Oakley grind out victory thanks to goals late in each half

BRANTHAM ATHLETIC RESERVES 1

Essex and Suffolk Border League premier division

OAKLEY ground out victory thanks to goals late in each half.

An early long ball by Stephen Polley reached Jordan Heath and he beat oncoming keeper Thurlow.

However, he steered his effort just wide of the goal.

The next chance came on ten minutes, after an excellent through ball dissected the Brantham defence and released Sam Eldridge.

He beat the keeper but his effort struck the post and rebounded clear.

Brantham counter-attacked but Mann, in space, lost his momentum after being closed down by Ben Hammond.

Brantham were having to defend well and a good ball from Rory Harman found Jamie Dobkin, free on the left. However, he was quickly outnumbered by Imps defenders.

It looked like it was going to be a goal-less first half until the hosts broke the deadlock from virtually the last kick.

A corner was swung in by Jake Kioussis and poorly punched clear by Thurlow.

The ball fell to Eldridge, who was able to stab home off the underside of the bar.

Oakley were slow out of the blocks after the break and an early chance fell to Cole, when the home defence was slow to close him down. However, the Brantham man scuffed his chance wide.

The Imps then had another chance after a silly foul by Luis Reynolds.

Cole's free-kick to the back post reached an unmarked Garrad, but he volleyed wide.

At the other end, Thurlow blocked a shot from Eldridge, who had latched onto a long ball from Reynolds.

Once again, Thurlow came to his side's rescue when a clever flick by Heath ended with Hammond heading into the six-yard area for Eldridge.

However, he was only able to head the ball into the keeper's arms.

As the game became scrappy, a stray pass by Nick Palmer gifted a chance for Mann.

He got the better of two defenders but toe-poked wide.

With nine minutes left, Oakley had a golden chance to kill the game off when Rob Pratt played the ball into the feet of Heath.

However, his weak effort was straight at Thurlow.

Oakley did eventually manage a second, from the penalty spot.

From Kioussis' free-kick into the area, Brantham's Wood was guilty on tugging an Oakley shirt.

Having already been warned by the referee, the official had no option but to award a spot-kick, from which Heath sent Thurlow the wrong way to make it 2-0.

Brantham threw bodies forward and went close through Mann.

A misplaced pass by Pat Tynan then led to a last-gasp save from Luke Tynan.

However, from the resulting corner, Gregory was waiting at the far post and headed in, deep in injury time.

Tomorrow, Oakley's first team are at home to Earls Colne in the Knockout Cup (1.30pm), while the A team are at home to Great Bentley at Low Road (2pm). The club's reserves have no game.