After a win on the opening day of the season, Coggeshall made the relatively short trip to Heybridge Swifts for their first away game of the season, which coincidently was their last away, league fixture of last season. Following Saturday’s battling performance, the Town made two changes with David Agboola and Matt Lock being introduced to the starting line-up, making their first starts for the club in the process.

Although being away from home, it was the boys in blue who started on the front foot and dominated the opening proceedings. However,  neither side managed to test either Goalkeeper in the first twenty minutes with Coggeshall have the best of the chances. Conor Hubble bent a curling effort wide of the far post, before Josh Pollard headed wide. It was Town shot-stopper, Ashlee Jones who had to make the first save of the match. A long ball down field, was misjudged by Dexter Peter and allowed the dangerous Evans Kouassi to latch on to the loose ball. Kouassi stung the hands of Jones, who was forced in to a spectacular save to keep the affair level.

Despite being in charge for the opening stages, Coggeshall found theirselves on the back foot as the game headed towards the break. Swifts then scored the games first goal, with only their second shot on target and what a goal it was. After Tyler Brampton gave away a free kick, thirty yards from goal, up stepped Jack Adlington-Pile. The Heybridge midfielder unleashed a vicious effort which swerved in the air, eventually beating Jones to land in the back of the net.

HALF TIME: Heybridge Swifts 1-0 Coggeshall Town.

After perhaps undeservedly being behind at the break, the SeedGrowers started the second half just like they did in the first, on the front foot but unable to create a goal scoring opportunity of a real note. However, that changed inside the opening minutes as Mehki McLeod won his side a penalty kick after a foul from defender Toib Adeyemi. Nnamdi Nwachuku took responsibility and converted from the penalty spot for his second goal of the season.

After his first goal of the game, Nwachuku almost had his second of the game however he curling effort went just wide of the post. As the SeedGrowers pushed forward for more goals, McLeod forced Luca Collins in to a smart save with his feet, with Coggeshall unable to capitalise on a number of set pieces.

As Heybridge tried to battle back, they were also unable to capitalise on a string of set prices as the visitors looked strong in defence, led by the impressive Pollard. As they searched for a winner, Coggeshall introduced Michael Gyasi and Ross Wall in place of Nwachuku and McLeod. In the dying embers of the game, Gyasi almost provided the winning moment. A free kick from the right was half cleared by Heybridge and found Gyasi on the edge of the box – his curling effort left Collins all ends up, but was unable to beat the frame of the goal as it rebounded off the cross bar and at the feet of a grateful, Heybridge defender who was able to clear his lines. Possibly, a fitting end to a game in which neither side deserved to lose.

FULL TIME: Heybridge Swifts 1-1 Coggeshall Town.

Attendance: 312