Football Review – A Non-League Football Review

Brightlingsea Regent ran out winners over Walthamstow at Wadham Lodge on Non-League Day with two second-half goals.

There was very little to separate the two sides in the first half. The first chance of the game came in the opening minute of the game as a free-kick was fired towards the far post, but just drifted out of play.

Possession changed hands a few times in the first ten minutes, but Brightlingsea’s first chance can in the ninth minute when a free-kick was delivered into the box. After pin-balling around, the effort on goal was zipped just wide. Kymani Thomas looked to play a clever through ball after Walthamstow had brought the ball up the pitch, but his pass was just too heavy and went out of play.

The visitors had the best chances midway through the first half: another ball bouncing around in the area had seen an effort cleared off the line before a shot on goal trickled just past the post and Stow’s Kai Davies made a very good recovery run after it looked like the visitors were through on goal.

Brad Russell had tried his luck from distance, but seen his set-piece fly high over the bar. Walthamstow had ended the first the strongest, but couldn’t find the breakthrough. An effort was headed just wide from Brian Moses, before good play down the channel had resulted in the ball going out of play, the same after a poor cross was delivered a few minutes later. The final chance of the first 45 had come Stow’s way after Eman Okunja had received a horrid boot to the head. The dangerous set-piece was delivered into the box, but cleared by the visitors.

Walthamstow made a fast start to the second half, but the cross was held onto by the keeper. Regent showed their threat as they took the ball down the other end, but Roraigh Browne made a superb save to deny them the opening goal.

The away sides first goal came four minutes into the second half. A corner was whipped in and headed past Browne at the near post.

Despite going 1-0 down, Stow continued to pressure the Regent goal as they sought an equaliser. Moses did well to break beyond the defence, but was brought down on the edge of the box, with the resulting free-kick held onto by the keeper before Davies’ cross was cleared. Adalberto Pinto then headed just wide of the target.

Stow continued to knock on the door. Jason Beck saw his cross flicked on at the near post by Moses, but no one was there to tap home before Kevin Songolo looked to get the ball into the box, but it was cleared.

The visitors looked to alleviate the pressure by going on the attack, but Browne held onto the ball comfortably before they food themselves leading two-nil. An initial shot was well saved, but Teddy Collis was there to tap home the rebound.

The final ten of so minutes was dominated by Stow pressure. An effort from Regent to add a third was first over, but it was Moses who had looked to pull one back, with his effort being blocked before Pinto came very close with an acrobatic effort, but Lewis Greene managed to tip the ball over the bar. That has been followed by another effort, palmed onto the bar but the Regent shot-stopper. Kai Davies created some space on the edge of the box, but his effort was held by the keeper before Ollie Sotoyinbo somehow saw his shot saved with the slightest of touches from the keeper to deny the forward.

Stow had looked to find something back in the nine additional minutes, but it came to no avail. The win sees Regent sit 10th with 41 points, whilst Stow dropped to 7th after Heybridge Swifts beat Grays Atheltic 2-0.