Clements Athletic 4 - 2 S.S.C. Orsett

Clements deservedly picked up their first win of the league campaign thanks to two goals from Ryan and one each from Tapsell and Liam.  It wasn't as comfortable as the scoreline suggests, as a two goal lead was wiped out with 12 minutes to go.  Clements showed the character and fight that Niki had demanded in his pre-match speech to restore the two goal winning margin that our overall performance deserved.

Alec and Widge were forced to make changes, with Dale working and Browne declaring himself unfit for duty, and showing he had the team's best interests at heart.  Ben W was asked to play at right back, and Liam was given a friend up front in the form of H.  I'm sure Liam felt like Christmas and his birthday had come at once.

Subs: Sharpy, Bunny, Alan, Ben, Gollum, Parker

With the sun in our eyes and a strong wind blowing against us into the bottom left corner, it was always going to be difficult to keep the ball under control and on the pitch.  In fact Eye-Ball touched the ball more with his hands than feet in the first half, as countless balls forward from Orsett sailed off the pitch, carried by the strong wind.  Clements looked to get stuck in though, and deservedly took the lead when Ben W's throw-in was left by Liam for Ryan, who turned towards goal and struck the ball low into the corner of the net: 1-0.

Clements rode their luck a bit in the first half, and were thankful that Conor was on top form, as he tipped two looping efforts over the bar, and saved acrobatically to his right from a firmly struck free kick.  Orsett came closest to scoring when an attempted clearance ricocheted off an Orsett player, who found himself through on goal.  His effort hit the post, and rebounded kindly into a team mate's path.  Ben W (who put in a dominant display at right back despite being out of position) and Eye-Ball managed to get back on the line, and it was Ben who superbly managed to deflect the goal bound effort over the bar.

Clements had two great chances to take a two goal lead into the break.  Firstly Foggy hit a rasping effort from outside the box that hit the crossbar, and then H - who had been working hard down the channels - got to the right byeline and put in an excellent cross.  Unfortunately Liam couldn't connect from six yards out, and we had to settle for a slim one goal lead at half time.

Clements started the second half with purpose, knowing that a second goal was vital to neutralise any whiff of an Orsett comeback.  Ryan dully delivered when the ball was worked over from the left with Sharpy (on for Chris) to Liam on the right.  He forced the defender into a mistake, and the ball fell to Ryan who once again showed great composure to drive the ball low into the bottom corner: 2-0.

Any hope that Orsett would lie down and die was misplaced, as they continued to work hard in the belief that one goal could turn the match around.  The post once again came to Clements rescue in the second half, and another effort was put narrowly wide.  Orsett then pulled one back when a simple ball over the top split our defence in half, and the striker finished clinically: 2-1.

The lead was then wiped out when two unsuccessful attempts to clear the ball from a corner ended in it being blasted into the net through a sea of bodies: 2-2.

It was now time for Clements to show what they were made of, and so often our driving force, Tapsell once again popped up with a moment of brilliance to re-establish our lead.  With about 10 minutes left, Ben W threw in the ball to Tapsell from the right on the edge of the box.  His first touch turned the defender, and his second (with his left boot) sent the ball curling into the top corner: 3-2.

Clements weren't about to let the three points disappear again, and settled the game when Sharpy found himself in the box, and unselfishly played the ball across for Liam to fire into the net.  The trigger happy linesman did his best to deny Liam his second goal in as many weeks, but thankfully the referee was prepared to over rule him: 4-2.

With minutes remaining, Foggy had the chance to put the icing on the cake, and get a deserved goal for his tireless running and committed display in midfield.  His block from an attempted clearance saw him through on the goal, under no pressure and with just the keeper between him and goal.  Unfortunately he looked as out of place as a hog roast at a bar mitzvah, and the keeper cruelly blocked his tame effort.  We did later establish that even Eye-Ball has a better scoring record over the past 5 years, who can appreciate that the chance would have looked much harder to Foggy than to those more accustomed with finding the onion bag.

Whilst it would have been nice to stroll off with a larger winning margin and a clean sheet, it was really encouraging to see such a positive response to losing a two goal lead.  Much tougher challenges lie ahead, but there is no reason why we can't come off with our heads held high each week if we continue to give 100% for each other and the team.

