Essex Olympian League

Premier Division

Saturday 7th March 2020

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.31

Springfield 2 Shenfield 5, attendance 38

2’ 0-1

38’ 1-1

55’ 1-2

74’ 2-2

76’ 2-3

82’ 2-4

86’ 2-5

@ Springfield Hall Park

Arun Close

Springfield

Chelmsford

CM1 7QE

No Admission or Programme.

I had hoped I wouldn’t have to do a second 3G pitch in order to get my double in today and thankfully, that was how it turned out. The Springfield Manager (formerly of Shenfield) had tweeted last night that this match was 100% on and it fitted perfectly with my earlier game. I was surprised on arrival to see the pitch was in superb condition, and both teams were warming up on it, despite the amount of rain we have suffered recently.

The match was 5th versus 12th (out of 14) in the league table and delivered a surprising result. Shenfield went ahead with their first attack of the game. A defensive header back to the ‘keeper fell short and the striker nipped in to lift the ball over him into the empty net. Springfield missed a penalty after thirty five minutes, which was saved, but three minutes later they levelled the scores with a close range finish to make it 1-1 at halftime.

Ten minutes into the second half it was 1-2. Another defensive mistake saw a miss kicked back pass again leave the ‘keeper stranded and he was lobbed from 20 yards. A cracking 25 yard shot looped into the top corner to level it up at 2-2 with sixteen minutes left, but Shenfield were back in front within two minutes. In the last eight minutes the visitors wrapped it up with two more goals on the break to give them a resounding 2-5 win. If they played like this every week, then they wouldn’t be battling against relegation.

Mid-Essex League

Premier Division

Saturday 7th March 2020

Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.13

Writtle 0 Burnham Ramblers Reserves 3, attendance 22

4’ 0-1 (pen)

29’ 0-2

81’ 0-3

@ Melbourne Park, 3G Pitch

Salerno Way

Chelmsford

CM1 2EH

No Admission or Programme.

With Writtle switching their second successive home match to the 3G pitch which is adjacent to the ground of Chelmsford City, combined with the noon kick off, it meant another double possibility today. The match finally got underway thirteen minutes late, due to the fact that it took the various youth teams using the facility, ten minutes over their allotted booking slot to vacate the pitch.

The match was 7th versus 9th in the league table. Writtle were second best from the off and the 0-3 score line flattered them somewhat. An early penalty set Burnham on their way and the second goal came just before the half hour mark, when a one-two on the edge of the box was finished with an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner of the net. The Burnham ‘keeper pulled off some decent saves in the second half, before they rounded off a resounding win with a close range headed finish with nine minutes left.

The late kick off was nullified by the teams taking just six minutes for halftime, but with a 52 minute first half, followed by a 49 minute second, it meant this didn’t finish until 2 o’clock. Luckily, my second match was only eleven minutes drive from here.