Saturday 8th March, 2025 | Little Oakley 2-1 Buckhurst Hill | Essex Senior League Premier | Att : 90
By Harry Biggs
The Stags Fall Short in Hard-Fought Battle Against Little Oakley
The Stags returned to action on Saturday afternoon with a three-hour round trip to face Little Oakley FC in Harwich. Mark Williams’ side showed clear improvement from their 4-2 defeat against Halstead Town but were still unable to secure a point against high-flying Oakley.
Mark made five changes to the side that suffered defeat at Myrak Park in their last outing. Anthony Page returned in goal after missing the Halstead game, while young Stags signing Preston Knight was a new addition to the starting lineup. Alex Georgiou also made his first appearance for Buckhurst Hill, and Ted Buchanan returned to the side for the first time since taking on his new role as player-coach, replacing Jude Carolan in defense. The final change saw Sonny Shilling make his second full debut for The Stags, earning his first start in blue and black since the 2022/23 season after coming off the bench against Halstead.
Match Action
Buckhurst Hill started brilliantly, showing promise going forward. In the opening minutes, they dominated possession in Little Oakley’s half, but despite multiple opportunities, they struggled to create a clear-cut chance.
The first real test for Anthony Page came in the 12th minute when a shot from the hosts was strongly saved by the Buckhurst Hill goalkeeper. Just minutes later, The Stags were left frustrated when a Little Oakley defender clearly handled the ball just outside the box. Despite the appeals, the referee waved away the claims, leaving both players and fans baffled.
Little Oakley capitalized on this moment of controversy, taking the lead shortly after. Following a Buckhurst Hill attack, possession was lost in midfield, allowing the hosts to launch a swift counter-attack. Oakley’s striker, Jordi Papple, slotted the ball past Page, giving the home side an advantage that arguably did not reflect the early dominance of The Stags.
Buckhurst Hill responded by increasing the pressure on their opponents. Two dangerous corners from Buchanan forced Oakley’s goalkeeper to punch the ball away under intense pressure, keeping the score at 1-0.
Both sides pushed for the next goal, with Little Oakley going close just after the half-hour mark when a point-blank shot flew over the bar. Five minutes later, Chama Torsiello produced a brilliant last-ditch tackle to deny another Oakley counter-attack.
In the 42nd minute, The Stags found their equalizer in spectacular fashion. New signing Alex Georgiou picked up the ball just outside the box and, ignoring calls to pass, unleashed an audacious finesse shot into the top corner, clipping the underside of the crossbar on its way in—a goal of the season contender.
However, the joy was short-lived. Just three minutes later, Oakley restored their lead. A corner was delivered to the back post, where towering defender Lewis Wood rose highest to head past Page, making it 2-1 just before the break.
Second Half
Seven minutes after the restart, Buckhurst Hill felt they were denied a stonewall penalty. Torsiello was brought down inside the box, but once again, the referee waved away the appeals. To add insult to injury, Chama was booked for his protests.
Despite continued pressure, The Stags struggled to break through Oakley’s defense. A beautiful through ball from Archie Hammond found Khris Oti in the box, but his shot was well blocked, denying Buckhurst Hill a much-needed equalizer.
Mark responded by making a double substitution in the 65th minute, introducing Alfie Padington and new signing Marquez Cadette, a product of Buckhurst Hill’s youth system, in place of Liam Foster and Alex Georgiou.
Little Oakley nearly extended their lead shortly after, rattling the crossbar with a powerful strike. The Stags quickly countered and had a great opportunity of their own. As the ball appeared to be heading out for a goal kick, Oti kept it in play and delivered a dangerous low cross, but no one was there to finish.
In a final attempt to rescue a point, Mark made his third change of the afternoon, bringing on Esteban Oya for just his second first-team appearance, replacing Hammond.
Despite their relentless effort, The Stags couldn’t find an equalizer. Their final chance of the game fell to Williams, but his volley from the edge of the box sailed over the bar. With that, the hosts held on to claim all three points.
Looking Ahead
It was another hard-fought away day where The Stags pushed Little Oakley to their limits but couldn’t convert their chances into points. Next up is an away trip to Stansted, followed by an exciting fixture on Non-League Day. Stay tuned to our socials for all the latest updates!
TEAM :
Page 🧤, Foster, Buchanan, Harris, Knight, Torsiello, 🟨 Hammond, Williams ©️, Oti, Shilling, Georgiou ⚽
SUBS :
Padington (67’ – Georgiou), Oya (77- Hammond), Cadette (66’ – Foster), O’Neil
UPCOMING GAMES:
Saturday 15th March, 2025 – Stansted (A) – Essex Senior League
Saturday 22nd March, 2025 – Hullbridge Sports (H) NON LEAGUE DAY – Essex Senior League – STAY TUNED
Tuesday 25th March, 2025 – Saffron Walden (A) – Essex Senior League
