ESL Derby Result

[Hookey]

Bowers & Pitsea 2-0 Basildon Utd

Ashley Hawkins scoring two second half penalties

[T.A.F.K.A.M 9]

FA CUP RESULT

Ilford 0 - Witham Town 0

Ilford won 3-2 on pens

[Barking Mad]

Congratulations to Bowers and unlucky Witham. Has anyone got any more information on the two games?

 

Witham have shown over 2 games they can certainly compete at the Ryman level which has laid a marker to the rest of the ESL. Witham will be one of the favourites to take down the league I think.

[compaq7500]

Bowers & Pitsea 2 ( 0-0 ) Basildon United 0

Essex Senior League

Admission £6

Programme £1 (very good value, but the quiz page needs to be proof-read - two of the ‘which League team’ answers were Chester City and Kidderminster Harriers)

Bacon cheese burger £3.25 (dripping with fat but delicious)

Attendance 124

I managed a rare midweek groundhop with Ropemaker, plus an old work colleague who lives in Basildon and who agreed to take us from the train station to the ground and back.

I didn’t realise Bowers & Pitsea had a three-sided ground and was intrigued by the sky blue door on the dugout side which, from my vantage point, looked like it was attached to the conifers, like an entrance to Narnia!

The most skilful chap in the early stages of this game was the ref, who I caught doing some splendid keepie-uppie while waiting to take to the pitch! Both halves followed the same pattern, Basildon starting strongly but fading after about 20 minutes and B&P running the show thereafter.

The first half had a few ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ without either keeper being tested. The game livened up after the hour mark, when Basildon keeper Dean Neil made two brilliant point-blank saves and almost prevented the opener, a 74th minute Ashley Hawkins penalty placed into the bottom right hand corner. B&P keeper Rob Small then made a fantastic reflex save to keep his side ahead, before Hawkins rifled home a second penalty in Ray Stewart fashion in the penultimate minute - not a dirty game by any means, but 'Bas' had a clearcut penalty refused with the game goalless.

Funniest moment of the game was when the tannoy announcer mislaid his teamsheets and announced that one player subbed was being replaced by "er...someone else!" He found the sheet and gave a namecheck ten seconds later.

 

Having joked with my ‘Bas’ mate about whether his car would still have four tyres on it after the game, I got home to find some b#stard had hit my parked car, taken about three feet of paint off and smashed the back lights. Looks like my planned trip for Saturday could be of

 

MATCH REPORT BY ASHBEE FROM another'S NON-LEAGUE WEBSITE.