19/12/2020 – REPORT – University of Essex {Students Union} FC versus Ramsey & Mistley FC

ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE

DIVISION THREE.

UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX (STUDENTS UNION) FC: 2. RAMSEY & MISTLEY FC: 1.

Date: Saturday 19^th December 2020. Venue: Essex University Estate, Wivenhoe.

Another Saturday, the correct day for football, another day that could lead us all to new experiences and challenges so on a bright sunny afternoon I took my shortest trip up to the University of Essex were I have to say the pitches looked immaculate, that said, this was the first game of the season to be played there for a match that had been switched in mid-week from Ramsey! The University team, sat eighth in the table before kick-off, having played very few matches, in part because of an earlier outbreak of the COVID-19 amongst students that forced their authorities to cancel all active sport for several weeks. For this match they were clearly short of some regular players who had already travelled home for Christmas, but they like every team just wanted to get back to playing football and this was their third match since the December re-start. Ramsey & Mistley FC, currently in tenth place, have returned to the ESBFL this season and have also brought their Reserve Team from the CEEFL, they play in Division Four and seem to have acclimatised well in these testing times.

The appointed match official was Lee Miller and he would be assisted by Club volunteers with all three having difficulty with the low sun as it set behind the tower blocks, to be fair it was not a difficult match for any official as players just wanted to play and despite a keen breeze that blew across the pitch from the north-west.

The University kicked-off and as I expected they started to push the ball around finding players in space, Diment committed the first foul on Gould then Wood fouled Rogers, tit-for-tat I suppose then Sansom broke away only for Farthing to cover and defend for a corner. The first shot at goal came after five minutes, Turner for the University rasping a shot just wide with keeper, McFarlane scrambling across to cover. At the other end a determined run by Allington down the left side as eventually stopped by Froud, then Stratton was caught for what looked like off-side, but the referee awarded a free-kick for a foul on Cowell. A high swirling corner, taken by Sansom forced Tanner to head clear at the far post and from that clearance White got the ball out to Stratton who fed Allington who drove forward finding Wood who was set up to shoot until Froud once again put his body in the way to block the goal attempt. The pace of Allington for Ramsey could be a telling contribution and just when he thought he was clear of the defensive line defender Cowell made a fine interception and clear.

Home keeper, Harvey-Piggins, a new signed player from Oyster FC made a save with his feet from Farthing who had been set-up by Wood who had wriggled his way through a crowded penalty area. The University thought they had scored when a snap-shot on the turn from Sansom forced keeper, McFarlane to save, the parried ball struck the base of the post and rebounded into the arms of the prone keeper, decent save though. Keeper, Harvey-Piggins was then adjudged to have handled the ball outside his penalty area, wide on his left side, the keeper claiming it had hit him in the “proverbials” but it put his team under pressure as Allington swung in a low cross with his trusty left-foot towards the near post only for Cowell to clear the ball upfield. Stratton was leading the front line for Ramsey and from a strong run forward once again Cowell was there to defend with Allington shooting wide from the loose ball, these chances need to be taken! On twenty-five minutes a corner taken by Allington was overhit, another feature that persisted, a clearance from Traynor sent Allington chasing forward but keeper, Harvey-Piggins was out to the edge of his penalty area to gather the ball. Three, foul throw-ins from both teams followed in quick succession the next proper throw-in found Neill fouling Allington, Farmery took the free-kick, Cowell headed clear to Stratton who beat three defenders whilst running across the edge of the penalty area before launching a rising shot over the cross-bar, you just need to hit the target and not try the spectacular.

At the half-hour mark this was a finely balanced match, plenty of effort, some good approach work and defending with few clear-cut chances but this game definitely needed a goal to liven things up a bit, for Ramsey, Allington and Stratton looked the more likely players to score with Sansom and Diment more likely for the home team. A corner taken by Allington was punched clear by keeper, Harvey-Piggins with Cowell and Froud working the ball forward to Diment who gave chase with Nea using his pace to cover and clear. Farmery was beaten by Diment but made a fine recovery to stop Sansom just as he entered the penalty area conceding a corner, this corner caused a few problems as the ball held up in the wind. As the half entered its last few minutes the University upped their possession and approach, keeper, McFarlane saved from Sansom, White crashed heavily through the back of Cowell to earn a caution just on the half-way line with Simpson defending well to stop Turner-Pines. On forty-one minutes that long-awaited goal arrived, Diment found space on the left side passing the ball inside to AIDAN SANSOM who fairly rifled his shot home from the edge of the penalty area, keeper, McFarlane had little chance to save that one.

HALF-TIME: 1 – 0.

At the interval the University replaced Turner-Pines with Manager, Fox but it was Ramsey who kicked-off the second half, an early shot from Sansom was saved on his goal-line by keeper, McFarlane and within five minutes Ramsey had elected to replace White with Gueizelar with Farmery switching defensive duties from right to left side. Simpson defended well against Diment with the short corner from Sansom driven across the six-yard box by Rogers, Taylor produced a nice piece of control, turn and run away from Wood and embarked on a mazy dribble past four players before running out of room with defender Simpson shielding him away. When Gueizelar fouled Allan, the free-kick from the left side was sent deep into the Ramsey penalty area falling to Sansom who hit the cross-bar with a snatched effort, the ball rebounded down to be forced home by Turner only for the goal to be ruled out by an off-side decision, not sure if the flag above the assistants head was for offside or whether it was shielding his eyes however, no goal was given.

