Non-League and Academy football writer

Newbury Forest welcomed Benfleet to Oakside Stadium on Monday night, for this Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League Division One South fixture. Newbury Forest started the match in 16th place in the league standings, with Benfleet currently top of the table, going into this game, and with a real chance of being promoted to step 5, for next season. Benfleet would win this match 1-0, thanks to a late winning goal for the away team. During the early stages of the game, Newbury Forest player Chaka Barnett hit a low effort on the Benfleet goal (he was off balance at the time) from distance, which was gathered by Benfleet goalkeeper Archie Cunningham. A couple of minutes later, a long Benfleet throw-in into the Newbury Forest box, was headed just wide by Cameron Harris, close to the right-hand post. A good ball in behind the Newbury Forest defence would result in Max Jobson’s effort from the left-hand side of the Newbury Forest penalty area, being deflected into the side-netting of their goal. Shortly after Newbury Forest goalkeeper Sebastian Barford had saved a headed effort on his goal, Matt Connolly volleyed an effort wide of the Benfleet goal, after meeting Ifeanyi Umeh’s corner kick into their penalty area.

It had been a fairly even first half, and as the first half progressed, there were to be some more decent opportunities for both sides to take the lead from. Following a low effort on the Benfleet goal from Ifeanyi Umeh, which was saved and gathered by Archie Cunningham, the impressive Ruben Carvalho did some good work on the ball, before finding Chaka Barnett on the right-hand side of the Benfleet box. However, Barnett’s powerful effort went wide of Archie Cunningham’s near post. A powerful low effort on the Newbury Forest goal, soon after, from Taylor Lawrence, was well blocked inside the Newbury Forest penalty area. Newbury Forest would continue to be resilient in defence, during the remainder of the first half. At the beginning of the second half, Benfleet player Max Jobson had a low effort on the Newbury Forest goal, which was saved and gathered by Sebastian Barford. A free-kick delivery into the home team’s penalty area from Henry Sims, was met by Michael Fitzgibbon, not far out from the Newbury Forest goal. However, Michael Fitzgibbon’s effort was impressively tipped behind by Sebastian Barford.

Benfleet were in control of the ball at this point in the game. After Benfleet centre-forward Max Jobson had latched onto a back pass inside the Newbury Forest Box, the impressive Benfleet player took the ball around goalkeeper Sebastian Barford, before laying the ball off to Michael Fitzgibbon, whose effort from close range went over the crossbar. Some good skill and ball control from Ruben Carvalho would result in the skilful Newbury Forest player entering the Benfleet penalty area. His powerful effort on goal was well saved by Archie Cunningham, who then did well to keep out Aron Meshi’s effort on the follow-up, from inside the penalty area. After Cameron Harris made a good block from Stanley Smart’s effort towards the Benfleet goal, Henry Sims had a low free-kick effort from the edge of the Newbury Forest box, on their goal, saved by Sebastian Barford. And then a couple of minutes later, as the game continued to be played at a good pace, Robert Lacey had an effort well cleared off the Newbury Forest goal-line, by Newbury Forest captain George Montgomery.

The ball was mainly in the Newbury Forest half of the pitch, as the second half came fairly close to its end. After Max Jobson had a headed effort on goal, following a corner kick, cleared off the Newbury Forest goal-line, the same Benfleet player would, a couple of minutes later, have a headed effort on goal saved by Sebastian Barford. Newbury Forest had defended their goal really bravely and well, throughout the game. However, with Benfleet pushing for that all important winning goal, their persistence paid off, very late on in the match. The winning goal of the game came from a long throw-in, which had been delivered into the Newbury Forest box. The ball ended up coming to Robert Lacey, whose initial effort on goal from close range, was well blocked by Pelumi Oladokun, before the ball came back to Lacey, who this time lifted the ball into the roof of the goal, 0-1. This prompted great celebrations by the Benfleet players, who knew all too well the importance of that goal.

Just before the referee had sounded his whistle for full-time, Nial Appiah had a curling effort on the Benfleet goal, saved by Archie Cunningham. This was a game between two teams in contrasting positions in the league table. However, there was some really good defending, and a lot of effort and passion shown by both sets of players. It was of course Benfleet who won the game, and they deserved to score a goal, for their dominance in the second half. However, my player of the match on Monday was Newbury Forest captain George Montgomery, whose performance in central defence for the home team, was admirable. He would defend well throughout the game, and he made some good defensive decisions. However, he also marshalled Leo Connolly’s Newbury Forest team’s defence well on the pitch, throughout the game.