MALDON TOWN F.C. IS PREPARING UP FOR A SUCCESSFUL NEW SEASON WITH PROMOTION THE ONLY AIM. Saturday 18th August is our first game of the season AWAY at Dartford. During the summer has seen some exciting changes with a new management team of Russell Tanner (Manager) Oliver Berquez (Player/Coach) and Dean Parratt (Assistant Manager). 

Maldon Town 1 Ilford 0 (Ryman League Division 1 North – Tuesday 23^rd January 2007)

Maldon Town welcomed back Alan Sampson and Danny Greaves to their squad for this Ryman League encounter which, unfortunately, will probably be remembered more for the particularly nasty injury suffered by the Ilford goalkeeper, Charlie Hasler, than for the quality of the football served up on a bitterly cold evening at

It was basically all one-way traffic in the first half as Maldon started the brighter with both Keith Martin and Yohance Lewis prominent in early attacks. In the 9^th minute, Lewis suffered a head injury when he received a high boot in the face from Ilford’s Dannie Malcolm as he challenged for a high ball played down the left wing. Dean Parratt’s resultant free kick was punched clear by Hasler. On 17 minutes, Keith Martin was fouled on the edge of the penalty area but Parratt’s kick was too high and 3 minutes later, in a rare Ilford attack, Maldon’s Darren Gould, who had been virtually a spectator for the first quarter of the game, was forced to concede a corner as he saved at the feet of Donaghue. As Maldon continued to push forward in search of the elusive first goal, Dean Parratt had to leave the field with a knee injury after 25 minutes, being replaced by Ben Fuller who played up front, with the versatile Steve Wareham dropping back into midfield. With the departure of Parratt, Maldon lost their composure in midfield and resorted to hitting longer balls to the front men, but they still wasted opportunities to take the lead when first Ben Fuller shot over the bar at full stretch trying to reach a cross from Lee Perry, then Perry was just too high with a snap shot from the edge of the area and a minute before half-time Perry was blatantly checked in the area by Keogh but the referee, Mr. Atkins, ignored Maldon’s penalty appeals and Perry was booked for his comments.

Half-time: Maldon Town 0 Ilford 0

The second period started as the first ended, with Maldon on the attack. In 48^th minute Hasler had to be alert to push a shot from Perry around the post, and then in 55^th minute an excellent run by Lewis took him past 2 defenders and from his pass Perry beat the keeper but his shot lacked power and Simmons was able to get back to make a goal-line clearance. As play began to get scrappy and was halted by a number of petty infringements, Paul Shave received his customary booking for an over-enthusiastic high challenge on Glen Harvey who was also cautioned for his reaction to the challenge. After 65 minutes a good run by Wareham was cleared at the expense of a corner from which Ollie Blackwell headed agonizingly wide when unchallenged and the same player missed the target with another header only 2 minutes later as Maldon increased the pressure.

After 73 minutes Ilford substituted Jonathan Donoghue with Chris Stevens but Maldon took the lead a minute later when FULLER managed to get the final touch to a long hopeful ball which was played down the middle by Shave, to record his first goal for the club. As 3 players converged on the ball, Ilford keeper Charlie Hasler received a serious leg injury when he collided with fellow defender Carl Bailey while attempting to intercept the ball and both teams left the field as play was suspended to allow paramedics to treat the stricken Ilford player. Play was held up for a total of 25 minutes and, on the re-start Simmons took over in goal with Danny Alleyne coming on and Stuart Houghton replaced Bailey who was also unable to continue. Play continued in a rather subdued fashion for the remaining 16 minutes of the game but Matt Jones and Steve Wareham both had chances to increase Maldon’s lead. Danny Greaves came on to replace Keith Martin after 88 minutes and Maldon comfortably held on to their slender lead to record their seventh win in the last 8 games

Full-time: Maldon Town 1 Ilford 0

Maldon Town : Gould (6), Sampson (7), Jones (6), Everett (7), Blackwell (6), Parratt (7).

LEWIS (8), Shave (6), Wareham (6), Perry (6), Martin (6).

Substitutes: Fuller (7 – for Parratt after 25 minutes), Greaves (for Martin after 88 minutes). Not used: Teague, Knight, Hale

Bookings: Perry, Shave

Attendance: 68

Maldon Town 1 Witham Town 0 (Ryman Div 1 North – Sat. 20^th Jan 2007)

Although Maldon achieved their 4^th consecutive league win, and their 6^th win in the last 7 outings, taking them to a lofty 8^th place in the league table, manager Colin Wallington was far from satisfied with the display in this local derby against neighbours Witham Town and made it clear in his post-match summary that he would be looking for a significant improvement in Tuesday night’s home game against Ilford. Witham could count themselves unfortunate not to have taken at least a point from this match as their performance belied their lowly league position and Maldon were indebted to goalkeeper Darren Gould for his man-of the match performance.

Maldon were without the injured Huttley, Henty and Driver and the unavailable Sampson and Greaves for this league encounter while Witham were missing striker Kevin Hawes who had a brief stay at Maldon earlier in the season and named Cody McDonald among their substitutes as he continued his comeback from a broken leg. The visitors kicked off in bright sunshine with the advantage of a strong wind at their backs and should have scored twice inside the first 8 minutes as Gavin Bensley first shot wide with only the goalkeeper to beat and then the same player was denied by an excellent save by Gould. It was 13 minutes before Maldon could manage a shot on goal when Perry fired an effort on the turn straight at Long but 3 minutes later, after an excellent run down the left by Lewis, Perry headed his cross narrowly over the bar from about ten yards out. Lewis was beginning to cause Jason Mitchell problems on the left and from another cross after he had reached the bye-line, Perry’s shot was deflected over the bar. Witham were enjoying plenty of possession but they were either being let down by their final pass which allowed Maldon to clear or they found home keeper Gould in unbeatable form.

