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UNDER 18
 
 
             Essex  2 - 3  Cambridgshire
Wed 6th Feb 2008 at Barrows Farm
East Anglian Counties Under 18s Championship
 
Essex's Under 18s Representative Team were left to rue missed opportunities as Cambridgeshire stole a 3-2 victory at Harlow Town F.C.'s Barrows Farm Stadium.

Having been defeated 4-1 at Suffolk in their first match of 2008, Manager Howard Mackler was again at a loss to explain how his team had been beaten. "I thought we were excellent tonight," he declared, "but I am frustrated as two lapses of concentration in the first half have cost us again."

"It was probably the best we have played since we travelled to Somerset in the F.A. County Youth Cup but, if you look at our fixtures, we have probably conceded three or four times just before half-time and it has cost us again," the former Galleywood coach expanded.

The match got off to the worst possible start for the hosts when Cambridgeshire took the lead just 5 minutes in. Sam Parkinson centred the ball from the left and Josh Hill coolly slotted home from fifteen yards.

Essex's response was swift, with Reiss Gilbey at the fore. His initial corner from the right was headed goalwards by Luke Wilson before being scrambled over the crossbar, so the Thurrock playmaker then swung his flag-kick in from the opposite flank, Richard Williamson meeting the ball with a powerful header.

If the clash was pleasant on the eye, then goal-bound opportunities were bereft. Michael Ramkin broke from midfield halfway through the first period and slashed a shot just past the left-hand upright before Williamson followed suit just after the half-hour. In between, Tony Fraser's low shot through a crowded penalty area was easily claimed by Richard Mace in the visitors' goal.

Just seconds before the interval, Cambridgeshire moved in front again. Essex goalkeeper Elliot Harrison was adjudged to have handled the ball outside his penalty area, and Parkinson stepped up to curl a wicked free-kick over the wall and in via the underside of the crossbar.

The away side came into proceedings more during the second half, but Mace still had to make a scintillating save ten minutes after the break as he acrobatically palmed Edvin Nikkolla's header away from goal. At the other end, Cambridgeshire had a goal chalked-out after substitute Gerard Molloy jumped into Harrison.

The third goal was not long in coming, though and, when it did, it was a special strike. Molloy appeared to pose no threat when he collected the ball thirty yards from goal, but he larruped a swirling shot into the roof of the net to leave Harrison groping at thin air.

"Their second and third goals were both good strikes - in fact all five goals were excellent. If I was being ultra-critical, we should have closed the lad down more for the third goal, but their 'keeper had just made an excellent save to stop us equalising," Mackler said.

There was still time for an Essex response, and it came ten minutes from the end. Midfielder Ramkin collected possession on the right-hand side of the penalty area and travelled across the 18-yard box before jinking between two defenders and sweetly caressing the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.

The hosts pushed numbers up-front for a final push, and Gilbey was unlucky when his in-swinging corner was spilt at the near post by Mace: "We thought that the ball had crossed the line and the reaction of the Cambridgeshire players indicated that as well, but there are positives to come out of the game," added Mackler.

Essex were just unable to force an equaliser before the final whistle, and the result leaves them bottom of the East Anglian Counties Championship with just one game to play. "We've played some really good stuff in a competition that contains two of the sides in the semi-finals of the F.A. County Youth Cup," the one-time Great Wakering Rovers player boasted.

"In terms of results, the season has been disappointing but the performances have been good. That was as well as we have played since the Somerset match, but we'll be looking to our final match now and then forwards into next season."

Essex: Elliot Harrison (Harwich & Parkeston), Luke Good (Harwich & Parkeston) (Tony Boyle [Thurrock], 62), Tony Fraser (A.F.C. Hornchurch), Luke Wilson (Aveley), Max Holt (A.F.C. Hornchurch) (Gary Hickey [Southend Manor], 78), Wayne Bowers (Brentwood Town), Richard Williamson (Thurrock), Michael Ramkin (A.F.C. Hornchurch), Bostry Bansande (Thurrock), Reiss Gilbey (Thurrock), Edvin Nikkolla (Thurrock). Unused Substitutes: Danny Fowler (Billericay Town), Billy Mahoney (Thurrock), Troy Allen (Brentwood Town).

Cambridgeshire: Richard Mace (Cambridge United & Cambridge Regional College), Anthony Daver (Cambridge United) (Joe Stroud [Histon], 78), Robert Dawson (Newmarket Town) (Seb Baxter [Histon], 69), James Paterson (Cambridge United & Cambridge Regional College), Adam Dalby (Histon), Josh Hill (Cambridge United & Cambridge Regional College), Tyler Campbell (Histon), Matthew Bannister (Histon) (Gerard Molloy [Cambridge United], 46), John Yambusu (Cambridge United & Cambridge Regional College), Sam Ives (Cambridge United & Cambridge Regional College), Sam Parkinson (Cambridge United & Cambridge Regional College). Unused Substitutes: Frank Gammon (Histon), Rogan McGeorge (Fulbourn Falcons).

Booked: Essex: Boyle (91, dissent).

Referee: Jonathan Pickford (Leigh-on-Sea).

Assistant Referees: James Whittaker Jnr. (Harlow) and Nicholas Pavitt (Southend-on-Sea).

Attendance: T.B.C.