Non-League and Academy football writer

On Friday evening I was in attendance at Aveley’s impressive Parkside ground, to watch an Eastern Counties League Division One South fixture, between May & Baker ECFC and Benfleet FC. The home side, May & Baker ECFC, started the game in tenth place in the league, with 35 points from 26 games. And the visiting side on Friday evening, Benfleet, started the game in third place in the league, with 58 points from 25 matches. However, Benfleet, who have a real chance of winning the league this season, had six games in hand over top of the table Harlow Town, going into this game on Friday. This was a thrilling game of football, which the away side, Benfleet, won 4-3, despite trailing by two goals during part of the first half. This was also a game which saw two red cards. On a cool night in Essex, it was May & Baker who started the game the better of the two sides, with the game being played at a good intensity right from the start. Early on in the game, a long forward pass from May & Baker captain Anthony Cooke, found Abidemi Lamina on the left side of the Benfleet penalty area. The May & Baker centre-forward shifted the ball onto his right foot, before having an effort on goal saved by Benfleet goalkeeper Florent Gislette.

After May & Baker winger Idris Aminu had squared the ball for Oliver Beadle in the centre of the Benfleet penalty area, it looked like a promising chance for the home side. However, Beadle’s low effort was saved by Florent Gislette. There was a good early pace to the game. A free header for Benfleet player Michael Fitzgibbon arrived inside the May & Baker penalty area a couple of minutes later, after a corner-kick delivery had been missed by the goalkeeper. However, Michael Fitzgibbon headed the ball over the goal from close range. Sonny Hartman hit an effort wide of the May & Baker goal shortly after that chance, from the edge of their penalty area, before the home side took the lead. A curling long forward pass from Antony Connor down the left side of the pitch, resulted in him finding the run of Idris Aminu, who was through on goal, when he decided to take the ball past the outrushing Benfleet goalkeeper Florent Gislette, on the edge of their penalty area. He then took the ball into the box, before finishing into the empty goal, 1-0. A misplaced pass to Florent Gislette, not long after the opening goal of the game, resulted in Idris Aminu managing to latch onto the ball. The impressive May & Baker player tried to take the ball around the goalkeeper inside the box, but he seemed to be brought to the ground by Florent Gislette (in my opinion), although no penalty was given by the referee.

After the inventive Antony Connor found the run of Oliver Beadle on the right side of the Benfleet penalty area with a good pass, Beadle showed good composure to finish low past Florent Gislette and into the goal, to make it 2-0 to May & Baker. However, there was to be a dramatic comeback from Benfleet, before half-time. With Michael Fitzgibbon heading home from close range inside the May & Baker penalty area, after meeting Taylor Lawrence’s corner-kick, 2-1. Shortly afterwards, Michael Fitzgibbon headed an effort wide from inside the home team’s box, after being found by Billy Carter. And Benfleet would draw level in the game, just before half-time. A headed clearance from a long Benfleet throw-in into the May & Baker penalty area, resulted in the ball falling for Taylor Lawrence on the edge of the penalty area, and his low volleyed effort went past Jack Riddell in the May & Baker goal, 2-2. During the early stages of the second half, Billy Carter hit an effort wide of the home team’s goal from the edge of their penalty area, before a decisive moment in the course of the game occurred, when Oliver Beadle was shown his second yellow card of the game for a challenge, resulting in May & Baker having to play the rest of the game with ten men.

Benfleet quickly made the most of their one man advantage in the game, with a long forward ball finding its way to Taylor Lawrence on the right side of the May & Baker penalty area. The Benfleet midfielder found Rhys Fatt with a lofted pass at the back post, and the Benfleet midfielder finished from close range, 2-3. May & Baker kept working hard, however, and they were still in the game. Following a May & Baker corner-kick, Warren Beattie hit an effort wide of the Benfleet goal from close range. And then a couple of minutes later at the opposite end of the pitch, Benfleet substitute Rhys Fatt had a good chance to extend Benfleet’s lead, however, his effort from the right side of the home side’s box was saved at goalkeeper Jack Riddell’s near post. May & Baker hit a couple of efforts off target, before Benfleet now also had ten men on the pitch, following an injury to one of their players (they had made all of their substitutions). 

It was after some really good pace from Benfleet substitute Robert Lacey, to drive forward with the ball through the middle of the pitch, that got the away side up the pitch and into a promising area. Lacey eventually passed the ball to Rhys Fatt inside the May & Baker box. His powerful effort was pushed away by the goalkeeper, but only as far as Lacey, who was able to volley the ball past the goalkeeper and into the goal, from close range, late on in the game, 2-4. Once again however, May & Baker continued to work very hard to try and get back into the game. From a May & Baker corner-kick, Marcus Bamidele had a header cleared off the goal-line by Billy Carter. A clever through-ball pass from Antony Connor to find the run of Idris Aminu saw him get in behind the Benfleet defence, before he was fouled inside the penalty area, resulting in the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Antony Connor stepped-up to confidently take the penalty, and he found the bottom left corner of the goal, 3-4. With only minutes of the game remaining, in second half additional time, May & Baker were reduced to nine players, after substitute Ian McIntosh was shown a straight red card for a sliding challenge on a Benfleet player. This was a very eventful game of football between two very fine sides at step six of the non-League system. On another day however, May & Baker could definitely have won the game.

My player of the match, despite there being several impressive performances, was the very inventive and skilful May & Baker player Antony Connor. With two assists and a goal, the winger/midfield player was always looking to create chances, and he was always looking to make forward passes. Antony played very well on the day.