31/08/2019 – REPORT – Cressing United FC versus Gosfield United FC

ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE

DIVISION ONE.

CRESSING UNITED FC: 0. GOSFIELD UNITED FC: 1.

Date: Saturday 31^st August 2019. Venue: The Pavilion, Jeffreys Road, Cressing.

A first chance to watch Division One football last Saturday, Cressing United FC sat top with three straight victories whilst double promoted Gosfield United FC sat fifth with a win and draw and a loss, so I was sort of expecting a close match. Cressing have lost a couple players but added a few new faces since I saw a them at Bures last season whilst Gosfield have also recruited after winning Division Three last season, on Saturday both their Manager, Mark Wiskin, and Captain, Smith, were missing, maybe a legacy of the last weekend of the school holidays with player Jake Gilder taking the reins for this week.

The afternoon was bright with a stiff breeze across the well prepared, pitch which definitely needed some much needed, rain, whilst today’s referee was the experienced John Abbott making a welcome return to the ESBFL and looking for promotion at the same time.

Gosfield kicked off with Hill missing from just on the corner of the six-yard box, this from a deep cross from Foy which defender Howlett missed with his head, easier to score than miss, first chance to the visitors then. Cressing countered with Miller breaking forward onto a pass from Howard leading to Hume trying an over-head effort, the ball flying just wide, Stone found Copas and from his ball into Miller who ran in from the right side only to fire the ball just wide. Gosfield keeper, Reeves, rolled the ball out to Bowman who linked up with Gilder (J) prompting further effort upfront and with the same player shooting over from outside the penalty area. Even by the ten-minute mark this game looked destined for a narrow result, both teams trying to build from the back or midfield with defences rarely troubled, other than by the wind causing high balls to swirl away. Hill won a corner off Stone, then Gilder (D) was fouled by Howard with the free-kick taken by Gilder (D) flying straight to home keeper, Simmonds, who set Carney away down the right side, beating three players, cutting inside Ellis and forcing keeper, Reeves to save at his near post, a great attacking run from deep inside his own half.

Hill was again at the forefront of another Gosfield attack running at the retreating defence before Howlett and Stone combined to stop his run at goal, with Gilder (D) well placed to score if that final pass had been made. Gosfield, keeper, Reeves saved with his feet when Miller burst through and with the ball not cleared Reeves was again on hand to save as Assan set up a shooting opportunity for Hume. The long clearance from keeper, Reeves fell deep in the Cressing half, Pike nodded the ball on to Bowman who latched onto the ball which hit advancing keeper, Simmonds, who had reacted quicker than his static defence! From a Bowman break Gosfield, assisted by Pike, almost created another scoring chance for Gilder (D) but the outstretched heel of Howard diverted the ball away at the last moment. A decent contest between respective central defenders and forwards, Howlett and Pike and Blackburn and Miller was also developing. Another long clearance from keeper, Reeves found Pike and nodded the ball down to Bowman who sent a right-footed volley towards goal where keeper, Simmonds caught at the second attempt having parried the initial volley. Acting, Player Manager, Gilder (J) was heavily involved in a lot of the forward movement from Gosfield, through midfield with Pike and Gilder (D) picking up the pieces as Gosfield continued their approach.

On the half-hour mark a collision between Miller and Bowman led to keeper, Reeves being fouled inside the penalty area, all players needing some treatment, and this game continued to ebb and flow, end to end stuff but few scoring chances, yet! A ball from Assan to Copas eventually fell to Miller, running through a gap in the visitor’s defence, Miller went to ground, a suspicion of a tug on his shirt was apparently seen but not by me or the referee and play continued despite some protestations from the side-lines. Gosfield had to defend again when Miller and Copas combined with Copas firing goal-wards with the ball being diverted for a corner by the back of Gilder (D). Pike tripped Howard from behind on the half-way line and received a verbal warning from the referee, a silly challenge really, as the player and the ball were going nowhere other than out of play! With five minutes to half-time there was still no sign of a goal, two honest teams trying to play creative football but cancelling each other out. Gilder (D) found Gilder (J) but having found space his shot at goal was well wide and high to trouble the keeper, good move, poor finish. A long throw-in by Gilder (D) was headed for a corner by Howlett, taken by Foy with Pike heading against the far post with Cressing breaking forward just as the first half finished.

