Flackwell Heath’s new signing Jamie Smith was named as the hosts player of the match after scoring two goals. Credit: Flackwell Heath
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Flackwell Heath 2, Welwyn Garden City 3
Flackwell Heath are coming up with increasingly exasperating ways to lose football matches after Mark Nisbet’s side went down to a 3-2 home defeat against Welwyn Garden City this afternoon.
Despite having been reduced to 10 men when Zeid Hannachi was given his marching orders in the 81st minute, the Heathens were leading 2-1 as the game headed into second half stoppage time.
But they somehow contrived to throw away not just two points, but three, as Ethan Rookard scored in the 91st minute to equalise before Tyreece Robertson scored Welwyn’s winner in the 94th minute.
The result leaves Flackwell deflated and bottom of the Southern League Central Division with seven defeats from their opening eight matches.
After starting the season with three straight wins under previous manager Chris Ayres, they’ve now lost nine on the bounce – with six of those coming under the official stewardship of Nisbet, who has taken on the reins from Ayres.
Welwyn took the game to Flackwell in the opening half an hour and saw one of their attempts saved in the ninth minute and another sent just wide of the target in the 15th.
They forged ahead eight minutes later when a throw in was flicked on in the area for Nick Ralfe to tap home.
Alfie Bonfield pulled off another superb stop from close range to prevent Welwyn stretching their advantage before half-time.
But the hosts managed to wrestle back momentum after the break when a great ball in behind by Elias Grant was fired home by new signing Jamie Davies, his shot deflecting over the Welwyn keeper in the 54th minute.
Flackwell then turned the game completely on its head when Davies scored his second of the game with a fantastic volley in the 62nd minute. Lewis Patrick teed him up with a great cross and it felt like the hosts were starting to get the rub of the green they’ve been missing so far this season.
Bonfield saved well again in the 66th minute but the Heathens looked to be holding firm until Hannachi was shown two yellow cards in the space of a few minutes. The visitors held their numerical superiority for only a couple of minutes though as Kendall Gyamfi was dismissed in the 84th minute.
But the game took a heartbreaking twist for the Heathens in stoppage time when Rookard headed home at the far post from a corner in the 91st minute before Robertson restored Welwyn’s lead deep into stoppage time.
With most sides in the bottom half also losing, Flackwell remain only four points from safety – despite having only picked up three points from their first eight fixtures.
The bottom side are back in action at second placed Potters Bar Town next Saturday (October 10).
The result took Welwyn back above Marlow into third; however, Mark Bartley’s Blues will have the chance to respond when they take on Aylesbury United at Chesham United’s The Meadow ground tomorrow (Sunday).
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Winchester City 4, Windsor & Eton 2
Windsor & Eton’s up and down season in the Isthmian League South Central Division continued this afternoon as Rob Webb’s side were beaten 4-2 by Winchester City.
The Royalists have scored and conceded 15 goals so far this season and have now won three and lost three of their opening seven fixtures.
It leaves them lodged in 12th place but they’re still only two points off the play-off spots in this congested division.
Windsor took the lead in this one when Ross McKernan headed home Khalid Simmo’s cross in the 36th minute. But hosts Winchester tied things up in the 43rd minute when Bradley Walters was brought down in the area and Scott Bungay scored from the penalty spot.
Jez Bedford then fired Winchester in front on the stroke of half-time, but that lead was wiped out a minute into the second half when on loan striker Freddy Dunham scored his fifth goal in three games.
Sadly, the visitors then conceded twice in a frustrating five-minute spell as George Milner-Smith put Winchester back in front in the 58th minute before Oliver Balmer scored a fourth to give Winchester breathing space in the 61st minute.
Webb made plenty of changes in the final half an hour to try and affect a change, but the Royalists couldn’t get back into the contest.
Windsor & Eton are back at home against Hayes & Yeading United next Saturday (October 10) while they welcome Jersey Bulls to Stag Meadow the following Tuesday (October 13).
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Holyport 1, Burnham 2
In the Combined Counties Premier Division North, Burnham got back to winning ways after a lean couple of weeks as they got the better of local rivals Holyport 2-1 at Summerleaze Park.
Mo and Omz Bakali’s Blues had been leading the league table just a few weeks ago, but back-to-back defeats to Reading City and Easington Sports had seen them fall back to third.
They remain third this evening but are now level on 26 points with second placed Broadfields United and have moved four points behind leaders Ardley United, albeit having played more games than both of their promotion rivals.
This game didn’t begin well for the Blues as Holport – fresh from their 2-0 win at Thatcham Town in mid-week – took the lead through Manny Kingsley in only the second minute.
Kingsley had also been on target at Thatcham as Port registered their first three points of the season, and the hosts held onto their lead until the dying embers of the half when Jordan Brown fired home the visitors’ equaliser.
Brown then slotted home his side’s second from the penalty spot in the 65th minute and their defence held firm to notch up the side’s eighth win of the campaign.
Burnham return to the 1878 Stadium this Wednesday (October 7) when they host Hungerford Town in the second round of the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup.
They’re then in FA Vase first round action when they host Harefield United on Saturday (October 10).
Despite the loss today, Holyport remain a point outside of the relegation places. They’re back in league action on Saturday when they host 19th placed ZRayners Lane at Summerleaze Park.