Coggeshall travelled away to Lower Road, home of Hullbridge Sports on the afternoon of the 29th. A great performance the week prior had fans hopeful for a continuation of the impressive display. A slow start to the afternoon saw a number of unthreatening opportunities go by as the first fifteen minutes remained void of any considerable action.

Matthew Rose was on the receiving end of referee Peter Wilson’s first yellow card, after his harsh tackle on Jermaine Francis saw the official reach for his pocket. Hullbridge’s goalkeeper then soon after made his first stop of the game, as Kudos Oyenuga’s effort was eventually tipped out for a corner. At the other end of the pitch, debutant Taylor made a great save between the sticks after a looping over-the-top throughball saw the home side’s forward one-on-one with our newest Seedgrower.

Tony Stokes then opened the scoring after he sent the ball home with and impressive, yet unexpected over-the-head kick. Both Harrison and Oyenuga broke through on goal once again, with both opportunities resulting in the ball being fired just over the crossbar.

Half time: Hullbridge Sports 1 – 0 Coggeshall Town

The second half got underway, as Hullbridge sprang straight back into action, forcing a fingertip save from debutant Taylor, whose stretch to the top corner impressed the attendance of 189. Our first change of the afternoon came through Milo Grimes, who replaced George Cocklin in a holding midfield role. The leveller nearly came shortly after this, when a scramble for the ball had the home side’s defence worried.

Lewis Byrne-Hewitt later came on for Ibrahim Kehinde, as manager Karl Duguid sought to get a pair of fresh legs into the attack. A piercing long ball then breached the final third, with Kudos Oyenuga making an effort from outside the box that just grazed the right hand post. After a head injury following on from a corner, the player recovered and recommenced. Joe Denny was put in the referee’s book after he won the ball, but the referee deemed the manoeuvre dangerous. Fans were later infuriated after Jermaine Francis was dragged down in the opposition box, only to have calls for a penalty waved away by the officials.

To add to a frustrating fixture, Hullbridge were shortly after awarded a penalty at the other end, with Tony Stokes grabbing a second goal as he converted from the spot. Makhosini Khanye had earlier replaced Isaac Skubich. A final substitution from Hullbridge then meant that the home side could see out their win without much difficulty, as the Seedgrowers had a tough pill to swallow at the final whistle.

Full time: Hullbridge Sports 2 – 0 Coggeshall Town