Haverhill 1 Seasiders 1
Pictures : Paul Voller Story Phil Griffiths
This fixture was perhaps more about the process of moving on, our final game in the Eastern Counties League after 42 years.
An emotional afternoon for many with great times remembered, along with some not so great times as well, plus many friends made down the years in a league where there is great respect between the competing clubs.
That was never better displayed than the thoughtful gesture by Marc Abbott, the Rovers manager and his backroom staff who presented Kevin O’Donnell, Ian Watson and their backroom staff with a rather nice bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne, plus a rather large bunch of flowers for Sam Gedny, our physio.
The presentation was made before the game and after the presentation of the League’s Runners-Up shield to club captain Rhys Barber by League Chairman Peter Hutchings. All done to a backdrop of a large contingent of Seasiders supporters who had travelled with or followed the side across the county for what potentially could be the side’s last ever Thurlow Nunn League game.
The club’s Reserves and under 18 side will of course still be involved with the league going forward, but not at Step 5 of the football pyramid, where the first team have competed for all but four of the 42 seasons.
Whatever was likely to happen in the actual game, it was destined to be an anti-climax after Tuesday’s home fixture, and in effect ‘title decider’ in front of over 1,500 supporters, when the three points went to leaders Coggeshall, to make this game a mere formality of completing the league fixtures.
There was perhaps a similar feel to the game from Rovers point of view, a season that had started with three straight league wins plus progress in the FA Cup had drifted away with a new manager installed mid-way through the season to steady the ship. Their season ended with a 19th place finish, with the management looking to 2018/19 and a full season to stamp his own brand of football on the side.
Of the football itself - the drama, what little there was, started before the kick-off, when leading scorer Joe Francis dropped out of the pre-match warm up, and in a late change, dropped to the subs bench with Kye Ruel, perhaps unfortunate to be on the subs bench in the first place, replacing him in the starting line-up.
To add to the disruption of any game plan the management may have had, Sam Gedny was kept busy treating both Stuart Boardley and Callum Bennett, neither of whom lasted the first 45 minutes with Boardley (24 minutes) and Bennett (36 minutes) being replaced by Regan Pelling and Ethan Clarke.
The game started lively enough, with Stuart Ainsley seeing his power drive of a shot blocked at one end followed by Tom Newman rattling Danny Crump’s upright at the other end. Sam Ford, on a quick break fired his effort just wide and Rovers Mitchell Burr was high, wide & handsome with his effort in front of the Seasiders’ goal.
The loss of Boardley disrupted the Seasiders’ flow and Kyle Clarke reacted quickest to a mix up in the home defence and fired his side into a 24th minute lead.
Danny Crump was down quickly to block a shot from Newman and Adam Sartini was off target with an effort before the visitors lost Bennett through injury, just after the half hour mark.
It was all square in the 39th minute when Scott Chaplin played in Sam Ford, who kept his cool to set himself and drill the ball past Charlie Turner for the equaliser.
Both sides had half chances in the second half and while Haverhill had enjoyed the better of the first half possession, the Seasiders had the lion’s share of the play after the break. Ruel produced a bit of entertaining footwork in the Rovers area before Turner smothered the ball at the foot of the post. There were a couple of yellow cards for the home side and Ruel limped off injured with 20 minutes to go to be replaced by a limping Joe Francis, there to keep it 11 V 11, but the scoreline when referee Michael Robertson-Tant finally brought the season to a close, was a fair reflection of the game.
Both sides got a round of applause by the red & white army - with both sides normally playing in red, 4:45pm wasn’t the time to distinguish who was who amongst the congregated fans, as the players left the pitch and brought season 2017/18 to a close.
It was a noisy coach ride home with auditions for a Karaoke evening on the mike, with a couple of decent voices ... why am I lying … it was a cacophony of noise on my delicate ears that have served me well for these past 73 years. A great atmosphere and a good laugh with the management pair giving a rendering, or is that a murdering of The Proclaimers “I’m Gonna Be!” as their contribution.
Have a great summer everyone!