Witham received a setback after 22 minutes when they were forced to replace the injured Grant O’Donnell. David Hawes came on in his place, taking up a more advanced position, and he had an opportunity to score immediately when he headed wide of goal with virtually his first touch of the ball and then in the next 6 minutes he had two further opportunities which were both saved by Gould. After 30 minutes, in a rare Maldon breakaway, Wareham was brought down five yards outside the area and Parratt’s free kick was fumbled by Alan Long allowing MARTIN to score from close range to give Maldon an undeserved lead. However, two minutes later Wareham was again brought down, this time inside the area but referee Moffat ignored the penalty appeals much to the disbelief of the Maldon bench. Witham finished the first period in the ascendancy winning a number of corners but without threatening the Maldon goal.

Half-time: Maldon Town 1 Witham Town 0

McDonald replaced Mitchell at the start of the second half for Witham but it was Maldon who exerted the early pressure with the pace of Yohance Lewis continuing to cause problems for the visiting defence. Perry shot disappointingly high and wide from long range after 53 minutes and then 5 minutes later Paul Shave received a yellow card for a late challenge on Forrester which caused a minor scuffle between several players as play became generally scrappy and confined to midfield. However, after 68 minutes, Lewis broke from inside his own half only to be brought down by a very late challenge by Darren Hawes which resulted in a booking for the Witham skipper, when arguably it could have been a red as he was the last defender. Witham continued to ring the changes as they tried to level the scores as Olly Murs replaced Bensley but Maldon were beginning to get on top as Wareham had a shot blocked after an intelligent pull-back by Martin, then the same player failed to hit the target after 76 minutes when put through by Lewis.

Witham’s attacks were by now more sporadic but both McDonald and Murs had shots deflected for corners which came to nothing. After 86 minutes Lewis had the best chance of the half when he had the time to pick his spot following another quick break, but he fired wide of the far post and when Witham counter attacked immediately, Murs thought he had equalised when he connected with a cross from the right but his first-time effort from close range brought a superb save from Gould diving to his left to deflect the ball around the post. Ben Fuller replaced Keith Martin for Maldon in the final minute and the home side survived the three minutes of added time without further scares.

Full-time: Maldon Town 1 Witham Town 1

Maldon: GOULD (9), Teague (5), Jones (6), Everett (7), Blackwell (6), Parratt (7), Lewis (8), Shave (5), Wareham (6), Perry (6), Martin (6).

Subs: Fuller (for Martin after 89 minutes); Not Used: Bansor, Knight, Hale, Simm.

Booking: Shave

Attendance: 128

MALDON TOWN 4 ARLESEY TOWN 1 (Tuesday 16^th Jan 2007)

The

The first few minutes were uneventful, played in a very subdued atmosphere at a sparsely populated

Maldon had their first shot at goal after 25 minutes when Griffiths was forced to save a fiercely struck effort from Lee Perry with his feet and then Matt Jones advanced to hit a shot straight at the visiting keeper from the edge of the area. Maldon were beginning to exert a little pressure as they went in search of an equaliser, winning two corners in quick succession and then Griffiths was forced into a full length save to keep out an effort from Martin, but Arlesey continued to look dangerous and should have increased their lead after 37 minutes when Tekell shot wide after excellent play by McElroy. Lewis was beginning to cause the visitors problems with his pace on the left and, on 41 minutes after he had been brought down by Gray, PARRATT curled the free kick directly into the top corner to give Maldon an equaliser they perhaps scarcely deserved on the balance of play and they could even have taken the lead just before the interval as Griffiths was again forced to save at full length from Lewis.

Half-time: Maldon Town 1 Arlesey Town 1

Heavy rain greeted the teams at the start of the second half and Arlesey should have regained the lead 3 minutes after the resumption when a slip from Blackwell left Foster in a one on one situation with Darren Gould but the Maldon keeper did well to save at the attacker’s feet as he tried to round him rather than shoot for goal. Neither defence was looking particularly secure in the slippery conditions and Arlesey’s Stuart Beevor was lucky to escape with just a lecture from referee Long after a late challenge on Wareham . On the hour mark, Keith Martin worked his way through two challenges to gain a corner and Dean Parratt’s kick found Steve WAREHAM who headed in unchallenged from close range to give Maldon the lead with the Arlesey defence nowhere to be seen. The visitors responded almost immediately and, after good interplay between Foster and McElroy on the left, a swerving shot from Bloss clipped the top of the bar with Gould beaten. On 69 minutes, Maldon should have increased their lead when Lewis and Martin exchanged passes to break through the visitor’s defence but Martin put his shot agonizingly wide.

