Report

On Saturday Barnston AFC, sitting in mid table, hosted 2^nd placed Tiptree Jobserve in an Essex & Suffolk border league 1^st division match.  A win for the home side would have moved them up into 2^nd place.

On a very hot afternoon Barnston named a 14 man squad, and lined up in a 4-4-2 formation.  Craig Reid in goal, then a back four from right to left of Liam Crane, Joe Law, Jack Butcher, and David Cohen.  In midfield from right to left were Adam Emery, Luke Nash, Adrian Martins, and Tom Hancock.  Up front Mark Pledger was partnered by James Clayden.  On the bench Barnston had David Cornwell, Campbell Wilson, and Kevin Spencer.

The game got off to a very fast start, and the tempo of the game only increased from there on in.  Both teams tried to play attractive attacking football, and both teams were happy to put in good hard challenges that were fair but hard, and were viewed as such by both sides.  In short, the 90 minutes were a very lively, honest, and entertaining event.

Barnston started the match the better side, and were soon dominating possession and territory. It wasn’t long before Barnston striker Clayden unleashed one of his thunderous efforts to see it blocked by a defender.

On 8 minutes Barnston took the lead.  A Barnston attack down the Tiptree left found target man Mark Pledger out on the touchline in possession with his back to the pitch.  Pledger then produced an outrageous back heel to find Clayden just outside the visitors penalty area in line with the near post.  With the visiting defence panicking about the expected shot from Clayden, the young forward cooly played a pass in behind the back four for right winger Adam Emery to run onto.  The former Wivenhoe Town full back timed his run perfectly and unleashed a great shot inside the near post to make it 1-0.

The game now really opened up as the visitors looked to get back in the game, and Barnston looked to take advantage of gaps at the back.  Tiptree had a number of attacks that didn’t really trouble goal keeper Reid, or were dealt well with by centre backs Jack Butcher and Joe Law.

Up front Pledger was proving a handful for the visiting back four as he continually linked up the play for the home side, or flicked balls on for Emery, Hancock, and Clayden to latch onto.  Indeed, Clayden found himself in a number of threatening positions and unleashed a couple of thunderous efforts that were bravely blocked by the defenders.

Nash and Martins were now starting to look a very good pairing in the middle of midfield with plenty of good passes being played by both players, Martins covering ground doing the box to box work, while Nash protected his back four and looked to take the ball from his back four and play out.

On 22 minutes Tiptree got a deserved, if somewhat soft equaliser.  Tiptree won a corner, and swang the ball into the box. The home side all held their positions and watched the ball float to the far post, and a visiting forward ran in to bundle the ball home from 7 yards out, with the ball no more than knee high when he got to it.

The game continued to increase in pace, and continued to entertain as both teams looked to get the next goal.  Unfortunately for the home side, a Barnston attack broke down deep inside the Tiptree half, and the ball was played over the top of the two Barnston defenders who were caught square.  The visiting centre forward ran onto the ball and cooly drilled home to make it 2-1 to Tiptree.

Half Time:  Barnston 1 Vs 2 Tiptree Jobserve

After a “bit of a chat” in the dressing room at half time, the Barnston players came out determined to get something out of a game in which they had so far been at least equal to their visitors.

After just 5 minutes of the 2^nd half, young left back David Cohen had to come off injured, and was replaced by Kevin Spencer.

As the half went on, with both teams missing half chances, Barnston started to build momentum and started to control the game.  On 64 minutes Campbell Wilson came on for Mark Pledger.  Wilson went on to the right of midfield while Emery moved up front to partner Clayden.

On 71 minutes it was 2-2.  A wonderful passing move down the Barnston right, involving a number of players and quick short passes found Clayden 5 yards outside the box just to the right of the goal. With 6 opponents desperately closing him down Clayden unleashed a terrific drive which beat the keeper all ends up to give Barnston hope of taking at least a point, and possibly more.

On 81 minutes Emery was replaced up front by David Cornwell.

Barnston were now in control, and it looked like they may well go on to clinch all three points, but then with 6 minutes to go an unfortunate but worrying incident caused Barnston to lose this momentum.  A Tiptree counter attack down the Barnston left saw a ball played in behind the home back four.  This ball became a 50/50 challenge between a visiting forward and the home keeper Craig Reid.

As the ball came into the box, Reid took the ball into his chest just before the forward got there.  The forwards momentum meant he collided full on with reid who was sent to the floor.  This led to a stoppage of around 5 minutes as Reid suffered from this knock and the hard landing from the knock.

Eventually Reid was declared fit to carry on, and the game restarted. Barnston went back on the attack, the momentum and pressure they had built up during the half had now disappeared.  Tiptree won the ball back and countered up the Barnston left.  A good pass was played inside left back Kevin Spencer, and the pacey Tiptree winger latched onto the ball, cut in on goal and drilled a well placed low effort inside the far post to seal all three points for the visitors.

Full Time: Barnston AFC 2 Vs 3 Tiptree Jobserve

Man of the Match: James Clayden

This was a game that both teams could have won, and that a draw would perhaps of been a fair result. But the fact the homeside lost is down to the two soft goals conceded in the first half.  Barnston probably put in their best performance of the season so far in this match.  They played some great football, created chances, used set pieces well, and defended well when required, except for the 2 first half goals.

As the Pledger and Clayden partnership continues to gel up front for Barnston, it is starting to look very dangerous, and surely won’t be long before the goals start to come.  While at the back, it did look more solid than in previous weeks as the back four now seems to be becoming a settled one.

With the midfield four putting in a lot of work, and playing some good football, it means that all in all this performance more than made up for the previous weeks shambles, and gives the team confidence for future weeks ahead.

This coming Saturday Barnston AFC are at home to league leaders Colne Engaine and Bell United in a first division match, 3pm kick off.