Non-League and Academy football writer

In the first round of this seasons BBC Essex Senior Cup, Essex Senior League side (step 5) West Essex, faced Thurlow Nunn League First Division South side Newbury Forest (step 6), at Wadham Lodge. West Essex have drawn two and lost two from their first four Essex Senior League matches of the new season. Newbury Forest have started their league season well, with Marce Collington’s side winning four, drawing one, and losing one, from their opening six league matches of the new season. It was West Essex who progressed in to the second round of the BBC Essex Senior Cup, with a 2-0 home win on Tuesday.

West Essex would start this cup tie well. Following a deep cross from the right-hand side of the pitch, and towards the back post of the Newbury Forest goal, West Essex forward Yemi Adelani would head an effort wide of Alfie Fitzearle’s goal. Soon after that early effort from the home side, and Alfie Fitzearle would make a good save to push behind a powerful header on his goal, following another good cross in to the Newbury Forest penalty area. George Karsa’s West Essex side continued their good start to this game. Some nice skill from Jaedon Phillips to progress the ball beyond a Newbury Forest player in the final third, would result in Phillips passing the ball to Yemi Adelani, who was just inside of the Newbury Forest box. Yemi Adelani’s powerful low resulting effort across Fitzearle’s goal, would whistle narrowly wide of his right-hand post. 

West Essex’s right-back Alex Awobimpe had been making some great crosses in to the Newbury Forest penalty area during the early stages of this game. One such cross would see him find Oliver Travell at the back post. However, in a bit of space, Travell would nod an effort wide of the goal. Despite Newbury Forest having started to grow in to this cup tie, in the 29th minute of the game West Essex would take the lead. Their captain – Harry Norman, would get to the ball following a lay off from a teammate, and from approximately 20 yards out from the Newbury Forest goal, Norman would hit a really well struck and powerful first time effort beyond a number of players in and around the box, and low in to the goal, 1-0.

From the edge of the Newbury Forest penalty area Jaedon Phillips would whip an effort on Fitzearle’s goal, which was gathered by the Newbury Forest goalkeeper. And just before half-time Newbury Forest player Anthony Sanderson’s lofted diagonal pass would find Sam Blackholly on the right-hand side of the home team’s penalty area. The Newbury Forest defender’s first time volleyed effort was gathered by Preston Lakey in the West Essex goal. After the second half had started, Newbury Forest would continue to improve as the game went on. After Anthony Sanderson’s powerful low effort (from the edge of the West Essex box) had gone wide of Preston Lakey’s goal, Newbury Forest defender Bradley Ismaili would come close to getting an equalising goal. As following a corner-kick, Bradley Ismaili would get to the ball on the left-hand side of the West Essex box. However, his effort across goal was cleared away by a defender.

Following Oliver Travell’s headed effort on Fitzearle’s goal which was gathered by the Newbury Forest goalkeeper, at the opposite end of the pitch shortly afterwards, Reon Reid would curl an effort wide of the home team’s goal on his right foot, from the edge of their box. The next chance of this game was created by West Essex, with Harry Norman playing a good pass out to Oliver Travell on the left flank, which would result in the winger delivering a cross in to the Newbury Forest box, as Yemi Adelani saw his headed effort go wide of the goal.

In the 90th minute of the game West Essex would make it 2-0. The impressive Jaedon Phillips would get to a pass in behind of the Newbury Forest defence, before going down the left-hand side of the pitch at pace. He would eventually take the ball down the left-hand side of the away team’s box, before powering a low effort in to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 2-0. Shortly before full-time, and Newbury Forest’s captain Eben Mbona would receive a short pass to the right-hand side of the West Essex box, before doing well to get a powerful effort away on goal, under pressure. His fine effort on goal was however, really well pushed over by Preston Lakey.

This was a good and competitive tie, in which West Essex, who were of course the team from the higher league, had to work hard for the win. Newbury Forest grew in to the game well, as it progressed, and I thought that they did well in this cup tie, overall and as a team. West Essex deserved their win, and they played their football well as a team, and to good effect. My Newbury Forest player of the match was their impressive central-defender Bradley Ismaili. However, I also thought that Andy Morris, on the left-hand side of central-defence, also put in a good defensive performance. For my overall player of the match award and despite competition from Bradley Ismaili, Jaedon Phillips and Harry Norman, my player of the match was West Essex defender Alex Awobimpe, who greatly impressed me from the right-back position. He showed really good balance to his game, and he did both sides of the game well, from his defensive position on the right-hand side of the pitch.