Ridgeons title race blown wide open

Friday, March 26

ANYONE who thought the Ridgeons League Premier Division title race was cut and dried can think again.
Leiston produced as good a performance in the first half in their 2-1 victory at Needham Market on Tuesday as anything I have seen at Step 5 level.
And coming hot on the heels of Woodbridge Town’s 2-1 success against leaders CRC at the Abbey - surely the shock result of the season? - the race for the championship has been blown wide open.
As Carl Chenery, the Leiston manager, said afterwards it is good for the league to have a three-horse race going into the final furlong - and he didn’t discount Kirkley & Pakefield possibly sneaking up on the rails thanks to their games in hand.
Chenery had every right to be proud of his players on Tuesday. They so outplayed Needham in the first half that they could have been out of sight by the interval.
Needham’s double half-time substitution pepped them up in the second period, but they failed to seriously threaten the visitors’ goal.
Indeed, the only save Jamie Stannard had to make was from Damian Hilton’s last-minute penalty kick. Hilton had barely had a kick all night, so well marked had he been, so it took me - and no doubt others - by surprise when he stepped forward to take the penalty, especially as Craig Parker had successfully converted from the spot 15 minutes earlier.
Managers and pundits often talk about having a strong spine to their team, and Leiston’s performance was built on just that.
Stannard, despite being a virtual spectator, produced the match-defining moment with his penalty save, while David Head was outstanding at centre half and Brett Girling didn’t put a foot wrong alongside him.
Stuart Boardley showed what a class act he is in the middle of the park and up front Lee McGlone and Michael Brothers kept the Needham defence at full stretch.
It was certainly the best I have seen McGlone play, and those in the know say that he has matured and is a better player for it.
Needham were a pale shadow of the side that I saw defeat both Kirkley and Daventry in the FA Vase earlier this year, with too many players not performing to their potential, or were they not allowed to?
Danny Gay produced three good saves to keep them in the match and Rhys Barber drove his team forward from the back in an attempt to haul them back into the contest, although ultimately to no avail.
It would have been tough on Leiston had they not claimed all three points, but what the result should do is ensure an exciting final to the season.
I wouldn’t like to predict who will win the league, but it is set up to be a nail-biting finale.

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THERE’S no doubt that playing at this level requires a certain amount of commitment.
However, two players deserve a special mention for their commitment to their respective teams’ cause.
Essex-based Hadleigh United goalkeeper Arron Benstead travelled all the way from Gillingham, where he was on a course, to Walsham-le-Willows to play in Wednesday night’s 3-2 victory.
And word has reached me about Ely City defender Ben Lawrence is getting married next Friday but is making himself available to play for the Robins away to Felixstowe the following day before heading off to south-east Asia on honeymoon on Sunday! Take a bow lads.

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PAUL Smith cut a forlorn figure after seeing his Walsham-le-Willows side lose at home to Hadleigh on Wednesday.
The ex-Sudbury Town player, one of the outstanding strikers to grace Eastern Counties League football, had just seen Walsham lose for the second time in four days to lowly opposition.
The match programme on Wednesday said of the 3-0 reverse at Norwich United: “It was a woeful performance which left many of us wishing we were still held up in the traffic jam at Long Stratton.” Not good then!
Judging by Smith’s words they were as bad, if not worse, in Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat to a Hadleigh side they had walloped 6-0 back in August.
With a Ridgeons League Cup semi final to look forward to at home to Needham Market on Good Friday, Smith was left shaking his head at his team’s performances.
Just as we were winding up our interview, midfielder Lee Sim approached his manager to add to his woes by telling him he may have to work on the day of the semi final!
Who’d be a manager?

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STAT of the week. Both Wisbech Town (last Saturday versus Hadleigh United) and Needham Market (last Tuesday versus Leiston) were awarded two penalties in the match.
Both teams scored one and saw the other saved (by the aforementioned duo of Jamie Stannard and Arron Benstead) and neither won!

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posted on 26 March 2010 08:34 byNick Garnham

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