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Clarets roundup: City rein in League opponents
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| Dribbling: City's Stuart Ainsley attempting to keep possession during Monday's friendly at home to Southend Picture: Matt Bradshaw |
Chelmsford City concluded their match-ups against Football League opposition during the pre-season friendly schedule with a slender defeat at home to Southend United, 1-0, and a morale-boosting 2-1 win over Peter Taylor's Wycombe Wanderers.
The Clarets went down to a Paul Furlong penalty in midweek against the Shrimpers at Melbourne but strikes from Ollie Berquez and Ricky Holmes saw Jeff King's team defeat Wanderers last Saturday to further prove their potential in winning the Blue Square South this season.
Former Chelsea striker Furlong's first-half spot-kick was enough to see Steve Tilson's Southend team emerge victorious in a closely-contested friendly on Monday night. His 28th-minute strike proved to be the winner for the visitors, packed full of first team talent, and Furlong was the first to threaten either goal in the 16th minute as a quick turn of pace saw his shot career on target.
This was partially smothered by former Shrimpers goalkeeper Danny Gay but it squirmed away from him and onto the foot of the post, needing to be cleared away by Andy Duncan.
United did break the deadlock two minutes before the half-hour mark from the spot, though. James Walker's speedy run down the left flank and into the box was ended prematurely by an Aidan Collins block which left Furlong with the task of finding the net, which he did casually, firing into the bottom corner with a bullet strike.
Stuart Ainsley curled a free-kick just a shade too high for City immediately after the break. And Clarets were even more unlucky not to level in the 54th minute when a corner was delivered into the goalmouth and Jason Hallett jumped to head agonisingly over the bar from a couple of yards out.
For the rest of the second period the majority of play was in the middle third of the pitch, as the substitutions began to flow and break up the game - although Southend's Franck Moussa was guilty of squandering a golden chance nine minutes from time when the ball was presented to him in space in the penalty box, to no avail.
Meanwhile, Berquez and Holmes found the net for the Clarets prior to half-time as Chelmsford recorded a victory against a full-strength Wycombe team. Peter Taylor's side were sent home on the wrong end of the result as Chelmsford proved they can mix with higher-ranked teams despite not having important players Andy Duncan and Dave Rainford in the squad.
The hosts capped a lively opening with an early goal, a ball being slipped to Berquez on the edge of the area. He made his way forward before toe-poking wide of goalkeeper Jamie Young and in off the foot of the post for a fourth-minute starter.
Chris Zebroski, Wanderers' summer capture from Torquay United, had registered a pair of efforts previously and his third arrived on 14 minutes as a far-post delivery from Gavin Grant on the right flank enabled him to head narrowly wide of the post.
Grant himself then dribbled at goal eight minutes later but a defensive block took the power off his effort, which trickled through to goalkeeper Danny Gay.
The visitors were shocked to fall further behind on 25 minutes when a Jeff Minton swerving free-kick was floated into the box and the diminutive Holmes jumped highest to head beyond Young and into the net.
Wycombe's response arrived 13 minutes before the break. A defensive mix-up allowed Gary Holt the easy task of controlling the ball ten yards from goal and curling wide of the defender on the line to reduce the arrears.
The second period provided little in terms of entertainment and the only other effort of note came from Wanderers' replacement John Mousinho, who almost took advantage of some slack defending and shuffled to one side, enabling him to rocket a strike onto the angle of post and bar and away.
This weekend Histon are the visitors to Melbourne for the final home warm-up game before the competitive action begins away to Hayes & Yeading United next Saturday.
Reduced admission prices continue to be in operation for the 3pm kick-off and a City XI will be in action again at Concord Rangers on Monday night, kick-off 7.45pm.
7:59am Thursday 31st July 2008
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