After 75 minutes Ben Fuller came on to make his debut for Maldon replacing Sheridan Driver who had suffered a hamstring injury and a minute later Arin Fehmi replaced Matthew Clarke for Arlesey. After 80 minutes Maldon increased their lead when good interplay between Parratt and Martin released WAREHAM with a clear run on goal and he beat the advancing Griffiths with ease to score his second goal of the game. Visiting captain Gray received a caution from the referee after protesting that the goal should have been disallowed for offside and Maldon’s Lee Perry was spoken to by a lenient Mr. Long for a late challenge on Tekell. After 83 minutes Townsend replaced McKenzie for Arlesey who continued to push forward and Everett was forced to make a goal-line clearance on 86 minutes after Gould had failed to reach the ball in a goalmouth scramble. Substitute Fuller was looking extremely impressive as Maldon continued to hit the visitors on the break and Wareham was denied a hat-trick by an excellent save from Griffiths and then Fuller fired narrowly over the bar. In the 89^th minute Fuller again broke down the right and his cross was met by a firm header from PERRY, who was unmarked in the visitor’s penalty area to score Maldon’s fourth goal. Matt Knight replaced the tiring man of the match Steve Wareham in time added on by the referee as Maldon finished comfortable winners.

Full-time: Maldon Town 4 Arlesey Town 1

Maldon: Gould (7), Teague (5), Jones (6), Everett (7), Blackwell (6), Parratt (7), Lewis (8), Driver (6), WAREHAM (9), Perry (7), Martin (6). Substitutes: Fuller (8 – for Driver after 75 mins), Knight (for Wareham after 90 mins)

Bookings: None

Attendance: 71  

MALDON TOWN 1 REDBRIDGE 0 (Ryman Div.1 North – Sat 13^th Jan. 2007)

The much-maligned Park Drive pitch had made a remarkable recovery and the underfoot conditions were virtually ideal as Maldon played their first competitive match of any kind since Boxing Day and their first home match since the first week in December. However, the strong wind which had been instrumental in drying out the pitch proved difficult for both teams as its direction was diagonally from corner to corner. Maldon were without the injured Gary Henty, Craig Huttley and Paul Shave, together with Alan Sampson and Danny Greaves who were both unavailable, and manager Colin Wallington was forced to give debuts to Harrison Teague and loanee from Bishops Stortford Matt Jones in the full back positions, while fellow loanee Anton Innocent was named among the substitutes.

Maldon started the stronger with the wind in their favour as visiting keeper Any Hall had to be swiftly off his line as early as the first minute to deny Steve Wareham and then three minutes later a long ball released Keith Martin with a run on goal but his control let him down and the chance was wasted. Redbridge were maintaining a high defensive line giving Maldon the opportunity to find space behind them and the pace of Steve Wareham was causing them a few problems. In a rare breakaway for the visitors, Paul Armstrong managed to find space on the right but he shot across the face of the goal with no other striker in support. In the 17^th minute, the impressive Mitch Hahn, who was having some success running at the Maldon defence from deep positions, shot narrowly wide with a long-range effort but it was Maldon who were having the majority of the play. In 25^th minute Redbridge’s Bradbury was booked for a foul on Yohance Lewis and then O’Sullivan was extremely fortunate to avoid similar punishment for a late challenge on Lee Perry as he attempted to break into the Redbridge penalty area from the left. From the resultant free kick, Parratt drove the ball to the near post and, although the original effort was blocked, WAREHAM was on hand to drive the rebound powerfully home from close range to give Maldon the lead after 27 minutes. The same player had the ball in the Redbridge net again only a minute later but his header from a cross from the right was ruled out when referee Lodge spotted a pushing infringement.

As Dean Parratt continued to prompt the home side from midfield, the visitors were having difficulty in containing Maldon’s attacks and O’Sullivan was booked on the half-hour mark for yet another foul on Lewis and 2 minutes later Scott Curley became the third Redbridge player booked following a late challenge on Lee Perry which left him requiring treatment. Redbridge switched their attacking formation with Bull and Bradbury changing places and this almost brought immediate results when in the 37^th minute, after a neat inter-passing move, Bradbury wasted Redbridge’s best opportunity of the half when he shot wide of the goal from close in with only Gould to beat. A minute later, Keith Martin wasted a wonderful chance to increase Maldon’s lead when he was released on goal from the right but, from no more than 10 yards and only Hall to beat, he dragged his shot wide of the far post. Just before the interval Maldon’s Harrison Teague was booked by referee Lodge when a foul on Bradbury seemed to be followed by ill-advised comments to the official

Half-time: Maldon Town 1 Redbridge 0

Redbridge’s manager, Allan Fenn, made a tactical change at the start of the second half replacing Charlie Bull and Bon Bradbury with Chris Sloan and Gary Skerritt as he switched from 4-4-2 to a more attacking 4-3-3 formation, obviously attempting to get the ball to the forward players earlier with the wind advantage. The change had the desired effect as Maldon were put under pressure early in the second period and they were lucky to retain their lead as Darren Gould did extremely well to keep out 2 close range efforts before Armstrong eventually shot over the bar and then the home keeper made an excellent save from Sloan after an intended back-pass from Matt Jones fell woefully short. Redbridge were now having all of the play as Maldon were finding it difficult to get out of their own half and were defending deeper as a result. After 62 minutes Maldon replaced Lewis with debutant Anton Innocent who joined Martin up front, allowing Steve Wareham to drop into a more defensive midfield role in a formation which was intended to try to relieve some of the pressure on the back line. With 20 minutes remaining, Redbridge replaced Scott Curley with Jermaine Hughes as they went all out for an equaliser.

