It was very much a game of two halves in what should have been a comfortable victory for the Div one hopefulls of Boreham. Dale had another strong squad of 15 to pick a winning side from and stuck with the 4-3-3 formation that had brought success the week before. Dale himself continues to impress in goal behind a steady looking back four of Bigland, Stammers, T Wright and Chittock. The midfield was also unchanged with R Ince, Ansell and J Wright behind a front three of Rush, J Dale and Parkhurst. The bench looked reliable if and when called upon with Winger, Thomsett, Coleman and Joughin in reserve.
The Clems looked very much in the mood for it from the off and a superb flowing move of 25 or more passes in the first 2 minutes was what the growing fanbase had come to see. This smooth patient style was pleasing on the eye but created little for the first 15 minutes before the games major talking and turning point. Last weeks impressive MOM Bigland ran for a 60/40 ball down the left hand side and beat the Hanningfield man to it only to be sent into orbit following a brutal knee high challenge that concluded with the visiters down to ten, and Bigland carted off by St Johns looking like Hannibal on his way to the nut house. Of course I'm sure we would all like to wish the little man a speedy recovery, especially after his impressive early season form.
As the game restarted, there were concerns that the 10 minute break in play for the injury would upset the flowing rythm Boreham had begun the match with. However, although we never really saw the same standard of movement and passing thereafter, the sending off had clearly affected the opposition and within 15 minutes Boreham found themselves three goals to the good.
With Boreham pressing on against what were now two banks of four for the away side, a hanningfield defender under pressure decided to pass the ball in the direction of a grateful Parkhurst who rolled back the years, wrapping his cultured right foot round the ball from twenty yards, sending it curling into the top corner for one nothing to the Clems! Much in the way that an ageing boxer never loses his right hook, Parkhurst proved that although agility and stamina perhaps excist on borowed time, true class is very much a permanant force.
The Clems didn't have to wait long for a repeat performance, this time Tom Wright leaving his defensive post to get foward and beat the rooted Hanningfield stopper from outside the area with a fine strike, his first of the season. Two good goals in quick succession for two zero...and two became three just moments later as an absolute Sally Gunnell of a corner from J Dale somehow found its way through to the edge of the six yard box straight into the path of that man Wright once again who had timed his run to sidefoot home from just a yard out.
So three nil at half time with the opposition looking dead and burried, all the talk at the break was of clean sheets and plenty of goals.................... BUT, 3-2 was the final score, second half so very very poor, lucky not to lose 3-4, probably best that I say no more!
..As for next week, it's a trip to Basildon to take on Armada Sports, as the clems look to embark on another fruitful journey in the County Trophey, having gone all the way to the the Semi Final last year. Lets just hope that the Boreham boys take the first half performance with them because they were almost embarassed today, with the near collapse against 10 men a real concern for the management team. There is much work ahead if the boys are serious about pushing on and winning something this year, but at the end of the day it's another 2 points as Boreham look to gain some early season momentum.
