Essex & Suffolk Border League

Division 3

Tuesday 9th May 2023

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.28

Bradfield Rovers 2 Great Bentley Reserves 3, attendance 33

9’ 1-0

14’ 2-0

46’ 2-1

62’ 2-2

70’ 2-3

@ Bradfield Playing Field

The Street

Bradfield

CO11 2UU

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s game was 1st versus 4th in the league table. It was a must win game for Bradfield, as it was their last game of the season and despite being top of the table, they can still be caught by Gas Recreation (1 point behind with 4 games left) and Frinton & Walton (6 points behind with 3 games left).

At kick off, I doubted whether the game would actually finish, as it was already as dark as it had been when other games I’ve been to recently have finished. It started raining minutes before kick off and thunder was rumbling overhead, but thankfully no lightning. It did brighten up as the game wore on, but it rained for the entirety, although never too heavily.

Bradfield got off to a great start, finishing one on one against the ‘keeper after just nine minutes and quickly following that with a shot into the far corner to lead 2-0 before we were even quarter of an hour into the game. It looked like it would be a comfortable home win, but Great Bentley settled into it and began to show signs of making a real game of it. Within a minute of halftime the visitors pulled it back to 2-1 and almost drew level immediately, when they hit the post from close range. Just after the hour mark it was 2-2. A cracking 25 yarder curled inside the far post. Bradfield looked shell shocked and it was no surprise when Great Bentley grabbed what turned out to be the winner with twenty minutes left, cutting in from the left and shooting for the far corner, with the shot initially being blocked, but the rebound swept in from close range.

So, Bradfield remain top, despite the defeat, but realistically a third placed finish now looks the most likely outcome for them.