Excellent work by Frank Everett and Ollie Blackwell for Maldon meant that, despite Redbridge having territorial advantage, Gould in the home goal was rarely troubled further. Everett even broke out of defence on 75 minutes on an impressive run but when his cross found the unmarked Martin he took too long to control the ball allowing Hall the opportunity to save. Two minutes later, after Driver had given the ball away in midfield, Everett was called upon to perform heroics at the other end with a timely challenge in the area on Hughes whose claims for a penalty went unheeded. With 3 minutes of normal time remaining. Keith Martin knew it was not his day when his long range effort hit the bar with Hall well beaten and, despite Redbridge moving skipper Chris Perkins into the attack, Maldon managed to survive 6 minutes of additional time to achieve what was only their second home league win of the season.

Full-time: Maldon Town 1 Redbridge 0

Maldon: Gould (7), Teague (5), Jones (6), EVERETT (8), Blackwell (7), Parratt (7), Lewis (6), Driver (6), Wareham (7), Perry (6), Martin (5). Substitute: Innocent (6 – for Lewis after 62 mins),

Not Used: Bansor, Knight, Hale.

Attendance: 112 

Maldon Town v Redbridge

Ryman League Division One North

Saturday 13^th January 2007

MALDON TOWN                                                     REDBRIDGE

1   Darren Gould                                                        1   Andy Hall

2   Harrison Teague                                                   2   John O’Sullivan

3   Matt Jones                                                                        3   Carl Allison

4   Frankie Everett                                                     4   Frank Curley

5   Ollie Blackwell                                                      5   Chris Perkins

6   Dean Parratt                                                         6   Ray Taylor

7   Yohance Lewis                                                      7   Ben Bradbury

8   Sheridan Driver                                                    8   Scott Curley

9   Steve Wareham                                                    9   Mitch Hahn

10 Lee Perry                                                              10 Paul Armstrong

11 Keith Martin                                                         11 Charlie Bull

12 Anton Innocent                                                      12 Chris Sloan

14 Paul Rippingale                                                     14 Jermain Hughes

15 Gary Bansor                                                          15 Richard Simpson

16 Matt Knight                                                          16 Gary Skerritt

17 Laurence Hale                                                      17 Sam Holloway

                                    Referee:   Mr J R Lodge ( Colchester )

                                    Assistant: Mr J A Pope (Witham)

                                                      Mr D J Cook ( Braintree )

Maldon Town 0 Enfield Town 2  (Ryman League Div 1 North – Sat 9^th December 2006)

After impressive away performances which had brought consecutive away victories to move them into a mid-table position, Maldon came down to earth with a bump against an impressive Enfield Town side who were sharper in all departments and eventually ended easy winners with a scoreline which probably flattered the home side.

With Alan Sampson unavailable due to work commitments and Craig Huttley injured, Colin Wallington was left without a recognized full back in his squad. Gary Bansor was brought in on the right side of defence and Steve Wareham, returning after injury, was asked to play a more defensive role with Yohance Lewis on the left. Keith Martin returned in attack to play alongside Hughie Ashman in a virtual 3-5-2 formation.

The game started in bright sunshine on a heavy

After 21 minutes Enfield ’s Rudi Hall was booked for a late challenge on Driver and, as the pitch began to cut up badly and both teams struggled to put passes together, Paul Shave received a yellow card after 24 minutes for an over-enthusiastic challenge on Yelandia which resulted in a scuffle between a number of players. A minute later Enfield ’s captain Hammat had a shot blocked and then, from a corner from the right, Yelandia placed a header wide of the post when unchallenged. Enfield seemed to be adapting far better to the conditions than the home side and Paul Campbell, who was finding a lot of space down the right, fired wide of the far post. Two minutes before the interval, Maldon’s goal had a remarkable escape when first Hammat hit the post from close range and then Gould made an excellent double save from the follow-up efforts before the ball was eventually scrambled clear, and then Campbell was just too high with a header from a Negus cross.

Half-time: Maldon Town 0 Enfield Town 0

The start of the second half followed the same pattern as the first period with Enfield in the ascendancy and it was no surprise when they deservedly took the lead after 55 minutes. Negus easily beat Bansor on the left after the Maldon player had gone to ground too early and his cross was powerfully drilled home by man-of-the match CAMPBELL. As Maldon struggled to get back into the game, Ashman was injured after chasing a long ball out of defence and he was replaced by Leon Antoine after 61 minutes. The home side made a double substitution by simultaneously replacing Bansor with Lee Perry, with Sheridan Driver moving to a right wing- back position to try to suppress the danger of Matt Negus on Enfield ’s left.

The substitutions enabled Maldon to enjoy a short spell of pressure as Lewis broke clear on the left to cross to Antoine whose shot was blocked and then a minute later the same player shot straight at Jerome John in the visiting goal after the ball broke free in the penalty area. When Maldon broke away after a quickly-taken free kick, Paul Shave headed Lewis’s cross narrowly wide after 73 minutes and Enfield ’s Grace and Yelandia were both booked after protesting to the referee for allowing the free kick to be taken. After 77 minutes Steve Wareham had Maldon’s best effort of the game when he broke from just inside the Enfield half to fire a shot from 25 yards which John parried away at full stretch and the keeper quickly recovered to gather the loose ball as Antoine challenged.

