Town welcomed Benfleet to Love Lane on a bright but chilly Tuesday evening. From Saturday’s team, Ready came back in at the back and Wiggy, who is still struggling with injury, took his place on the bench alongside Dave Martin who couldn’t make it in time for kick off due to work commitments. Brez was missing altogether again due to work commitments. Brad Merrick was still in France trying to catch a fish so he could throw it back in again (and the point of that is ???) and Lodgey’s injury continues to restrict his religious fitness campaign to lifting pint glasses with one hand and Benson and Hedges with the other.

The game kicked off and for the first 15 minutes Town were absolutely dreadful, completely unable to pass a ball to each other and lethargic in the extreme. This resulted in Benfleet dominating the opening minutes and Towns defence of Jeater, Mark Neal and Ready and Chris Neal in the Town goal were called upon to keep the scoreline blank. Try as they might Town just couldn’t get in the game and it came as no surprise when Benfleet took the lead with a fierce left foot drive from the edge of the box that Chris Neal just managed to get a hand to before it flew into the net, 0-1. Town now woke up a bit and despite being way short of the level of their recent form they started to at least look like they wanted to win the game and started stringing a few passes together. They were rewarded with an equaliser 10 minutes before half time; Niki Love left a coupe of defenders for dead down the right wing and cut in on goal; he pulled the ball back for Nicky Evans who on a bobbly surface sensibly took one touch before smashing home a volley from 6 yards out for a fine finish,1-1. Half time arrived a few minutes later.

The second half kicked off and straight away Town looked more “up for it” and although not playing as well as they would like there was a definite improvement. Niki Love had an early opportunity but he got too much on an attempted chip and the ball sailed over the bar. The game settled into a midfield battle with neither team looking particularly threatening going forward and very few chances being created. Andy Allen then succumbed to a pulled muscle injury that hopefully won’t keep him out too long but it doesn’t look good at this stage and was replaced by Dave Martin who slotted in at the back and Mark Neal was pushed into midfield. Marks touch and creative vision made an instant impact (well he shouted and kicked a few people) and Town pushed on looking for the win. Town then took the lead; Brad Mills who, by his own high standards of late had a quite game, played an exquisite, inch perfect, through ball which took out 3 defenders to Niki Love who didn’t have to break stride to side foot home first time from the edge of the box for what on the face of it looked quite simple but was in fact a high quality pass and finish, 2-1. Benfleet were looking to attack down the flanks but Davey Armstrong and Lee Humphrey stood firm and restricted Benfleet to throwing in long range crosses that the defence, in particular Ready dealt with superbly. Town were still struggling to be at their best but continued to battle away and then enjoyed a bit of luck when a Benfleet player hit the post with a header that bounced back off the inside of the post and was scrambled away to safety. With 10 minutes left Brad Mills was replaced by Wiggy who made an instant impact with some strong runs, twice just being tackled on the edge of the box when it looked like he might get through. It was now nerve jangling end to end stuff – Polley had a good chance to seal the game but shot narrowly wide and at the other end Towns defence was stretched but supremely marshalled by Jeater but they stood firm. In the final few minutes “the warrior” Ready, who just got better and better as the game wore on, attacked and won a number of headers and made one fantastic block of a goal bound shot in the last minute which bought about a knowing grin of admiration from the manager. The final whistle went and Town run out 2-1 winners.

Summary: Without being anywhere near at their best Town managed to dig out another 3 points which they just about deserved on the balance of play but will need to be much, much better for their next game which is against run away league leaders, Kelvedon Hatch especially as It looks like we will be short of several key players due to injuries and absentees

Man of the match; “The Warrior” Ready who is a “proper” defender from the old school and enjoys winning a header or tackle as much as he does a pint of lager.

El Col