Wednesday 22nd January, 2025 | Buckhurst Hill 2-3 Athletic Newham | Essex Senior League Premier | Attendance : 55
By Harry Biggs
A fixture that has so often provided late drama delivered yet again—but unfortunately for The Stags, the tables turned as Athletic Newham snatched all three points in added time, denying The Stags a vital point in their playoff push.
Mark made just two changes from the defeat to West Essex last time out, with Oliseh Okuguni and the injured Frankie Licheri replaced by Jaime Obama-Nvumba and Jude Carolan in the starting eleven. Alfie Harris returned to the bench after missing the previous game through injury, alongside Tyreece Robertson, who was also back among the substitutes.
Now onto the action—though there wasn’t much of it throughout the 90 minutes aside from the five goals scored! Inside the first four minutes, The Stags pushed for an opener, with Liam Foster’s audacious effort going just inches wide of the post.
The breakthrough came soon after, and it was Buckhurst Hill who struck first. Jaime Obama-Nvumba, playing against his former club, found himself on the scoresheet after a brilliant corner led to Liam Foster pinging the ball across goal. Obama-Nvumba finished in style into an open net. Eight minutes later, The Stags doubled their lead with another fine goal.
Dan Jones was the man of the moment, calmly slotting his shot past the Newham keeper. The visitors’ defence was caught out by a brilliant pass to Jones, who latched onto the ball and finished clinically to put The Stags 2-0 up.
The last significant action of the half saw Tim Moncur booked for delaying a restart as Newham prepared to take a free kick.
At halftime, The Stags looked comfortable, but Newham appeared determined, fit, and ready to fight back in the second half. Within four minutes of the restart, Athletic Newham pulled a goal back. A neat pass through The Stags’ defence allowed Wilson Mendes to fire a shot into the bottom corner for the visitors.
Mark quickly turned to his bench, substituting Jaime Obama-Nvumba and Tim Moncur for Alfie Padington and Tyreece Robertson to help manage the game.
A major stoppage followed as Newham’s Anderson Silva Baro received treatment for a nasty injury, with both teams’ physios assisting. The game was paused for five minutes while Baro was treated. Everyone at Buckhurst Hill wishes him a speedy recovery.
The Stags were forced into another substitution shortly after, as Alfie Padington, who had come on earlier, suffered an injury and couldn’t continue. Khadean Campbell replaced him for the final 15 minutes, tasked with helping The Stags hold on to their lead.
Despite pushing for a third goal to seal the win, The Stags couldn’t find the back of the net. Suley Zuhdu’s free-kick was saved, leaving the game hanging in the balance. Unfortunately, Athletic Newham found an equalizer with just six minutes of normal time remaining. A wild effort from a distance smashed against the crossbar, and the visitors celebrated wildly in front of an unimpressed Buckhurst Hill bench.
Both teams pushed for a winner as the clock ticked down, with chances coming at both ends. Tyreece Robertson looked certain to score when through on goal, but a Newham defender came out of nowhere to block what seemed a certain goal.
Then, in the 90+7th minute, Athletic Newham sealed the win. A mistake at the back allowed Newham to play an incredibly timed pass to substitute Kai Torres, who rounded The Stags’ keeper and finished in style with seconds left on the clock.
The referee blew for full-time, leaving The Stags still searching for their first three points of 2025.
A special mention must go to our incredible fans who braved the cold to support The Stags. The drumming and chants were brilliant, backing Mark and his side no matter the scoreline. We hope to see you all again on Saturday against FC Clacton.
Finally, I’d like to express my gratitude to the best club, players, and staff in the world. Before the match, I was presented with a special gift from the team to help capture brilliant photos on Matchdays, which will be live on our updated website soon. It just goes to show how special Buckhurst Hill FC truly is—thank you all!
TEAM :
Greene 🧤, Foster, Carolan, Moncur 🟨, Torsiello, Gregory, Hope, Williams ©️ 🟨, Jones ⚽, Zuhdu, Obama – Nvumba
SUBS :
Padington 🟨 (56’ – Moncur), Harris, Robertson 🟨 (55’ – Obama – Nvumba), Campbell (75’ – Padington)
UPCOMING GAMES:
Saturday 25th January – FC Clacton (H) – Essex Senior League Premier
Saturday 1st February – Stanway Rovers (A) – Essex Senior League
Tuesday 4th February – Great Wakering Rovers (A) – Essex Senior League