Enfield gradually began to regain control and, when Negus was fouled just outside the penalty area in the 83^rd minute, HALL curled the free kick into the top corner of the net to double the visitors’ lead.  They were then able to retain possession for virtually the remainder of the game in an impressive performance which brought a post-match assessment from Maldon’s manager that they were the best team which Maldon had faced all season. In truth, it had been a below-par performance from the home side which had seen them out-battled in virtually all areas.

Full-time: Maldon Town 0 Enfield Town 2

Maldon: Gould (7), Wareham (5). Lewis (5), Everett (6), Blackwell (6), Parratt (6), Shave (7), DRIVER (8), Martin (5), Ashman (5), Bansor (5).

Substitutes: Antoine (6) - for Ashman after 61 minutes, Perry (6) – for Bansor after 61 minutes.

Bookings: Shave

Attendance: 156

Maldon Town 0 Thurrock 3 ( Essex Senior Cup 4^th Round) – 5^th December 2006

Maldon went out of the Essex Senior Cup at the Fourth Round stage when they were comprehensively beaten by their Conference South rivals Thurrock at a very blustery and muddy

Thurrock put Maldon under pressure from the kick-off on a very heavy pitch which had only been passed as playable earlier in the day, winning a corner in the 2^nd minute and then Matt Lovell shot over the bar from the first clear chance after 8 minutes. Five minutes later Scott Canham was just too high with another effort as Maldon struggled to gain any possession but Antoine managed to beat the off-side trap after 16 minutes but couldn’t find a Maldon player with his cross. Wesley Thomas’ pace was evident for Thurrock as he broke away a minute later but couldn’t find the target and then Lovell put his header wide when unchallenged. It was one-way traffic as Gould blocked shots from Thomas and Harrington and then Nyang hit the bar with a shot from outside the area. Maldon’s attacks were as rare as hen’s teeth but Lee Perry managed to break free on the right only to be brought down by Thomas which earned the Thurrock player a booking. After 37 minutes Thurrock took a deserved lead when a long ball found Leon MCKENZIE wide on the right and he advanced unchallenged into the area to drive the ball past Darren Gould. Both teams were trying to play football in difficult conditions and Lee Perry had an opportunity to equalise for Maldon in the 40^th minute but shot straight at Thurrock keeper Aneke.

Half-time: Maldon Town 0 Thurrock 1

Maldon made changes at the start of the second half with Ayden and Martin replacing Craig Huttley and Dean Perry and Sheridan Driver dropped back into a defensive role but the pattern of play remained the same and OJE increased the visitors’ lead in the 47^th minute when he beat Gould from close range. Maldon struggled to create goalscoring opportunities and they were reduced to attempting long range efforts on goal as first an Antoine effort was wide of the mark and then Dean Parratt fired narrowly over the bar. Bradley Thompson came on to replace a tiring Lawrence Hale after 67 minutes, but the Thurrock attack continued to look dangerous and it was no surprise when they increased their lead further after 72 minutes when THOMAS deservedly got on the score sheet when he cut inside from the right to beat Gould with a powerful shot which gave the Maldon custodian little chance. This third goal effectively ended the game as a competitive encounter and although Gould had to be alert on a few occasions to keep the score respectable, Thurrock took their foot off the pedal and contained any Maldon response with relative ease.

Full-time: Maldon Town 0 Thurrock 3

Maldon: Gould, Hale, Huttley, Everett, Bansor, Parratt, Lewis, Driver, Antoine, L Perry, D Perry

Substitutes: Knight, Thompson, Ayden, Martin.

Bookings: None

Attendance: 47

Waltham Forest 1 Maldon Town 2 (Ryman Div.1 North – Saturday 2^nd Dec.2006)

With the versatile Steve Wareham having failed a fitness test on his shoulder injured in midweek at Flackwell Heath, manager Colin Wallington was forced to make a change as Maldon visited the Armadillo Stadium for the match against Waltham Forest who were on an eight-game unbeaten run in the league and who hadn’t been beaten at home since 28^th August. Leon Antoine came back into the side and Lee Perry was named among the substitutes with Sheridan Driver retaining his midfield role.

Kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes due to horrendous traffic problems on the M11 and North Circular but Maldon eventually started the game on a poor playing surface which was both uneven and heavy and soon began to take the game to the confident “Stags”. Antoine was fouled in the first minute and then 2 minutes later, after good midfield play, Sampson fired over the bar from the edge of the area. When Maldon gave the ball away in midfield, the speedy Danny Gabriel broke away but his attempted shot was blocked by Everett and after 10 minutes a long-range effort from Forest ’s Ryan Hall was well wide of the mark. Samson then blocked a cross from Orilonishe at the expense of a corner and then Gould had to be alert on two occasions, first leaving his line quickly to block a Gabriel effort and then leaving his area as a ball over the top had beaten Maldon’s back line.

