Pre-season friendly

A well-contested pre-season friendly ended with Halstead Town pegging back Witham Town as both sides got valuable action in their preparations for the coming campaign.

Witham showed a sharpness that was lacking in their midweek trip to Harwich and Parkeston and opened a three-goal lead thanks to Sam Ashford’s first hat-trick in senior football.

However, the hosts hit back with goals from Cameron Storie, Tom Cook and Joe Jones to finish level at 3-3.The only down side of an enjoyable afternoon came when Storie picked up an ankle injury during the second half and had to be stretchered off the pitch, but other than that, it was a profitable game for both sides.

It was an explosive start by Witham as they looked to impose themselves on their hosts and an early statement of intent came from Ashford in the opening minute.

He got into the Halstead box and fired in an effort that Humbugs keeper Jack Cherry did well to get low quickly to to make the save.It was only a brief respite for Halstead, though.

With five minutes on the clock, Witham went ahead when Ashford shrugged off a challenge wide on the right, before cutting inside and drilling a shot low past Cherry into the bottom corner of the home net.

It was the start Witham wanted and the pressure was kept on Halstead, with Witham full-back Luke Mallett letting fly with an effort after the ball came to him from a corner and Cherry had to be alert to palm the ball on to the post.

Witham were keeping Halstead on the back foot at this stage, keeping the game at a high pace, with precise passing and having a physical edge over their host.

Mallett went close again on 11 minutes when he cut in from the right and fired in another shot that went inches wide of the upright, but Halstead then worked their way into the game more.

They began to see more of the possession, kept their shape well and were able to hold a greater threat in forward areas themselves, although clear cut chances were scarce against a hard-working Witham defence.Witham did end the half strongly though, as they doubled their lead on 34 minutes when Ashford fired home from the penalty spot after Ryan Imbert had been felled in the area and Imbert then shot across goal and just wide in the closing minutes of the half.

There was also still a Halstead threat, though, and a good cross from the left was met by the head of Storie but he was just unable to direct the ball on target.

It meant the half ended with Witham holding a 2-0 lead and they were soon trying to add to that after the break as Shamido Pedulu, who had come on at the break as a substitute, drilled in an effort that Cherry had to palm to safety.

After Witham’s early surge, the game settled once again, though, and both sides enjoyed periods of possession without really threatening the opposition’s goal.

However, Witham’s clinical edge was evident again on the hour mark.

A long ball upfield saw Ashford turn inside the Halstead back line and he was lethal with the execution of his shot as he found a way past Cherry’s dive and tucked the ball into the corner to complete his hat-trick.

They may have been three goals behind, but Halstead weren’t prepared to go into damage limitation mode.

Storie tried his luck from range and was unable to find the target, but he had better fortune on 66 minutes when he showed his strength to get clear of the Witham back line and fired home to reduce the deficit to two.Having got back into the game, though, Halstead’s momentum was halted when the injury for Storie saw a lengthy delay as he received treatment on the pitch and was eventually carried off.

It was a blow for Halstead, but they kept pressing and got the next goal when Cook got in behind the Witham defence on 85 minutes and tucked the ball away to trim the deficit to just one.

And the comeback was complete when, deep into time added on at the end after Storie’s injury, new Halstead addition Jones got in and slid the ball into the net to make the scores level.

It ensured an enjoyable game ended with nothing between the sides and both could reflect on a good pre-season run out as their relative preparations for the coming campaigns continued.
SimonSpurgeon

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