Under 18 County Friendly

By Courtesy and thanks to Essex F.A.. Friday, 26 September 2008

Thanks to Essex for the excellent and unbiased report of our friendly game earlier this month. Ken Brooke

Kent  4 - 1  Essex  
  Thu 11 Sep 2008 at Sevenoaks Town FC  
  Under 18s Friendly  
     
  Essex Under 18s Representative Manager Howard Mackler remained upbeat following an experimental loss to neighbours Kent in the County's opening friendly of the new campaign at Sevenoaks Town F.C., explaining: "We learnt a number of things tonight, some good, some bad!"

Mackler took the opportunity to blood several new faces in a non-competitive fixture, including young talents from clubs including Thurrock, Dagenham & Redbridge, Chelmsford City and Brentwood Town, and he rated the evening as a useful exercise: "We had a number of lads who were basically trialling for us and we'll look at who we want to add to the squad. We have another friendly coming up against Middlesex where we'll field a number of the boys who featured for us last season."

Essex started brightly at Sevenoaks, taking the lead on 10 minutes. A great run down the left flank by Ollie Dingli saw a low ball into the box stabbed towards goal by James Love for Joe Smith to make sure by hammering the ball over the line. Only three minutes later Essex almost doubled their lead with a carbon-copy move. Dingli once again burst down the left before delivering a cross which Love nodded just wide of the post.

Kent levelled the game with a well-worked goal on 18 minutes, pacey front man Andrew Williams cutting a ball back for Tom Phipp to fire a low ten-yard volley beneath Essex 'keeper Rob Frank.

The visitors had opportunities to grab the lead again, particularly when skipper Reiss Gilbey's neat lay-off allowed George Maher to rifle a stinging shot into the gloves of Jack Rankin. On 32 minutes, however, the home side took the lead. The impressive Harry Harding smashed an unstoppable drive from distance in off the foot of the post. Thurrock midfielder Gilbey then saw his clever twenty-yard lob well held by Kent shot-stopper Rankin as the County went in a goal behind at the interval.

Though Kent took control of the match with two goals within the first six minutes of the second half to give Mackler's youths a mountain to climb. Firstly Harding spotted substitute 'keeper Lewis Batchford slightly off his line and executed an exquisite twenty-yard chip to grab his second of the evening on 48 minutes before, on 51, Williams also completed his brace by latching onto a long ball forward and drilling a low shot beyond Batchford.

The home side could have extended their lead further when Harding was denied his hat-trick after a dipping strike clipped the top of the crossbar, but it was Essex who created the latter opportunities. Kent substitute 'keeper Sam Armfield was in good shape, though, with Dingli particularly frustrated as the visiting County failed to find a way through.

"We're pleased to have the opportunity to play two friendlies before our first competitive game this year," explained Macker. "I'm sure a few of the boys who played tonight will feature against Middlesex and then again when we face Devon in the F.A. County Youth Cup. There were some disappointing aspects tonight, but we're more than happy to iron those out in friendly matches as we shape up for the new season."

Kent: Jack Rankin (Croydon Athletic) (Sam Armfield [Bromley, 61]), Tom Parkinson (Maidstone United), George Crimmen (Tonbridge Angels), Harry Harding (Bromley), Pat Taylor (Bromley) (George Mitchell [V.C.D. Athletic], 46), Rob Carter (Maidstone United), Tom Phipp (Ebbsfleet United) (Olanre Balogun [Welling United], 53), Karl Dent (Dartford) (Perry Scofield-Lamoon [Ebbsfleet United], 48), Andrew Williams (Cray Wanderers), Ollie Funnell (Tonbridge Angels), Michael Walsh (Canterbury City) (Adam Woollcott [Canterbury City], 46).

Essex: Rob Frank (Brentwood Town) (Lewis Batchford [Chelmsford City], 46), James Love (Brentwood Town) (Andrew Elgar [Chelmsford City], 32), Josh Brown (Chelmsford City) (Sean Roberts [Thurrock], 46), Martyn Stokes (Brentwood Town), Lewis Payne (Dagenham & Redbridge) (Tom Collins [Thurrrock], 46), Stuart Watkins (Ware), George Maher (Brentwood Town), Louis Bourne (Dagenham & Redbridge), Ollie Dingli (Brentwood Town), Reiss Gilbey (Thurrock), Joe Smith (Brentwood Town). Unused Substitute: Harry Cook (Thurrock).

Referee: Peter Grace (Ashford).

Assistant Referees: Peter Davis (Gravesend) and Andrew Cowan (Rochester).

Bookings: None.