Maldon were generally having the majority of the possession and the impressive Parratt and Driver were controlling midfield but goalscoring opportunities were at a premium. When Lewis was fouled on the left side of the penalty area on 15 minutes, Parratt’s deep free kick was fumbled by home keeper Willis but the ball was eventually scrambled clear, then Willis again lost possession in a challenge with Antoine but Ashman’s shot from wide on the right was blocked by Forest skipper Baptiste. Play was generally confined to midfield and Maldon were managing to frustrate the home side to such an extent that Victor Renner was eventually spoken to by referee Toyer for his constant tirade of foul language directed at opponents and teammates alike. However, Danny Gabriel was proving a constant threat to the visiting defence and, after half an hour, he showed good close control on a run from the halfway line which was eventually ended by a combination of 3 Maldon defenders. A minute later Maldon had the best chance to take the lead when Antoine was released with a clear run on goal but, rather than advance into the area, he elected to shoot from distance and blasted well over the bar as the ball bobbled on the poor surface. Five minutes later, after a Lewis shot had been deflected for a corner, Driver headed the kick back at the far post but Sampson’s close range effort was blocked while, at the other end Nelson struck a fine volley from 20 yards just wide of the post, a similar volley from Orilonshe dipped just over the bar and then Gabriel outpaced Blackwell and his shot was turned around the post at full stretch by Gould.

On the stroke of half-time Maldon had confident appeals for a penalty turned down when Sheridan Driver was deprived of a shot on goal when he was upended in the area but referee Toyer was unmoved and eventually lectured Dean Parratt for continuing the Maldon protests.

Half-time: Waltham Forest 0 Maldon Town 0

Maldon exerted all the early pressure at the start of the second half as a good long ball from Parratt released Ashman but his cross went behind and it was against the run of play when Waltham Forest took the lead after 51 minutes. Danny Gabriel again outpaced the Maldon defence as he chased a long through ball but he appeared to have lost control when he made contact with the advancing Darren Gould and went to ground. This time, Mr. Toyer pointed to the spot and was surrounded by protesting Maldon players. Gould was booked for the challenge and Craig Huttley received a yellow card for his comments to the referee but GABRIEL powerfully drilled the penalty into the net. The goal inspired the home side as they enjoyed their best period of play and put the Maldon defence under pressure. A shot from Oyebanjo clipped the outside of the upright with Gould beaten and then the Maldon keeper pushed away a shot from Renner.

Maldon gradually recovered from the shock of going behind and, when Huttley was blatantly blocked as he attacked down the left, Waltham Forest ’s Ryan Oliva became the third player to find his way into the referee’s notebook. Maldon continued to push forward in search of an equaliser and Driver was again brought down on the edge of the Forest area but once again the referee saw nothing wrong with the challenge and when the ball broke to Lewis he fired over the top. As Waltham Forest seemed content to hang on to their one-goal lead, Maldon replaced Antoine with Keith Martin after 72 minutes and Lee Perry came on for Craig Huttley after 80 minutes. Virtually immediately, Maldon were rewarded with a deserved equaliser when they won a corner on the right and, from Dean Parratt’s kick, SHAVE rose above the home defence to head powerfully home from ten yards. Both sides went in search of the important winning goal in the closing stages and Forest replaced Oyebanjo with Nick Muir after 85 minutes. Muir almost scored with his first touch when his shot on the turn was saved by Gould but Lee Perry was causing the home defence problems with his ability to beat players and, a minute from the end of normal time, one such run allowed him to play the ball through to DRIVER whose shot was deflected over keeper Willis into the net to send the small Maldon contingent into delirium. The referee inexplicably found 7 minutes of time to be added on and as the visitors ran down the clock Ashman was booked after a scuffle near Forest’s corner flag but there were few further scares for the visitors as they claimed their second consecutive away victory in a good all round team effort which saw them move above their opponents to mid-table respectability.

Full-time: Waltham Forest 1 Maldon Town 2

Maldon: Gould (8), Sampson (7), Huttley (6), Everett (8), Blackwell (7), Parratt (7), Shave (7), Ashman (6), Antoine (6), DRIVER (9), Lewis (7).

Subs: Martin (7) – for Antoine, 72 minutes, Perry (7) – for Huttley, 80 minutes. Not used: Bansor, Hale

Bookings: Gould, Huttley, Ashman

Attendance: 44  

Flackwell Heath 0 Maldon Town 1 (Ryman Div 1 North- 28^th Nov.2006)

With Gary Henty on the long-term injury list and previously ever-present Lee Perry unavailable, Colin Wallington’s selection options were again severely restricted but he was able to include Craig Huttley who was back from holiday and Keith Martin’s hamstring had recovered sufficiently for him to be named on the bench. The match had been in doubt due to the recent heavy rain but the pitch passed an afternoon inspection, although conditions were understandably testing for both sides.

Maldon started with an attacking 4-3-3 formation and enjoyed all the early possession with Yohance Lewis firing wide from 25 yards in the 2^nd minute and then having a shot on the turn deflected for a corner from which Paul Shave headed wide. After only 6 minutes Maldon had confident appeals for a penalty turned down when a cross from the dangerous Lewis appeared to strike the hand of Flackwell Heath’s Howell, but referee Mr. Power was unmoved. The home side’s first attack after 9 minutes ended with Findlay shooting well wide but Maldon were generally camped in Flackwell Heath’s half and, when Lewis was brought down from behind by Connor, Huttley’s free kick was missed by home keeper Nick Hart but several Maldon players were slow to react and Wareham ’s eventual shot was blocked.

