19/12/2015 – Earls Colne FC versus Harwich & Parkeston FC
ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
EARLS COLNE FC: 2. HARWICH & PARKESTON FC: 1.
Date: Saturday 19th December 2015. Venue: Green Farm Meadow, Earls Colne.
This week I decided to catch up on a couple of Premier Division teams I had not watched this season, neither have had a good season so far and have rung the changes with several new players on show. The home team (8 points) are suffering a surfeit of injuries but managed to split their available playing resources between their two teams and signed a couple of players on before this match began whilst I understand that the visitors (9 points) have made approaches to transfer players to their club.
The Match Official for this bottom half of the table clash was Ricky Johnson who would be assisted by two of the three female officials on the ESBFL register, namely M/s Susan Newton and M/s Johanna Withams and with only one caution for dissent the match progressed fairly well despite numerous petty fouls with the home team just shading proceedings.
On a gloomy, wind free afternoon, Harwich kicked off up the slight slope and on a heavy pitch with an Earls Colne player soon caught in an off-side position, then at the other end Bethell crossed and Mansfield cleared out of defence. Keeper Coyston struck a long ball forward with his opposite number Felgate fielding at the other end with May chasing. When May and Preston threatened, keeper Felgate and Neale managed to stop the attack then Paton headed straight to Felgate from a teasing cross from Preston and already an end to end pattern of play was seen. Elliot, a new player in the Harwich ranks, was like Geen, prepared to chase balls driven forward with May doing likewise for Earls Colne. Elliot won a corner off Huwes (M), taken by Bethell and when the home team cleared up-field May rode three tackles, as the Harwich defence retreated, to then lay the ball back to Preston who shot narrowly wide. Geen was spoken too by the referee after firstly diving, late, into a tackle, then secondly, for questioning an earlier decision he felt had not been given to his team, this after a supposed foul on him, to me he over-played the ball and lost control!
On fifteen minutes Earls Colne won a corner which was cleared as far as Geen standing on the half-way line and when he turned and tried to get away from Mansfield, the defender stuck to his job and cleared the ball for a throw-in. From this throw-in Reynolds crossed into the penalty area where Elliot tried an overhead kick but when the ball fell to Geen, Huwes (M) was on hand to clear for a corner to Harwich. Another strong run by May, playing as a lone striker, was only curtailed when Wood ran back from an attacking position to help out his defence. Maddocks embarked on a run, wide on the right side sending in a cross which Neale headed away but with encouragement from the side-line the home team had belied their lowly league position and were trying to create positive attacking moves with only the final ball letting them down. Laird was spoken too for a bit of dissent and Paton attacked down the right wing with Harwich defending then getting forward themselves only for Huwes (M) to clear the effort from Elliot for a corner. Home keeper, Coyston, rode his luck with a poor clearance towards Mansfield who retrieved the situation and set Preston galloping away down the right wing that ended when Felgate caught the high cross one-handed just a yard off his goal-line. A break by Drew saw his pass controlled by Paton just inside the “D” of the penalty area but three defenders were soon around him and the chance faltered. Coyston had to advance well out of his area to fly-kick the ball clear, a ball which Harwich had, then lost, as the simple pass went astray!
On thirty minutes Harwich replaced Campbell with Murray, making his first appearance on his return to the club, and when Drew questioned a decision he was rightly cautioned having already been warned twice before. As challenges flew in Gambrell was high with a foot towards Huwes (M) and Mansfield was guilty of jumping into the back of Elliot with no intention of playing the aerial ball. From another free-kick taken by Bethell the ball fell to Neale who turned goal-wards only to toe-poke the ball wide from close range. Huwes (M) fouled Elliot then helped clear the ball forward where Preston took the ball wide down the right side from a cross-field pass by Laird but the final shot at goal was held comfortably by Felgate. The visiting keeper then had to come out of his area to clear as May chased down Nea who was caught napping and watching the ball drift past him and when play went back to the other end a break by Geen saw his cross slightly too high for Elliot who could only flick the ball on rather than goal-wards. In the last minute of the half Preston skipped away once again down the right side and aided by some poor defending his cross was allowed to reach STEPHEN MAY who managed to bundle the ball home at the near post and there were only seconds remaining from the restart before the half ended.
