News

CONSOLIDATION DAY

After some less than sparkling recent performances Boprough took the opportunity to turn in a display reminiscent of the early season form which had seen them runaway with the League leadership until the intervention of the weather.   And it was a good time to do so with second placed Barking visiting Coles Park.  Right-back  Rakim Richards set up near identical goals for Darrell Cox in the 15th and 44th minute with surging runs which enabled him to cut balls back from the byeline for Cox to sweep home from close range.    The first was all his own work while the second came at the end of some fine combination play involving Lee Allen and Dean Fenton.   Barking's best chance to force their way back into the game came in the first minute after the interval but the half chance was driven low but just wide.  Leroy Griffiths muscled his way onto Daniel Arisitdous through ball to blast home from the edge of the 6 yard box in the 60th minute, effectively sealing victory.   The sending off of Barking's Joe Staunton for 2 yellows  ten minutes from time had no real effect on the outcome.   But it would be unfair not to acknowledge a superb display by Barking 'keeper Jason Willis especially for a seemingly impossible double save midway through the first half from a 20 yard free kick and the follow up;  he even managed to block Dean Fenton's 89th minute penalty but on this occasion could do nothing as Fenton easily poked home the loose ball.

BACK AT THE SUMMIT

It took only 2 minutes for Borough to secure the lead against visiting Eton Manor with their 100th League goal of the season as Joshua Willer followed up to smash home a loose ball after Anthony McDonald's effort had been blocked.    But it was not until the 81st minute that Darrell Cox eased Borough nerves slotting home from  a difficult angle after being forced wide by the keeper.  In between it had been an even game with Manor enjoying plenty of possession but creating only one clear cut chance which was squandered on the stroke of half time.   Ashley Harris in the Borough goal was not seriously tested and dealt comfortably enough with all efforts which were not high or wide.   The 3 points restored Borough to the top of the table - a position which would probably never have been surrendered but for the dreadful sequence of weather cancellations in December, January and February.   Barking who they overtook will be next up at Coles Park this coming Saturday

NO MIDWEEK HANGOVER AS BOROUGH HIT THE GOAL TRAIL AGAIN

After Thursdays lacklustre performance Borough hit back with a vengeance - with a video showing Bowers winning goal as obviously offside having added a sense of injustice; visiting Hullbridge Sports were swept aside with 5 unanswered goals before the break and a further two afterwards for a final score of 7-1.     Wing men Anthony McDonald and Daniel Arisitidou were their tormentors in chief and it was McDonald who opened the scoring after five minutes with a long range effort from way out on the left wing which swerved into the far top corner and it was fortunate that a Borough player in an offside position manged to avoid contact with the ball.  Darrell Cox had added two more, sweeping  home at the end of a flowing move and then a header before McDonald scored the goal of the match in the 22nd minute with a 35 yard effort as he burst clear down the middle which dipped just under the bar.  Leroy Griffiths then headed home a corner on 27 minutes.   It took a further 30 minutes before Aristidou found the net from wayout on the right touchline with a dipper over the 'keeper.   Ashley Harris's push in the area gifted Hullbridge a penalty three minutes from time which Harry Skinner blasted home before Griffiths finished the scoring in stoppage time with an emphatic  10 yard drive into the roof of the net (Boroughs 99th League goal of the season) after Aristidou set him up.

NO REWARD FROM A DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE

A visit to your main promotion rivals is not the ideal time to turn in the most sub-standard of performances and the price was duly paid in an odd goal in three defeat.  No Borough player enhanced his reputation - quite the opposite in some cases,   Borough had the benefit of taking a 9th minute lead through Dean Fenton courtesy of a Bowers & Pitsea keeper's misjudgement but later in the half he redeeemed himself with a point blank save of a well struck close range Rakim Richards effort.   Sadly, Borough never managed to test him again.     But in the second half the wind made a great difference and the home side threatened right from the start.  Their 57th minute equaliser came direct from a long range free kick by Vincent Durrant which should really have been headed clear and not allowed to bounce and rise into the top corner of the net.    When Dan Gudgeon's indiscipline a few minute's later saw him race across unnecessarily to join in a melee and collect a red card Borough were up against it with Bowers dominating in terms of possesion but creating few clear cut chances except the winner put away in the 82nd minute by Rob Whitnell.      Borough remain 2nd, one point behind Barking but with 4 games in hand with Bowers & Pitsea in 3rd place 15 points behind but with three games in hand.

