Saturday 4th October, 2025 | Buckhurst Hill 1-1 Little Oakley | Essex Senior League Premier | Attendance : 104
By Harry Biggs
Buckhurst Hill FC returned to action after a defeat against Romford FC in midweek, with a draw after a hard fought performance at Roding Lane against Little Oakley, with The Stags ending up unfortunate not to grab all three points.
Manager Mark Williams made 8 changes to the side that faced Romford in midweek with only Archie Hammond and Preston Knight keeping their places in the side. Goalkeeper Christian North was called into action by his parent club Aveley FC, so young keeper Andrew Zambrano would start between the sticks. Demitri Nicolaou and Josh Banfield came into the side in midfield, with Banfield donning the armband over Ollie Williams who was unavailable and so was Jake Brocklebank with the new signing adding to our injury list after picking up a knock in midweek. Liam Foster came in at right back with Carter Ford dropping to the bench and there was also a place for assistant player manager Ted Buchanan, who played his first game of the season. New signing Harvey Brown, who joins us from Concord Rangers of step 4, started at centre back with Alfie Harris missing out again. Star man Callum Maltese was another player missing out, so 18 year old Arthur Massingham would start on the wing for his first full debut for our first team after being at the club since a young boy. The other flank completed its full alteration with Tyler Dolan starting over Alfie Paddington, after Dolan scored from the spot in midweek. The final change involved the last switch in the front three with Reece Lee Simpson starting up top over the unavailable Harry Lusher.
Onto the action now and it was the visitors who had the first chance of the game with Andrew Zambrano called into action within just seven minutes of the start of the game. A dangerous cross was sent towards the back post and found a boot, which sent the ball goalwards but the young Zambrano was there to save the effort well and deny the visitors of the opener.
The Stags earnt their first chance of the game two minutes later when Arthur Massingham used his attacking threat to his advantage when he fired the ball towards the visitors goal from the edge of the area but the shot was well dealt with and the chance faded.
Andrew Zambrano found himself tested again by another effort from the travelling Oakley when a shot from range was sent the way of goal, which the keeper was able to push wide of the post. The resulting corner was delivered well into the penalty area by the visitors, who were able to head the ball towards Zambrano, who somehow tipped the header over the bar and deny Little Oakley at what they do best.
The Stags were starting to grow into the game and an effort fell the way of Reece Lee Simpson just after the twentieth minute mark. Ted Buchanan nearly earned himself an assist when he crossed the ball to the back post from a corner, where Lee Simpson was standing and somehow Lee Simpson couldn’t get his head on the ball and to Buchanan’s surprise, Buckhurst Hill weren’t ahead in the contest.
A few minutes later, another chance from a corner fell to the boys in black and blue when Josh Banfield sent the ball into the box and onto the head of Preston Knight, with the header going just wide of the post and another chance seeming to go by just like Wednesday night. Yet another attempt to take the lead came a minute later when young Arthur Massingham was able to get himself into a dangerous position and fizz the ball across goal to Reece Lee Simpson, who was inches away from getting to the ball at the vital moment.
The goal that we’d been waiting for finally came after thirty one minutes when Tyler Dolan fired a rocket into the back of the net to give The Stags a deserving lead with half time on the horizon. Reece Lee Simpson had a shot blocked before the ball rolled to Tyler Dolan on the edge of the area, who was able to smash the ball past the visitors keeper Askew from a tight angle and make it two in two for the winger returning to Roding Lane this season.
Just before the break the referee reached for his pocket to award a yellow card for Rory Harman for the visitors after he made a late lunge on Josh Banfield as The Stags entered the interval at one goal up !
Onto the second half now and within four minutes of the start of the half a massive chance came for The Stags which really should’ve been taken. Tyler Dolan raced through on goal and squared the ball to Arthur Massingham inside the area but unfortunately for Massingham, he didn’t have a clear shot on goal and his shot was saved before Archie Hammond was there to follow up with the midfielders shot being saved as well and then with defenders back for support, Massingham was able to have an effort at goal before the chance faded but the shot was blocked and somehow Buckhurst Hill hadn’t doubled our lead.
