Saturday 24th November Scores Round Up

Ryman Division One North
EDGWARE TOWN 1 BRENTWOOD TOWN 1

These two promotion challengers produced an excellent game of football at Edgware's White Lion ground.

Both clubs won promotion to the Ryman League at the end of last season and both have made a good start. Saturday’s result put Edgware back to the top of the league table while Brentwood, who are currently back in tenth position, have enough games in hand to potentially overtake all the teams above them.
Brentwood’s line up included new signing Craig Gillam, a forward formerly with Aveley and Bowers & Pitsea. He had an early chance when the ball fell to him on the edge of the area in the fifth minute but his shot was pushed away by home keeper Darren Bonfield.

Edgware had already lost one of their forwards by that time, Dennis Maharjan having fallen awkwardly and been replaced by Fabio Valenti. Valenti soon looked lively in a three pronged home attack and he went close in the eighth minute from a free kick. His first effort hit the wall but his second shot went just wide of Marc Palmer’s right hand post. Edgware defender Gavin Hart almost turned a dangerous Lee Noble cross into his own goal in the tenth minute, but that was one of Noble’s last contributions as he had also suffered an early knock and he was soon replaced by Riki Holmes.

Gillam came into the game more as the first half progressed and it was he who created the best chance so far when his pass found Holmes whose well timed run took him clear with only Bonfield to beat. But Holmes’ touch allowed the ball to get away from him and gave the keeper a chance to save. Edgware lost another forward, their top scorer Greg Ngoyi, through injury at the start of the second half, but they looked dangerous at times and the Blues’ defence was tested by two good free kicks delivered into their box by Adil Salih. Brentwood took the lead in the 60th minute. Centre back Steve King drove home through a crowd of players from twelve yards out following a Holmes corner.

Brentwood had brought on Sean Thomas for Leon Diaczuk just before the goal and his extra pace gave the Edgware defence some new problems. Thomas got round the advancing Bonfield and crossed to the far post where Holmes could not turn the ball into the vacant net and the ball was gratefully cleared by the home defence.
Gillam was then desperately unlucky when his fine shot hit the post, and Blues could have done with a two goal cushion as Edgware began to press for an equaliser. Their goal came in the 74th minute. Palmer did well to keep out a header from Ben Hayden but substitute Ben Cain scored from close range.

With both sides committed to trying to win the game the last fifteen minutes was a feast of attacking football. Steve King went closest to another goal for Brentwood when his header from a Joao Carlos corner was cleared off the line by Hart in the 82nd minute. Left winger Carlos, who had troubled Edgware full back Salih all afternoon, nearly grabbed an 89th minute winner after a typical tricky run into the area but his shot went just wide.
In the end Blues felt they had probably created enough chances to have won but it was a fine match enjoyed by everyone present.
Brentwood Town: Palmer, King, Neville, Scotchmer, Wilson, Street, Carlos, Dafter, Gillam, Diaczuk (Thomas 58), Noble (Holmes 19)

Fred Budden Trophy 2nd Round

BRENTWOOD TOWN RESEERVES 3 WALTHAM ABBEY RESERVES 0
Matt Maher, Alfie Hayes and Lewis Akpata scored our goals. 

Billericay 0-1 Margate

A wind affected encounter at New Lodge saw Billericay dominate the first half but fail to capitalise before Margate capitalised in the 2nd half. A further blow for the Blues was the apparently serious injury to keeper Billy McMahon.
 
Billericay started positively and created numerous early chances, as the visitors struggled to keep possession whilst playing into the wind.   Lee Hodges, Tony Boot, Jamie Dormer, Leon Hunter and Ricky Burbridge all had decent efforts on goal.

Margate’s James Pinnock also had some good scoring opportunities, but his side will have been pleased to get to the break on level terms having coped with the pressure and challenging wind conditions.

The second half saw a reversal of fortunes, as Billericay struggled with the wind and Margate dominated possession and pressured McMahon’s goal.  The Blues’ keeper clashed with Jimmy Jackson as they went for a Ryan Martin cross to the far post.  McMahon was stretchered off and taken to hospital by ambulance with suspected knee ligament damage. 

Soon after replacing McMahon, Jack Buckfield was picking the ball out of his own net.  The young keeper made a good save, but the visitors managed to get the ball back into the box for Pinnock to score from close range on 72 minutes.  Billericay struggled to pressure the Margate goal as they strove for an equaliser, and the visitors returned to Kent with all three points.

Matt Jones will be hoping to name some of the players currently unavailable for the forthcoming games against Wealdstone and Ramsgate.  The most eagerly anticipated return will be that of top scorer Joe Flack, as Billericay seek their first win for over a month, and a move up the table from their currently perilous position.

McMahon (Buckfield), McSweeney, Kerrigan, Semanshia, Heffer, Dormer, Abbott (Bradshaw), Hunter, Boot (Woods-Garness), Burbridge, Hodges
Subs not used: Gentle, Lay

European Championship Qualifying

Serbia 1-0 Kazakhstan

Barclays Premier League
Arsenal 2-0 Wigan
Birmingham 0-2 Portsmouth
Bolton 1-0 Man Utd
Derby 0-2 Chelsea
Everton 7-1 Sunderland
Man City 2-1 Reading
Middlesbrough 0-3 Aston Villa
Newcastle 0-3 Liverpool

The Coca-Cola Football League Championship
Barnsley 3-2 Watford
Bristol City 0-2 Leicester
Burnley 0-0 Stoke
Cardiff 1-0 Ipswich
Colchester 1-2 Crystal Palace
Norwich 2-0 Coventry
Preston 0-2 Charlton
QPR 0-0 Sheff Wed
Scunthorpe 1-2 Hull
Sheff Utd 0-1 Plymouth
Southampton 1-0 Blackpool