Southend and Benfleet 1s vs. Witham

Southend and Benfleet 1s travelled away this week to face Witham. S&B were eager to keep up their great start to the season but Witham had a lot to prove as they were yet to win a game. It was a quick paced start to the game that would continue for the whole seventy minutes as S&B would attack the home team’s defensive D and Witham would turn it around and mount their own assault. Jodie Linge was on form today as she defended against the Witham attacks brilliantly with precise tackles and close marking. However, it wasn’t long before one of the Witham counterattacks caught S&B off guard and the home side were able to score the first goal of the season against S&B. Kirsty Durban ran circles around the Witham defence and took on their goalie numerous times gifting S&B with plenty of short corners but it was all to no avail as the Witham goalie managed to keep S&B from scoring. Before half time was called Witham managed to snake their way into S&Bs D once more and made it 2-0 to Witham at half time.

S&B were by no means discouraged and a quick team talk gave S&B the focus they needed going into the second half. S&B picked up the pace and pressured the Witham defence relentlessly but even with great passing from Adele Cole and superb switching from side to side to attack from all angles S&B just couldn’t find their way onto the scoreboard. Witham would mount their attacks, keen to pull further ahead but with Rachel Jeffery organising the defence and with the whole team communicating with one another S&B handled the home side’s attacks calmly. S&B were continuingly awarded short corners, but it was in the last ten minutes of play before one such corner yielded the goal S&B had been waiting on as it was slipped to captain Nicola Bryant to slide it passed the Witham goalie. It wasn’t long before the ball found Kirsty Durban out on the wing once more, after drawing the goalie towards her, a clever slip across goal meant Lora Sharples was able to hammer the ball into the back of the goal unhindered and gave S&B that all important second goal, making the score tied 2-2. The last few plays of the game were frantic as both teams were going for that third goal that would give them the match but neither were able to beat the goalies as the final whistle blew. Player of the match was awarded to Kirsty Durban for her outstanding performance.