At this point in the game, The Stags were all over Little Oakley and were generating a performance we hadn’t seen since the start of the season.
Another chance fell to Reece Lee Simpson just before the hour mark when a cross from Massingham couldn’t find the head of the waiting Simpson in the box.
Another big chance fell the way of Buckhurst Hill yet again when midfielders Josh Banfield and Dimitri Nicolaou linked up to nearly boost the scoreline to two goals. Banfield unleashed a shot from the edge of the area which was parried at the feet of Nicolaou, who unfortunately for him, couldn’t sort his feet out and a golden opportunity to boost his and Buckhurst Hill’s goal tally for the season went away with goalkeeper Askew holding onto the ball for the visitors.
Another yellow card was brandished for Little Oakley when substitute Kieran Williams was booked within twenty minutes of him coming on after he made a late challenge. Andrew Zambrano was called into action for the first real time in the second half when made a good save to deny Little Oakley yet again.
The bench was called upon for the first time in the game as we approached the seventh minute mark when both Dimitri Nicoloau and Arthur Massingham were replaced by Carter Ford and Levi Burgin in a double substitution for The Stags.
Within a minute of coming on, Carter Ford made a massive impact and nearly made it his first goal in black and blue. The Stags kept the ball well before playing Ford on the edge of the box and the substitute was able to fire a shot just wide of the post from distance.
Since the first few minutes of the game, Little Oakley hadn’t really troubled The Stags at all when it came to chances with Andrew Zambrano standing strong so far between the two posts. Unfortunately that luck came to an end when the visitors equalised with less than fifteen minutes to go. Substitute Levi Burgin was sent into the book with a yellow card against his name after he made a lunge into a player in yellow for Oakley and a free kick was awarded. Bobby Badham stepped up for the visitors and smashed the ball into the wall before it was deflected out of Zambrano’s reach and into the net. A clean sheet for the young keeper, who had had a brilliant game so far, was now cancelled out by an unfortunate goal to concede.
Despite the goal, The Stags were still pushing with it looking like the visitors were happy to settle for a draw as Buckhurst Hill pushed on. A cross from Archie Hammond was sent towards Lee Simpson, who again couldn’t find the right moment to shoot and the visitors were able to clear the chance away from danger as we entered the final ten minutes.
Another substitution was made by Mark Williams as we voted for an attacking switch this time with Reece Lee Simpson’s day over as Tony Martin entered the proceedings after being out injured for several games. In the same minute Preston Knight went into the book before another change was made with six minutes left to play which involved Archie Hammond leaving the field for Alfie Padington.
Into added time now and Carter Ford has his second chance of the afternoon to try and get the ball into the back of the net. Ford was able to fire an effort across goal hoping for somehow to latch onto the end of the chance but it wasn’t to be with Askew holding onto the ball for the visitors.
The last chance of the game went rightfully to Buckhurst Hill and it looked meant to be with substitute Tony Martin having the last effort of the day and everyone knows his reputation for scoring late goals. Martin was able to enter the penalty area with the ball and get past multiple defenders before he was able to fire a shot at goal which was blocked in front of goal with the chance bound for the back of the net.
That was it then and ultimately, The Stags would have to settle for a draw in a game in which they truly dominated but couldn’t find that cutting edge to take all three points.
TEAM :
Zambrano 🧤, Foster, Buchanan, Hammond, Knight 🟨, Brown, Nicolaou, Banfield ©, Lee Simpson, Massingham, Dolan ⚽️
SUBS NOT USED :
Padington (85’ – Hammond), Martin (83’ Lee Simpson), Ford (69’ – Nicolaou), Johnson, Burgin 🟨 (69’ Massingham)
NEXT UP
Saturday 11th October, 2025 – White Ensign (A) – KO 3PM – Essex Senior Premier League