Springfield 1 v 1 Basildon Town

Saturday 15th May 2021
Essex Olympian League Premier Division
Springfield Hall Park, Chelmsford
Admission: None
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 75 (estimate)

After remaining exclusively within Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire for my groundhopping travels post lockdown MKIII, I decided to spread my wings today and head northwards into Essex, partly due to wishing to watch action from a different league, and probably more due to the promise of a programme at this game, a rare treat indeed these days, particularly at Step 7 level, and I felt a strong desire to support a club apparently so welcoming to visitors.

Springfield Hall Park is about a 20 minute walk from Chelmsford train station, with the last section through the very pleasant Chelmer Valley Local Nature Reserve, and along the River Chelmer accompanied by an abundance of bird song. The football ground is part of a large open space, most of which is taken up by football pitches divided by rows of trees. A large car park runs through the park, with Springfield’s facilities immediately adjacent to it, including a large brick pavilion, and the main senior pitch which Springfield play their senior fixtures on. It is railed all around, although with no hard standing, and dugouts are moved into position ahead of matches. Three of the sides are lined with rows of tall trees, giving the ground a naturally enclosed feel to it, with more sporadic trees situated along the clubhouse side. It is indeed a very pleasant, green and peaceful setting to watch football at, with facilities more than adequate for Essex Olympian League football. Hot and cold refreshments were available from the "Springfield Snack Shack", a hatch located in the pitchside wall, and several tables and chairs were scattered on the large grassed area between the clubhouse and the pitch.

At a time when many leagues no longer insist on printed programmes being produced, a situation made worse with the onset of Covid-19, it is impressive enough that Springfield, a Step 7 club, issue programmes. But it is even more impressive when a separate programme was also produced for the reserve team fixture taking place immediately after the first team game. And yet more impressive was the quality of both, 16 page publications in colour containing an action shot for the cover, an introduction to the club and the visitors, welcome message, league table, full results and line-ups for every game this season, a player focus article, photos of the home squad, a report and stats from the club's youth teams, as well as predicted line-ups. A terrific effort by the club, and I hope their efforts feel adequately appreciated and rewarded.

The Essex Olympian League were one of the few leagues to resolve to resume their regular league season throughout April and May. Springfield have been battling at the wrong end of the table, coming into this game in eleventh place in the fourteen club division, having won three and drawn four of their 14 league games so far. Basildon Town are flying high at the other end of the table, currently up in second place, but with no chance of catching runaway leaders Buckhurst Hill, who they trail by 16 points, although Basildon have two games in hand. They have won nine and drawn two of their 14 league games. The reverse fixture of today's game took place last Saturday, and it was Springfield who came away with a surprising (on paper) 0-1 win.

Although the forecast was for a mostly wet afternoon, in the end there would only be the odd brief light shower, thankfully. This match was very much a game of two halves, with Basildon having the better of the first half, taking the lead on ten minutes with a rather controversial goal, a free-kick taken whilst the Springfield players and keeper were busy organising themselves, and Marcus Bower flighted the ball into a virtually unguarded net. They created other decent chances to increase their lead, although Springfield came close on 42 minutes when a goalbound shot was blocked.

After the break, it was Springfield who enjoyed more of the possession, and on 53 minutes the got back on level terms. After the referee played advantage, the ball was crossed low from the right to the edge of the area, and Jack Clarke almost casually struck the ball low just inside the post and beyond the keeper's dive. Basildon then had a couple of great chances to restore their lead, first on 58 minutes when a swerving shot was lashed goalwards from outside the area, and the keeper only just managing to get enough of a touch to deflect the ball onto the crossbar and out, then five minutes later, a three-on-one attack unfolded, but after an initial pass to the more centrally placed team mate was blocked, the ball did find its way to him later in the move but after some good footwork to create an opening, a fairly weak shot on goal was blocked. It was Springfield's turn to hit the woodwork on 65 minutes when a flighted shot went beyond the keeper's dive, but the ball kissed the outside of the post and went behind. Both sides created some good chances during the remainder of the game to grab the three points, and the visitors thought they had done just that four minutes into added on time when the keeper could only parry the ball low into the path of a Basildon player who tapped the ball home from a few yards, but the goal was ruled out for offside. So the points were shared, both clubs will probably feel disappointed not to have won the game which probably confirms that a point apiece was a fair result in the end.

Springfield II 3 v 1 Collier Row II
Saturday 15th May 2021, Kick-off 16.00
Essex Olympian League Division Five
Springfield Hall Park, Chelmsford
Admission: None
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 30 (estimate)

At the conclusion of the earlier game, I decided to stick around for this game, with dry conditions and barely a ten minute interval sealing the deal for me. And although the level, on paper, was low, in the sixth tier of the Essex Olympian League, it was quite an attractive looking fixture, between two clubs right up in the mix for promotion.

These two clubs came into this game level on points, Springfield II in second place thanks to a far superior goal difference, and had won nine and lost three of their twelve league games, while Collier Row II, in third place, had won eight and lost five of their 13 league games. When the two clubs met in the reverse fixture in late September, Collier Row II won 2-0.

Springfield II certainly took this game by the scruff of the neck right from the kick-off, and they earned a penalty with barely a minute on the clock, as the visiting keeper brought down the Springfield forward right on the left edge of the penalty area. Liam England converted into the bottom right corner. And they were awarded another penalty on 8 minutes for a push as the ball was crossed into the box. This time, England saw his penalty saved, but pouncing on the loose ball, although he swung and missed the first time, his subsequent shot looped high off a defender and dropped inside the post. Collier Row pulled a goal back on 14 minutes after the ball was crossed low from the left and struck into the top left corner, and they came close to grabbing an equaliser on 18 minutes when a fierce shot on the run came crashing back off the crossbar. That seemed to wake Springfield back up, seeing a couple of good efforts force excellent saves from the visiting keeper, but they did score their third on 33 minutes, with the keeper unfortunate in having made another decent save, but later in the move the ball was drilled home inside the post.

The second half was a lively affair, both sides creating some chances, but there was to be no further scoring, and Springfield II saw out the game fairly comfortably to claim the win that secured a promotion spot for them.