Eye-Ball

Next game: Sunday 10th November. Away @ Belhus Park v South Stifford

Goal scoring chart

Clements Athletic 1 - 2 Sporting 77 (Essex Junior Cup Round 2)

Clements' Essex Cup run came to an end in challenging conditions, as a first half lead was overturned via a penalty and a freak, wind assisted effort.  The funny thing was, that even before our visitors from Braintree had but the ball in the net, we had already beaten ourselves through a general lack of team cohesion and willingness to fight for and support each other.  It's easy to expect too much, and perhaps be too hard on ourselves when there have been a lot of changes since the last season.  This was actually only our 4th competitive game, and our first in three weeks, so fitness and match sharpness was going to be an issue.  Still, we need to get used to having tough games, and still be able to come away feeling positive about the way we played.

Alec had a big headache this week with 16 players to choose from, including 6 who would ideally play in the centre of the park.  This included Ben W, who made his first appearance of the season.

Subs: Chris, Harry, Alan, Bunny, Gollum

The conditions have already been mentioned, and the gale force wind blowing into the bottom corner added to the poorly prepared pitch; the lines had been cut, but that was it.  Despite this, Clements started brightly and took the lead when Ryan's in swinging corner was headed in by Liam for his first goal of the season.

We weren't able to press home our advantage from here, and did a fair amount of defending.  Browne cleared one off the line, and Conor made a few good saves to keep us in front.  Possession was too easily lost, and hopeful balls up to the isolated figure of Liam just weren't working.

The mood at half time was pretty bleak, and this attitude followed us onto the pitch for the second half.  We had our chances, and when Tapsell broke and slid the ball through for Liam - who appeared to have held his run to beat the offside trap - the lead should have been doubled.  The linesman thought otherwise - actually his flag went up so quick I don't think he could have had time to think.  Sporting 77 then scored from the spot after the ball was lost in midfield, and Eye-Ball was a little slow to react to the ball in behind and ended up taking the man out before he had chance to shoot at goal: 1-1.

The wind was so strong that it was almost easier playing against it, and it played a big part in Sporting 77's second goal.  A speculative high ball seemed to be sailing over the bar, but then a gust of wind stopped it in its tracks, and it dropped out of Conors reach and under the crossbar: 1-2.

This was a mortal blow to an already waning side, and we found it hard to find the extra reserves to push forward and press for an equaliser.  Our best chance came when Ryan whipped in an awesome free kick from the left that somehow evaded all the players who were queuing up at the back post.  Niki and Conor put in some last ditch defending at the other end to keep the scoreline respectable, but the end result was the end of our run in the Essex Cup for another year.

It is unusual for me to not find more positives from a game, and I do think that, as a club we are at a bit of a crossroads and need to decide how we want to move forward.  Sharpy has rightly identified that we would benefit from bonding more as a team and I would urge as many of us to support him with this as we can.


Eye-Ball

Goal scoring chart

Next game: Sunday 3rd November @ Home v S.S.C. Orsett

Gallow United FC 2 - 3 Clements Athletic (Essex Junior Cup 1st Round)

Alarm bells started ringing when we turned up at the Great Baddow Recreation Ground to find two pitches and four teams already occupying the changing rooms.  The fact that Gallow had moved ground in recent years hadn't filter through, and it took ten minutes of phone calls and much appreciated help from the locals to work out that we should be the other side of Chelmsford.  Fortunately the referee and opposition were understanding, and the adventure had a happy ending as Clements gained entry to the next round with a 3-2 victory.  We didn't make it easy for ourselves, as a two goal lead was twice reduced to one goal thanks to our own mistakes.  We also failed to capitalise on a number of good chances to put the game beyond doubt, and ended up hanging on despite being far and away the better team.

Alec once again had the difficult job of choosing the starting line-up, and decided to pack the midfield whilst giving Liam his full debut up front.

Subs: Ben, H, Chris, Parker, Alan

There wasn't much time for a pre-match talk, but the main instruction was to try and get the ball down and play some football.  Clements tried to do this, and with the threesome in the middle working well together there tended to be options available.  Bunny especially was making time for himself with some neat touches and seemed to be the catalyst for all our good passing moves.  The one criticism would be that Liam was finding himself a bit isolated up front as we started the game with quite a defensive mindset.

