Season begins with a draw

27th July 2024 | ESL Premier League
Buckhurst Hill FC 2-2 Little Oakley

60’ – Dan Jones
67’ – Suley Zudhu


By Anthony Mercer.

The opening day of the season saw the sides share the spoils on a warm afternoon at Myrak Park. At the final whistle it could be said, it was a game of 2 halves.

Buckhurst Hill went into the game with 5 debutants, but it was the visitors striker Darren Mills who was in the thick of the action.

After 2 minutes, Buckhurst Hill went close when Robertson hit just over the top. Little Oakley upped their performance and Mills saw an 8th minute header hit the inside of the post and away from safety.
On 23, the same striker Mills smashed a 20 yard effort that crashed off the bar, with the shot unstoppable.
On 32 Suley Zuhdu went near, when his effort was cleared off the line. 3 minutes later the visitors took a deserved lead when long servant and captain Lewis Wood poked home from close range.
Buckhurst Hill grew into the game, but were dealt a blow on 58 when a Little Oakley corner from the right found the head of home substitute Gabriel Mendoza who saw the ball come off the back of his head to make it 0-2.

Buckhurst Hill pulled a goal back just 2 minutes later, when he was played through one on one with the keeper to slot home. On 67 The Stags pulled level when Youcef Tacine was brought down on the edge of the box and up stepped Suley Zuhdu to hit a fine free kick into the net.
The home side finished strong and another substitute Chandler Wray hit wide after good work from Tacine.
The whistle went, to see both sides pick up their first points of the season.

After the game Manager Mark Williams commented on the game “I thought they were more at the races in the 1st half and we were too passive and 2nd to the ball. The second half saw us much better and even though we went 2 down with an own goal, we were much the better side. We showed good character to get it back to 2-2 and could have gone on to win it . But we’ll take the point and move onto Wednesdays home game v Saffron Walden”

Team: Smith, Clark, Buchanan (Carolan 69), Okuguni, Harris, Ogunsanya (Mendoza 36), Warner, Tacine, Jones, Zuhdu, Robertson (Wray 69)

Subs not used Williams and Lamb