Halstead Town must do better if they're to be considered as title contenders

Thurlow Nunn League division one south

Halstead Town will know they must be much better than what they showed against Frenford if they are to be considered as true title contenders in Thurlow Nunn League division one south this year.

The Humbugs were way off their best as a frustrating match at the Milbank Stadium saw them beaten 3-0 and they will know they can’t afford many further such off-days.

And to make matters worse, Halstead’s defeat also saw them surrender top spot in the league thanks to White Ensign scoring a last-minute winner at Little Oakley to overtake them as the new leaders.

Halstead had included new signing Gary Burdett in their starting line-up after the former Hadleigh United centre half had joined the Humbugs in the week.

His was one of three changes from the team that started the 6-0 win at Braintree Town Reserves in their previous game and Burdett joined a confident side sitting top of the division one south table who had scored ten goals in their previous two games.

That had helped place Town as the league’s top scorers and they began the game looking to be positive, with Joe Jones having an early sighter that was lashed wide of the target.

Halstead remained the more threatening and most of the play was directed towards the Frenford goal, but there was no early breakthrough in terms of scoring.

That almost changed on 13 minutes when Jones latched on to a ball played in behind the defence and laid it delicately into the middle.

Chris Harris was unfortunate to tip it wide after visiting keeper Danny Fowler had been unable to claim cleanly, but it was a let-off for the visitors.

There was another on 26 minutes when Jamie Baker’s free-kick was headed back into the danger area by Harris and Jordan Pavett’s header looped over the crossbar rather than finding the back of the net.

Baker then scooped a shot high over the target after breaking through from a long ball forward as chances continued to be squandered.

There was a change for Halstead when Burdett limped off 30 minutes into his Town debut after coming off worst when making a defensive challenge and Joe Morris slotted into the back line.

The substitution didn’t affect Halstead’s forward play as they retained the greater goal threat, but it remained disjointed and the frustration of the goalless stalemate remained until the break.

It was a situation that continued after the restart as well.

On 47 minutes, a lovely ball down the right by Baker was into the run of Callum Vincent, who squared to where Pavett was waiting to tuck the ball into the net, but it was just behind him and he wasn’t able to find the target again.

With the play mainly directed towards the Frenford goal, Halstead keeper Jack Cherry had had little to do, but he was called into action two minutes later.

Frenford forward Bradley Nobbs broke through and was denied an opening goal by a good save from Cherry with his legs, however, it was a brief respite as the breakthrough did come within 60 seconds.

Halstead found themselves behind when the ball was swiftly fired into the near post and turned in by Julian Edwards to give the visitors the lead.

It was a sucker punch for Halstead, but worse was to come on 58 minutes when they well and truly shot themselves in the foot.

Cherry gave ball away when trying to play it out in his own area and while he was scrambling to get back in his goal, Edwards rolled it past him and into the Town net to double the visitors’ lead.

If they had a mountain to climb before, it looked positively vertigo-inducing now.

Halstead’s frustration was palpable as they found themselves going from a position of control to one of chasing the game and desperately needing two goals to even rescue a point.

They were goals that just would not come and, in fact, it was Frenford who proved more clinical again as an 89th minute strike from Nick Hughes just about wrapped up a miserable afternoon for Town.

Halstead Town: Jack Cherry, Nick Miller, Ben Morgan (Mark Dallinger), Gary Burdett (Joe Morris), Connel Dunlop, Jordan Pavett, Jamie Baker, Jake Brown, Chris Harris, Callum Vincent, Joe Jones (Tom Cook).