2s come out victors in local derby

Southend & Benfleet 2s v Southend 3s

Goal scorers: - Lesley Tonking - 3

Anna Winfield

Isobelle Williams

Aimee Cole

S&B 2s last game of 2013 saw them face local rivals Southend 3s at home. After last week’s superb win at Upminster, there was a good feeling among the girls that they could end the year on a high, & keep the pressure on first placed Chelmsford. And although S&B had a slow start, they ended up comfortable 6.0 victors, & are looking good for a second successive promotion.

The opposition only having 9 players seems to be a bit of a curse for S&B, & as with Harlow earlier in the season, the 2s struggled in the first half to break down a well organised, determined defence. Anne Johnson, Lisa Hockley, Fiona Regan & Michelle Arnold were enjoying a much easier game than last week, & were virtually a second midfield, comfortably dealing with any rare flurries of Southend attacks. Jo Chesters driving runs down the right were causing no end of problems for the visitors defence, & Bridget Newlove, Alison Riley, Jo Hall & Kerry Payton made up a rotating midfield that were dominating the play & feeding the forwards with plenty of opportunities. Anna Winfield was guilty of missing two absolute sitters, & both Lesley Tonking & Isobelle Williams put chances just wide. But the deadlock was finally broken, when a short corner was played out to Tonking, & she made no mistake in smashing the ball past a planted keeper. And despite the constant pressure, S&B couldn’t add to their lead, & the first half finished somewhat frustratingly 1.0.

After regrouping at half time, S&B looked a different team in the second half, & it didn’t take long for them to double their lead. An attack down the right saw a beautiful ball played across the D, and after evading both Tonking & Winfield, it fell to a well-placed Williams so slot home yet another goal (watch out Lesley & Anna)!! With the home side now firmly on the front foot, goal number 3 was Tonking’s second, Riley supplying the cross for her to place the ball across the keeper into the corner. Tonking then turned provider for Winfield to grab her first, before Winfield returned the favour, allowing Tonking to complete her hat-trick. But S&B weren’t done there, & with minutes remaining, a ball across the goal from Winfield was put in by Aimee Cole, who was so unlucky not to score last week, but made no mistake this time in grabbing her first for the club. Poor Carly Winfield had yet another non-contact game, but fortunately managed to avoid serious injury this time!!

And so S&B finished the year with a 6.0 win, & yet another first goal for a new player. Player of the match was awarded to Jo Chesters, who gave Southend’s defenders nightmares with her constant driving runs down the right. A great first half of the season sees the 2s sitting in second place in the league, & hopefully will go one better by the end of the season.