Sporting Bengal United (GBT) (2018-19) – The Tree Surgeon
After the glamour of the FA Cup, we drop down the cup ladder slightly, for the visit of Sporting Bengal United in the Gordon Brasted Trophy.
The game against Beaconsfield last Saturday was always going to be a hard ask, but, we gave a good performance and until the opposition stepped up their game in the second half, we certain were not second best.
We had a new signing in our side, Reece Conway, a defender from Heybridge Swifts, who has also played for Aveley and Tilbury.
Our centre half pairing was, Craig Pope, back after injury and Jerome Sobers for his second game of the season, it was necessary as usual centre back and captain was enjoying a one all draw at the local church for his wedding, congratulations to him and his new wife.
The attendance on Saturday exceeded one hundred and that is encouraging, hopefully, many of the extra people would have come to see the home team and let us hope they will return regularly, although it would be a big ask to expect them all to come back tonight, but, perhaps just the odd one or two, maybe.
Sporting Bengal, were, before Saturday’s game, two off the bottom, by virtue of having played just two games and getting two draws.
That dramatically changed with a 6-0 win over Enfield and there is no doubt that Sporting will be full of confidence, so we will not have the luxury of under estimating them.
Some people will say that it is only the Gordon Brasted Trophy and in the overall scheme of things, does not matter, but, as I said in the programme against Ilford, I am a great believer in success breads confidence and success.
To me, it does not matter what line up we put out, or the line up of the opposition, a win is a win and the feel good factor after a win, any win, certainly goes up.
That is why, I hope, whoever we put out tonight can do the job and get us through to the next round, so we can approach our next League game, away at Hullbridge with a positive attitude.
The FA Cup adventure, such as it was, certainly was good, not least the five thousand pounds plus we pocketed, but, we need to clear our heads and get back to basics and if this game tonight might be considered a bit of a distraction from the League campaign, I would rather see it as a chance to take us closer to a possible cup final, later this season and that does not mean I am under estimating our opponents tonight and I hope that is something the players will do.
In fact, tonight’s game give any fringe players who might be included in the side, the chance to stake a claim for a place in the starting line up on Saturday and that should be motivation enough.
On a slightly different tack, I must congratulate the club’s Under 18’s side that beat St Margaretbury’s Under 18’s, last week, in the FA Youth Cup.
They won and gave themselves a chance to go on a memorable cup run, as our side did in 2006, when we knock out two youth teams from clubs in the Football League, before exiting to Graham’s other side, Brentford, in the last thirty two and were the only youth team from a side outside the Football League, left in the competition.
What impressed me, having seen highlights of the game, was they way they played, passing the ball around, no long ball stuff, very crisp and flowing and certainly some of the moves would not be out of place in the first team.
Both goals were well taken (the second was a peach) and if this is the quality of the youth players at our club, we have excellent potential of players coming through.
One of our younger players, Gebrai Samrai, has already made three appearances, two as a substitute and he played the whole game against Ilford last week.
With players like him ready to stake a claim for a regular first team place, aligned to the potential of the Under 18’s, that can only be extremely good for the future of our club.
That is why I feel we have to win tonight and get the bandwagon back on a winning roll.
