Regent secure first win

Brightlingsea Regent welcomed Soham Town Rangers to North Road for their first ever home game at Ryman League level and their first home game of the 2014-15 season. A healthy crowd of 155 turned up to watch the game and saw Regent record their first three points with a Ricky Griggs goal just before half-time separating the sides.
Webster made one change to the squad from the defeat at Tilbury on Saturday with TJ Amass replacing the injured Josh Gould and he came straight into the starting line up.
Both teams started reasonably slowly as they felt each other out, the visitors were looking to gain more points after their opening day 3-1 win at home to Heybridge Swifts and the early exchanges were fairly even. Regent forcing a corner after winning the ball high up the pitch but the visitors were able to defend the corner and clear up the field. Ben Newson did well to win the ball in the left hand side of the area after closing down the full back and he drove into the area but his cut back was just about cleared to safety. After 15 minutes Soham created the best chance with a flighted pass finding the striker who rounded Luke in the Regent goal but Warren Joseph had reacted well and cleared acrobatically off the line. Regent began to take more control after this point and pushed the visitors back who were largely now trying to play on the break. Jake Turner was inches away from giving Regent the lead midway through the half when his shot from the edge of the box curled just wide of the far post. More good play from Regent forced a corner and TJ Amass fired a strike just wide of the upright. Soham linked up well and looked for a ball through to their striker but Luke Avenell did well to race off his line and clear to safety. Regent were putting pressure on the Soham defence to force the first goal but the Referee helped their defenders when good play by Terry Rymer and Ben Newson saw Ben turn his defender but as it looked like he was through on goal the Referee blocked his run accidentally. More pressure from Regent forced the keeper into a double save when he first denied Ricky Griggs and then reacted well to save Sean Bartlett's shot although it was rather weak. Soham forced a couple of corners and despite some good deliveries they were unable to create too much but were first to react to a knock down, Luke Avenell handled well and gathered the shot comfortably. With Barely a minute of the half to go Regent got a deserved lead. Soham cut out a through ball but Ben Newson was quickest to the clearance and his pass found the run of Ricky Griggs who rounded the keeper before passing into the empty net for 1-0. HT 1-0
Again the half started fairly evenly but again it was Regent who settled quicker and TJ Amass nearly added to the lead when he saw his header from a corner hit the far post before the defender cleared to safety. Again some direct play from Soham saw Luke Avenell in the Regent goal do well to race off his line and clear to safety. Good play through midfield by Regent and Matt Cripps hit a sweet left footed strike that was inches away from the upright as Regent looked for the added security of a second goal. The visitors made changes and pushed men forward to find an equaliser and the game became more stretched midway through the half and they delivered a good ball into the box but the Soham number 7 saw his header well wide. Sean Bartlett found space in the box after a superb delivery from Jake Turner's free-kick but he was unable to place his header and it was wide of the far upright. After 79 minutes Webster made his first change when Charlie Thompson replaced Ricky Griggs. Sean Bartlett again went close but this time was denied by the Soham keeper who made an excellent fingertip save low down to his right from a 20 yard strike. With time running out Webster made his final two changes with Rob Thorne and Jack Sibbons replacing Terry Rymer and Sean Bartlett. Despite a fairly even second half it was still Regent who created the better chances and deservedly saw the game out to record their first win of the season. FT 1-0
A solid performance for Regent and good to get the first points on the board after a rather unlucky defeat on the Saturday, next up at North Road is Aveley FC on Saturday.