Great Wakering Rovers 1 Maldon & Tiptree 1 (Tues. 23rd August 2011)
It took a goalkeeping error in the 86th minute to give Maldon & Tiptree their first league point of the season at Burroughs Park in a game which they had dominated from the first whistle and which, with better finishing and a little luck could have seen them victors by a margin running into double figures. Maldon & Tiptree made two changes to the side beaten by Chatham Town on the opening day of the season with Ross Wall and James Abbott coming into the starting line-up at the expense of Ollie Berquez and Freddie Ladapo.
Maldon & Tiptree kicked off on a well-grassed but bumpy surface, attacking down the slope, and enjoyed all the early pressure. They could have taken the lead as early as the 3rdminute, when from their first corner, an attempted clearance hit Billy Burgess and rebounded narrowly wide of the upright. The home side were unable to get out of their own half in the first ten minutes as the visitors enjoyed all of the possession without being able to create any clear chances but then on 12 minutes Dave Collins was high and wide with a long-range effort and 3 minutes later Ross Wall should have given Maldon & Tiptree the lead when a superb pass from Marcus Milner put him through on goal but he delayed his shot, was forced wide and eventually drove his effort into the side netting. On 17 minutes Milner was wide with a header after good work by Lee Blackburn and then, 2 minutes later, home keeper Louis Godwin-Green made the first of several excellent saves on the night when he saved an effort from Lee Townrow at full stretch to his right.
Great Wakering had their first attempt on goal after 21 minutes but Sam Lake was well wide of the target with a shot from distance and then, on 24 minutes Jamie Salmon’s free kick from just outside the area was volleyed clear by Blackburn. Maldon & Tiptree continued to be on top and on 24 minutes Burgess was just wide of the target with a header from a Dave Collins free kick with Godwin-Green beaten then, two minutes later, James Lawson latched on to a quick throw from Collins on the left but put his shot wide as he collided with the advancing home keeper. Lawson was injured in the collision but was able to continue after treatment. The home side were gradually getting more into the game and won their first corner after 31 minutes which was easily cleared and a minute later former Tiptree United defender Nikki Beale received a yellow card from referee Oldershaw for blatantly tugging the shirt of Ross Wall to prevent the Maldon & Tiptree striker breaking clear. On 35minutes James Lawson was wide of the target with a shot from the edge of the area after a fine through ball from the impressive Lee Townrow but, regrettably, this was the last action he was going to see as on 38 minutes he was involved in another collision with home keeper Godwin-Green after trying to get on the end of a long through ball. After lengthy treatment he was assisted off the pitch and was replaced by Freddie Ladapo.
Half-time: Great Wakering Rovers 0 Maldon & Tiptree 0
The second half followed exactly the same pattern as the first with the visitors well in command and the home side relying on the occasional breakaway. On 47 minutes a good run by Ladapo released Blackburn on the right and his cross to the far post was missed by Townrow who attempted a Rooney-like acrobatic overhead kick but was unable to make contact. A minute later Ross Wall’s effort was tipped around the post by the goalkeeper and, from the corner Burgess’ header was blocked on the line by Beale and scrambled clear. On 49 minutes Wall somehow managed to hit the bar from no more than 5 yards out with a first time effort from a drilled low cross from Townrow from the right.
In a rare breakaway from the home side after 51 minutes Ade Osifuwa had to make a timely interception to prevent the ball reaching Danny Curran who would have been free on goal on the left and a minute later Godwin-Green was again at full stretch to tip over an effort from Wall. On 53 minutes James Abbott was unlucky to see his powerful effort deflected wide of the post as the home goal led a charmed life. Great Wakering replaced Luca Frankis with Michael Pinder and, with virtually his first touch of the ball the substitute unbelievably gave the home side the lead when, on 63 minutes from an apparently routine throw-in on the right, a deflected cross reached PINDER who, almost accidentally was able to place the ball in the corner of the net giving Rhys Madden in the visiting goal little chance. Such had been the dominance of the visitors that the home side seemed almost too embarrassed to celebrate the goal and few in the crowd could believe the scoreline.
After 67 minutes Maldon & Tiptree were forced to replace the limping Ade Osifuwa with Ollie Berquez who took over in midfield with the versatile James Abbott switching to full back. The change did not deter the visitors who continued to attack but with little reward after yet another corner saw a Burgess header blocked by the mass ranks of the home defence who managed to scramble the ball clear. On 70minutes Great Wakering’s Jack Carlile was booked for bringing down Freddie Ladapo as the visitors increased the pressure. Michael Deane replaced Marcus Milner for Maldon & Tiptree after 72 minutes and he immediately won a corner on the right which saw yet another effort on goal blocked and eventually cleared. A minute later visiting keeper Rhys Madden, who had been a virtual spectator, was forced into action to save a powerful effort from Danny Curran and then he had to be alert as, from a free-kick inside his own half, an opportunist Salmon was almost leaping as he spotted the keeper off his line.
On 74 minutes Berquez had a shot well-saved by Louis Godwin-Green in the home goal who then mysteriously needed attention in what appeared to be a time consuming exercise to give his side some relief. Maldon & Tiptree continued to push forward in search of an elusive equaliser but it seemed that it would never come when after 82 minutes Ladapo did well to reach a cross from Townrow which was curled behind the defence but, from no more than six yards from goal, he could only manage to deflect the ball over the bar. After 84 minutes Great Wakering replaced Danny Curran with Joe Bright as they tried to run down the clock but justice was eventually done on 86 minutes when the ball broke free to FREDDIE LADAPO in the penalty area and his effort was fumbled into the back of the net by home hero Godwin-Green. As both sides went in search of the winner, Madden had to save with his legs from Pinder who should have scored and then a Collins free kick was saved by a full-length dive from the home keeper. Dave Collins was booked for dissent in the first minute of time added on as he kicked the ball away more in frustration than in an effort to waste time.
Full-time: Great Wakering Rovers 1 Maldon & Tiptree 1
Attendance: 92
Maldon & Tiptree Great Wakering Rovers
1 Rhys Madden 1 Louis Godwin-Green
2 Ade Osifuwa 2 Sam Lake
3 Dave Collins 3 Randy Kaza
4 Lee Blackburn 4 Nikki Beale
5 Billy Burgess 5 Gavin Greenfield
6 Ian Cousins 6 Jack Carlile
7 Marcus Milner 7 Luca Frankis
8 Lee Townrow 8 James Stevens
9 Ross Wall 9 Nathan Dewberry
10 James Abbott 10 Jamie Salmon
11 James Lawson 11 Danny Curran
12 Ollie Berquez (for Osifuwa-67 mins) 12 Ben Sartain
14 Jack Stevenson 14 Michael Pinder (Frankis-58mins)
15 Michael Deane (for Milner-72 mins) 15 Joe Bright (Curran – 84 mins)
16 Freddie Ladapo (for Lawson-36mins) 16 Billy Johnson
17 Matt Belcher 17 Scott Keys
Maldon & Tiptree Man-of-the-Match: Lee Blackburn
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