Woodford Town 2 Takeley 0
Essex Senior League
Friday 4th October
A lacklustre Takeley performance was punished by a hard working Woodford Town side on Friday evening. The Woods soaked up pressure, looked threatening when they did go forward, and put away two chances to extend their unbeaten run to four, hurting Takeley’s title hopes whilst at the same time moving them up to 3rd before the rest of the ESL fixtures take place on Saturday.
It was the visitors that created the first chance of the game; on 7 minutes Stuart Zanone let rip but Alex Reed was equal to it, pushing the ball over the crossbar to concede a corner. The Woods ‘keeper then cut out the resulting in-swinger.
The Woods replied with a three-man passing move involving Samir Ali, Dejuane Taylor-Crossdale and Malaki Toussaint resulted in Toussaint sending over a cross-shot. A Woods ball over the top may have played in Taylor-Crossdale, who was chasing it, but Ronnie Yeates, the Takeley ‘keeper rushed out the box and headed the ball clear. Taylor-Crossdale was certainly chomping at the bit as he fired a shot just wide in the 14th minute. A few minutes later and Ali was having a shot blocked by Yeates; from this Takeley then launched a counter-attack which ended with Zanone blasting a shot wide.
After that sudden bit of end-to-end, the game then became bogged down in the midfield, with not so much goalmouth action. Takeley’s Mitchell Das went on a mazy run that got him into a shooting position: the end result was dragged wide though. Jack Grosvenor had a well placed cross cut out by Yeates, who then had to catch a long range effort by Taylor-Crossdale in the 35th minute.
But the half played out to Takeley suddenly having a bit of purpose upfront as Kyan Gulliver delivered a cross that just missed Charlie Cole at the near post, reached Zanone at the back post, with the resulting shot not having enough power and was deflected away for a corner. The visitors won a number of these in the final stages of the half; the final one though in stoppage time very nearly handed Takeley the lead. A fine corner fell nicely to Zanone inside the six-yard box, but he somehow shot straight at Reed, who was no doubt grateful to be handling the ball as opposed to picking the ball out of the net. It was a golden opportunity for Takeley to have taken the lead, but they contrived to blow it.
Both teams needed to raise the tempo in the second half; both had early crosses that tested the respective ‘keepers, but it wasn’t until the 55th minute that a clear cut chance was created. Takeley created it as Zanone turned and fired a shot that Reed palmed away.
Two minute later and the Woods were in the lead as Ellis Routledge picked up a ball in midfield, steamed past the Takeley defence, paced into the box and then fired a diagonal shot that beat Yeates at his left hand post to open the scoring.
Soon afterwards Das had a cross headed clear by Grosvenor, and then in the next Takeley attack Das had a shot well saved Reed. But Woodford went close to extending their lead in the 63rd minute when Routledge picked out Ethan Kessel but the chance was placed narrowly wide.
Woodford needed to get another goal as Takeley raised their game in the final twenty minutes, as first Gulliver poked a shot wide, then a free kick was met by George Wappett’s towering header which he couldn’t keep down. And the visitors then carved up the Woods defence as Alex Warman and Wappett exchanged passes and then laid it off to Zanone who had his low shot turned around the post by Reed. A brace of corners had to be dealt with by the Woods defence, which they were able to do, but they were now starting to soak up a bit of Takeley pressure. A Takeley free kick in the 84th minute was delivered into the six yard box by Warman but Reed claimed this whilst under pressure.
Woodford Town nearly sealed the deal when a cross by Routledge could only be side-footed wide by Al Dani. Then into stoppage time and a delivery from Olly Miles was nearly deflected the net by a Woods defender. Instead it went just wide, with the last ditch corner Warman had a shot blocked, and with Yeates having ran into the box it meant that Woodford launched a last attack that resulted in Taylor-Crossdale hitting a shot that rolled into the unguarded Takeley net to finally secure the win.
Takeley were not at the races this evening and Woodford Town made them pay for it and they have now rocked up to the top end of the table and looking good enough to remain there.
Woodford Town: Alex Reed, Leon Wildman, Ellis Routledge, Luke Edgar, Jack Grosvenor (Capt), Malaki Toussaint, Andrea Mantovani, Ethan Kessel (Djinho Itshary 85’), De’Juane Taylor-Crossdale, Connor Leon, Samir Ali (Al Dani 70’).
Scorers – Ellis Routledge (57’), De’Juane Taylor-Crossdale (90+3’).
Takeley: Ronnie Yates, Bryn Thorpe, Kyan Gulliver, Alex Warman, Mark Smith, Josh Sykes (Leo Pontes 79’), Mitchell Das, Stuart Zanone (Olly Miles 85’), Charlie Cole, George Wappett.
