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.

EASTERN COUNTIES LEAGUE 'GROUNDHOPPER DAY'

Another weekend, another hop. There seems to be a innumerable amount of hops in this current season and whilst some don't particularly appeal to me, the Eastern Counties Hop certainly did.

This allowed me to tick off three step 5 grounds in a league I have barely scratched the surface of. All are based in Essex, which made it a cost effective, if hectic, way of getting three grounds done.

As you can imagine, lots to get through so I'll keep this brief. It was a 6am early start for the 275 mile journey to..................

12pm Eastern Counties Premier League

Broad Lane

WIVENHOE TOWN 1-3 Felixstowe & Walton United

Attendance: 137

Our travelling party arrived at Broad Lane about 15 minutes before kick off. As we anticipated the programmes had long sold out but no dramas as the club offered to do a reprint.

After a long journey I felt it necessary to take advantage of the clubs' offer of a burger and a pint for £4.

Plenty of familiar faces were milling about and it was great to have a catch up with a few of them.

The main stand at the ground appears unfinished as there are steel supports erect at either end of the seats.

As for the game, well it wasn't the greatest as Wivenhoe are struggling this season and Felixstowe didn't have to get out of second gear to clinch the points.

The Dragon's Luke Goldie-McSorley (66) cancelled out Jordan Matthews (37) opener but goals from Daniel Thrower (70) and Bradley Barber (90) ensured the win for the Seasiders.

3pm Eastern Counties Premier League
The Rush Green Bowl
FC CLACTON 1-4 Newmarket Town
Attendance: 197

Next on the agenda was trip to the seaside, though I never had time to see any of it!

Clacton's quirky Rush Green Bowl was my favourite ground of the day. A hotch potch of stands gave the ground a proper non-league feel. The ground was opened in 1987 after the sale of their Old Road ground.

The current incarnation of Clacton were founded in 2007 after the demise of Clacton Town

Unfortunately for the seasiders they were comprehensively outclassed by a lively Newmarket Town. The Jockey's could and should have scored more than the four goals they did. Jamie Thurlbourne (2 & 37) Deakan Napier (25) gave the visitors a 3-0 interval lead. Richard Chadwick (47) added the fourth before Aaron Condon (53) bagged a consolation.

6pm Eastern Counties Premier League
North Road
BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT 2-1 Stanway Rovers
Attendance: 250

The final game of the day took place at Brightlingsea's North Road, the ground is tucked away in a residential area. The only football furniture was a pre-fab stand.

The club were very welcoming and made good on their promise of a free programme and half time cup of tea.

The game was a niggly affair which saw the visitors end the game with 9 men. Two strikes from Terry Rymer (21) and Liam Whittaker (25) gave the homesters the lead. substitute Peter Maina (53) halved the deficit but any hopes of a comeback were extinguished when two players saw red. Just a 'Brucey Bonus' an unused substitute also saw red for Stanway. Not a pleasant end to the day.

The journey back home ended at 3am when I put the key in the door, but there was a pit stop at the Alexandra Arms in Kettering, where 16 ales were on offer. As much as I would have liked to have tried many, I had to make do with a couple of halves.

Overall, the day felt more like the league had just staggered kick off's rather than a full blown groundhop. To me that gave the impression of 'normal' games with just a few extra bods in attendance. 

The clubs basically got on with it and all the boxes were ticked as far as I was concerned. The issues (excuse the pun) with programmes were sorted (or in the process of being sorted) and I hope the clubs found it worthwhile. I certainly did and I look forward to visiting Norfolk next March.

This is the leagues take on the day
http://thurlownunnleague.co.uk/essex-groundhopper-day-proves-popular/