29/08/2026 – REPORT – Great Bentley FC versus Springfield FC
ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION.
GREAT BENTLEY FC. 0. SPRINGFIELD FC. 2.
Date: 29th August 2026. Venue: “The Green”, Great Bentley.
With the weather surprisingly wet considering the recent months of drought, I decided to go over to Great Bentley green, I always get a nice welcome there and I decided to watch the match from my car, not wanting to chance getting wet.
Now here is a conundrum, last season Great Bentley FC in their one-hundredth season in the ESBFL, successfully ran three teams, the First Team won the Premier Division and the Knock-Out Cup, their Reserve Team finished below mid-way in Division One and narrowly lost the Reserve Knock-Out Cup whilst their “A” Team were Runners-Up in Division Four and losing finalists in the Richard Degville Cup, this season a lot of players have moved elsewhere and decimated the playing strength of what is one of the best run Clubs in the Competition!
Before kick-off, the teams whose form was indifferent, were separated by four points, champions Great Bentley had won three, drawn one and lost one whereas Springfield had won two and lost three, on paper I expected a close match.
On an afternoon that threatened and did produce rain, the pitch would probably cut up but the Match Officials were Lewis Earl who had the extremely experienced Philip Barham and Keith Succamore as Assistant Referees, apart from several nailed on cautions they were rarely troubled.
Springfield kicked off playing towards the distant Clubhouse, Kitoko immediately fouled Brown, then Da Luz fouled Herbert (O), Blanchett took this free kick, Whiston headed clear for a corner, taken by Vaughan, but the ball only reached the near post to be cleared forward to Collier, who tried to play in Sargeant but Burch stepped in to stop the attack. Great Bentley had adopted a long ball approach, but the Springfield defence marshalled by Farmer looked comfortable. When Morley tackled Addison-Hardy the visiting player required treatment, had to leave the pitch, in the meantime Whiston took the free kick which went out for a goal kick. Springfield, were using the left side channel to mount attacks and Vaughan, still recovering from a serious injury was tested several times by the pace of Addison-Hardy as well as Kitoko whom he fouled and with ten minutes gone, the match was somewhat tame and disjointed! Collier was causing problems down the right side and Peace had to be alert throughout, a cross from Collier was cleared by Burch but Herbert (O) was caught offside as was Sargeant when Springfield made their next attack.
When Kitoko sent the ball into Sargeant, he played in Collier, whose shot was wide of the goal, the next Springfield attack started from the back with Whiston finding Farmer, his defence splitting pass found Sargeant, clear through but his goal bound effort was caught by keeper, Pickard, the visitors should really be ahead! Herbert (O) who was playing in a forward position was now having to drop back to get the ball, Blanchett thought he had been fouled by Farmer, nothing was given, I thought he had backed into the defender, the referee then had cause to speak to Blanchett who was clearly unhappy. Sargeant managed to squeeze past Baker and Burch and when Vaughan made an error trying to clear the ball, it was Peace who backtracked to help his defensive colleague, this game had seen too many unenforced errors so far! Brown impeded Addison-Hardy, the free kick was cleared out for a throw-in, from where Great Bentley pushed forward, a cross from Herbert (O) was headed clear by Whiston to Brown whose first time shot flew straight to keeper, Hodgson (J), yes, a shot on target! Addison-Hardy used his pace to get round the back of the home defence to latch onto a pass from Collier, soon after Springfield took the lead just before the thirty-minute mark, the home defence, who had struggled to put any real passing moves together, lost possession inside the penalty area and AARON COLLIER nipped in to score with ease, past keeper, Pickard.
Whiston sent the ball forward to Sargeant who was caught offside, Herbert (O) was still dropping back to get the ball and it had started to rain again, Sargeant and Da Luz moved the ball down the left side but Kitoko was offside from that final pass and the visitors looked capable of scoring again as gaps were appearing in the home defence. Smith, down the left side for Great Bentley then dribbled down the left side, riding two challenges but Whiston made a telling block, and Farmer cleared the ball away, just as Brown threatened to latch onto the loose ball. When Hodgson (H) sent a high lofted ball forward, keeper Pickard advanced to head the ball clear, Collier, ever alert to a chance to chase, did just that, the two players collided and received lengthy treatment, but were able to resume after most other players took advantage to get a drink. Stewart for Springfield also lobbed the ball forward, this time, keeper Pickard was forced to make a firm header away, with Peace completing the clearance. Hodgson (H) and Elonge had marshalled the visitor’s midfield and missed very little this half, breaking down any home attacks as the home team struggled to keep the ball. Yarwood was cautioned for a heavy challenge on Collier, from the free kick Elonge fouled Brown and we had reached half-time.
HALF-TIME: 0 – 1.
