Essex & Suffolk Border League

Premier Division

Saturday 6th April 2024

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

Belle Vue Social Club 2 Tiptree Heath 1, attendance 25

30’ 0-1

60’ 1-1

74’ 2-1

@ Garrison A Cricket Ground

Napier Road

Colchester

CO2 7GA

No Admission or Programme.

Today’s game was a visit to the last ground I hadn’t seen a game on in this division and a game between the teams 12th (out of 15) and 2nd in the league table. I’d received an early reply to a text message that the game was going ahead okay and arrived at the ground just as the three match officials were doing a quick walk of the pitch. No problems whatsoever, with the playing surface in immaculate condition. The car park here is payable by app only, so I parked across the road in a standard pay and display car park instead. When entering the ground from the car park, the pavilion/changing rooms are to the right, whilst the pitch is on the far side of the cricket square, running widthways, butting up to St. John’s Green Primary School. The pitch is roped along the near side and has a couple of portable dugouts, although they were just frames without the covers.

It was a good even contest, played with a strong wind blowing across the pitch, but at least it was dry! Tiptree Heath led at the break, having gone ahead after half an hour with a finish from just inside the 18 yard box. Belle Vue equalised on the hour, when a cross field ball put the winger through and he finished diagonally into the far corner and they grabbed the winner with sixteen minutes left, when a long throw in Was flicked on and finished from close range.

Despite the defeat Tiptree remain second in the table. Colne Athletic won the title a few weeks ago, but there are still four clubs who can grab the runners up spot. Belle Vue move up two places into tenth.