Essex Olympian League – Division Two
Venue: Ekco Sports Club, Priittlewell
2021-22 Season: Match 27
Attendance: 15 (Est)
Saturday 22 November 2022 – 2pm KO
Shoebury: Black & White hirts, Black Shorts & Black Socks
Rawreth: Blue & White Shirts, Blue Shorts, White Socks
Second-half flourish gives Shoebury big win over Rawreth
Shoebury Town 6 – 2 AS Rawreth
Match Report & Photos by Scott W [Twitter: @ScottMHC14]
The main match this weekend was a first visit to Ekco Sports Club to see Shoebury Town take on AS Rawreth in the Essex Olympian League Division Two. Town were looking to maintain their 100% record and go further clear at the summit. John Galley & Garry Johnson’s side had Sebastian Godwin-Turner in goal, with a backline comprised of Jack Clarke, Dominic Walton, Jenson Gentry & Max Drury. Skipper Callum Merenda was alongside Jason Carter & Aaron Marshall in midfield while the goal-hungry forward line was led by Mechack-Kisoka Asuka, with support from Ryan Galley & Luke Jackson. Rawreth are in mid-table, once again under the tutelage of General Manager Shane Bird, and Ryley Walder was their goalkeeper, with stalwarts Lucas Winzar & captain Muntizir Hussain alongside Frank Oluyitan and Salum Abdullah. Archie Tonks, Kyle Fearon, Max Bellamy & Billy Brown pushed on from midfield with skilful forwards Sonny Newcombe and Luke Cassar also starting.
This match began with both sides really competing well, but the hosts couldn’t quite find their ‘A-game’ which gave Rawreth some confidence. Shoebury forward Mechack-Kisoka Asuka had two early sighters at goal but couldn’t quite bypass visiting custodian Ryley Walder. Rawreth also showed their attacking promise at the other end & took the lead through a clinical finish on 12 minutes. Tricky forward Sonny Newcombe was played in well and Newcombe fired home calmly past home stopper Sebastian Godwin-Turner. The tempo was building nicely as we continued through the half, with Max Bellamy firing off-target as Shane Bird’s team sought to grab another goal. Asuka was the key threat for Town but his header was well-parried onto the goal frame by Walder as you sensed that Shoebury were getting their way back into the game.
Shoebury did get an equaliser right on the half-hour as a decent set-piece by Luke Jackson found Mechack-Kisoka Asuka who guided his header past Walder and into the net. Rawreth had just dropped their intensity a fraction by this point & were punished seven minutes before the interval. Forward Mechack Kisoka-Asuka got his second goal with a well-placed curling strike from 25 yards out, which was too good for Walder to get across and parry.
Shoebury were still a little vulnerable out of possession, as Rawreth showed again why they are notching goals & points this term with their free-flowing passing game. Defensively in the first half, you had to respect their attitude led by centre-back Lucas Winzar & skipper Muntizir Hussain as they frustrated the hosts for large parts of the first 45 minutes.
Half-Time: Shoebury 2 – 1 Rawreth
After the interval though, it was a fairly different game. They say ‘goals change games’ and that was almost immediately apparent here. Just two minutes after the resumption, Shoebury extended their lead as another corner from Jackson angled into the six-yard box and captain Callum Merenda slotted home from close range – Rawreth’s lapses were proving costly for them. John Galley & Garry Johnson’s side were really turning the momentum in their favour as they got a fourth goal on 49 minutes. Jackson sent in another probing set-piece which allowed half-time replacement Suhail Yasin to absolutely power home a very good header right into the far corner, giving Walder little chance.
It got harder for Rawreth, as midfielder Kyle Fearon was forced off moments after narrowly missing the target with a decent strike. Shoebury were pushing forward with more enthusiasm now and Yasin was in the action again as his curling effort was well-blocked by influential skipper Muntizir Hussain for Rawreth. Shoebury did continue to test an understandably tiring visiting defence though, and made it five with 21 minutes left, as Mechack-Kisoka Asuka got his third goal with a low strike past Walder after being well played in on goal.
