Essex Olympian League Premier Division
The Len Forge Centre, Southend-on-Sea
Admission: Free
Programme: None
Attendance: 100 (estimate)
My options to visit new grounds were very limited today, but the Essex Olympian League is always a source of relatively rich pickings throughout the month of May. One of the three options in their Premier Division, at Bishop's Stortford Swifts, fell by the wayside on Friday when scheduled visitors Hutton pulled out of the fixture, and another game at Harolds Wood Athletic was not hugely appealing in all honesty, being played in a recreation ground with no furniture and with the club already guaranteed to finish bottom by a distance. And so I chose to visit a club and a venue which has rather intrigued me for some time.
There are about half a dozen train stations in and around Southend to choose from to get to the Len Forge Centre, but none of them are particularly close, and I chose Chalkwell as the cheaper option, with the two and a half mile walk northwards taking three quarters of an hour. Situated close to the end of Southend Airport's runway, the Len Forge Centre is a busy hub of football facilities, with its main ground being a 3G caged pitch, which is the regular home of Catholic United. Previously White Ensign called it home, but had to vacate when they wanted to enter the National League System but became clear that the ground would not pass the required ground grading. Which is a shame as the facilities do tick many of the boxes - there are two all-seater stands along one length, one in either half, and floodlights are present. The main problem lies in it being a one sided ground, with no access possible around the remaining three sides. Between the two stands there is a slightly raised flat area with railing along the front, and to the rear, a sign and memorial plaque for Len Forge, and a further plaque for Ron Spurgeon, both of whom have contributed greatly to the local football scene, are posted on the back wall of the brick building housing the changing rooms. Visible beyond the see-through cage fencing, four grass pitches stretch into the distance, with two other games also being played simultaneously today, including a local cup final. A decent, spacious if rather tired clubhouse is located between the car park and the 3G pitch, with plenty of wooden picnic tables placed outside. Catholic United did used to regularly produce programmes, latterly online, and they seemed to be of very good quality, but sadly they seemed to dry up late last year.
In all honesty, there was not too much riding on this game for Catholic United, their final game of the season, as they could not finish higher than the sixth place they occupied, following 13 wins and three draws from their 27 league games, but they could drop a place, as they were level on points with Sungate, who have two games left to play - both against today’s visitors, Canning Town. They lost 4-0 away at champions elect Ongar Town last Saturday, but had won their previous two games 5-1 and 4-0, both at home. Canning Town were second bottom, and, officially at least, in a relegation position. But although they are eight points adrift of the two clubs above them, Springfield and Leigh Ramblers, both of those clubs have completed their fixtures, and so Canning Town would rise above both if they were to win all three of their remaining games. A tall order, as they had only won five games all season, but they have picked up four points from their last two games. The reverse fixture of today's fixture played in November ended in a 3-3 draw, and the two clubs also met in a Senior League Cup fixture in March, with Canning Town making home advantage count with a 2-0 victory.
On a warm, mostly cloudy afternoon but with regular sunny intervals, the visitors got off to the start they needed when they took the lead with just three minutes on the clock when a lovely curling shot came back off the far post, hit the keeper’s back and rolled into the net. Unfortunate for the keeper Louis Godwin-Green, who was making his final appearance before retirement. Catholic United would then go on to have more of the possession and do more of the attacking, but Canning Town were holding their own and remained a goal to the good when half time arrived, to keep their hopes of survival alive.
But things were to get even better for the visitors soon after the break. On 50 minutes, a long throw in was missed by a Catholic defender for the Canning Town forward to run onto deep inside the box, but a fabulous and perfectly timed last ditch tackle at full stretch denied him. But a minute later, they did double their lead when a high cross from wide to the right swirled into the box, over the keeper and into the net. But that seemed to wake Catholic up, and a switch in formation and the introduction of Ronnie Bridges, who today broke the club's record for appearances, saw Catholic come back into the game. They pulled a goal back on 63 minutes, when a bit of a scramble at the edge of the penalty area ended with a low strike from Frank Craik which went inside the left hand post. And seven minutes later, a ball down the right drew the keeper out, and a goalbound shot from a fairly tight angle was acrobatically hacked away by a defender. From the resultant corner, Catholic got back on level terms when the ball deflected off a defender's thigh and into his own net. And the turnaround was complete on 76 minutes when Alfie Whitaker sprinted down the left before crossing perfectly for Tom Kearney to head the ball home from close range. That was disastrous for Canning Town, who would now need to score twice to keep their survival hopes alive, and although their hopes gained a boost when Catholic were reduced to ten men for the remaining minutes after one of their players was sent to the sin bin on 85 minutes, the closest they came to scoring again was on 87 minutes when, following a free kick launched into the box, the loose ball was stabbed against the crossbar. And so Catholic ended their season on a high, but will probably have to hope that Sungate do not win either of their remaining two games in order to hold on to their sixth place. Canning Town are now certain of a second bottom finish, which officially should result in relegation, but who knows at Step 7, and Basildon Town gaining promotion from this division may yet mean a reprieve for Canning Town.
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