Wednesday 19th February, 2025 | Buckhurst Hill 0-1 FC Clacton | Essex Senior Premier League | Attendance : 88
By Harry Biggs
Mark Williams made just two changes to the side that snatched a last-minute winner against Barking on Saturday afternoon. Austin Nkwonta started in a front three alongside Zuhdu and Ferris, making his first start in black and blue. Buckhurst Hill also welcomed back Tyler Dolan, who made only his second appearance of the season despite having over 50 appearances for the club in the past three years.
Before kickoff, Stags defender Alfie Harris was honoured for reaching 150 senior appearances for Buckhurst Hill since the start of the Thurlow Nunn campaign in the 2021/22 season. Having come through the club’s youth ranks, Alfie has become a key player over the past four years of senior football—a fantastic achievement for one of our own.
Match Action
Early on, The Stags pushed for an opener while the visitors sat back, looking to counter. The first major chance fell to Alfie Harris on his milestone appearance, and it seemed written in the stars. The ball bounced invitingly to him on the edge of the box, and he struck it with power—only to see his effort crash off the crossbar. Clacton barely held on.
Just two minutes later, Archie Hammond had another opportunity from outside the box, but his shot went inches wide of the post.
Despite relentless pressure, Buckhurst Hill struggled to find the net. Around the 30-minute mark, Hammond nearly broke the deadlock with a brilliantly placed free kick destined for the top corner, but Clacton’s keeper, Betts, managed to tip it over the bar.
The Stags fans rallied behind their team, chanting “Super Mark Williams’ Army” around Myrak Park. The momentum seemed to be building when Buckhurst Hill had a strong penalty shout. Jack Ferris was brought down in the box during a counterattack, but the referee waved away the appeals, leaving The Stags feeling hard done by.
Just before halftime, Jude Carolan tried his luck, but with Clacton throwing bodies in the way, his shot was blocked. Despite dominating the first half, Buckhurst Hill somehow went into the break level at 0-0. Before the whistle, Clacton picked up three yellow cards—two for repeated fouls and one for dissent from their manager.
Second Half
Just a minute into the restart, The Stags had another golden opportunity. A stunning free-kick from Suley Zuhdu rattled the crossbar, with Betts rooted to the spot once again.
Eight minutes later, Buckhurst Hill should have finally taken the lead. A chaotic scramble in the box saw an overhead kick from Ethan Daniels and a follow-up effort from Williams, but Clacton defenders threw everything at it, and Betts somehow held onto the ball.
At the hour mark, Mark Williams made his first change, bringing on Dan Jones for Austin Nkwonta. Shortly after, Zuhdu had two chances in quick succession—one blocked by a Clacton defender and another, a rare-headed effort, which went just wide of the post.
In the 73rd minute, the play was halted for nearly 10 minutes after a serious injury to a Clacton player, requiring treatment from both benches. Thankfully, we have since received confirmation that the player is okay and has returned home.
Resuming play, The Stags continued to press for a winner. Zuhdu’s powerful strike was tipped around the post by Betts. In a bid to secure all three points, Mark Williams made two attacking substitutions, replacing Hammond and Foster with Padington and Torsiello.
With Buckhurst Hill throwing everything forward, it seemed inevitable they would at least salvage a point. Zuhdu had another golden opportunity—dribbling past the Clacton defence with ease—but blazed his shot over the bar, a frustrating miss with just seven minutes left.
A minute later, Padington came close. After a dazzling run, his shot missed the post by mere millimetres.
Late Drama
Then, disaster struck. With just four minutes of normal time remaining, a poorly executed throw-in in Buckhurst Hill’s half gifted possession to Clacton. A hopeful long ball was launched forward, and as Daniels attempted to clear it under pressure, he was nudged in the air. The ball fell kindly to Jack Graham, who fired past Anthony Page—Clacton’s second shot on target all night, and it was enough to steal the win.
With only two minutes left, Mark Williams made a final substitution, bringing on Kai Peters for Jude Carolan in a last-ditch attempt to salvage a point.
The referee awarded 10 minutes of stoppage time, but despite their best efforts, The Stags couldn’t find an equalizer. Clacton ran down the clock, earning two more yellow cards for time-wasting, and as the final whistle blew, Buckhurst Hill fell to an undeserved defeat against a side that had only won twice all season.
A special thank you to our Young Stags, who were mascots on the night, and to our loyal fans who passionately supported the team throughout the 90 minutes. A frustrating result, but we move forward to Saturday’s away trip to Saffron Walden.
TEAM :
Page 🧤, Foster, Carolan, Hammond, Harris, Daniels, Dolan, Williams ©️, Nkwonta, Zuhdu, Ferris
SUBS :
Euan O’Neil, Dan Jones (58’ – Nkwonta), Padington (78’ – Foster), Peters (87’ – Carolan), Torsiello (78’ – Hammond)
UPCOMING GAMES:
Saturday 22nd February – Halstead Town (H) – KO 3pm – Essex Senior League
Wednesday 26th February – White Ensign (H) – KO 7:45pm – Essex Senior League
Saturday 1st March – Halstead Town (H) – KO 3pm – Essex Senior League
