Deep in the Essex countryside, The Bridge fell at the seventh hurdle as they were narrowly beaten by Halstead Town, bringing to an end the six-match unbeaten run before it became the lucky seventh. Beaten but not disgraced, although fair to say, this was not one of The Bridge’s better days and against decent opponents, the end result was not a surprise.

To sum up how the day went for The Bridge, witness this second-half conversation between Manager Marc Harrison and Lino Kate Dorling when The Bridge were making a second-half substitution.
Kate “How many are you doing, one or two?”
Marc “Can I do eleven?”

Touchline banter at its best, but also an indication of how the game was going for the visitors. To be fair, it wasn’t an awful performance, but it wasn’t enough to gain anything on the day, and Halstead deservedly took the points to take them up to 7th place in the table and within touching distance of the play-off places, and they could be in for an exciting end to their season.

On arriving at the ground and glancing at the team sheet on the wall of the historic main stand, we noticed that Captain Phillips was missing and a miss he surely was, but it was also noted that The Bridge line-up looked pretty good nonetheless and would give the home side a true test. In the back line for The Bridge, ex-Hashtag United’s Tom Anderson made his debut, and he had a decent game alongside Ollie Jenkins and Jack Mochalski, who stepped up in Phillips’ absence and had an excellent game.

The pitch had held up well in light of the recent weather, and there’s got to be a “well done” to the Halstead ground staff who produced a decent surface in the circumstances. The game was fairly even, especially in the first half, but having said that, the home side had more attempts at goal and more corners and probably should have scored more than one, but their finishing let them down. The Bridge did have chances, too, but not too many clear-cut opportunities.

As both sides probed for the opener, the game was mainly played in midfield, with corners, throw-ins and longer balls the main threats on goal, but these were mainly dealt with by the two defences, and the first half finished 0-0. The Bridge back line was holding firm, and Jack Mochalski was superb in the centre of it, deputising for Darren, and Tom Anderson was having a good debut too. Ellis Devereux was working hard as usual but not getting many opportunities, and The Bridge were keeping the dangerous Kane Gilbert relatively quiet, whilst in midfield Jaiden Babalola was everywhere and calm on the ball with nice short passes, whereas everyone else seemed a bit rushed.

It took 20 minutes or so before there was an attempt on target, but Tom Anderson’s header from Kelson McFarlane’s corner was caught easily by keeper Charlie Turner. The home side could well have gone ahead in the 27th minute when Robbie Bennett’s cross found George Smith in the box, but his shot went high over the bar. Shortly after, Smith was clear after a long ball forward was headed on, and the flag failed to go up for offside, and Smith rounded keeper Michael Betts, but then put his shot wide of the post.

The Humbugs then had a spell of pressure, and a Joel Older free kick was headed on to Kane Gilbert, who headed home, but this time the flag did go up, and Halstead were denied. The Bridge were not really getting it together, but, as they often do, they stayed in the game and should have scored themselves when they cleared an attack, and Kamel Sassi ran from his own half and, as the home defence opened up, Ellis Devereux was free. Kamel played the pass but not into Ellis’s stride, and the home defence closed it down, and the chance was gone.

As we approached halftime, Billy Willis played a ball forward, and Leo Clark dummied, either intentionally or not, and Sassi was through, but the flag went up. From where I stood, it looked very dubious, but Lino Kate Dorling did have a better angle, so I’ll give her the benefit of any doubt (you’re welcome, Kate!). One more chance before the half-time oranges (remember those!) and Kamel Sassi was on target from 20 yards, but keeper Turner saved comfortably.

With the home side only slightly on top from the first half, it was all to play for in the second forty-five, and just after the restart, The Bridge had a good opportunity to go ahead when an Ollie Jenkins throw was cleared as far as Kelson McFarlane, who found Leo Clark. Leo’s shot/cross was blocked, but Leo forced the rebound across goal, and Ellis Devereux was there, but his connection wasn’t enough, and keeper Turner saved the attempt.

The Bridge then had a spell where they did most of the attacking, but the best they could conjure up was a Leo Clark ball into the box to Kamel Sassi, who twisted and turned and made room for the shot, but there wasn’t enough power, and Turner saved easily.

Halstead continued to pepper The Bridge box, but The Bridge were able to salt it out (sorry!), and soon Leo Clark chased a long ball forward but couldn’t quite ketchup (yes, I am eating my tea as I write this!) and Turner got there first. As this bit of action took plaice (no, no more!), there was a chip into the box …no, there wasn’t really, but there was an altercation between Theo Duffin and Kamel Sassi and a bit of scuffling as everyone wanted to get involved.

The game was now a little messy, and you couldn’t help but think that one opportunity would decide it, and Halstead were now doing most of the attacking. Joel Older had a couple of shots superbly blocked, then Kane Gilbert’s cross came off a Hullbridge defender and fell to Robbie Bennett, but he was denied by the feet of Michael Bett, who saved superbly. The ball was cleared, but it went to the dangerous Gilbert, who sent in a decent cross, and Bett failed to hold it as he anticipated a touch that never came and the ball, unfortunately, fell to substitute Billy Jamison, who stroked it home. A goalkeeper's life is a very tough one, and Michael was a bit unlucky, but such is the life of a keeper.

That was the moment we did not want and, as expected, it decided the destination of the three points as both teams couldn’t alter the scoreline in the remaining minutes. The Humbugs should have made it 2-0 when they broke away, and Jack Mochalski went down as he was clipped by George Smith, but the foul was not given, and Smith put in Joel Older, but keeper Bett saved superbly…such is the life of a keeper!

Deep into injury time, Kane Gilbert’s free kick bounced back off of Michael, but this time to safety. Fine lines, fine lines that often decide games, including this one. Not a vintage Bridge performance, but not a disaster either, but it needed a bit more to trouble the hosts, who are a decent outfit in my opinion. Food for thought? maybe but only because it fits in with some of the report! Anyway, there’s plenty of season left, so no point in wineing, although there’s lots of home games and the clubhouse is open, so wine opportunities are available, not to mention a large selection of alternative beverages…cheers!