Ilford (ESC) (2018-19) – The Tree Surgeon
Yet another cup game this evening against another well known opponent.
On Saturday we lost 3-1 after extra time, to ESL leaders, Takeley, now we meet fellow ESL club and near neighbours, Ilford.
If we have made many changes of personnel since last season, so have Ilford, including a change in management.
Gone are the joint managership team of Allan Fenn and our old mate, Billy Cove and in has come Martin Haywood, for a second spell in charge.
They seem to have changed most of their playing side as well, with most of last season’s side, joining Billy Cove at Epping Town.
The change in personnel does not seem to have harmed their prospects at all as they sit one place below us, with an identical playing record and we are above them by virtue of a superior goal difference.
The FA Vase exit on Saturday was a disappointment, but, given we had to play for over forty five minutes and half an hour of extra time without player/manager, Ryan Maxwell, who saw two yellows and failed to see out the first half.
If it was difficult last Saturday, at Felixstowe, then it was even harder against Takeley, because, we were already missing the two players who saw red last Saturday, plus injured player/assistant manager, Craig Pope and had to make many changes to our line up.
So, to get back into the game, when down to ten men, was a real achievement and to hang on until almost half time in extra time was commendable, still, when all said an done, we did lose the tie
But, I think that if you had asked anyone at the club if they had to exit one of the two FA Cup competitions, they would have said the FA Vase
One of the positives I take from our line up on Saturday, was the fact that we can sign a player of the calibre of Jerome Sobers.
Jerome, played originally for Redbridge (then called Ford United) and was transferred to Ipswich Town where he was a member of their first team squad and got to play regularly in their first team.
He has also played for a range of high level non-league clubs, Bromley/Braintree Town/Maidstone United/Tonbridge Angels/Chelmsford City/Kingstonian/Billericay Town/Hastings and last season he was player/coach at Canvey Island.
He is still registered on their web site in that role, so I have to assume that he is with us on dual registration, but, my point is, even if he only plays the occasional game for us (and I know he was signed to add experience in the absence of the injured Craig Pope for the FA Vase game initially), the fact he even considered playing for a club at our level speaks volumes for the persuasive powers and the ambition of Ryan/Craig and Lee.
The profile of our club can only be enhanced by the signing of players like Jerome, as well as James Peagram/Craig Pope/Junior Appiah and Christian Owusu and can only act as a magnet for, young, promising players on the look out for a lower level club with ambition.
Besides, any young player of any ambition could only benefit from the experience of playing with those players.
Tonight, it is difficult to read anything into tonight’s game, simply because no-one is quite sure what line ups, either side will put out, certainly, I would expect both managers to givfe a few players a run out who need game time, so it could be pot luck in terms of which side gels the quickest.
One thought occurs to me.
We have played eight competitive matches so far and lost two, both, to Takeley.
Now if we can replicate that form and only lose to Takeley this season, we will coast the League.
Tonight, gives us a realistic chance of going a long way in a cup competition and it would be nice to think we have a realistic chance of picking up some silverware this season.
Despite that fact, that our ambition undoubtedly is promotion from the Essex Senior League, success breeds success, so a win tonight would undoubtedly boost our confidence for the rest of the season.
