Essex Olympian League

Premier Division

Saturday 26th October 2019

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.32

Old Southendian 2 Canning Town 1, attendance 27

45’ 1-0

52’ 1-1

71’ 2-1

@ Garon Park

Eastern Avenue

Southend-on-Sea

SS2 4FA

No Admission or Programme.

With rain forecast to be sweeping across the country from the west, I decided to head east, as it was not going to arrive here until around 3 o’clock. As it turned out, it was just after 4 o’clock when the rain started, so I only had twenty minutes or so to contend with it. A bigger problem, as far as affecting the game went, was the very strong wind that was blowing diagonally across the pitch, which both teams really struggled with.

The match was between two of the lower placed teams in the league. Old Southendian were second from bottom in the table, with Canning Town just two places above them. Old Southendian broke the deadlock in the last minute of the first half, but Canning Town levelled it up early in the second half, when their striker closed down an attempted clearance from a defender and the tackle saw the ball rebound over the ‘keeper from 30 yards out. What turned out to be the winning goal came on 71 minutes, with a shot on the turn from just outside the 18 yard box. The win lifts the hosts three places up the league table, leapfrogging Canning Town in the process.

The match was played on a section of the park that has three pitches. The players get changed in a pavilion which is part of Old Southendian & Southchurch Cricket Club, then walk the 50 yards or so to a gap in the perimeter fence, with the main pitch running widthways in front of you. Behind the left hand goal, running the opposite way, is what will be a new 3G Pitch, which according to the Essex Olympian League website is where games are being played at present! Perhaps when construction is completed, it may well be the case, but not yet.