Late header from Zack Littlejohn sees Regent continue perfect start to their Isthmian North campaign
Isthmian League Division One North, Monday 28th August

Part three of my bank holiday football bonanza saw me back at my spiritual football home of Spa Road, it's where it all began thirty three years ago for me football wise and today saw a bank holiday Monday tussle between Witham Town and Brightlingsea Regent on what turned out to be a very warm muggy afternoon.

Now the hosts have battled relegation for the last two campaigns and last season they managed to survive fairly comfortably in the end, finishing seven points above the relegation play off spots, but the club for sure do not want another difficult season this time around and their campaign, and so far they have played four competitive games although only one of those was a league game, a 1-1 draw at home to Redbridge, who came up from the Essex Senior League last season through the playoffs themselves.

The other three games came in the FA Cup, and after being held by St Panteleimon they won the replay before they dumped Stanway Rovers out last weekend to take their place in the First Qualifying Round of the famous old competition, they did play half a league game at Walthamstow on Saturday however a monsoon rain shower put paid to that game as it ended up being abandoned, the British summer eh!!!

A solid start to their competitive season then you could say, and what about the visitors? Well, they were back at this level after a very tough season last campaign, finishing bottom of the Isthmian Premier to suffer relegation from that level, but they had started this season well having picked up maximum points from their two league games so far, picking up a 1-0 win at Bowers & Pitsea (who were also relegated from the same division last season) and a 3-1 home win over Enfield on Saturday, who had come up from the Essex Senior League as champions last season.

Regent had also netted a thumping 5-0 win over Spartan South Midlands side Stansted in the FA Cup as well, so it had been a decent start for the visitors as said, how would this bank holiday game at Spa Road go though, a decent crowd of 362 had turned up to witness it, and a great atmosphere was created (a fairly sizable contingent from Brightlingsea were certainly making some noise!!!)

So what of the game then? Well, the hosts created the best openings initially, Regent keeper Lewis Greene made two decent stops to deny Town forward Ronnie Bates after the striker had got in behind the visiting back line, but towards the end of the first half Regent saw a long range effort from Billy Harris superbly tipped around the post by home keeper Matthew Smith.

It had been a tough battle though with no quarter given as you'd expect, and after the hosts had squandered two decent openings at the start of the second period, blazing both chances miles off target, the visitors started to see a lot of the ball and were now the team in the ascendancy, and they so nearly grabbed the lead when Andre Embalo got in but dragged a shot just wide of the far post.

The visitors remained patient though, and in the 84th minute netted the winner when an Eljay Worrell free kick swung in from the right with the full back's wand of a left foot, the set play found centre half Zack Littlejohn who stooped to send a diving header beyond Smith in the Town goal and send the visiting support behind the goal into raptures. You felt it was coming to be honest, and it proved enough for the visitors to make it three wins from three league games this campaign.

Not the best of games in terms of quality, but a fair and decent battle all the same, played in a terrific atmosphere it must be said, Regent are now only one of two sides with nine points from nine, are in second spot and only sit below the other team with the same record, Heybridge Swifts, on goal difference, whereas a first defeat of the season for Town sees them drop to fifteenth spot in a very early season league table.

Full time Witham Town 0 Brightlingsea Regent 1

Report by Peter Dudley
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