The visitors were forced to make changes to their side as they were missing the influential player-coach Ian Cousins who had become a father only a matter of hours earlier. As a result, Billy Burgess moved to the centre of defence and James Abbott reverted to a full back role. M & T also gave a debut to loanee from Braintree Town, Kevin McLeod, who started wide on the left in what looked a very attacking line-up. Darren Behcett was also making his league debut for the visitors who were without the injured Adam Flanagan and Neil Cousins, while Michael Deane had joined Harlow Town in midweek. Leiston had former Maldon Town player Gareth Heath in their side while their substitutes included recently-signed Park Drive favourite Sheridan Driver and Angelo Harrop who briefly displayed his midfield skills at Tiptree United.
M & T kicked off attacking down the slope with the wind at their backs and should have taken the lead inside the first minute when excellent skills by McLeod on the left took him around 3 defenders but his cross was fired over the bar by Sos Yao from close range. It could have been one-all a minute later when Heath fed Nathan Stone on the left and he beat the advancing Behcett but the ball went narrowly wide of the far post. After 5 minutes Yao won a corner on the left but, from Lee Blackburn’s kick, Burgess was unable to get a final touch on Lee Townrow’s header. In what had been a breathtaking opening, Heath beat two defenders and passed to Stuart Broadley who fired narrowly over the bar. The visitors were dealt a blow when they undeservedly went behind after only 11 minutes. A corner from the right was only partially cleared and when the ball came back into the area Lee Townrow was harshly adjudged to have fouled Lee McGlone when he clearly made contact with the ball first. GARETH HEATH fired confidently home from the spot.
Sos Yao was receiving special treatment from Leiston’s Danny Smy and, after he had been brought down for the third time by the same player, Townrow and Neil Calver clashed in a minor scuffle which brought only a lecture from a youthful Mr Burridge, while Smy escaped without a word. On 22 minutes the dangerous McLeod fired wide of the far post and two minutes later, after a Townrow shot had been blocked from a Blackburn corner, he fired well over the bar from long range. M & T were on top at this stage and on 25 minutes Ross Wall was unlucky to see his shot blocked by his own player when Ollie Berquez was unable to get out of the way of his goal-bound effort and then 2 minutes later McLeod was only just too high with an effort from all of 40 yards from wide on the left. After 33 minutes it was Patrick Brothers’ turn to receive a few more words from the referee for yet another foul on Yao and only two minutes later M & T felt further aggrieved when a Berquez effort was clearly blocked by the hand of Leiston’s Joe Jefford but the referee ignored the loud penalty appeals. On 37 minutes, after Smy had committed his fifth foul, Leiston’s Nathan Stone received a lecture for his comments to the referee, which were nothing compared to those of the few visiting supporters. Leiston’s attacks were few and far between at this stage but they won their first corner on 41 minutes and Boardley had to receive lengthy treatment after the ball had been cleared. Two minutes before the interval M & T got the equaliser they deserved when, from a Blackburn corner, Berquez had his initial shot blocked but the ball fell to BILLY BURGESS who scored from close range.
Half-time: Leiston 1 Maldon & Tiptree 1
It was the same story at the start of the second half as M & T continued on the attack and, as early as the 47th minute Leiston’s captain Neil Calver was very luck to stay on the pitch after a terrible challenge on Sos Yao left him needing treatment, but referee Burridge considered a yellow card sufficient punishment. After McLeod had a shot deflected for a corner, M & T should have taken the lead on 54 minutes when an excellent run by Yao took him past 3 defenders but he lost control of the ball before he could shoot and it ran out of play. The visitors continued to have the majority of the play and, on 59 minutes after McLeod had been fouled, Blackburn’s free kick was headed over by Berquez. The referee lectured Heath, in the presence of his captain Calver, for comments made to him and five minutes later M & T’s McLeod was lucky to escape punishment as a late challenge on McGlone left the Leiston player needing treatment. On 66 minutes Lee Blackburn received a yellow card for a foul on Blake Saker and his excellent delivery from the free kick sawJOE JEFFORD get his head to the ball first to give the home side the lead. Five minutes later the visitors received another blow when the influential Lee Blackburn had to receive lengthy treatment after what seemed an accidental collision with Smy and was eventually stretchered off the field with a dislocated shoulder to be replaced by Jack Stevenson on 71 minutes. Leiston replaced Lee McGlone with Shane Wardley at the same time and he went to left back allowing Patrick Brothers to push further forward. On 77 minutes Ross Wall was replaced by Freddie Ladapo as the pace of the game inevitably began to slacken and goal scoring opportunities lessened as a result. However, Nathan Stone curled an effort narrowly wide of the far post on 79 minutes before M & T replaced James Lawson with Marcus Milner and Leiston replaced Gareth Heath with Angelo Harrop on 85 minutes. As M & T continued to go in search of an equaliser, two further goals for the home side in time added on gave the scoreline a cruel appearance. In the 91st minute a quickly taken corner allowed the ball to be crossed from the left and JEFFORD was again unmarked to head home and then in the 98th minute a by now demoralised M & T defence allowed Stone to run in from the left and feed the ball to DANNY SMY who fired home. Ironically the last action of the game saw the constantly offending Smy eventually receive a yellow card for his most innocuous challenge of the afternoon by Mr Burridge who could have altered the pattern of the game if he had applied the rules earlier.
Full-time: Leiston 4 Maldon & Tiptree 1
Attendance: 143
Maldon & Tiptree Leiston
1 Darren Behcett 1 Jamie Stannard
2 James Abbott 2 Blake Saker
3 Dave Collins 3 Patrick Brothers
4 Lee Blackburn 4 Neil Calver
5 Lee Townrow 5 Joe Jefford
6 Billy Burgess 6 Mark Goldfinch
7 James Lawson 7 Danny Smy
8 Ollie Berquez 8 Gareth Heath
9 Ross Wall 9 Nathan Stone
10 Sos Yao 10 Lee McGlone
11 Kevin McLeod 11 Stuart Boardley
12 Joe Pearman 12 Shane Wardley (for McGlone-71mins)
14 Adam Flanagan 14 Angelo Harrop (for Heath-85mins)
15 Jack Stevenson (for Blackburn-71mins) 15 Sheridan Driver
16 Marcus Milner (for Lawson-85mins 16 Lee Norfolk
17 Freddie Ladapo (for Wall-77mins) 17 Leon Ottley-Gooch
Yellow Cards Yellow Cards
Blackburn – 66 mins (foul play) Calver – 47 mins (foul play)
Milner – 90+2 (simulation) Smy – 90+9 (foul play)
Maldon & Tiptree Man-of-the-Match
Sos Yao
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