16th August 2022
Saffron Walden Town vs Southend Manor @ The Meadow - Saffron Walden
Essex Senior League (Step 5)
19:45 KO
£8 entry
Attendance - 174
Half-time score: Saffron Walden Town 4-0 Southend Manor
Goals:
Saffron Walden Town: C. Smith - 13'
Saffron Walden Town: Calver -19'
Saffron Walden Town: Hughes-Mason - 27'
Saffron Walden Town: Calver - 30'
Saffron Walden Town: C. Smith - 48'
Saffron Walden Town: Cockman - 56'
Saffron Walden Town: J. Pullen - 84'
Southend Manor: Haysman - 92'
Final Score: Saffron Walden Town 7-1 Southend Manor
Tonight was something a bit different, having to work late in the office, getting to any games in and around Thetford was not possible, but a quick look online threw up a nice fixture 15mins down the road from where I work, at Saffron Walden Town. This is another town with strong family connections for me, and somewhere that I had not been before, so it was an exciting prospect. The Bloods, as they are known, play in the Essex Senior League, a parallel league to the Thurlow Nunn Premier, and they are one of the better teams in this league, getting close to promotion last year, narrowly losing in a play-off final against higher level Witham Town. They are also Essex's oldest football club, currently celebrating their 150 year anniversary, much like Bury Town.
Today's opponents are Southend Manor, a team who last season were nearer the bottom end of the table.
It is a decent set-up at The Meadow with a club shop, nice clubhouse, tea and food hut, 4 sheltered stands and an immaculate playing surface, courtesy of a fancy sprinkler system fed by a huge water butt in the corner. As ever, I picked up a programme, a decent one with lots of content, printed by Falcon Press in Linton, Cambs.
Having had a long day at work, I rewarded myself with a pint of Tetley's and a burger with onions, was a good quality thick burger in a soft, toasted floury bun and went down really nicely. Shortly after, the players came out, Saffron Walden in red and black stripes, and Southend Manor in their fluorescent green away strip, and they held a minutes applause, to commemorate a long time fan who had passed away, from what I could gather.
KEY MOMENTS
SWT = Saffron Walden Town
SM = Southend Manor
6' - SWT - Ofori plays a 1-2 and shows a blistering turn of pace to run down the left wing. He cuts in twice past two defenders to get onto the edge of the box, and his resultant shot flies narrowly over.
7' - SWT - A long throw in from Cockman flies into the box, Dear gets his head on the ball and his effort beats the keeper but crashes into the crossbar and out.
13' - SWT - GOAL (1-0) - A long goal kick is pumped forward by Young, Southend Manor allow the ball to bounce, and in amongst the confusion, forward Charlie Smith cuts in to pick up the ball, runs through on goal and clinically slots the ball home to give Saffron Walden an early lead.
19' - SWT - GOAL (2-0) - Calver receives the ball on the edge of the box, with his back to goal, he battles the defenders and stands his ground, allowing him to quickly turn and curl a sublime right footed strike around the keeper and inside the far post, a wonderful goal that I had a brilliant view of.
23' - SWT - During another Saffron Walden attack, Calver charges into the box and is clumsily brought down for a clear shout of a penalty, but the referee waives play on.
27' - SWT - GOAL (3-0) - Ofori plays winger Skelton down the left, he charges into the box and hits a dangerous shot at the far post with the outside of his boot, forcing the keeper to turn it away for a corner. The corner ball is whipped in by Hughes-Mason, and it curls viciously in at the near post, beating the confused defender and goalkeeper.
30' - SWT - GOAL (4-0) - Ofori cuts in from the left and crosses the ball in to the far post, it is met by Cockman who heads the ball over the keeper, back across the goal falling to Calver for a point-blank header that he nods home.
33' - SWT - A clever through ball from Calver, using the outside of the boot, cleaves open the Southend Manor defence, Charlie Smith runs onto the ball clear through on goal, but keeper Collins reacts quickly to block the strike.
43' - SWT - Calver marauds through the midfield and powers in a shot from the edge of the area which forces a corner. From the resultant corner, Dear connects with the ball and it flies narrowly over
48' - SWT - GOAL (5-0) - Skelton whips in a cross from the left wing and it falls perfectly to Charlie Smith to hit the ball in from point-blank range.
56' - SWT - GOAL (6-0) - Hughes-Mason plays a quick pass to Cockman who puts Ofori in who looked certain to get his deserved goal, but a sliding challenging comes in and knocks the ball out for a corner. From the corner, Calver recycles the ball into the box, and another pin-point accurate cross sees Cockman nod home from close range at the far post.
65' - SWT - A fizzing low ball is fired across the box by Cockman, and it looks like winger Lewis-Kieran will tap the ball home, but is millimeters out of his reach and the ball travels out to safety.
83' - SM - A testy 10 minutes, involving numerous handbags, shoving and drama, and a lot of aggro between Saffron Walden player Cockman and Southend Manor player Wholas-Spencer ultimate ends in a red car for Southend Manor player.
84' - SWT - GOAL (7-0) - Another long throw in from Cockman sails into the box, and substitute Joe Pullen is first to the ball to head home, and put Saffron Walden in seven heaven.
87' - SM - Southend Manor have their first real decent chance, when Haysman hits a 25 yard thunderbolt, forcing a smart save from the Saffron Walden keeper. A few moments later, a cross in from Mosuro is met by the head of substitute striker Awosika, his cross goal effort forcing an acrobatic save by Young to push the ball out for a corner.
88' - SM - Captain Farrell cuts into the box from the right and hits a strike that beats the keeper but pings out off the upright.
92' - SM - GOAL (7-1) - The consolation goal finally comes, courtesy of a mazy run from Haysman down the right, he makes his way into the box and his deflected shot trickles into the goal, much to the annoyance of the Saffron Walden Town keeper and defenders who were looking to secure a clean sheet.
I'm really glad I went to that game now, getting to see 8 goals, many of which were high quality for only £8 entry, what a bargain! Saffron Walden Town look a really impressive outfit, with Ofori, Calver, Cockman and Charlie Smith looking particularly clinical and skilful, it is a formidable attacking line-up indeed. Southend Manor did look poor for most of the game, but came to life in the final 10 minutes, ironically after having gone down to 10-men. I liked the set-up at The Meadow, so it is good to know that if I am ever late again that there is some decent football close-by. I wish The Bloods all the best for the rest of the season, and for a successful anniversary season, I hope to be back one day.
Line-Ups:
SAFFRON WALDEN TOWN: James Young, Dion Lewis-Kieran, Tom Skelton, George Pullen (C), Jamie Riley, Ryan Dear, Craig Calver, Kiernan Hughes-Mason, Charlie Smith, Solomon Ofori, Gavin Cockman. SUBS: Cameron Watson, Joe Pullen, Palvy Manduakila, Stanley Leech, James Crane.
SOUTHEND MANOR: Luca Collins, Ben Sargent, Finley Gregory, Josh Devlin, Aundre Wholas-Spencer, James Forrest, Kristian Stoimenov, Opeoluwa Mosuro, Montel Shonubi, Robbie Farrell (C), Kai Haysman. SUBS: Jonathan Evans, Ayodele Awosika
Yorumlar