This was always likely to be a difficult game for The Bridge to win but it only took 45 minutes for difficult to become impossible. 0-5 down at half-time and The Woods were safely through to the semi-finals and the last chance of a Hullbridge trophy for season 24/25 was well and truly gone.

Both team line-ups reflected the fact that this is one of the smaller cup competitions, but there were plenty of recognisable faces in both teams, even if some of the players were not necessarily first-team starters. No matter what the team selections were, though, the first 45 minutes of the game emphatically extinguished any slim hopes The Bridge had of lifting a trophy this season.

For the second game in a row, The Bridge found themselves 1-0 down after just 5 minutes. Even before that though, Piers Hatcliff nicked the ball off keeper Manny Agboola who recovered to save Piers shot, to deny The Bridge the lead. Then came that first goal when David Gokou-Siakouri, who caused problems on the wing throughout the game, crossed for Ernest Okoh to tap home. Shortly after, Okoh hit the post and Gokou-Siakouri hit the rebound wide. Iziah Antoine’s cross was then blocked for a corner before The Woods took control of the game and started to create opportunity after opportunity.

Laurence Whymark made a comfortable save from Steven Carvell before several Woodford corners resulted in a couple of Luke Steele headers going wide. If they were warnings, nobody listened, as from the next corner Steele did find the net, not with his head but with a bit of a toe-poke, and it was 2-0 with 24 minutes gone. It was beginning to look like a mountain to climb for the home team and soon that mountain was looking like Everest, as just one minute after the second goal, The Woods had a third. There was no pressure on the cross and Gokou-Siakouri accepted the invitation with a simple cross to Micah Jackson who finished for 3-0.

Gokou-Siakouri was finding so much space down the left wing, that he could have gone to the bar and got a drink and still not been challenged, and he was in loads of space again when he received the ball and shot wide. A rare Hullbridge foray into Woodford territory saw Freddie Moriaty chip keeper Agboola but he made the save. Gokou-Siakouri joined the scoring with a deserved goal as his shot took a slight deflection and looped in for 4-0 and he had the ball in the net again soon after but this time it was ruled out for offside.

Before the half-time whistle, Moriaty had an effort go over the bar and Owen Bellamy had a decent effort saved by Agboola. Not to be denied though, yet another Gokou-Siakouri cross found Micah Jackson and it was five. We trooped to the bar and hoped that it wouldn’t be double figures by the end of the 90.

Sometimes, when teams are so far in front, they ease off a bit. Maybe Woodford did and, to their credit, The Bridge gave it a good go in the second half. This combination saw The Bridge attacking for most of the half and creating quite a few chances. Alright, the game was gone but at least the lads kept going.

Freddie Moriaty was the first to have a shot saved, then a Piers Hatcliff free kick went to Owen Bellamy whose shot was deflected wide. Hatcliff then had a shot tipped over by Agboola and Oscar Jones shot was then tipped wide by the now overworked keeper. Woodford were still dangerous when they came forward and substitute Nathan Sollosi should have made it six from point-blank range, but Whymark made a superb save.

An audacious effort from Piers Hatcliff from just over the halfway line deserved a goal but Agboola, who was tipping more than Tipping Point (other TV game shows are also available) also tipped this one away…just. One more effort from the visitors amidst a flurry of second-half substitutes saw Whymark join in the tipping epidemic and tip a shot onto the bar before The Bridge finally reduced the deficit when Jack Wilson fired home from yet another Bridge corner.

So, a decent second half but an emphatic Woodford win as the trophy hunt ends for 24/25. Not a surprise victory by far, Woodford are a very good team and have been for the last couple of seasons, but a massively disappointing first 45 minutes that left The Bridge with no chance. Oh well, plenty of league action left and time to back the boys for the remainder of 24/25 and, as ever…

When you lose 5-1 at home it’s tempting not to award MOM but Piers was involved all game and tried everything to get The Bridge going. He also nearly scored from the halfway line so that deserves recognition alone. So, MOM Piers…move on!