Saffron Walden Town weekly roundup: Valuable points, windswept games and Kaleel doing Kaleel things

 

5^th October 2025

Let’s see how this goes.

The first in a hopefully weekly series of blogs, in the style of an informal, light-hearted newspaper column, in which I talk through the week’s goings-on at Saffron Walden Town FC, replacing the match reports which, to be honest, I keep forgetting to complete. If you’re reading this, please let me know what you think.

I’ll try and remain somewhat measured during these reports, being the stadium announcer and media volunteer at the club, but I am also first and foremost a fan, passionate about my local team! Hoping to get these out every Sunday but it may be delayed at times.

 

The fanbase was on a high from last Saturday’s last-gasp 4-3 win at White Ensign, Jordy Gent rising like a salmon in the 93^rd minute to send the away support into raptures. I don’t think I’d celebrated a Bloods goal that much for a good couple of years.

But now onto this week: on paper, two pretty tricky tests against Little Oakley and Sporting Bengal United, the former sitting second in the table at the time of our meeting at Catons Lane on Tuesday evening, the latter having just been relegated from Step 4, so we knew that we’d have to be at our best to get something from both games.

Tuesday’s game was a real battle. We knew from previous encounters with The Acorns that they’d be a strong, physical side, full of local players who knew each other inside out, so it was a pleasant surprise when we took the lead after seven minutes.

An inch-perfect ball over the top from Captain Fantastic, Tom Skelton, found Sam Deering on the edge of the box. With Oakley backtracking, Sammy looked up and found Fahad Nazor, temporarily forgoing his usual defensive midfield role as he was the furthest player forward in the opposition penalty area. Fahad took a touch and fired low into the corner past the goalkeeper, former Blood James Askew. A great start, his first goal for the club, and apologies to Fahad as my microphone kept cutting out during the goal announcement.

To Little Oakley’s credit, we knew that they weren’t going to give up after that early setback and they had their chances. Opposition forward, Bobby Rea, fired straight at George Coton, returning after a long suspension, when presented with a golden chance from 12 yards out.

The visitors then found the net when George Davis headed in a corner from close range, but it was disallowed. For what I don’t know, but it was a warning sign.

And their danger from corners paid dividends on the stroke of half time as Rory Harman headed in after we failed to clear our lines, to put our visitors deservedly level at the break.

However, that was not before Robbie Allen picked up the ball from all of 40 yards and launched an unbelievable shot that was unlucky to hit the crossbar. Fahad turned in the rebound, but he was offside. If that had gone in we could have cancelled the goal of the season competition there and then.

The second half saw more pressure from the away side, which was rewarded when Luke Hipkin, on as a substitute merely a minute before, turned in a cross at the back post just after the hour to put them 2-1 to the good.

A few minutes later, however, a long throw was launched into the box by Skelts, Jordy’s flicked header hit a hand and the referee pointed to the spot. Kaleel Green, so often our saviour, stepped up for the penalty. He has had a bit of a mixed record from the spot as of late, and to his credit Askew got close to keeping it out, but the ball managed to find the net and we were back level.

It was at this point where the match really began to feel like a battle, with tackles flying in from both sides and it was getting heated on the sidelines. After the penalty we never really had a chance to find a winner, and we were happy to settle for a draw against a very good side.

“It was a good battle tonight”, Fahad told me after the game. “First half was even and we showed good character to come back after conceding in the second half, I think a draw is a fair result.”

A chat with George Coton and Henry Mabassa after the match v Sporting Bengal

Onto Saturday then, as we welcomed a Sporting Bengal side sitting mid-table in the league, but having just lost star striker Noah Adejokun days before the fixture. It was great to see a decent crowd including so many SWTFC youth players as mascots/flagbearers.

Conditions before and during the game were difficult, with the wind playing a factor in both teams’ performances, and the first half was very uneventful. The best opening fell to Sammy from close range after the ball fell kindly to him, but he could only see his shot appear to hit the face of Bengal’s number 1.

It was more of the same in the second half, barring a four-minute period early in the half which saw the game’s only two goals. We switched off at the back temporarily allowing Bengal left-back Timi Joseph to creep in around the back and fire past George to give the visitors the lead.

However, four minutes later, Robbie did brilliantly to win the ball back high up the pitch and showed great vision to spot Kaleel completely free in the middle, and the man who has now overtaken Toheeb Elegushi as our top scorer so far this season did the rest.

The final golden chance fell to Bengal right at the death who forced George into a remarkable double save, though the second shot was called offside after the initial effort was saved, but in truth neither team really played their best and a draw was a fair result.

“The wind did play a big part in the game, but you’ve got to get used to it, it’s the same for both teams”, George said post-match. “It was a good game, we could have come away with three points but we were a bit lackadaisical in the first half. Second half was better.”

“I was happy to come on and make a difference for the team”, Henry Mabassa added, the centre-back making his first appearance for us since the FA Vase win over Hackney Wick, replacing Jack Clark who was unfortunately forced off with an ankle injury. “It’s been a minute [since my last appearance] but I got a good feel out there especially after seeing the game from the sidelines and what needed to be changed.”

Onto next week then, with our only game being a trip to Witham to play Hackney Wick, which will be an interesting affair after we knocked them out of the FA Vase a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I won’t be there, which will make this blog next week quite interesting!

UP THE BLOODS