On 21 minutes a long ball down the middle by Gould evaded the home defence but Driver was just unable to get a shot at goal as he lost his footing on the slippery surface and, 3 minutes later, he was unable to make sufficient contact to convert a cross from the right from Wareham . As Maldon continued to dominate, a good run down the left by Huttley resulted in a cross which was just too long for Ashman. Maldon’s keeper Darren Gould had seen virtually nothing of the ball for the first 20 minutes but he was grateful to see a first time effort from Findlay go wide of the post after a lay-off header from Geary when Craig Huttley had lost possession. At the other end a shot from Lewis was saved at full stretch by Hart after 27 minutes and he then made a more comfortable save from a long range effort from Steve Wareham. Maldon were finding plenty of space down the left and from another dangerous run from Huttley, his pass found Lewis whose shot was deflected for another Maldon corner. Dean Parratt’s kick was only partially cleared and when Lewis drove the ball towards goal BLACKWELL got the final touch to deflect the ball over the line to give Maldon a deserved lead after 33 minutes. Three minutes later Sampson had a shot well saved by Hart at the foot of the left-hand post, but Flackwell Heath switched Kevin Mason to the right side of midfield and had 2 chances to equalise in the closing minutes of the first period when Geary was put through in a one-on-one with Gould but the Maldon custodian saved his powerful effort and then, when Wareham gave the ball away with a dangerous ball across his own penalty area, Gould made an excellent save from Findlay and Geary could not convert the follow-up effort.

Half-time: Flackwell Heath 0 Maldon Town 1

There must have been something in the half-time refreshments because, after dominating the first half, Maldon were unable to get into their stride in the second period and they were grateful to Gould for making another excellent save from Findlay after 49 minutes to maintain their lead and, as Flackwell Heath pushed forward, the Maldon keeper had to go full length to keep out a header from Rose. The visitors were not helped when Wareham had to leave the field on 70 minutes after suffering a shoulder injury in a hefty challenge with Havermans. Gary Bansor came on to replace him on the right side of defence as Maldon switched to five at the back with Frankie Everett taking on the sweeping role behind Blackwell and Sampson who had moved into a more central position. Maldon were beginning to get frustrated at their lack of possession in the second half and Dean Parratt received a yellow card for comments made to the referee after failing to get a decision in his favour and Paul Shave was then spoken to by referee Power after a late midfield challenge.

On 83 minutes Leon Antoine replaced a tiring Yohance Lewis and Sheridan Driver was working tirelessly trying to motivate the Maldon side into action. For Flackwell Heath Neil Hanson replaced Findlay who had suffered a knock and this removed the cutting edge from the home attack. Maldon finished the stronger as Ashman shot wide after 85 minutes, Shave fired a long-range effort over the bar three minutes later and then, in injury time, Ashman had an opportunity to increase Maldon’s lead but his run on goal ended with a good save from Hart.

Full-time: Flackwell Heath 0 Maldon Town 1

Maldon: Gould (7), Sampson (6), Huttley (6), Everett (6), Blackwell (6), Parratt (6), Wareham (6), Shave (6), Ashman (6), Driver (8), Lewis (7)

Subs: Bansor - for Wareham , 70 minutes (7), Antoine – for Lewis, 83 minutes (6). Not used: Martin.

Bookings: Parratt  

Arlesey Town 1 Maldon Town 0 (Ryman Div 1 North – Tuesday 21^st November 2006)

It was certainly a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s Show’ for Maldon as they failed to reach the dizzy heights of the previous Saturday’s performance against AFC  Hornchurch and finally succumbed to a single goal defeat on a chilly night in Bedfordshire against a workmanlike Arlesey Town side who themselves ended a sequence of poor results. With captain Gary Henty out for 6-8 weeks after suffering a broken arm against Hornchurch, striker Kevin Hawes having returned to Witham, Keith Martin still suffering from a hamstring injury and Craig Huttley on holiday in sunnier climes, Colin Wallington’s side virtually picked itself and the four substitutes ages averaged only 19. Paul Shave was given the captain’s armband as Maldon were forced to make one of their longest trips of the season for a midweek match. Arlesey had to make a last minute change to their intended line-up as striker Michael McKenzie was held up in the evening traffic and his place was taken up front by Jason Thomas with McKenzie named among the substitutes.

Both sides made a rather tentative start on an uneven surface and Arlesey’s first corner after 4 minutes was gathered at the second attempt by Maldon keeper Gould. Hugh Ashman, making his first full start, responded for the visitors with a break down the left but from his cross Perry passed to Wareham who shot wide. Dean Parratt and Craig Rydehead both received an early lecture from referee Steel for an off-the-ball altercation after the former had taken exception to a late challenge and then Ashman was unlucky to see his shot on the turn deflected for a corner after 15 minutes. Arlesey’s Ozie Foster went down in the box under a challenge from Everett but penalty appeals were rather optimistic but Arlesey were finding space behind the Maldon defence down the left and when Thomas ran on to a long ball played over a square back line Gould was forced to save with an outstretched leg. After 20 minutes Arlesey took the lead when, after another attack down the right, Thomas beat Blackwell and crossed for FOSTER to head home from close range. Maldon responded immediately but Wareham missed the target from no more than 10 yards out.

After 27 minutes, Arlesey’s Stuart Beevor had to go off with a thigh injury and was replaced by late arrival McKenzie who went up front, with Foster filling the vacant midfield position. After 30 minutes, Thomas ran through on goal from what appeared to be a clear off-side position but, with only Gould to beat, he dragged his shot wide of the far post when he should have scored. Frankie Everett found his way into the referee’s notebook for comments passed to the official’s assistant presumably about the lack of a flag and then Ashman was fortunate to receive only a lecture from Mr. Steel after a late tackle on Gray which left the Arlesey skipper requiring treatment. Maldon exerted pressure at the end of the first period when a dangerous low cross from Ashman was scrambled behind for a corner, Antoine shot over the bar after chesting down a cross from Parratt and Ashman had a shot saved by Rashid. In time added on at the end of the first half Paul Shave was harshly booked for what appeared to be a harmless challenge, one of many strange decisions given by the referee during the evening.

