29/08/2015 – Cressing United FC versus Brightlingsea Regent FC “A”
ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO
CRESSING UNITED FC: 7. BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT FC “A”: 0.
Date: Saturday 29th August 2015. Venue: Jeffreys Road, Cressing.
This week I chose to watch two new teams, a new referee, a new assistant referee and also visited a new venue, well at least it was for me, the compact pitch is level with a good covering of grass despite attracting the attention of the local rabbits.
The home team, Cressing United FC, are in fact the majority of the former Coggeshall Town FC First Team from two years ago and all but one of their players, their keeper, has played in the ESBFL, Premier Division, so clearly at this early stage they are probably favourites for promotion this season under the shrewd guidance of Manager, Ivan Gooday. Their first league fixture saw them beat fellow newcomers Colchester Athletic FC by nine goals to one.
Brightlingsea Regent FC “A” are in fact the clubs third team having stepped up from the Colchester & East Essex Football League at the end of last season and who put no fewer than seventeen goals past a luckless Bradfield Rovers FC Reserves on the opening day of the season. What I had not banked on was the fact that the visitors had suffered numerous “call-off’s” leaving the team severely weakened with just their Manager, Sam Day as substitute.
The Match Official for this fixture was Ryan Smith, a new referee to the ESBFL who would be assisted by another league referee, Pedro Ferreira who originally had the fixture, but agreed to run the line for the visitors!
Cressing United FC kicked off but from their initial attack the visitors took possession and worked the ball forward with Kelliher pushing the ball to Barnard whose lay-off to Doig was struck on the volley but straight to keeper, Simmons. On a couple of occasions the grassy pitch set up a couple of strange bounces of the ball which deceived defenders who let the ball bounce rather than stick in a header, both teams almost failing to clear. The first home team effort came when Stone drifted the ball towards the far post but Knightbridge lacked the height in his attempt to reach the ball. When Barnard fed Kelliher he was found off-side and from the long clearance Storey (M) put Knightbridge through but keeper Bloomfield advanced to smother on the edge of the area. Whilst Cressing looked lively when pushing the ball around confidently their opposition were still coming to terms with a re-shuffled team that by now probably expected a tiring afternoon. On ten minutes, keeper, Bloomfield was forced to head clear outside his area as Knightbridge threatened with Askew diving in low to tackle Bearman on the half-way line. Minutes later an more desperate defending by Brightlingsea led the first corner, cleared by the head of Kelliher whilst Bloomfield was again forced to leave his area to stop Knightbridge who was about to capitalise on more poor defending by the visitors.
With fifteen minutes gone a long ball forward by Carvelho, was caught by Simmons, and from his throw out to Stone, the home team progressed up-field using Gooday and Thorndyke who just over-ran the ball for a goal-kick. Defender Pell and forward Barnard seemed evenly matched and a hard but fair tussle was seen on numerous occasions but when Pell was adjudged to have fouled Kelliher just outside the penalty area, the free-kick taken by Carvelho curled just too high to trouble the keeper. The home side took the lead on twenty-five minutes when a penalty was awarded, when Powell, tracking back to help his defence only managed to upend Knightbridge running across the inside edge of the penalty area allowing LLOYD GOODAY to step up and hammer home the spot-kick with Bloomfield diving, the wrong way. Kelliher made a needless, perhaps frustrated, tackle on Olding allowing Bearman to strike a rising free-kick over the cross-bar, the goal had clearly raised the confidence of the home team whereas the visitors would now face an up-hill task which only got worse a few minutes later when Thorndyke forced a corner off Hutchinson. LUKE BEARMAN took the in-swinging corner with his trusty left foot and with neither the keeper nor the player on the near post dealing with the flight of the ball it entered the net directly at the near post for goal number two. Cressing now had their tails up and a passing move between Olding and Bearman led to a teasing cross being headed over his own cross-bar by Carvelho.
Ten minutes before half-time and the home side consolidated their lead, the persistence of Knightbridge to win possession saw him force keeper Bloomfield to save with his feet however when the ball rebounded to him CALLUM KNIGHTBRIDGE toe-poked the ball over the head of Baker who had tried to get back and defend. Bloomfield also saved at the feet of Knightbridge but in the build up to that attack defender Carvelho was injured diving into a tackle but after lengthy treatment he could no longer continue with Manager, Day forced into the fray taking up a mid-field role. This further re-shuffle for his team led to them conceding a cheap corner, taken by Bearman, this time long to the far side of the penalty area where the un-marked THOMAS JAMES volleyed home across the face of the goal finding the top right hand corner of the net.
