Essex Olympian League – Division Three
Venue: Polo Fields
2020-21 Season: Match 27
Wednesday 21st April 2021 – 6.15pm KO
Hutton Res: Red Shirts, Red Shorts, Red & White Socks
Collier Row: Blue & Black Striped Shirts, Black Shorts, Black Socks
Hutton Ressies secure third win on the reel with fine win over Row at Polo Fields
Hutton Res 4 – 1 Collier Row
Match Report & Photos by Scott W (Twitter: @ScottMHC14)
In another midweek adventure, I returned to Polo Fields to see in-form Hutton Reserves face fellow promotion rivals Collier Row in this Essex Olympian League Division Three match. The hosts had won at the weekend without conceding at home to Toby’s reserve side, while Collier Row lost at Basildon Town’s second side – and Hutton Res defeated the latter side here last week.
The match got underway with a flourish for the visitors as they saw two half-chances go narrowly wide of home custodian Scott Allison’s goal. Bill Stratford’s side responded on ten minutes with the tricky winger Carl Dutton striking narrowly wide of Owen Dunn’s post, Moments later, it was forward Matthew Price’s turn to test stopper Dunn before also being denied by a well-placed covering defender in the same move. As it turned out, the depleted visitors, missing the likes of talismanic goal-scorer Ed Hart, conceded with 21 minutes on the watch as the hosts made the most of slack marking with centre-back Jim Gardner tapping in from close range.
Row responded with characteristic attacking vigour with Ben Woolven sending in a fine cross from the left side of the penalty box, but good tracking back by midfielder Owen Chesney allowed him to clear in the nick of time an prevent a chance at goal. Collier Row did level with twenty-four minutes on the watch, with a good free-kick angled in evaded the home defence, allowing skipper Brandon Nicholson to force the ball over the goal-line from a yard or two away. At this point of the match, there wasn’t a lot in it though Hutton Res were yet to really find their cohesive rhythm going forward.
However, it was the Hutton side who got that crucial next telling goal, eleven minutes before the interval. Dutton’s good run was well-spotted and his cool, assured finish gave Dunn little chance as the ball sailed into the far corner. That lead held until the break, though you still felt there was more drama to come.
Half-Time: Hutton Res 2 – 1 Collier Row
That drama was to follow very quickly after the restart as Row showed a lot of tenacity to boss the first ten minutes or so of the second period. Three minutes after the resumption, Woolven found himself one-on-one with Allison, but the young Hutton ‘keeper did well to deny Woolven’s strike with his feet. The Hutton goalkeeper was again in the action before the hour mark as a well-floated cross in deep eventually found its way in to forward Daniel Reeve but a combination of Allison’s good reaction and the deep-sitting home defence denied him from notching again this season. At the other end, Dutton was in the action again as another strike was well stopped by visiting stopper Dunn. The above defensive prowess served Hutton well as on the hour, a well-placed chip by forward Matthew Price managed to bypass Dunn before sailing into the net to finally give the Reds some distance on the score-sheet and go three-one up.
Unfortunately for the visitors, they couldn’t maintain the rapid pace of their counter-attacks or be clinical in their finishing. The hosts pretty much wrapped up fourteen minutes from time as a fine cross by Matthew Price found the advancing Thomas Price and the latter slotted home well to secure a deserved victory in the end. Collier Row did well in the latter stages to deny Matthew Price and Jack Shaw but ultimately gave themselves too much to do in the latter stages.
Full-Time: Hutton Res 4 – 1 Collier Row
In summary, it was the Hutton side’s efforts in the second-half that made sure they got the points and being earnest, they played some neat Football with good attacking moves. What hurt Row the most here was accuracy of their final ball into the forwards which was intermittent at best and their finishing, combined with home stopper Scott Allison making some good saves as well. In terms of stand-out performances for the hosts, winger Carl Dutton drove his side on well and set up promising moves. Goalkeeper Scott Allison also had a good confident match, as did winger Thomas Price as did his brother, forward Matthew Price. For Collier Row, the pair of Ben Woolven and Dan Reeve did cause problems for a physical home backline, and their ‘keeper Owen Dunn also made some smart saves to prevent a heavier loss.
For the several hardy spectators in attendance, it was a good game to watch (despite the declining temperature) and a good spectacle for this division. My thanks to both managers for their assistance pre-match & I wish them well for the remainder of the season.
Teams
Hutton Res | Manager: Bill Stratford
Starting XI: 1 Scott Allison (GK), 12 Thomas Price, 3 Mike Cason, 4 Ryan Thorne, 5 Ben Trigg (Capt), 6 Jim Gardner, 7 Carl Dutton, 8 Owen Chesney, 16 Conor O’Regan, 10 Matthew Price, 11 Jack Shaw
Subs On: 14 Stewart Biggie [46′], 15 Dayne Wood [46′], 17 George Grant [66′], 2 Harry Lane [68′], 18 Brad Freeman [68′]
Goal-scorers: Jim Gardner [21′], Carl Dutton [34′], Matthew Price [60′], Thomas Price [76′]
Booked: O’Regan | Subs Not Used: None
Collier Row | Manager: Wayne Sainty
Starting XI: Owen Dunn (GK), Ryan Bishop, Nicky Webber, Brandon Nicholson (Capt), Jack Bird, Freddie Donkor, Alfie Kempton, Elliott Burrows, Scott Dunn, Ben Woolven, Daniel Reeve
Goal-scorer: Brandon Nicholson [26′]
Referee: Matthew Pointer
survivor16b 