Half-time: Arlesey Town 1 Maldon Town 0

In the early minutes of the second half Maldon were on the attack with a stiffening cold breeze at their backs, winning a corner but Dean Parratt’s kick was confidently held by Rashid, then Lee Perry shot well wide from distance when he had the opportunity either to advance on goal or provide a pass to one of two unmarked attackers. At the other end, Thomas’ pace and strength continued to give Maldon’s defence problems and in the 48^th minute he beat both Blackwell and Everett only to shoot wide as Gould advanced. Maldon switched Sheridan Driver into midfield, opting to play three at the back and were enjoying more possession as a result but were unable to test Rashid in the Arlesey goal. After 54 minutes Yohance Lewis was brought on to replace Antoine and Maldon were immediately fortunate when an attempted Arlesey clearance rebounded off the referee to Perry whose effort was once again off target. In the 58^th minute Gray brought down Perry with a heavy challenge and was lucky to escape with no more than a word from referee Steel.

Arlesey’s attacks were becoming less frequent as they were penned in their own half for long periods and often had ten men behind the ball, but without any width in their play, Maldon’s attacking efforts were rather predictable and they seldom looked like scoring. Arlesey, on the other hand looked more dangerous on the break and, when Gould had to leave his area to make a headed clearance, he was impeded by a head high challenge from Thomas which should have resulted in his dismissal rather than a booking from the lenient Mr. Steel. After 70 minutes Maldon replaced Lee Perry with Steve Bourne but Dean Parratt was involved in all Maldon’s attacking play as he tried to drive them forward virtually single-handedly as he provided a deep cross from the left which drifted just wide of the far post with the Maldon attack seemingly watching in admiration. After 78 minutes Arlesey replaced Thomas with player-manager Darren Hay and five minutes later Gary Bansor replaced Paul Shave who had struggled with the effects of playing with a broken nose. Despite Maldon’s possession, there were few further scares for Arlesey although the visitors should have equalised in the 88^th minute when Rashid almost contrived to juggle a free kick from Parratt into his own net but the ball was eventually cleared after a goalmouth scramble where no Maldon player could get the vital final touch to put the ball in the net.

Full-time: Arlesey Town 1 Maldon Town 0

Maldon: Gould (6), Sampson (6), Driver (6), Everett (6), Blackwell (6), PARRATT (8), Wareham (5), Shave (6), Antoine (5), Perry (5), Ashman (6)

Substitutes: Lewis (6) – for Antoine (54 mins), Bourne (6) – for Perry (70mins), Bansor (6) – for Shave (83 mins). Not used: Hale

Bookings: Everett , Shave

AFC Hornchurch 1 Maldon Town 2 (Ryman League Div 1 North – 18^th Nov 2006)

Maldon remained unchanged for the third consecutive game for their visit to the high-flying “Urchins” but, with Craig Huttley on holiday and Keith Martin suffering from a hamstring injury, Colin Wallington’s options were severely restricted. New signing from Tilbury, Hughie Ashman was included among the substitutes and Lee Perry was appearing against his former club. The Hornchurch side included former Maldon players Kris Lee and Andy Tomlinson while former

The game started in perfect conditions and the visitors caused early concern for the home defence when a Dean Parratt free kick was cleared at the expense of a corner but the majority of the initial pressure came from Hornchuch as Lee got behind the Maldon defence but could only deliver a poor cross and then, after 12 minutes, he tested Gould with a shot from the right but the Maldon keeper saved low to his right. Five minutes later, Maldon skipper Gary Henty cleared a Fletcher header off the line from a corner and, in a rare Maldon attack, Wareham was well wide from a shot from outside the penalty area. As Maldon began to enjoy slightly more of the play, good close control from Kevin Hawes saw his shot blocked and Sampson’s effort from the rebound was too high. Hornchurch were testing Maldon’s defence down both flanks and in one such raid down the right after 20 minutes Mark Janney managed to get free but fired into the side netting. Gary Cross was injured in the build-up play but resumed after treatment. Maldon were using Leon Antoine as a virtual lone striker but the physical presence of Fletcher, Purdie and McFarlane ensured that Brightley in the home was rarely called into action. Hornchurch had the ball in the net after 22 minutes but their celebrations were short-lived as referee Lyndon penalised the scorer Lee for a push on Everett .

Maldon were being forced to defend for long periods and, with few options to hold the ball up front, found that the ball was constantly coming back at them as they conceded a number of free kicks in dangerous positions but Ollie Blackwell was having an outstanding game for the visitors, winning every aerial challenge and being quick to read the danger from the numerous home attacks. On the half-hour mark, Wareham was just too high with a snap shot from just inside the area as he latched onto a back header from Shave from Sampson’s cross and then Everett fired over the bar from a half-clearance. As Maldon struggled to gain any sort of control in midfield, Paul Shave received a yellow card after 40 minutes for a late challenge on Tomlinson, who made a speedy recovery from a somewhat theatrical reaction to the tackle, and from the resultant free kick Fletcher