Brentwood continued their impressive start to 2010-11 with a well crafted victory in Hertfordshire, to stay top of Ryman One North this evening. Les Whitton’s side dominated for long spells, though there were times when they showed that they may not be invincible just yet.
The league leaders got off to a lightning start, opening their account after just two minutes. Dee Okojie crossed from the left and after Remy Ellis and Ryan Anthony had shots blocked, Joao Carlos drove the ball home from the right corner of the six yard box.
The early strike unsettled the hosts, who struggled to compete in the early stages, and, in fact, Blues may have put the game to bed within 15 minutes. Ryan Doyle’s deflected cross bounced over the angle, and Anthony struck the post, when he really should have made it 2-0. Darren Ebsworth’s deflected pas fell to the striker on the edge of the area, and though Ambers’ Glen Williamson blocked the first effort, the keeper was prostrate as Anthony’s rebound struck the woodwork with the goal at his mercy.
Bar a wasted free kick and one smart passing exchange down the right, the hosts had offered little, until the 19th minute, when they finally exploited the pace of Chris Miekle. Twice Cheshunt’s number ten appeared to be fouled twice on a run at goal, but he refused to go down, winning a corner rather than what seemed a certain penalty.
It finally fired up the hosts who levelled on 25 minutes, as Brentwood switched off from a corner. Darren Williams thumped a header against the bar, and the rebound dropped to Iain Salt, who lashed home a fierce finish from about 12 yards out, despite the best efforts of Andy Hall.
The goal changed momentum and all of a sun Miekle was a handful, Brentwood unsure of who was marking him as he frequently sprung forward with swift acceleration. He twisted and turned defenders, and set up Williams, who thundered a shot wide as he was closed down. And Williams went close again moments later, putting a free header from a Matt Thomson cross over the bar.
In between, Nicholas Muir had curled a free kick from the left angle of the area off the top of Cheshunt’s bar, but it was the closing moments of the first half before Brentwood re-established their fluency.
Okojie hit the post after good work from Danny Dafter and Anthony headed wide from an Okojie cross. Then deep in first half stoppage time, Blues went ahead, with a goal not dissimilar in fashion to their first. The ball was played in from the left, and though Williamson was alert to close down Anthony’s first effort, the rebound fell kindly for the Blues striker, and the ball nestled into the bottom corner, with virtually the last kick of the half.
Though the outcome was still in doubt going into the break, within ninety seconds of the restart, Brentwood had put that matter to bed. Anthony fired Brentwood 3-1 ahead, taking advantage of some sleepy home defending to ghost into the area for his second.
It was a goal that really killed off what until that point had been a good advert for Ryman One football, on Non-League Football day. From that point the second half was distinctly flat in contrast to the first, with Blues looking for a fourth, without committing too much from the back. Cheshunt found the visitors hard to break down, save one glorious run down the right from Miekle. He beat two and cut in, twice pulling the ball back for team-mates, whose shots were both blocked by Brentwood legs.
Only in the closing stages did we look like getting another goal. A foraging run down the inside left channel almost paid dividends for Muir, and in injury time Muir’s 25 yard drive and Carlos’s follow up from closer range produced a good double save from Williamson.
So Brentwood remain unbeaten with ten points from their opening twelve. They’ll need to nip tat loss of focus after conceding in the bud, but on the whole they look a physically big and accomplished side, who should be hard to beat this campaign