Great Bentley restarted this rather dull match, the visitors had a slender lead but the home team had yet to show any semblance of the form that saw them do the double last season! Hodgson dragged Brown down and was duly cautioned, keeper Hodgson (J) was quickly outside his penalty area to deny Blanchett who was running on to a ball played forward by Peace. Burch fouled Sargeant and with the free taken quickly, Da Luz tried to burrow his was through, Brown unfairly clattered Farmer, the free kick was cleared, then Baker sent the ball wide to Herbert (O) who beat Addison-Hardy to run on, but out of play. Herbert (O) tried a speculative shot from outside the penalty area, the ball clearing the crossbar. When Collier fouled Morley, Baker took the free kick, this found Burch and from his knock-down, Blanchett put the ball wide for a goal-kick. Blanchett has always had the ability to keep the ball at his feet and with a few twists and turns he came out of a four-man sandwich, but Brown was unable to capitalise from the pass as Farmer stepped in to block. When Collier had the ball at his feet forty yards from goal, his quick thinking saw keeper, Pickard outside his penalty area, the high lobbed effort bounced once but missed the wide-open goal.
So, an hour had elapsed, Springfield looked comfortable with their lead, Great Bentley were somewhat out of touch and replaced the struggling Burch with Herbert (A), his first action saw his pass reach Morley who forced a corner, taken by Blanchett, only to be cleared away by Collier. Baker made a fine tackle on Kitoko, right on the edge of the penalty area, Kitoko had beaten three players to get into that position from half-way. On sixty-five minutes Springfield removed Addison-Hardy and Sargeant with Kirby and Kujinga entering play, from the restart, Brown fouled Kujinga on the “D” in a central position, Collier took the free kick, beating the defensive wall but keeper, Pickard gathered low down. From the keeper’s long clearance Lumley-Ridgeway, who had replaced Herbert (O) fouled Whiston, Brown placed a left footed shot wide then Ridgeway-Lumley fouled Stewart just outside the penalty area. Collier took the free kick, the ball striking the defensive wall and going out for a corner, taken by Collier, to Whiston who headed wide. At this point, with seventy-two minutes played Great Bentley took off Vaughan and Blanchett with Hunt and Evans taking their places.
A poor clearance from Pickard fell to Kujinga who placed the ball over the unguarded goal, keeper, Pickard, then redeemed himself with a great save from Kirby, after good work from Kujinga and Collier and on eighty-two minutes, Springfield sent on Boon and Sampaney for Elonge and Hodgson, two midfielders who had been the mainstays in midfield for the visitors. From the corner, Collier swung the ball into the six-yard box and keeper, Pickard punched the ball clear, then Herbert (A) was cautioned for a rash challenge on Kitoko. Braddon had replaced Peace with five minutes remaining, his first tackle on Kujinga was deemed a foul, Collier drove the free-kick off the defensive wall, gaining a corner, which was cleared by Baker but with most home players back defending, the ball was played forward towards keeper, Pickard whose poor bouncing clearance was latched on to by Collier whose first time effort hit the right hand upright to be cleared. As we entered the final minutes of this match, Springfield made the points safe, an attack down the left side saw a low cross fall into the path of AARON COLLIER and he slotted home from close range. Collier almost got his hat-trick when he received a long forward ball from Whiston, his lobbed effort from outside the penalty area drifted just wide with keeper, Pickard struggling to get across his goalmouth. Almost the final action of the match saw Evans cautioned for foul on Farmer and that frustration summed up the home team’s performance today.
FULL TIME: 0 – 2.
Premier Division Champions were brought down with their second defeat of the season, Springfield, on the day were the better side and could easily have won by more then the two goals they did score
Turning to my choice of Star player, with two goals and chances for several more then Aaron Collier was my stand out player..
Teams:
GREAT BENTLEY FC:
Colours: Blue & White Shirts, Blue Shorts and Blue Socks.
Team:
Sebastian Pickard., Jake Vaughan (C)., Alfie Peace, Rhys Morley., Jack Burch., Conrad Baker., Dale Brown., Lewis Blanchett., Alfie Smith., Oscar Herbert., Aran Yarwood.
Manager: Jack Murray.
Assistant Manager: Greg Taylor.
Used Substitutes: Mason Ridgeway-Lumley., Callum Hunt., Archie Herbert., Lee Braddon., Gareth Evans.
SPRINGFIELD FC
Colours: Red shirts, Red Shorts and Red Socks.
Team:
Joseph Hodgson., Jake Stewart., Harvey Farmer (C)., Joshua Whiston., Sona Elonge., Henry Hodgson., James Addison-Harvey., Evaristo Kitoko., Justin Sargeant., Aaron Collier., Jermaine Da Luz
Manager: Jimmy Donald.
Team Coach: Ryan Gallagher
Used Substitutes: Bobby Kirby., Alex Blake., Harry Boon., Donnel Kujinga., Keiran Sampeney.
MATCH OFFICIAL:
Referee: Lewis Earl.
Assistant Referees: Philip Barham
& Keith Succamore
STAR PLAYER: Aaron COLLIER (SPRINGFIELD FC)
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