The confidence of the side was boosted as we took the lead after about 15 minutes.  Dale was brought down on the edge of the area, and despite not being a regular free kick taker fancied his chances against a shaky looking wall.  His hunch paid off, as his well-driven effort flew through the wall, away from the keeper and into the net: 0-1.

The lead was extended soon after when Liam broke down the right and into the box.  He chose to ignore Eye-Ball, who had burst forward into the box, and instead the ball found its way back to Dale who side footed the ball into the top of the net: 0-2.

Clements were well on top now, and perhaps felt a little guilty for spoiling Gallow's Sunday morning.  Having played the ball out nicely from the back, Foggy then passed it back towards Niki who, under pressure and running towards goal attempted to slide the ball onto Conor's right foot.  Unfortunately his feeble touch and the long grass combined to turn his attempted back pass into a perfect pass for the Gallow forward, who slipped the ball into an empty net: 1-2.

Clements had chances to regain their two goal lead before the break, with one of the best falling to Tapsell following a scramble in the box from a corner.  Unfortunately Rob's naturally instinct to get in the way of any moving object was our downfall on this occasion, as he blocked the goal bound effort.  Ryan also put in a peach of an inswinging cross from the left, which none of the three or four Clements players who flung themselves at it could get on the end of.  So we had to settle for a one goal lead at the break.

H came on for the second half to give Liam some support up top, with Niki having a breather and Foggy moving back to the middle of defence.  Chris also replaced Ryan on the left.  These were the first of a number of changes as Clements took advantage of the roll on roll off Essex Cup rule.  Again Clements looked comfortable, and were soon creating chances.  H was making a nuisance of himself and combined with Liam and Dale on a number of occasions, but they were unable to find the back of the net.  Tapsell also came to life in the second half, and got on the end of a corner from Dale to head Clements into a 3-1 lead.

We should have put Gallow to bed from this point, but a number of chances went narrowly wide.  We again were instrumental in our own downfall, as Eye-Ball did well to get a foot in the way of a cross into the box with a man behind him.  The ball came to Conor a bit quick, and the split second indecision as to whether or not the referee would blow for a pass back was enough for a Gallow player to get in the way of Conor's attempted clearance, and the ball ricocheted into the net: 2-3.

The final 10 minutes basically consisted of Clements catching Gallow on the break, missing a chance and being put under pressure from long balls at the other end.  Niki redeemed his earlier error as Conor was once again unlucky when he rushed out the meet the ball and only succeeded in kicking it against the striker.  Every ricochet seemed to end up heading towards goal, and although Niki appeared to be treading water, he got back just in time to slide in a steer the ball round the post.  The Oaks defended valiantly for the last 5 minutes, with Tapsell especially leading by example as he threw himself at everything and worked hard to keep possession.

Dale also had a great chance to complete his hat-trick, but couldn't find the target from a tight angle, but fortunately we held on for our first win of the season, and a much deserved (and almost unheard of) home draw in the next round.

Eye-Ball

Next game: Sunday 13th October - Away @ Palmers v Mossops.

Goal Scoring Chart:

Clements Athletic 0 - 2 South Stifford

The pre-match talk centred around the quality of today's opposition, and what a tough game it was going to be.  South Stifford have gained promotion each season since forming in 2010, and they lived up to their billing as one of the favourites to repeat this feat again this season.  It therefore demonstrates the high standards we rightfully set ourselves, in so much as we were disappointed with our performance despite keeping a clean sheet for the first 60 minutes, and having a couple of good opportunities to take the lead.

Having gained an early reputation for tardiness, Conor had redeemed himself more recently, and sometimes was even the first person to arrive for a game.  Unfortunately old habits die hard, and although you may say it is unlucky to have a puncture, and then change the tyre to find you also have one on the spare, there was a sense of the inevitable as Alec had to find a replacement goal keeper with a few minutes to go until kick off.  Fortunately Foggy was happy to step up, with H also returning to make it a 4-4-2 formation.

