Regent Make It 5 On The Bounce With 5 Star Display!

Brightlingsea Regent are definately enjoying their road trips at the moment. With thirty goals scored in Ryman North on Tuesday night the Rs contributed with five of their own in this convincing and fully deserved victory at Kent based VCD Athletic. The last time Regent crossed the Queen Elizabeth Bridge it was to put three past the then table toppers Phoenix Sports.

The Phoenix ground is a stones throw from VCD and the team from North Essex certainly seem to feel right at home in this neck of the woods. A chilly evening saw the travelling Brightlingsea fans again swell a disapointing home crowd and they were rewarded with arguably one of Regents best performances to date.

Again manager James Webster was able to field a settled team with the one change seeing Tom Richardson return to the starting line up at the expense of young Robert Harvey. The playing surface was immaculate and this certainly seemed to suit the Rs style of football as they set a fast tempo to this game which they contiuned throughout.

Time and again Brightlingsea threatened especially out wide with Pedulu again troubling the full back with his pace well supported by the marauding and ever willing runner Jake Gould. The home side seemed rattled even during the early exchanges and their mood wasn't helped when VCDs Nicky Symons had to be replaced on only 18 minutes. And it was during this period of reorganising for the home side that Regent scored the opener through Ricky Griggs on 25 minutes. The fully deserved breakthrough seemed to unsettle VCD even more and the Rs took full advantage continuing to play at a pace the home side struggled at times to cope with. On 34 minutes VCD were again forced to make a change with
striker Jamie Guy having to leave the field. VCD had now already used two of their substitutes with not an hour played. Brightlingsea continued to boss the half and when the referee blew his whistle for the break the visiors could be fully satisfied with their performance over the first 45 minutes.

Travelling fans sensed their could be more to come and when Phil Kelly made it 2-0 on 58 minutes the points seemed secure. VCD were offering very little in attack and the hard work and pressing of the Regent players to deny the home side any possession of note was a real credit to them and the coaching team.

VCD were forced to make their third substitution after Kellys strike and when Newby was sent off on 70 minutes it really did signal the end of any resistance that
the home side could offer. James Webster made a couple of changes himself bringing on Kolade Salaudeen for Ricky Griggs and Robert Harvey for the hard working Tom Richardson. As the game seemed destined for a comfortable 2-0 victory to Brightlingsea it got even better. The final quarter of the match saw Regent score three more times. The first of which was a 25 yard screamer into the top corner by Jake Turner capping another fantastic midfield performance. As soon as he set himself to take the shot there was only one place the ball was ending up leaving the VCD keeper flailing in mid air. On 79 minutes an Aaron Condon free kick found the head of Josh Gould who had made a fantstic run around the back of the Athletic defence to score from close range. As the Regent fans
were celebrating a magnificant effort from the Rs their was still time for one more goal. On 90 minutes the ball broke for Aaron Condon who outpaced the VCD defence to be one on one with the keeper. On his current goal scoring form there was only going to be one outcome. Five nil to Brightlingsea Regent.

As James Webster and his team came over to acknowledge the great support a look at the live table showed the Rs up to fifth and looking forward to the visit of Thamesmead at North Road on Saturday.

Report by Gavin Aplin