HALF-TIME: 4 – 0
There were no changes to players after half-time with Brightlingsea facing an up-ill task to limit a relentless attacking home team. Bearman started and finished another move across field to Thorndyke whose pass found Knightbridge with Bearman getting on to the end of the cross but heading just wide of the goal. Not to worry though as within five minutes of the re-start Storey (M) played the ball forward to Thorndyke and from his first time cross CALLUM KNIGHTBRIDGE stole in to head firmly home past a static defence and keeper. Cressing were playing some really nice football and used the experience of their players to good effect, strong at the back, industrious in midfield and dangerous in attack from both sides of the pitch. Knightbridge was a constant threat and when he was fouled by Askew, Gooday sent a teasing right foot free-kick which Knightbridge met on the volley only for the keeper to leap and tip the ball over the cross-bar. Knightbridge was replaced by Burton whilst Doig for the visitors shot just wide from a pass by Askew and when play stopped Cressing replaced Ellis with White making his first appearance of the season, followed by Storey (J) replacing Olding.
Another quality cross from Bearman saw Burton test the keeper with a looping header with the over-worked Bloomfield punching over the cross-bar however from the corner taken by Gooday, LUKE BEARMAN ran in unchallenged to head home goal number six. After numerous miss-timed challenges during the game Kelliher earned the first caution of the game for a deliberate foul on Gooday and a rare chance from the visitors saw Kelliher get the ball into Barnard who with his back to goal tried an over-head kick that just cleared the cross-bar, then Gooday also received a caution for a rash challenge on Powell on the half-way line. Goal number seven soon followed. A run and cross from Burton down the right wing fell to MICHAEL STOREY who controlled the ball then beat the keeper with ease and when Thorndyke crossed into the six yard box Burton skied his goal attempt high over the cross-bar and the netting behind the goal! The direct running of Burton was causing problems for the over-worked Brightlingsea defence and they clearly could not wait for the final whistle. Doig did manage to get forward to beat Simmons to the ball but Pell was covering and the danger passed and Doig pulled the ball wide after good approach play by Baker and Barnard, too little, too late though. Thorndyke blotted his copy-book when he received a late caution for hauling over Powell in an off the ball incident down the right side.
FULL TIME: 7 – 0
I must admit that I was expecting a closer game given the results of the opening games of the season however the experience of the Cressing United FC players out-weighed the initial enthusiasm of Brightlingsea Regent FC “A” who were hampered by player un-availabilities and were basically out-played for much of the game.
This week my Man-of-the Match selection goes to Michael Storey of Cressing United FC, scorer of the last goal and generally being a constant threat and instigator of attacking play from midfield.
Next week its “Knock-Out Cup” week so I’ll be reporting on one of the thirteen Preliminary Round matches, would clubs please refer to rule on “Kick-Off” times.
Teams:
Cressing FC: Colours: Claret & Blue Shirts, Claret Shorts and Light Blue Socks
Stephen Simmons., Thomas James., Darren Stone., Trevor Pell (C)., Karl Ellis., Michael Storey., Luke Thorndyke., Lloyd Gooday., Callum Knightbridge., Rob Olding., Luke Bearman.
Manager: Ivan Gooday.
Used Substitutes: Franklin Burton., Samuel White., James Storey.
Unused Substitutes: Craig Copas., Robbie Ware.
Brightlingsea Regent FC “A” Colours: Red & Black Striped Shirts, Black Shorts and Red Socks
James Bloomfield., Samuel Askew., Richard Hutchinson., Conrad Baker., Adam Auger (C)., Filipe Carvelho., Robert Kelliher., Reece Doig., Ross Barnard., Liam Holyman., Christophe Powell.
Manager: Sam Day.
Used Substitutes: Sam Day.
Referee: Ryan Smith (Braintree).
Assistant: Pedro Ferreira (Braintree)
Man of the Match: Michael STOREY (CRESSING UNITED FC)
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