MON 26 AUGUST - HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS (HOME)

FELIXSTOWE & WALTON UTD 1 - 2 HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS

Attendance 370

Due to various time constraints, the match report for this game at home to Heybridge Swifts is a re-print of the report sent to The EADT.

Felixstowe & Walton made two changes to the side that lost in the FA Cup at Sudbury on Saturday with Josh Kerridge (calf) and Callum Bennett (knee) replaced by Kyle Jopling and Joe Bloomfield.

Heybridge Swifts came away with all three points but there was little to choose between the two sides. The Seasiders looked lively in the early exchanges with Armani Schaar impressing straight away.

The first real effort on goal came on 23 minutes when Jack Spurling brought off a save from Evans Kouassi only to repeat the feat with another save, low from Harrison Chatting.  Just two minutes later Spurling, for the fourth or fifth time this season, completed yet another double save again from Kouassi.

Schaar went close on 26 minutes, shooting just over the bar. A couple of minutes later there was nothing Spurling could do to stop The Swifts’ Alex Teniola putting the visitors ahead with a spectacular overhead kick from a little way inside the box.

At the other end, Henry Barley was brought down on the edge of the box resulting in a free kick taken by Barley himself, who planted the ball straight in keeper Luca Collins’ hands.

When Tom Debenham was brought down in a similar position just two minutes later, Miles Powell took the free kick, beating the keeper, only to see the ball slam into the Heybridge bar.

It’s never nice to concede just before half time but a diagonal ball across the face of the goal saw Elliott Ronto put the Essex side two up.

If you do concede just before the break, pulling one back straight after the break is just the right medicine. It was Miles Powell from the edge of the box who obliged.

The Seasiders did find the net twice more in the second half with efforts from Schaar both ruled out for handball and offside.

According to Assistant Manager Danny Bloomfield, “We defended poorly in the first half but played with more tempo in the second period.” He added “We have patience with our players and we will come out of this period of transition.” 

Details of line up here