Following the New Years Day defeat against Heybridge, Graeme Smith made several changes to his starting line-up as the SeedGrowers looked to return to winning ways. Tyler Brampton, Conor Hubble and Nnamdi Nwachuku were reintroduced to the starting line-up, whilst Daniel Cunningham was absent with an ankle injury collected in training. The Town were coming up against a Felixstowe side who were on a run of seven games without a win, however had remained unbeaten in their last two outings.

As the league table would have suggested, it was the visitors who dominated proceedings from the first whistle. Striker, Sam Bantick had the first chance of the afternoon however was wasteful after Nwachuku created the opportunity. George Cocklin then won a free kick for his side after being fouled on the edge of the eighteen yard box, which saw Bantick force the Felixstowe Goalkeeper in to a smart diving save. Throughout the opening exchanges, Coggeshall continued to create chance after chance without finding their clinical touch.  Bantick did eventually find the back of the net, however the assistant referee had his flag raised for an apparent offside against Bantick.

Felixstowe again had their goalkeeper, Jack Spurling to thank as he made another good save to deny Bantick which was followed by Nwachuku heading over the cross bar, even though he was unmarked inside the penalty area. Somehow, Coggeshall had failed to opening the scoring and the game remained goalless. The visitors then suffered an early set back as George Allen had to be withdrawn through injury and was replaced by Jamie Shaw who was unfortunate to have been left out of the starting eleven at the beginning of the match. The substitution seemed to unsettle the SeedGrowers slightly as they began to find it tough to break down a home defence which had previously looked very shaky.

Half Time: Felixstowe & Walton 0-0 Coggeshall Town

Just like the start of the first half, Coggeshall started on the front foot but came up against a shot-stopper who was likely having his best game of the season and looked determined to keep a clean sheet. Nwachuku had two chances in quick session, with Spurling saving the first before the second was ballooned over the cross bar. In the sixtieth minute and against the run of play, Felixstowe deal Coggeshall with a real sucker punch of a counter attack. As one ball beat three defenders, Rhys Henry found himself unmarked on the edge of the box, he had the time and space to drill a fierce effort across the face of the goal and past Danny Sambridge who in truth, stood no chance.

As the visitors look to respond, Ross Wall saw an effort take a deflection off of a defender before rolling just wide of the far post. Determined to get back in the game, Graeme Smith made his final two changes. Michael Gyasi made a welcome return to first team action after a lengthy absence through injury and Ayrton Coley was also introduced to the action, with Sam Bantick and Tevan Allen being replaced. Wall then went close again for the SeedGrowers, however his shot was smartly blocked by a Seasiders defender. Felixstowe had looked dangerous from set pieces throughout the afternoon and it soon proved costly for Coggeshall. A corner from the left hand side was delivered in to the box, on to head of an unmarked Josh Kerridge who was able to plant his free header in to the top corner to double his sides lead with only seventeen minutes left on the referee’s watch – the SeedGrowers had it all to do if they wanted to collect their first points of 2019.

However, Felixstowe looked the most dangerous and had a chance for a third goal, but Miles Power sent his volley wide of the goal when really he should have scored. The home did not have to wait long for their third goal of the afternoon, however it arrived in strange fashion. A free kick from Kerridge, inside his own half seemed to pick up pace as it travelled through the air. The hopeful free kick caused confusion between Sambridge and his defenders, bounced once inside the eighteen yard box, looped over Sambridge and in to the back of the net to cap off a disappointing second half for Graeme Smith’s side.

Full Time: Felixstowe & Walton 3-0 Coggeshall Town

Attendance: 560

Felixstowe & Walton:
Jack Spurling, Callum Bennett, Ethan Clarke, Jack Ainsley, Josh Kerridge, Rhys Barber, Jordan Matthews, Joseph Bloomfield, Liam Hillyard, Rhys Henry, Miles Powell.

Substitutes:
Darcy De’Ath, Jamal Wiggins, Daniel Davis, Rory Porter, Gary Hammond.

Coggeshall Town:
Danny Sambridge, Tyler Brampton, Curtis Haynes-Brown, Tevan Allen, Dexter Peter, George Allen, Nnamdi Nwachuku, Conor Hubble, Sam Bantick, Ross Wall, George Cocklin.

Substitutes:
Jamie Shaw, Syrus Gordon, Aryton Coley, Michael Gyasi, Ace Howell.