Saturday 14th August 2021 – The Bridge 0 Barking 4
Saturday 21st August 2021 – Walthamstow 2 The Bridge 0
Saturday 28th August 2021 – Bury Town 3 The Bridge 2
Monday 30th August 2021 – The Bridge 0 Witham Town 1

League position as at 30th August 2021: 19th – points 0

A difficult first month of the season was an indicator of how The Bridge season would go for 21/22 but we all know how it ended! Finishing 19th out of 20 and without a point after month one pointed towards a season of struggle and also included a FA Cup defeat at Essex Senior League Walthamstow but look at the opponents in two of those early season defeats, yep, Barking and Witham Town and we know what happened to them as the season unfolded. Here’s how month one went:

ILN Saturday 14th August 2021 – The Bridge 0 Barking 4
Team: 1 Lewis Greene 2 Rhamar Garrett-Douglas 3 Matthew Rose 4 Jamal Allen 5 Jake Knight (Nathan Scarborough 61') 6 Brad Russell (Lewis Francis) 7 Michael Mignot 8 Lewis Watson 9 Charlie Cole 10 Joao Miguel Martins Pais De Carlos (Anthony Martin 22') 16 Alex Moss
Subs: 10 Anthony Martin 12 Callum Thompson 14 Ben Sargent 15 Nathan Scarborough 17 Lewis Francis

An inauspicious start and a heavy defeat as The Blues plundered the points with 2 goals in each half from James Folkes, Charlie MacDonald (2) and George Purcell. Nothing of note for HSFC except a yellow card for Matt Rose, things could only get better!

FA CUP Preliminary Round Saturday 21st August 2021 – Walthamstow 2 The Bridge 0
Team: 1 Lewis Greene 2 Rhamar Garrett-Douglas 3 Matthew Rose (Callum Thompson 79’) 4 Jamal Allen 16 Alex Moss 19 Mike Agboola 7 Michael Mignot 8 Lewis Watson 14 Brad Russell 10 Anthony Martin (Lewis Francis 66') 15 Nathan Scarborough
Subs: 5 Jake Knight 6 Gregory Fredricks 12 Callum Thompson 13 Callum Taylor 17 Lewis Francis 18 Andre Gumbs

An early exit from the FA Cup for the boys losing 2-0 in a game that included 9 yellow cards. 1-0 down to a 26th-minute penalty, The Bridge ended their FA Cup interest for 21/22 when The Stow scored a second on 72’. Cup glory hopes over for another season!

ILN Saturday 28th August 2021 – Bury Town 3 The Bridge 2
Team: 1 Lewis Greene 2 Rhamar Garrett-Douglas 3 Matthew Rose 4 Brad Russell 5 Jake Knight 6 Gregory Frederick 7 Michael Mignot (Lewis Watson 83') 9 Charlie Cole 14 Samuel Brogan (Anthony Martin 73') 16 Alex Moss 17 Lewis Francis
Subs: 8 Lewis Watson 10 Anthony Martin 12 Callum Thompson 15 Nathan Scarborough 19 Mike Agboola

The third defeat of the month but The Bridge finally hit the net twice after two blanks. The Bridge took the lead with a goal from Brad Russell before Bury equalised on 62 minutes. Lewis Greene received a red card in the 66th minute and Bury made it 2-1 from the penalty and 3-1 after 75 minutes. Brad Russell hit back for The Bridge with his second in the 80th minute but it wasn’t quite enough for the ten men and the 3-2 final score brought a third defeat of the season for Hullbridge.

ILN Monday 30th August 2021 – The Bridge 0 Witham Town 1
Team: 1 Luca Collins 2 Rhamar Garrett-Douglas 14 Jake Knight 4 Brad Russell (Charlie Cole 37') 5 Dexter Peter 6 Gregory Frederick 8 Lewis Watson (Michael Mignot 66') 10 Anthony Martin 12 Callum Thompson 11 Joao Miguel Martins Pais De Carlos (Nathan Scarborough 65') 17 Lewis Francis
Subs: 3 Matthew Rose 9 Charlie Cole 16 Alex Moss 15 Nathan Scarborough 7 Michael Mignot

The final game of the month and another defeat for The Bridge brought a miserable August to an end without a point as the boys went down 1-0 to Witham at Lower Road with Adam Cheniti the scorer on 63 minutes. A difficult start to the 21/22 season for the boys in Blue and White but what was about to come next was football drama that nobody could have imagined as we headed into September. If it were a song, it would be – The Only Way Is Up! (Yazz!).

Tune in next time for Part 2 – September 2021.
Wow! This is better than Eastenders!