, Harms had found space to send in a fine driven effort that defender Odupitan, blocked at the near post. Hunt had the ball in the net on sixty-two minutes, but Thompson was adjudged to have been offside in the build-up, Tiptree Heath gained a free kick inside their own half, Abrehart-Briggs sent the ball long to Carr but home keeper, Evenett made an easy catch on his goal line. Rogers for Tiptree Heath had battled away through midfield and got stuck into a couple of tasty challenges, he wasn’t giving up yet, it seems despite his colleagues beginning to tire. Carr sent a fine cross in from the right-side, Rogers controlled the ball and played it back to Carr who lofted the ball wide of the goal. On seventy minutes Thorpe Athletic made a triple change, off went Hunt, MacAndrews and Thompson, with Sibley, Beecham and Webb entering play and from that restart Pointer found space down the right side, his low driven cross was cleared by Abrehart-Briggs, six yards from goal.
A deep cross, played in by Harms was cleared by keeper, Tollhurst, a corner followed from where Barnard sent in another curling effort which keeper, Tollhurst clutched under the crossbar, he released Odupitan down the left side whose final ball was easily fielded by keeper, Evenett. On eighty minutes two more changes for the home team, off went Harms and Richardson with O’Riordan and Spencer taking their places, numerically. Leavett fouled Pointer on the corner of the penalty area, the free kick was driven goalwards by Barnard only for keeper, Tollhurst to save at the near post. A cross from Barnard fell to Lamb whose downward header bounced to keeper, Tollhurst who was on hand to save again when Humphries found Barnard whose right footed effort was heading for the goal. Tiptree Heath ended the match with just ten players on the pitch with Seymour having limped off and with no substitutes to use they played out to the end of the match in a deep defensive formation.
FULL TIME: 2 – 0.
This was never going to be a classic encounter, Thorpe Athletic looked likely to score at will but credit to Tiptree Heath, they did not throw in the towel and defended very well, sometimes fortuitously and had an inspired goalkeeper today. With this win, Thorpe Athletic retain top spot , they have two matches remaining, both away, against Cressing United and Alresford Colne Rangers, neither of those matches will be considered easy! For Tiptree Heath, this was their last match of the season.
Turning to my choice of Star player, for Thorpe Athletic, Pointer scored once and was involved in the second, his overall play was impressive throughout, however, a defender playing in goal and making countless saves will always get noticed so it is Tollhurst of Tiptree Heath.
Teams:
THORPE ATHLETIC FC:
Colours: Light & Dark Blue Shirts, Navy Blue Shorts and Navy Blue Socks.
Team:
George Evenett., Kalon Harms., Scott Humphries., Oliver Lamb (C)., James Shuttlewood., Jake Richardson., Joshua Pointer., Brandon Hunt., Taylor McAndrews., Samuel Thompson., Luke Barnard.
Manager: Harrison Barnard.
Assistant Manager: Nathaniel Spence.
Used Substitutes: Harry Sibley., Ryan O’Riordan., Jamie Beecham., James Webb., Nathanial Spencer.
TIPTREE HEATH FC:
Colours: Green & Black Shirts, Black Shorts and Green Socks.
Team:
Jack Tollhurst., Conner Seymour., Olamide Odupitan., Charlie Abrehart-Briggs., Callum Mitchell., William Sainsbury., William Leavett., Sam Carr., Louis Hudson., Michael Okunowo., James Rogers.
Manager: Charlie Abrehart-Briggs.
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Benjamin Cooper.
Assistant Referees: Timothy Moffat
and Barry Frost
STAR PLAYER: Jack TOLLHURST (TIPTREE HEATH FC)
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