Super 2s seal victory and second place in Div 4 with two games to go!

University of Essex 2s -0
Southend & Benfleet 2s - 10
Goal scorers: Lesley Tonking – 5, Aimee Cole – 2, Anna Winfield – 2, Jo Hall – 1

It was a really early start for S&B this week, as they travelled to the University of Essex for a nice 10.30 pushback!! After a record breaking 17.0 home win over their hosts earlier in the season, confidence was high among the girls that they could get the win that would clinch second place & hopefully a second successive promotion. And it proved to be a successful day, as they ran out comfortable 10.0 winners.

The 2s welcomed back Jess St John in goal this week, meaning regular keeper Carly Winfield got another run out in defence alongside Lisa Hockley & Michelle Arnold. Anne Johnson moved up into central midfield alongside Louise Bunce, while Jo Hall & Jo Chesters took up their regular positions on the left & right wings respectively. And it was business as usual up front, with Lesley Tonking, Anna Winfield & Isabelle Williams looking to add to their impressive goal tallies. S&B started the game well, with some lovely passing & movement across the pitch, taking advantage of the space afforded to them. Despite St John being the first keeper with a save to make, it didn’t take long for the away side to take the lead, Tonking getting her first from a Chesters cross. Jo hall was next on the score sheet, that late surge for top goal scorer has well & truly begun!! Johnson unfortunately had to go off for a while after a stray ball caught her in the face, but the re-shuffle in midfield didn’t stop Tonking grabbing her second & goal number 3 for the 2s, before Anna Winfield got herself off the mark after a lovely pass from Bunce. The defence were having another quiet day, & parked themselves on the half way line to support the wave of S&B attacks. Substitute Aimee Cole was next to beat the home keeper, before Tonking completed her hat trick from close range. U of E were struggling to cope with the constant pressure, & the away side made it 7 just before half time, Tonking carrying on her prolific scoring record with her fourth of the game.

U of E improved after the break, & that combined with S&B taking their foot off the gas a little bit, meant the second half wasn’t quite as high scoring for the 2s. They kept the home keeper busy though, but despite a string of short corners, could not break down the revitalised U of E defence. Jo Hall looked like she was having football trials at one point, while it was head injuries aplenty, Anna Winfield & Jo Chesters both with war wounds to show! The first goal of second half came courtesy of Cole, & is a contender for goal of the season. She picked the pocket of the defender on the 25 metre line, carried the ball into the D, beat another defender before slotting the ball past the onrushing keeper!! Bunce was so unlucky not to get her first goal for the club, while Tonking came within a whisker of adding to her four. Goal number 9 arrived towards the end of the game, Chesters cheekily dinking the ball over the defenders stick to find Winfield unmarked in the middle. And Winfield then turned provider with minutes left, driving through the U of E defence & sliding the ball to Tonking for her fifth & S&B’s 10th.

A great day for the 2s despite the evil early start, second place secured & Aimee Cole winning the Mother/Daughter goal scoring race!! Player of the match was Louise, who got over half of the votes for her superb display in midfield. Next up for S&B is their penultimate game of the season at home to Upminster.