Non-League and Academy football writer

Chadwell Heath Spartans faced Woodford Town Reserves on Saturday afternoon, in an Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division fixture at The Jack Carter Centre. Chadwell Heath Spartans started this league fixture in sixth place in the table, after 27 matches played. This was Woodford Town Reserves’ final league fixture of the season, and after 29 matches played in their debut season in the league, they started this match in seventh place in the league standings. This competitive match would end in a 1-1 draw. A couple of minutes in to this match, Spartans player Jaiden Buntin would find Ryan O’Connell with a good lofted pass, to the edge of the Woodford box. Ryan O’Connell’s resulting lobbed effort would go over Callum McEvoy’s goal. Soon after that early chance for the Spartans, Woodford player Fionn O’Connell, would hit a low effort wide of the home team’s goal, from 20 yards out. 

This competitive game saw a fairly quiet spell, with both teams competing for the ball well, and trying to create chances. After Spartans centre-forward George Mariner had latched on to the ball after Callum McEvoy’s short pass out from his penalty area had gone towards him, Mariner would lay the ball off for Billy Gipp. The Spartans player’s lofted dipping effort from 30 yards out, would go narrowly over the Woodford goal, however. A powerful Aaron Hunwicks effort from distance would then go wide of McEvoy’s goal, before Woodford came close to taking the lead on the stroke of half-time, with Charlie Bowes getting to the ball on the edge of the Spartans’ box, following a partial clearance from a defender. Bowes’ resulting curling effort would go just wide of Dino Maras’ left-hand post.

The first chance of the second half was created by the Spartans. Joe Robb’s pass to Thomas Callagher on the edge of the Woodford box would result in Callagher playing a forward pass towards George Mariner, inside of the penalty area. Mariner would manage to hold off a defender, before seeing his effort from close range be kept out by Callum McEvoy. Then on the follow-up, and Ryan O’Connell had an effort on goal which was well blocked by a defender. A couple of moments later, and Billy Gipp would curl a free-kick effort from the edge of the visitor’s box, over their goal. A fairly uneventful spell would follow, before Woodford would go on to create a number of fine goalscoring chances.

The youthful Woodford Town Reserves would take the lead (on 55 minutes) in this contest, following a long throw-in in to the centre of the Spartans’ penalty area, which would eventually fall for the alert Charlie Bowes, who finished well in to the goal, 1-0. Woodford would start to see a lot of the ball inside of the Spartans’ final third. Following a fine pass across from the left flank, to find the run of Arthur Massingham, on the right-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, the youngster’s resulting effort on goal was well saved and closed down by the outrushing and alert Dino Maras.

A couple of minutes after that good chance for Arthur Massingham, Woodford player Remarle Lawrence would bring the ball down really well, just on the edge of the home side’s box. He would then curl an effort on goal, which was well parried by Dino Maras, before Bailey Brown had two efforts on goal on the follow-up and in quick succession, that were both really well blocked on the goal-line by Harry Goodwin. Woodford Town Reserves would continue to create chances, and another good move would follow. This time the impressive Lucas Verdant would find Arthur Massingham, with a great pass out to the right-hand side of the pitch. Massingham would then pick out Charlie Bowes at the back post, with a good pass across the floor. However, Bowes’ effort would go narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. 

The latter stages of this game were played at a good pace. A couple of minutes after Arthur Massingham had managed to do really well, under pressure, with the ball on the left-hand side of the Spartans’ penalty area, he would play the ball across to Bailey Brown on the opposite side of the box. But, the forward’s first time effort would go just over the goal. And after that really good spell in the game for Woodford, Chadwell Heath Spartans would manage to battle back in to the game well, very late on. And Aaron Hunwicks’ side would go on to score a late leveller. The tireless Billy Gipp’s deep cross in to the Woodford box, from the left flank, was met by Courtney Holness, who was in a bit of space at the back post, and he would then volley the ball in to the goal from close range, 1-1.

This was a very competitive game, between two sides who worked very hard throughout this contest. Both sides would have good spells in the game, doing well despite the windy conditions, but, the Spartans will be a lot happier with how this game ended, especially after Woodford had created a number of good chances in quick succession during the second half. My player of the match on Saturday, was Woodford Town Reserves’ central midfielder Lucas Verdant, who I thought did a fine job in midfield, and he was always looking to play the ball forward. However, Ritchie Malunda, Billy Gipp, and Kian McEvoy, were all contenders. For the Spartans, and although Courtney Holness and Raymond Hunwicks both made a good impression from the bench, late on in this game, with an important assist and a good all-round performance, the tireless Billy Gipp was my Spartans player of the match.