The Dragons started their pre-season warm-ups by earning a share of the spoils, if there are spoils from a friendly, against Ridgeon’s Division One opponents Long Melford. Whilst a draw against a team from a lower division may seem disappointing on the face of it, the value of this fixture lay more in giving the players a run out and perhaps assessing some of the new or more peripheral members of the squad.
Wivenhoe started brightly, the players looking fitter and stronger after the summer break. After only a couple of minutes Luke Rogers created a chance in a central position but drew his shot past the ‘keeper’s left hand post. The Dragons continued to have the upper hand in the opening stages earning a corner after five minutes, but shortly afterwards Andrew Daniels was forced into a fine near post save only for the ball to rebound to Long Melford’s number eight whose seemingly simple task of placing the ball in the net was thwarted by an excellent block from Ben Licence, playing his first game for Wivenhoe.
Wivenhoe’s attacking play continued to threaten and after TJ Amass stole the ball from between two Melford players he advanced and delayed his pass perfectly to send Ben Licence away down the right wing. Ben’s low cross from the by-line frustratingly eluded everyone making, as an unidentified spectator in a Crawley Town T-shirt remarked, the Dragons forward line appear to consist entirely of a series of holograms.
Melford came back with a free-kick curled by their ginger haired full back into the arms of Andrew Daniels before on 20 minutes Reece Keating broke the deadlock, bringing down a deep pass from TJ Amass before rounding a defender and stroking the ball past the Melford keeper.
Wivenhoe had chances to extend their lead before half time as Luke Rogers shot past the post, Reece Keating squared the ball in the box only for it to be cleared, Matt Bedford and Ben Licence shot over the bar from 25 yards out and Joe Hawkins shot at the keeper. The half ended however with Melford having two corners in quick succession and coming close to equalising with a header that fortunately went straight to Andrew Daniels in the Dragons goal.
Wivenhoe should have perhaps scored more than once in the first half and they were to regret their profligacy in front of goal within ten minutes of the restart as Melford equalised from the penalty spot. Thereafter the game never flowed as freely as it had in the first half as rolling substitutions interrupted the pattern of the team and Wivenhoe consequently threatened less.
Callum Bartlett, Matt Bedford, Ben Fowler, Joe Batterham and Ray all got a game in the second half. Reece Keating perhaps had the best chance to score but scuffed his shot though Long Melford certainly should have won the match in the final minutes when they outnumbered the Dragons defence but the player in possession incompetently shot and missed instead of squaring the ball for his unmarked team mate.
For a first pre-season game there was promise visible, with many players looking fit and stronger than last year and the new signings, particularly Ben Licence looking like they may be useful acquisitions. Sadly the record of not having won since October is perpetuated but there’s always the next game isn’t there.