HALF-TIME: 1 – 0
Earls Colne withdrew, Drew, at the restart and sent Amos on and the home team attacked with Wood intervening to clear any early danger but with Harwich continuing to play deep it was left to Felgate to produce an excellent save from May after Neale slipped inside the penalty area. Geen almost broke through from a pass by Bethell but his snatched left foot shot flew well wide, then, as Harwich ventured forward again a cross from Friend was met at the far post by Geen who rounded David but was denied by the outstretched foot of Coyston. A pass forward from Nea found Elliot but despite rounding the advancing Coyston who had rushed out of his penalty area the goal-bound ball was cleared by the covering Mansfield. On sixty minutes, with the home side surprisingly sitting back it allowed Harwich to continue their own forward momentum which was rewarded when a cross from Reynolds was swept home at the near post by MATTHEW GEEN. Felgate saved with his feet from Preston then recovered to dive on the loose ball and the persistence of May allowed him to drift past Friend only for Nea to concede a free-kick just outside the penalty area. The free-kick from Preston flew harmlessly to Felgate and Neale had to be alert to block another attack from Root but after the equaliser the home team had stirred back into action.
A decent shot from Wood was held just under the cross-bar by Coyston and on sixty-eight minutes Earls Colne regained the lead, Nea failed to get above Preston who flicked the ball onwards, only for Neale to slip on the greasy surface and allow JOSEPH PATON to score the easiest of goals on his debut from inside the six-yard box. Visiting frustrations were now showing, Harwich by their own admission, had not played very well so far whilst the home team looked to keep this slender lead until the end. Reynolds crossed from the right and Huwes (M) headed out for a corner with Coyston saving Bethell’s header at the near post from the corner taken by Geen. With fifteen minutes remaining Earls Colne replaced Preston with Huwes (J) and with Harwich replacing Gambrell with Martin, Coyston was quickly out to the feet of Elliot. Felgate saved again from May who was actually penalised for handling the ball in the build up and at the other end Wood over-played his possession to lose the ball as Mansfield tackled back. Mansfield saved his keeper again when clearing the ball almost off the line, but one might have questioned if the keeper had committed a foul on Geen, outside the penalty area in the build up.
Earls Colne did not look confident in defence as Harwich raised the tempo slightly but when they broke out of defence usually from the prompting of Huwes (M), it was defender Nea who had to cover and clear which was followed by a cross from Maddocks which May managed to slip past the post with the goal gaping, as they say, probably easier to score! Wood for Harwich was replaced by Double with five minutes remaining and it was fellow substitute, Murray, who poked the ball just wide after a pass from Geen. When Mansfield made a rare defensive error, Elliot curled a decent effort round the last defender and the near post and Earls Colne hit back with Preston firing over the cross-bar from a pass from May then the players swapped roles with Preston finding May who forced a decent save from Felgate and it was May who had the last chance scooping his close range effort over after another run and cross from Paton.
FULL TIME: 2 – 1
Not a classic match by any means, two sides going through the motions, both can and will probably play better but need to get away from the bottom rungs of the league, this win does take Earls Colne FC above Harwich & Parkeston FC who slip to twelfth with a game in hand on today’s winners . There are no games next Saturday, Boxing Day, and currently only one scheduled for Saturday 2nd January 2016 when Little Oakley FC play host to Gas Recreation FC so no guessing as to where I’ll be, weather permitting!
This week my Man-of-the Match selection was probably only ever going to be between three home players, either skipper Laird, forward May or Huwes (M) who gets the nod, not just for some resolute defending but also getting forward whenever possible to support the midfield and attack.
Teams:
EARLS COLNE FC Colours: Blue Shirts, Blue Shorts and Blue Socks.
Chris Coyston., Scott David., Brett Mansfield., James Laird (C)., Michael Huwes., Tom Maddocks., Ashley Drew., Jonathan Root., Joshua Preston., Stephen May., Joseph Paton.
Manager: Mark Hoskin.
Used Substitutes: Bradley Amos., Jamie Huwes
Unused Substitutes: Mark Hoskin.
HARWICH & PARKESTON FC: Colours: Black & White Shirts, Black Shorts, Black Socks.
Samuel Felgate., Luis Reynolds., Matthew Friend., Ashley Wood., Jake Neale (C)., Dominic Nea., Cameron Campbell., Richard Gambrell., Benjamin Elliot., Matthew Geen., Darren Bethell.
Manager: John Fidgett.
Assistant Manager: Martin Warnes.
Used Substitutes: Craig Martin., Ben Murray., Alan Double.
Referee: Ricky Johnson (Colne Engaine).
Assistant Referees: M/s Susan Newton (Witham)
M/s Johanna Withams (Braintree)
Man of the Match: Michael HUWES (EARLS COLNE FC)
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