INTO ANOTHER SEMI-FINAL

Borough won their fourth consecutive game by a one goal margin when Takeley visited Coles Park in the quarter final of the Essex Senior League Cup.    The win was more comfortable than the 2-1 score suggests as the visitors consolation came at the end of stoppage time  with the very last kick of the match from the penalty spot.   Anthony McDonald had fired Borough ahead with a hard low drive from the edge of the penalty box in the 11th minute.   There was plenty of endeavour from both teams with the visitors 'keeper being the busier custodian and keeping the deficit to one until the 87th minute when Dewayne Clarke nodded the second goal into the roof of the net from close range.    The semi-final will be at Coles Park on Tuesday 28th April against Bowers & Pitsea.

STOPPAGE TIME AGONY AND ECSTASY

When "visiting" groundsharers Greenhouse London jostled the ball away from Borough 'keeper Ashley Harris in the first minute of stoppage time it seemed that two precious promotion points had been lost. James Anderson applied the vital touch to make it 2-2.  But three minutes later substitute Anthony McDonald, making his first appearance after several weeks out injured, fired over an inviting cross from the left which the inrushing Leroy Griffiths met with a diving header outside the far post to send the ball back across goal and into the net for the winner.    The first three goals were all down to free kicks.   Borough went ahead in the 29th minute wnen Dean Fentons 25 yard blast was parried by the 'keeper and Jonathan Constant reacted first to smash home the loose ball.  Greenhouse equalised in the last minute of the half when a kick swung in from the right avoided defensive heads and fell for Hamza Sadouk to give Harris no chance with a close range blast.   Another goal mouth  scramble created by a free kick enabled Jorge Djassi-Sambu to restore Borough's lead in the 55th minute.     Thereafter little was created in the way of clear cut chances by either side until the late flurry.   The post match celebrations were enhanced by the news that one of the two title challengers, Bowers & Pitsea had been held to a one-all draw at home by  Clapton which leaves them 21 points behind Borough with only four games in hand.

ANOTHER LATE GOAL BRINGS LEAGUE CUP SUCCESS

Borough progressed to the quarter-final of the League Cup with a solitary goal victory over visitors Ilford after a match in which very few chances were created.    An uneventful first half was followed by a more lively second period although, regrettably, that was more on account of its sometimes ill-tempered nature rather than any particularly memorable play.   Ilford were reduced to ten men with fifteen minutes left but looked like taking the game to extra time until Tashan Bradshaw-Brown settled it in the 84th minute.   Lurking just outside the far post he was quickest to react when a corner from the left caused a scramble and he blasted the ball home from a few yards out.   Takeley will visit Coles Park in the quarter final on Tuesday 24th March

ROMANIAN HOODOO OVERCOME - JUST !

Borough had never beaten FC Romania previously but late goals in each half finally provided a first win in the 4th meeting  - a vital one on a day which also saw victories for the other two Championship chasing teams, Bowers & Pitsea and Barking.   Slow defensive reaction enabled Ilie Vasile to fire FCR ahead with a hard low shot to reward their determined opening flurry after only 6 minutes.    Borough eventually got going and had been thwarted by a fine double save from the home keeper before debut making Leroy Griffiths met  Dean Fenton's cross from the right at the near post with a clever volley low across goal and into the net in the last minute of the first half.   Borough had the better of the second half with Jonathan Constant and Griffiths going closest but it was not until three minutes from time that Jorge Djassi-Sambu secured the points with an acrobatic overhead kick.  Borough remain in 2nd place, one point behind Barking but with 4 games in hand.