Felixstowe & Walton United FC

FELIXSTOWE & WALTON UNITED  3  -  2  GORLESTON 

Seasiders survive late scare to record first league win

Felixstowe & Walton United survived a late scare to record their first league win of the season. Charlie Warren opened the scoring early on before Gorleston fought their way back into the game during the first half. The Seasiders took full control second half and gained a two-goal cushion from Callum Harrison and Ollie Canfer before the away side again rallied to pull a late goal back and went close to an equaliser in injury time.

The Seasiders made one change to the starting eleven that opened the season at Brentwood on Saturday, Stuart Ainsley taking the place of Leon Ottley-Gooch. Henry Barley remained on the bench as he builds back from an injury. Thurlow Nunn Champions Gorleston featured forward Christy Finch in their side, the former Leiston star man joining goalkeeper Jake Jessup in having played at a higher level for many years.

Felixstowe started the match strongly and set the pace of the game from the first whistle, some excellent passing moves and running from the lively Charlie Warren immediately started to cause the away side problems. Warren created a glorious chance to open the scoring after just 4 minutes, his run and shot from 20 yards could only be spilled by Jessup in the Greens goal and Callum Bennett was first to get his head to it and his effort agonisingly landed on the roof of the net with the keeper well beaten. It was Bennett’s turn to turn provider on six minutes and his sublime cross from far out on the right picked out Charlie Warren on the edge of the six-yard box and he finished superbly into the bottom corner to get the goal that the early pressure had deserved. Two minutes later and it was nearly two, Callum Harrison seeing his goal bound shot deflected just wide of the post and out for a corner. Harrison was dishing out headaches to the Gorleston back line with his constant running and his magic feet were treating the decent midweek crowd to an exhibition of skill and talent, his mazy run in the 16^th minute picked out Warren again and the youngster beat his man and cut inside but was taken out by a defender as he lined up his shot. Harrison and Bennett linked up again on 18 minutes to cleverly weave their way through and Bennett’s shot from the edge of the box had Jessup scrambling to his right to save and then grab at the second attempt. Jessup then dropped a high cross from the right on 21 minutes at his far post, Zak Brown came steaming in but the shot from an impossible angle flew just wide. From that moment, Felixstowe seemed to ease their foot off the gas and that immediately allowed Gorleston the space to start playing some decent passing football in the middle of the pitch which got their front men moving forward dangerously, one of these moves in the 24^th minute led to the equaliser, a Seasiders throw in deep in their own half ricocheted kindly to Liam Jackson who made space and scored a great goal from 18 yards. Gorleston continued to impress with their new-found energy and were looking the more likely to score again, a deflection from a defender as Finch shot from distance on 35 minutes caught out Callum Robinson but fortunately it sailed inches wide of the post. Finch was showing his higher-level class and he broke on the half way line as the half time whistle approached, with two defenders tailing him, he shot from the edge of the box but Robinson saved well.

The half-time team talk must have centred on how our own pressing play can stop the away side playing themselves, and this is exactly what the Seasiders did, for the first 40 minutes of the second half! Similar to the opening period, Felixstowe took control immediately and kept a firm grip on the game. A good cross from near the corner flag found Josh Hitter in the six-yard area in the 46^th minute but his header looped just over the bar. Three minutes later it was Hitter again on the end of a brilliant cross from Warren after Ainsley had set him free, again Hitter could only send his header inches over the bar from a great position. Felixstowe had a decent shout for a penalty as Zak Brown was bundled into near the back post as the pressure mounted on the away defence, a pressure that only increased when they saw Callum Harrison poised to take a free kick from 22 yards on 63 minutes, the concern of the away side was found to be justified as Harrison curled a delightful low shot round the wall and into the bottom corner, giving the goalkeeper no chance. Two minutes later and an identically positioned free kick was this time sent to the opposite corner by Harrison but this time missed the goal by the width of a Rizla paper. Felixstowe were really sensing blood now and a fantastic ball over the top in the 67^th minute sent substitute Ollie Canfer free on the half way line, he sprinted forward and scored a simply brilliant goal that raised the roof off the AGL Arena. With that crowd roaring them on now it was Warren, Harrison and Canfer who set up the next glorious chance on 73 minutes, somehow between them they weaved the ball through a packed defence and Warren took the shot from 15 yards that Jessup did superbly to save. Substitute Henry Barley came close on 78 minutes as more excellent build up play was rewarded with Barley in a great position inside the box, his shot flew just wide. With the game looking won, another deflection in the Seasiders half on 85 minutes allowed Ross Gilfedder the opportunity to slam the ball home from 18 yards to reduce the deficit. Gorleston had barely featured in the second half but were now moving forward with all guns blazing as they sensed a point. There were plenty of nervy moments as balls were whipped in and corners defended but good game management looked to have secured the win. As the clock ticked over to the 94^th of the 95 minutes, Christy Finch’s pressure in front of the main stand caused a slip that allowed him to run forward and curl the cross of the game onto the head of the waiting Robbie Lee Sweeney, his brilliantly diverted header beat Robinson as it flew towards the far right post but thankfully smacked against the inside of the post, flew back across the area and was cleared to safety. It really was a golden chance and a heart in mouths moment for the home side that had suffered that late heartbreak of an injury time equaliser at Brentwood at the weekend. This time luck was on Felixstowe’s side and they secured the three points that they had ultimately deserved.

Seasiders Assistant Manager Andy Crump spoke after the game. “We started the game with the intent that we wanted, we wanted to play football in their half of the pitch and wanted to control the game as much as we could. After the goal and all the chances we had we stepped off that pressure and invited them into the game. Unfortunately for us, two individual lapses in concentration led to their goals and that made the game a lot tougher than it needed to be at certain points in the game. Second half we really ramped up that pressure and played the much better football for 40 minutes so I think overall we deserved and were worthy of the three points tonight, but we do need to make these games easier for ourselves!”

Report by Stuart Daynes

Photos by Stefan Peck

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