Subs: Bunny, Alan, Conor

Clements spent most of the first half defending, with South Stifford displaying the qualities we keep saying we want to emulate.  They passed the ball around, making neat triangles and hassled well when not in possession.  Clements defended bravely, but every time the ball was won back, within one pass or long ball possession was relinquished and we were back to chasing the ball and defending our goal.  Thankfully Foggy was showing no signs of rust despite it being six years since he had played between the sticks, and he dominated his area and came out at speed to thwart numerous chances.  The cross bar and some last ditch defending were also required to stop us facing more than a slope related uphill battle in the second half.

We may not have had much possession, but our directness almost paid off when H found himself clean through on goal.  Unfortunately his touch to take the ball round the keeper was too heavy, and the ball went behind for a corner.  So we had to settle for parity at the break.

Chasing the ball is tiring work, and add to this the confidence lost when every touch sees you under pressure, it is perhaps not surprise that Clements completely lost their shape and composure in the second half.  South Stifford didn't really have the pace to get in behind us, but they pushed us further and further back, and it was only a matter of time until their possession in and around the box resulted in shooting opportunities that they capitalised on twice: 0-2.

The introduction of fresh legs in the form of Bunny, Al and Foggy (who was replaced in goal by Conor) wasn't enough to galvanise some life into the team, and we basically limped over the line.  It was a shame that we weren't able, collectively as a team, to raise our game on going behind.  Alec is absolutely right in saying that we need to play the ball on the floor more, but for that to work the man on the ball needs people to find space and demand the ball from him.  Too often it felt like we just stood and watched as someone received the ball, and with there being lots of teams in this league who will be on you in a flash, options need to be available before a touch is taken.

I would urge people not to get too down about days like today.  The club has undergone a lot of changes this season, and it's going to take time for us to find our feet.  It was nice to not lose a game two seasons ago, but surely it is a lot more satisfying to be in a challenging league, and we need to play as a team, in style we should, regardless of the opposition or the scoreline.

Eye-Ball

Next game: Sunday 6th October - Essex Junior Cup- Away v Gallows United - meeting time to be confirmed

Clements Athletic 3 - 3 Orsett Green

A new season, a new name, a lot of new faces, a new management team, and a lot of new opponents to face.  This was always going to be a tough opening game against an Orsett Green side who amassed a respectable 15 points in the Premier Division last season, and Clements (nee The Oaks) showed good spirit to snatch a point having lost a two goal lead and been one behind with 5 minutes to play.

It's early yet to decide whether the pairing of Alec and Widge will be Fergurson and McClaren or more like Sven and Nancy, and they picked a starting eleven that had a familar look, but included new signings Foggy and Chris who were in for retirees Mikey and Nathan.  Browne also started, and is looking to make the right back shirt his own following the departure of Deano, the club's longest serving member.

Subs: Sharpy, Ben, Alan, Ed

Clements started brightly and had an early chance to take the lead when Ryan found space to shoot in the box, but unfortunately his curling shot went wide.  Ryan was then heavily involved in Clements taking the lead, when his in swinging corner was met by a powerful header at the back post from Bunny: 1-1.

The Oaks extended their lead in the first half, when a goal kick from Rob was won in the air by Ryan, despite him being surrounded by about four Orsett players.  His flick on put Dale clear, who had much too much pace for Orsett's defenders, and he slotted calmly past the keeper to get his goal tally off to another flying start.

Despite pressure from Orsett, Parker was doing a fine job debutising for Conor, and we were able to keep the two goal lead in tact at the break.

The second half started well, but quickly went down hill when two key midfielders were lost through injury.  First Foggy and then Bunny were withdrawn, and despite new signing Ben coming on and getting stuck in, and Sharpy doing what Sharpy does, Orsett took this disruption as an opportunity to pile on the pressure.

St Clement is the patron saint of sailors, and we definitely needed his help as our lead quickly evaporated and we were soon 3-2 down and sinking fast.  Tired legs and a loss of shape were really to blame for the goals we succeeded (although Parker might be questioning the grip on Conor's gloves), and it took a real effort to pick ourselves up in the last 10 minutes and keep fighting.  But fight we did, and when the ball squirmed under the body of the Orsett keeper and clearly over the line following Ryan's well struck shot through a crowded area, I feel that justice was done as the referee awarded the goal.  Every point in this league is going to be hard fought in this league, and we definitely worked hard for this one.

Eye-Ball