Non-League and Academy football writer

Two very good sides in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division South faced each other on Tuesday night in east London (at the Old Spotted Dog Ground), in a league fixture. Sixth place (after 11 matches played) Clapton Community, and seventh place Rayleigh Town (after 11 matches played) have both had similar starts to the season, but after meeting on Tuesday in the league, it was Clapton Community who won this step 6 game, 4-2.

After a good start and pace to this game, Clapton Community would take an early lead. Following a free-kick which had been awarded to the home side out on the right-hand side of the pitch, set-piece specialist James Briggs would deliver an exquisite lofted ball into the Rayleigh penalty area. His excellent delivery was met by Cameron Gordon who finished well, on the bounce, after meeting the ball at the back post, 1-0. After play had resumed, Rayleigh Town would go on to be very creative with the ball, in what was a good spell for them in the game. A quick move from the away side would result in Dylan Jones receiving the ball on the edge of the home side’s box, before he hit an effort wide of Clapton Community goalkeeper Jack Francis’ right-hand post.

As Rayleigh Town continued to play well, as they looked to respond to going 1-0 down, a headed effort (following a cross into the box) from a Rayleigh player on the Clapton Community goal, was excellently pushed away by the very alert Jack Francis. And then a couple of minutes later, Rob Hodgson’s headed effort on goal, from inside of the home team’s box, was well kept out by Francis, before a Clapton Community defender then made a good block from his effort on the follow-up. However, another set-piece for the home side would lead to another goal, with James Briggs once again providing the assist, after Clapton Community had done well to protect their one goal lead. James Briggs’ deftly accurate corner-kick delivery was powerfully headed into the away team’s goal at the goalkeeper’s near post, by Will Wright, 2-0.

Around ten minutes after Geoff Ocran’s side had doubled their advantage in tie game, and not long before half-time, James Briggs’ curling free-kick effort from 25 yards out, would go narrowly wide of Rayleigh goalkeeper Josh Hudson’s goal. Clapton Community would start the second half of this match in superb fashion. As the east London club went on to score two goals in quick succession, to really strengthen their lead in this game. For their third goal of the game, Nathan Cook’s powerful low effort from around 25 yards out on the Rayleigh goal would take a possible deflection off of a Rayleigh player inside of the penalty area, as the ball went beyond Hudson and into the away team’s goal, 3-0.

For Clapton Community’s fourth goal of the night, soon after their third, some good skill from Fred Taylor on the left flank would result in him playing a short forward pass to Cameron Gordon. The forward’s resulting whipped cross into the Rayleigh penalty area, was met by the onrushing David Makisi, who from inside of the box he would powerfully volley the ball into the goal in style, 4-0. Clapton Community had been really controlling the game during the second half, but as the second half went on Rayleigh Town would start to create some more goalscoring chances.

Clapton Community defender’s Sam Cook and then Will Wright would make important defensive interventions/clearances off the goal-line, in quick succession. However, Rayleigh did manage to make it 4-1, soon after. After Rayleigh Town’s impressive substitute Arnold Acheampong had managed to meet a good lofted pass on the edge of the home side’s penalty area, he was able to just go beyond the outrushing goalkeeper, before doing well to loop the ball over a defender and into the goal, 4-1. Rayleigh Town then managed to get another goal, before the final whistle had been sounded by the referee. As Rob Hodgson received a short pass on the edge of the Clapton Community penalty area, before clipping the ball really well over Francis, as the ball dipped into his goal, 4-2.

Clapton Community (they played their football really well and effectively) deserved this win on Tuesday. They were the better team overall, and at 4-0 up during the early stages of the second half, it was always going to be very difficult for Rayleigh Town to get anything from this game. And although Rayleigh finished the game really well, with Rob Hodgson (he was my Rayleigh Town player of the match) scoring a superb goal to make it 4-2 late on, Clapton Community still won this game comfortably in the end.

For my player of the match award, there were a number of contenders, Jack Francis (he made some crucial and very impressive saves with the scores at 1-0), Cameron Gordon (he lead the line very well, scoring one goal and providing an assist) and central-defender Will Wright were just some of the contenders. However, with two really fine assists, and overall a really good performance in central midfield from the excellent James Briggs, the experienced and quality midfielder was my player of the match. James Briggs has been excellent for Clapton Community since the season started in July, and he continues to play such a big part in this wonderful team.