HARWICH & PARKESTON 2 WITHAM TOWN 1

Pre-season friendly

League placings were overturned as Thurlow Nunn League newcomers Harwich and Parkeston beat Witham Town 2-1 at the Royal Oak.

The Shrimpers came from behind to secure their win against a Witham side who play their league football two levels higher in Bostik League division north as the Essex sides met in a pre-season clash.

The game started with Witham on the front foot as they moved the ball well and kept the hosts pinned back.

They almost went ahead on 11 minutes when a great run and cross by Luke Mallett just evaded a Witham touch that would have opened the scoring.

However, they didn’t have to wait long to take the lead.

The Harwich defence was caught napping and Johnny Ashman nipped in to latch on to a loose ball and tap it into an open net.

It was a deserved lead for the visitors, but the goal seemed to wake Harwich up and they began to see more of the ball and to pose more of a threat in forward areas.

On 18 minutes, Harry Harvey lofted a lovely cross to the back post and only a last-ditch covering tackle denied Jordan Heath a shooting chance.

The equaliser was worth waiting for, though.

It came on 25 minutes when Sean Mathurin picked the ball up just outside the Witham box and when he wasn’t closed down, he picked his spot and curled a delightful shot into the top corner of the Town net.

It was an impressive strike and one that ensured the game was locked at 1-1 at half-time, but that situation didn’t last long after the break.

Harwich came out of the blocks quickest and after Luke Barnard saw a shot deflected wide just a minute after the restart, Ben Hammond soon put the Shrimpers ahead.

The goal was scored on 51 minutes when a cross from the left was not dealt with by the Witham defence and Hammond had the simple task of turning the ball in from close range.

Just as falling behind had woken Harwich up in the first half, Witham realised they needed a greater attacking threat and tried to press higher up the pitch as the half wore on.

On 61 minutes, a Witham corner saw them keep men in the box and when Pat Ahern glanced the ball goalwards, Harwich keeper Sam Felgate had to get down smartly to claw the ball away to preserve his team’s lead.

The Harwich woodwork then came to the hosts’ rescue seven minutes later when a headed effort clattered against the post from another corner as Harwich held on to their lead.

Witham kept pressing and most of the threat was directed towards the home goal but the Shrimpers back line stood firm and they made sure they held on to their advantage until the final whistle.

Harwich & Parkeston (starting side): Sam Felgate, Harry Johnson, Jake Kioussi, Ryan Heath, Nicky Palmer, Ben Hammond, Sean Mathurin, Jake Richardson, Jordan Heath, Luke Barnard, Harry Harvey.

Witham Town (starting side): Goalkeeper trialist, Luke Mallett, Liam Whipps, Kofi Gyebi, Pat Ahern, Brandon Phillips, Johnny Ashman, Tyler Corlett, Ryan Imbert, Nathan Cook, Sam Ashford.