WITHAM TOWN (Spa Road)

ISTHMIAN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE NORTH, WITHAM TOWN 0-5 BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT, ATTENDANCE: 402

For the next part of my Good Friday double I headed from Biggleswade to Essex where Witham Town were hosting Brightlingsea Regent in a Friday night bonanza at Spa Road. The club were certainly rewarded as a bumper crowd came through the gates.

The club was originally formed in 1876 but disbanded in 1938 and the club that is in existence today was "reformed" in 1948, hence the presence of a phoenix on the club badge. The club were founder members of the Essex Senior League in 1970 and were the inaugural champions. The club set up base at Spa Road in 1975 as they continued to progress.

The club joined the Isthmian League in the mid 1980's and, apart from a short spell back in the Essex Senior League in the mid-noughties, have been members since. The highest level the club have reached was the Isthmian Premier in 2014 but they only lasted one season at that level. The club are now back in Division One North.

The club can count pop star Olly Murs as one of it's former players, along with Cody McDonald who starred, amongst others, for Norwich City and Gillingham.

After the results of last weekend, there was nothing but pride resting on this game as Brightlingsea clinched the championship with three games to spare.  The travelling Regent fans were certainly in a party mood as the beer flowed and they conga'd around the terraces.

There was nothing between the teams in a tepid opening first 45 minutes but the game swung in Regent's favour during a crazy spell midway in the second half. Witham goalkeeper Reece Paine, who had made some decent saves up until this point, dropped a couple of clangers to hand the initiative to the Champions.

On 60 minutes Billy Hunt lobbed Paine from 35 yards to give Regent the lead. Two minutes Paine attempted to dribble the ball out but got dispossessed by Aaron Condon and his cross was headed home by Tom Richardson. Condon then scored from a free kick on 65 minutes and that was game over.

Brightlingsea could have easily added more goals as they pressed forward but it wasn't until late on that Condon (88) and George Doyle (90) ensured Regent went nap. The players were then happy to join the party with their supporters.