When you’re fighting for every single point and playing a team that are doing the same, no matter what happens you can’t afford to lose. With both teams having won only one of their last five, maybe a draw was the expected result and for nearly 60 minutes this looked likely until a familiar pattern returned for The Bridge.

Quite a few Hullbridge games recently have seen the scores close until the first goal is conceded and then, worryingly, the opposition goals start to flow, and The Bridge find themselves on the end of a heavy defeat. At Gorleston on Tuesday, it was no different. As mentioned, for 60 minutes the teams didn’t trouble the scoresheet and half-time had been and gone with both sides drawing a blank. As The Bridge tried to influence the game with two subs in the 59th minute, unfortunately, the opposite happened and a lobbed ball was followed by a Gorleston shot on goal well saved by Finley Purcell. The ball, however, was picked up again by The Greens, and Connor Deeks finished before The Bridge defence could do anything about it and it was 1-0.

It remained the same for just nine more minutes when Gorleston substitute Jacek Zielonka finished with an unstoppable shot after receiving a pass on the edge of the Hullbridge penalty area. The Bridge desperately needed to get back into the game but a further goal, ironically from a Bridge corner that was cleared and a Gorleston breakaway in the 82nd minute, from super-sub Zielonka put paid to any hope of that and the long journey proved to be pointless and also damaging as Gorleston took the three points that see them close in on The Bridge with level points and a game in hand.

These are serious times for the Bridge and their Isthmian League North status, which is seriously under threat with just eleven games to go and some teams beginning to get points here and there that could see them safe. There is now an eight-point gap between The Bridge and 14th-placed Witham Town, although to maintain their status The Bridge need only to finish above four teams to avoid a possible playoff game. I don’t think it’s going to be easy watching!

It's that time of the season when your team are suddenly playing eleven cup finals. Football, as we all know well, changes very quickly, let’s hope that’s the case for The Bridge because a change in fortunes is definitely required.

Keep the faith!
COYB!

A TMT match report for HSFC