The first local derby of the season saw the spoils shared as Witham 5’s played host to Maldon 2’s on a lovely autumnal day that provided the perfect conditions for a keenly contested encounter.

Witham started the stronger but failed to convert any of the chances they created, the best of which was perhaps Harry Glanvill’s sweetly volleyed effort that a Maldon defender somehow got a stick to and prevented it from going in. Witham were constantly probing the Maldon defence, with Will Saunders and Nick Medniuk in the middle of the pitch looking to feed the willing forward runs of Joe Gardiner, Teddy Youngman and Sam Little. Maldon then started to grow in to the game and forced goalkeeper Sam Larbalestier in to a couple of smart saves. They had a short corner effort cleared off the line before their next short gave them the lead when their young winger pounced to deflect an effort in at the post, a lead they retained until half time.

Shaken but not unduly stirred, Witham roused themselves and largely dominated the second half. They equalised when Little touched Saunders’ goal bound short corner strike in to the roof of the net on the line, for which Saunders was delighted for Little, congratulating him on his finely taken goal. Both sides pushed hard for the next goal and Maldon were rewarded when they broke quickly, won and then converted a short corner. Not to be denied, Witham created numerous chances to equalise again and finally got their reward when the Maldon keeper managed to fell Saunders in the D and before the inevitable penalty flick could be awarded, man of the match Gardiner pounced to slot the loose ball in.

Either side could have won it and Maldon were left to rue a rather glaring miss at the end of the game, but a draw was a fair result in this end to end match.