Ilford 3 – 1 Takeley – Essex Senior League
Ilford faced Takeley in a highly anticipated game in the Essex Senior League. Takeley came into the game on a poor run of form with Ilford languishing at the wrong end of the table.
Scrappy Start
The game was a scrappy affair with chances hard to come by, the game largely contested in the middle with both teams playing with a direct style and not trying to overplay in tricky conditions in the Cocklefield stadium.
The first notable chance came on the 15-minute mark. Takeley winger Dylan Flurence had his rasping effort from 25 yards out cannon back off the bar which developed into a golden chance for striker Glen O’Hanlon who missed an open goal with a header.
Neither team could take a stronghold on the game and it was 18th-placed Ilford who went close next. Ikechi Eze made a trademark run forward and played in Ali Al-Nashi who cut in on his favoured left foot, but his shot, lacking power, cannoned off the post and was cleared by the Takeley defence.
It was Ilford who seemed to be creating the better chances. Al-Nashi whipped in a dangerous free kick which was met by the head of Greg Alpele who forced Takeley stopper Matt Gill into a world class save.
Cagey Affair
The deadlock was finally broken on the 54th minute. Alpele latched on to a ball over the top and after shrugging off the defender his scuffed shot wrong footed Gill and ended up trickling in the corner.
Takeley seemed to up their game and tried to get the ball on the deck and abandon their direct approach. This paid off as a cross evaded everyone and fell to Flurance whose initial shot should’ve been comfortably saved by the Ilford shot stopper who parried it and it bounced up and was met by Bryn Thorpe whose header went in softly off the post.
The Foxes Rally
Despite conceding such an avoidable goal, Ilford’s heads didn’t drop, and they continued to plug away and took the lead again through Al-Nashi. After a ball was expertly controlled by Alpele the ball was worked to the winger who looked dangerous all night, and again cutting again on to his left foot his finished was well placed into the bottom corner.
After Takeley had a succession of corners at the tail end of the game, it was to be a nervy finish but Ilford stood up strong and Eze found Alpele who drove at the heart of the Takeley defence, and after skipping round a defender, he played a wonderful outside-of-the-boot pass to Al-Nashi, who had the freedom of Ilford and again showed great composure to slot his finish under Gill.
A good win for Ilford who will see this as a springboard defeating a team who began the night fifth in the league. Takeley’s woeful form continues and this makes it five without a win.
