Essex & Suffolk Border League
Division 1
Saturday 11th September 2021
Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.58
Tiptree Jobserve 1 Belle Vue Social Club 2, attendance 36
43’ 0-1 (pen)
66’ 1-1
77’ 1-2
@ Colchester United F.C. Florence Park Training Ground, Pitch 5
Grange Road
Tiptree
CO5 0UH
No Admission or Programme.
I had been to a game here before, when I saw Colchester United U23’s lose 0-3 to Leeds United in a Professional Development League match, back on 3rd May 2017. The game that day was played on Pitch 1, which is right next to the building, but Tiptree Jobserve always play on Pitch 5, which runs widthways in front of you as you enter the complex. It is an awful ground and is basically a 3G cage, but with a grass pitch. There are even blue markings of small size pitches and the spare goals are kept on the inside of the rail, blocking the view of the pitch and also placed in a dangerous position, as they are too near the touch line and there are a couple of exposed edges that could really do a player some serious damage if they ran into them. I am glad I came here as part of a double, rather than waste a day on it as a one off.
The game itself looked to be decent, at least on paper, as it was 4th versus 3rd in the league table, but it wasn’t. It was a terrible game, not helped by the constant whinging and moaning from Belle Vue. They are a really horrible team to watch and it’s disappointing that I haven’t visited their ground yet, as it’s certainly not something to look forward to!
The first half was really poor and it looked like it would end goalless, but Belle Vue scored from the penalty spot two minutes before the break to go in 0-1 up. Tiptree levelled things up midway through the second half, when a cross from the left was flicked past the ‘keeper at the near post. Belle Vue won it with a cracking goal thirteen minutes from time, when a ball was played back and hit first time into the box, where their No.9 scored with a diving header from six yards that went in off the underside of the crossbar.
The win sees Belle Vue rise to second in the table, having now won five out of five matches. It is a pity they can’t just stick to the football, as they are obviously a good side. Sadly, this was by far the least enjoyable ground visit this season.