Farmery fouled Sansom and from a short, quickly taken free-kick Rogers broke forward to gain a throw-in deep inside the Ramsey half, and on sixty-five minutes Ramsey should have equalised as a fine run and cross from Farthing found the head of the unmarked Stratton who headed wide from less than six yards out. The University struck again soon after this miss, Ramsey failed to clear defensively, and TAYLOR TURNER rammed the ball home from close range but Ramsey still showed their intent when from a corner taken by Allington, Traynor rose at the far post to send a firm header crashing against the corner of post and upright.

On seventy-five minutes, Smith replaced Tanner who had been fouled by Fox and from the free-kick the ball was worked forward to Stratton who broke through the home defence and with a clear run on goal, his goal-bound effort struck the cross-bar but Stratton was unceremoniously clattered by the advancing keeper who had committed to a save. The resultant spot-kick was hammered home by CHRISTOPHER STRATTON and Ramsey were back in the game with ten minutes remaining. A shot from Allan saw keeper, McFarlane scrambling across his goal-line to turn the ball round the post for a corner which was hacked off the goal-line by Smith and Ramsey galloped away to the other end through Allington only for keeper, Harvey Piggins to make a fine full-stretch save to deny Gueizelar, this from a cross from Stratton. End-to-end football was now the norm, a shot from Turner forced keeper, McFarlane into another decent save pushing the ball wide and to safety, another shot from Rogers was deflected wide by Simpson and when Rogers drove another shot goal-wards, keeper, McFarlane stuck out a leg, the ball went out for what should have been a corner, but no a goal-kick was awarded! The University had lived a bit dangerously as the half, finished, Ramsey were intent on getting a deserved point from this match, putting pressure on the home team which led to Sansom being sent to the “Sin-Bin” with two minutes of normal time remaining, the University defended that free-kick and sent Rogers away before the final whistle blew.

FULL TIME: 2 – 1.

I must give credit to both sets of players for providing this afternoons entertainment, not a classic but both teams had-a-go, as they say, for me a draw would have been a fair reflection of events, their respective league positions remain unchanged, but the home team remain unbeaten albeit after only five matches.

Now let’s turn to my Star Player, another difficult choice this week as players from both teams worked hard throughout, for Ramsey, Allington and Stratton lead the line well but perhaps need better service from midfield, defensively that coped and keeper McFarlane made some decent saves and showed good handling when under pressure. For the home team, these are all young students, many studying “Sports Science” whenever they play football it’s for fun and they definitely seem a keen unit on their return to the ESBFL. Keeper, Harvey-Piggins made a couple of crucial saves, defensively Rogers and Cowell stood firm, up front in Sansom and Diment they have useful goal-scorers but today Turner in mid-field was in the thick of most the good moves, a disallowed goal but a legitimate one scored was enough for him to get the nod just ahead of Rogers.

Teams:

UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX (STUDENTS UNION) FC:

Colours: Red Shirts, Red Shorts and Red Socks.

Keiran Harvey-Piggins., Freddie Neill., Callum Gould., Daniel Rogers., Reef Cowell., Kiah Froud., Taylor Turner., Samuel Allan., Benedict Diment., Aidan Sansom (C)., James Turner-Pines.

Manager: Luke Fox.

Used Substitutes: Luke Fox.

RAMSEY & MISTLEY FC:

Colours: Green & Black Shirts, Black Shorts and Black / Green Socks.

Callum McFarlane., Jevon Farmery., Richard Traynor., Andrew Tanner., Ashley Wood., Dominic Nea., Christopher Stratton (C)., Adam Simpson., Ben Allington., Tom Farthing., Nick White.

Manager: Ryan Dawson.

Used Substitutes: Nathan Smith., Chas Gueizelar.

Unused Substitutes: Ryan Dawson.

Referee: Lee MILLER.

Star Player: Taylor TURNER {UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX (STUDENTS UNION)}

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Additional Reporting:

YOU TUBE., FACEBOOK (x2) & TWITTER

Once again, this season the ESBFL is widening its match-day reporting coverage, in addition to a full report written by Brian Reed, our other roving reporter, Spencer Hume, has once again made himself known during the friendlies season and he will also attend games reporting via You Tube, Facebook and Twitter to communicate up-to-date information and replicate other match reports. In addition, John Campany, Vice Chairman will continue to provide a weekly summary, published in The Gazette.

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Reminder to Club Secretaries / Fixture Secretaries

Once again 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 advise any agreed changes, as required, to either Mick Willmore (mjw1947@sky.com)

or M/s Alison Stanford (esblsec@icloud.com) especially for evening games and for those matches being played under floodlights etc.

KO is 2:00pm from: December & January

KO is 2:30pmfor: 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 )

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