Buckhurst Hill 2 – 0 Southend Manor
Essex Senior League | Tuesday 6th September
Buckhurst Hill picked up their first league win of the season against Southend Manor, who battled hard, had a fair amount of possession but were gunned down by Sonny Shilling and a goal of the season contender from Jake Moss.
The Stags opened up brightly, winning a brace of early corners, with Suley Zuhdu also having a shot blocked.
But after that the visitors had most of the play. Ben Allen attempted an audacious overhead kick, that was soon followed by Luke Jackson cutting into the Stags’ box and firing a diagonal shot inches wide. And the one-way traffic continued as Manor on 22 minutes played another ball into the box that needed Max Nicholson to stand firm and hook the ball away whilst under pressure.
Manor followed that up with two back-to-back corners; the first inched its way towards the goal line before being headed away by Alfie Harris; the following corner resulted in Mitchell Allen getting a header on target, but Dan Blockley dived low to his left to save it.
Such was Manor’s possession that when the Stags broke the deadlock on 35 minutes it was very much against the run of play. However it’s chances finished off that count, and the Stags made good with there first real opportunity of the half as Alfie Harris paced down the wing, passed to Ezekiel Bademosi who then sent over a pinpoint cross to Sonny Shilling who buried the ball into the back of the net.
And then on 43 minutes the Stags extended their lead when Jake Moss unleashed a scream from 35 yards out that left Luca Collins, the Manor keeper, a mere spectator as it whizzed past him into the roof of the net.
But Manor had one last chance before the half was out, a decent one too as Ben Allen hit a powerful shot that Blockley saved.
The Stags opened the second period brightly, looking to add a further goal, and they almost got it as Nicholson’s cross to Zuhdu ended with him placing a shot a cat’s whisker wide of the post. Nicholson was involved in the next piece of action as well, heading away a Southend Manor free kick that was edging it’s way into the six-yard box.
As the second half wore on the Stags started to have more possession, keeping it very tight at the back but also going on the occasional foray up front that saw Zuhdu thump a long-range effort wide, then in the next attack hold the ball up before releasing Bademosi whose effort required Collins to pull of a superb save to keep out.
The Stags didn’t allow Manor a sniff in the final ten minutes but Sam Sollosi went close with an overhead kick, while Hassan Nailbant, a recent signing, almost made it 3-0 in the closing stages, when he chipped Collins only to see his shot hit the post.
All in all a good solid performance, with the first win under their belts, the Stags now go into two back-to-back away games at Stanway Rovers on Saturday, then at Sawbridgeworth Town a week later.
Buckhurst Hill: Dan Blockley, Max Nicholson, William Halford, Alfie Harris, Henry Day (Liam Foster 68′), Conor Tyrrell (Jack Griggs 62′), Tyler Dolan (Hassan Nailbant 77′), Jake Moss, Ezekiel Bademosi (James Deaney 77′), Suley Zuhdu (Capt), Sonny Shilling (Sam Sollosi 59′).
Scorers – Sonny Shilling (35′), Jake Moss (43′).