HALF TIME: 0 – 0

Suitably refreshed the second half re-start was preceded by Cressing replacing Redmond with James and the home team attacked with Stone playing the ball forward for Miller to chase and when he controlled the ball his cross towards Assan was intercepted by Gilder (D) and the danger was cleared. Gilder (D) then collided with Hume, a pure accident and a drop ball re-started the match on half-way, and for the first ten minutes of this half, play was scrappy and dis-jointed, maybe the break was not a good idea! Defender, Blackburn who had been solid throughput this game, reading the game very well, this time venturing forward with the ball to find Bowman but keeper, Simmonds had an easy job to save the ball however from his long booming clearance, Miller collected the ball and drove forward into the penalty area. Defender, Blackburn tried to recover and when chasing Miller, the forward fell to the ground seemingly having been clipped from behind, I did not think there was any contact and to me it looked like the player was falling to ground before any, if any, contact was made and the referee was not impressed either, no penalty but before the goal-kick could be taken, Stone showed dissent and was sent to the “Sin-Bin” for ten minutes.

For Gosfield, Foy and Bowman alongside the two Gilders had been steadily going about their midfield business and when Blackburn headed a deep cross away to Gilder (D) he set Foy clear but just as he was about to shoot the ball bobbled up and the effort was shimmed wide of the goal. I turned to a fellow spectator and said, this game has got one goal written all over it, he agreed but who would score it! On fifty-eight minutes, the breakthrough, Foy raced away down the right side to beat French just outside the penalty area and when the low driven cross came in there was EDWARD FOY unmarked, to tap the ball past the dive of keeper, Simmonds. On the hour mark, Gosfield replaced Ellis with Henderson, French fired over the cross-bar from outside the penalty area latching onto a corner played back to him, and normal service was resumed as both teams tried to open up, the game. On seventy minutes, Gosfield made their second change replacing Foy with Palmer and soon after Cressing made a change with Stone being replaced by Burton. When Miller tried to work his way through, a combination of Blackburn and Green enabled the former to head the ball back to their keeper, Reeves who cleared up-field where Bowman ran through, the off-side flag was raised, nothing was given and keeper Simmonds made a fine save and Bowman was then fortunate not to have received a caution for a foul on Hume.

Gilder (D) worked his way down the left side, running along the goal line before finding Gilder (J) but keeper, Simmonds was quickly out to feet to gather the ball, good anticipation from the custodian there. Burton took a tumble trying to recover from being caught too far forward and needed treatment for a shoulder injury, Woodburn fouled Copas just on the edge of the penalty area, Copas shaped to shoot but having cleared the defensive wall the ball flew harmlessly wide. With three minutes remaining Cressing substituted Assan for Stafford and in the last minute, Gosfield keeper, Reeves made an outstanding save to deny Copas whose rising driven shot from six yards out, would have beaten many keepers, with he ball flying high the keeper was quickly on his feet to parry the ball against the cross-bar and safety, that’s it three points in the bag for the visitors. Copas had the last shot of the game, this after good approach play from the home team and another shout for handball against Gosfield fell on deaf ears, this new ruling is clearly going to test referees and players, bit like the “Sin-Bin” situations, hopefully everyone will learn and accept the match officials decisions as in the ESBFL they do not have the benefit of VAR, mind you even the professional game has issues with the application of the new laws of the game!

FULL TIME: 0 – 1.

A close game was expected and that’s how it unfolded, a solitary goal always looked like being the match winner, it really depended on who scored it, two decent, hard-working teams virtually cancelled each other out.

Now, for my Player-of-the-Match choice, forwards and defenders took centre stage as this was where the game was won or lost, both sets of midfielders worked well together, chances created were at a premium mainly due to the respective defences where for Cressing, Howlett and Howard stood firm against Pike and Hill whereas for Gosfield, Green and Blackburn did likewise against Copas and Miller in particular, however I thought Blackburn was excellent throughout .

Teams:

CRESSING UNITED FC: Colours: Claret Shirts, Navy Shorts and Claret Socks.

Stephen Simmons, Redmond Carney., Darren Stone., Bryn Howard., Timothy Howlett., Daniel French., Wesley Assan., Robert Olding., Daniel Miller., Craig Copas (C)., Daniel Hume.

Manager: Ivan Gooday.

Used Substitutes: Tom James., George Stafford., Franklin Burton.

GOSFIELD UNITED FC: Colours: Green Shirts, Black Shorts and Black Socks.

Oli Reeves., Theo Woodburn., Luke Ellis., Dean Gilder., Liam Blackburn., Josh Green (C)., Edward Foy., Liam Bowman., Bobby Pike., Jake Gilder, Steven Hill.

Acting Manager: Jake Gilder & Paul Moore.

Used Substitutes: Josh Palmer., Michael Henderson.

Referee: John Abbott.

Player of the Match: Liam BLACKBURN (GOSFIELD UNITED FC)

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Additional Reporting:

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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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