This afternoon saw Walsham-le-Willows arrive at the Unwin. It was a bright, sunny but cool afternoon with 90 paying customers there to watch. The pitch was rather bumpy due to the recent weather so football on the deck would prove a hard job. It was obviously going to be a difficult match for the Robins against one of the Leagues hardest working teams who are now finding themselves one of the high flyers.
With Porky Claydon and Josh Bridgeman on the bench we saw Richard Chadwick and Austen Diaper start up front. As usual Ely went straight on the attack and after 3 minutes were awarded a free kick just outside the box. Unfortunately this was wasted when it was struck straight at the wall as during the afternoon a number of other set pieces would fail. Two minutes later the first real chance, Lee Pacey took a free kick just inside the Ely half, Adam Murray got up highest and headed goal wards but the effort went just over the bar. One minute later it was the visitors on the attack when Ely gave the ball away in midfield. They attacked down the left and Pace and Mussa had to combine to clear under strong pressure. In the 14th minute both ends were in trouble. An attack down the left by the Parkinson brothers saw a cross come in, the visitors keeper punched weakly, the ball hit an Ely forward but dropped to a Walsham player who cleared long. Adam Murray picked up the ball in his own half, and, playing the way he was facing, passed back to Lee Pacey. The ball took a bobble and Pace’s kick only went a few yards and straight to a visitor, he lobbed it straight back at goal but it went over the bar. In the next five minutes Austen Diaper got his toe to a left wing cross but it then went wide and then from a Ben Lawrence throw he got his head to the ball but it went straight into the grateful keepers hands
Walsham were showing a great deal of hard work harrying, closing people down and defenders throwing themselves into their work with great aplomb. They had fast attackers and were always looking dangerous on the break. On 23 minutes they had a free kick to the back post, it was headed back but although the forward got to it he was only able to turn it into the side netting. Two minutes later they earned themselves another corner after a very quick attack after an Ely attack broke down. In the 28th minute a mazy dribble by Tino saw him brought down, centrally, 10 yards outside the box but again the kick was hit into the wall. Now it was going end to end with long clearances. This was to prove Ely’s undoing in the 35th minute.
The Robins went forward down the left, yet again, but yet again the hard working defenders cleared the ball. It went long down the left where it was picked up by a Walsham forward. He sped down the wing while a number of the Ely defenders stood still appealing for offside, but, the Assistant failed to raise his flag. The Walsham player got close to the bye line, the ball was pulled back to an onrushing forward but his shot was blocked by a defender, the ball only went 20 yards to just outside the penalty box, into the path of Walshams midfielder, Brame. He hit a very crisp and fierce shot that flew into net. 0 - 1
The last minutes of the half saw Ely pressuring the Walsham box with crosses, throws etc. but their defence soaked it up without any real troubling of their goalkeeper and the whistle blew for the first 45 minutes with Walsham going in for the half-time cuppa,, leading by a goal to nil.
Walsham came out firing, the first minute saw a ball over the top and although Chris Sterecki got his toe to the ball, Walsham’s Jobling still got through but could only put his shot wide as Pace narrowed the angle. Another 5 minutes later saw a poor back pass from Sam Parkinson and Pace had to put the ball out for a corner, under pressure from Jopling. Again 2 minutes later as the visitors attack came in from the left it was a scramble for the Robins to clear the ball.
On 58 minutes it was to be Ely who scored a goal to level up the scores.
It was another Ben Lawrence long throw on the left, nearly level with the penalty box. The ball fizzed in and Mussa got a head to it, attempts were made to clear it, but it only rebounded out to Mussa, about 12 yards out, level with the right hand post. As he was about to shoot he was bundled over and the Ref. awarded a penalty. Richard Chadwick took it, hitting it to keepers left, he got a touch on it, on to post but Chads tucked away the rebound. 1 - 1
The game restarted in the same vein but it was to get worse for Walsham on 67 minutes when they were reduced to 10 men having a player sent off for a second yellow for ’diving’. This gave the visitors more resolve and they were to defend in depth for the rest of the game. Chads got a ball in to Tino whose shot was fumbled by the keeper, Mussa got off a shot after a corner but it was wide. On 70 minutes Porky Claydon came on for Nick Impey. Chads had an effort when he came in from the left but it was just over the bar. On 78 minutes Josh Bridgeman came on for Tino before Chads had another effort that was too high. It was mainly Ely now with Walsham relying on the odd break but Ely did not get any real good chances on the actual goal. They started to get frustrated and this saw Mussa and Chads receive yellow cards in the final minutes before the final whistle.
Ely did not play as well as they can but the way Walsham played, did remind me of the Robins of last year.