Shoebury did allow the Blues a little more possession in the last fifteen minures and Rawreth did give them a warning of sorts on 81 minutes, as Winzar’s decent ball was just out of reach for Luke Cassar to strike at. Rawreth did get a second goal a minute later as a angled set-piece from just inside their half found captain Muntizir Hussain who rose highest to power home a fine header past Godwin-Turner & into the net.
This of course further motivated Shoebury to add to their goal tally, which they did a few minutes before time as a neat strike by winger Ryan Galley found the left corner, despairingly out of reach for the unfortunate Walder. Sometimes score-lines don’t always tell the story of a game and while credit has to go Shoebury for the ruthlessness and quality they showed in the second half, you have to respect Rawreth for their approach today, as they also played some good stuff at times and contributed to an entertaining tie here.
Full-Time: Shoebury Town 6 – 2 AS Rawreth
To summarise this entertaining game, Rawreth competed very well in the first half and more than held their own against the hosts who couldn’t initally find their astute passing game. Shane Bird’s side were a threat in that first half but after Fearon was forced off, they ended up having to play with ten men for large parts of the second half, which assisted a fired-up Shoebury to gain impetus through their faster passing & high-tempo game & score some fine goals too as they secured a deserved win in the end to go three points clear at the summit.
The stand-out performances here start with victors Shoebury, with forward Mechack-Kisoka Asuka’s fine treble leading the way (moving up to eight league goals this season in the process) but he also put in a high-energy shift, making several good runs. Support forward Luke Jackson also had a very good game, conjuring up four assists as well as stretching the understandably tiring visiting defence in the second half. Early replacement Jack Woodham also impressed with his good play & movement while half-time substitute Suhail Yasin also added energy and scored a terrific header as well early in second half.
For Rawreth, skipper Muntizir Hussain scored a fine headed goal himself, to crown off a good individual effort, making several important interceptions throughout the game. Forward Sonny Newcombe also took his goal very well, and made several good mazy runs and neat passes. Centre-half Lucas Winzar also got a decent assist (for Hussain’s goal) and also dealt with the pressure well to stifle the home forwards for most of the game. Lastly, a word for midfielder Kyle Fearon who made several good turns getting past defenders and made several neat passes until he was forced off, which ultimately changed the game.
I’d like to wish both teams well for the rest of the season. Also, my thanks to John Galley, Garry Johnson & Zoe Johnson for the kind ‘Shoebury welcome’ I got today, it is appreciated.
Teams
Shoebury Town | Co-Managers: John Galley & Garry Johnson | Coaches: Reg Cody, Khystian Mirga & Lee Cody
Starting XI: 1 Sebastian Godwin-Turner (GK), 2 Jack Clarke, 3 Dominic Walton, 14 Jenson Gentry, 23 Max Drury, 15 Jason Carter, 7 Callum Merenda (Capt), 11 Ryan Galley, 4 Aaron Marshall, 8 Luke Jackson, 10 Mechack-Kisoka Asuka
Goal-scorers: Mechack-Kisoka Asuka [30′, 38′ & 69′], Callum Merenda [47′], Suhail Yasin [49′] & Ryan Galley [88′]
Subs On (Time): 9 Jack Woodham [26′], 6 Lewis Hunt [46′], 17 Suhail Yasin [46′], 21 Zach Somerset-Butler [52′], 5 Alfie Chaplin [58′]
Booked: None | Subs Not Used: None
AS Rawreth | Player-Manager: Shane Bird
Starting XI: 1 Ryley Walder (GK), 15 Frank Oluyitan, 4 Lucas Winzar, 5 Muntizir Hussain (Capt), 2 Salum Abdullah, 6 Archie Tonks, 24 Kyle Fearon, 26 Max Bellamy, 18 Billy Brown, 13 Sonny Newcombe, 14 Luke Cassar
Goal-scorers: Sonny Newcombe [12′], Muntizir Hussain [82′]
Booked: None | Subs Named: S Ahmed, Abdulkadir, M Ahmed, Bird
Referee: Guy Pell-Ilderton
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