Essex & Suffolk Border League
Premier Division
Monday 26th August 2024
Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02
East Thurrock Community 2 Sudbury Sports 5, attendance 190
7’ 0-1
18’ 0-2
30’ 0-3
33’ 1-3
59’ 1-4
83’ 2-4
90’ + 4, 2-5
@ Wyldecrest Clubs Sports Country Club
Herd Lane
Corringham
SS17 9BJ
No Admission or Programme.
With Bank Holiday’s providing fewer and fewer options to get in a visit to a previously unvisited ground, becoming harder by the year, I was pleased to find a game just 45 miles from home, where league newcomers East Thurrock Community were hosting a team who’d finished third bottom in the Premier Division last season, narrowly avoiding relegation. They’ve had contrasting starts this time round. ETC were sitting third bottom, having lost their three opening games, whilst Sudbury Sports were three places higher, having picked up four points from four games.
ETC never looked like taking any points from this and were really given a footballing lesson by a very young visiting side. It was 0-3 after half an hour and pretty much game over. The hosts did pull it back to 1-3 before halftime, but Sudbury restored their three goal lead just before the hour mark, rounding the ‘keeper before finishing from a tight angle. With seven minutes left ETC scored a second goal, when a shot off the post was put in on the rebound, but deep in stoppage time Sudbury added a fifth, when a flick on saw the striker race clear to finish one on one with the ‘keeper.
ETC play at Wyldecrest Clubs Sports Country Club, in Corringham. There is plenty of parking and the pitch runs lengthways away from the clubhouse/changing rooms. Grass banking runs behind the near goal end and along the left hand side, where there’s a pair of dugouts, whilst the pitch is fully enclosed with multiple metal barriers. There are a number of other pitches here, all beyond the main one and I may require another visit, as it is also home to Essex Olympian League Division 2 side Pitsea Athletic, but only if they play on one of the outer pitches.
