Suddenly, it’s the end of April and the last game of the season…how did that happen? It seems like there are loads of games left, and then suddenly there aren’t, so it’s the last one at Woodside Park v Benfleet…WOW!

Benfleet have done OK in their debut season and are currently 15th in the ESL table. They have 40 points from 37 matches, with 12 wins, 5 draws, and 21 defeats. The goal difference is -14, with 64 scored and 78 conceded. Home form is not too bad with 8 wins, 2 draws, and 8 defeats (ESL 12th) from their 18 matches. 36 for and 38 against equals a -2 home GD.
Here’s what they have been doing in their last six matches…

Benfleet – season 24/25 – The Last Six
(most recent results first)
Little Oakley 5 Benfleet 1
Their final catch-up game and penultimate game of the season started OK, although they did go 1-0 down to a 41st-minute Reece Keating goal. 3 minutes later Cameron Harris equalised before it all went a bit ‘Pete Tong’ in the second half. Darren Mills made it 2-1, and a Max Brownsdon hat-trick saw The Acorns run out 5-1 winners.

Benfleet 3 Saffron Walden Town 3
Benfleet do like a comeback or two, and this one was a prime example. 3-0 down after 29 minutes to goals from SWT’s Kaleel Green, Solomon Ofori, and Kaleel Green again, they stormed back late in the game to earn the draw. They waited until the 80th minute before Gianni Frankis pulled one back, and Sonny Hartman on 92 and Mason Shave on 94 completed the Benfleet late show.

Great Wakering Rovers 0 Benfleet 0
A creditable draw against play-off contenders GWR at Burroughs Park. Decent!

Benfleet 3 Romford 3
They like a few goals Benfleet (except against GWR), and in this one, they staged a reverse comeback! 3-0 up through goals from Jayden Oshitola, Lucas Polyblank, and Gianni Frankis, after half an hour, they let it slip, and Romford drew level with the goals coming from Jordan Burnett, Blais Uwandji, and Jayden Silcott-Brown.

Benfleet 3 White Ensign 2
Loads more goals (you get your money’s worth!). 1-0 up through Mason Shave, 2-1 down with Ensign goals from Billy Bonham-Dare and MM Jon Evans, they stormed back to take the 3 points with Gianni Frankis levelling and Cory Rider with a 99th minute winner.

Benfleet 0 Stanway Rovers 2
A not unexpected home defeat to Champions-elect Stanway Rovers. George Okoye and Harry Thomas did the damage.

Player Appearances
1 Billy Carter 37
2 Taylor Lawrence 37
3 Mason Shave 37
4 Cameron Harris 35
5 Billy Shulver 35
6 Nathan Saunders 34
7 Florent Gislette 32
8 Billy Purdy 32
9 Cory Rider 31
10 Matthew Stevens-Brown 30
11 Sonny Hartman 26
12 Jack Frost 25
13 Aaron Russell 25
14 Joel Bevan 23
15 Toby Dickinson 23
16 Callum Legg 23
17 Gianni Frankis 19
18 Michael Fitzgibbon 17
19 Lucas Polyblank 16
20 Max Jobson 14
21 Rhys Fatt 11
22 Henry Sims 8
23 John-Joe Slater 8
24 Albie Keith 7
25 Louie Rodmell 7
26 Harrison Whitelaw 6
27 Harrison Crowther 5
28 Grant Frances 4
29 Jayden Oshitola 4
30 Kelson McFarlane 3
31 Arshak Sargsyan 2
32 Teddy Warwick 2
33 Joshua Blackburn 1
34 Dom Goggin 1
35 Ben Lane 1
36 Wale Odedoyin 1
37 Frankie Stone 1
38 Ben Wood 1

Links: None that I know of!


Founded: 1922
Nickname: Unknown
Ground: Woodside Stadium, South Benfleet

Chairman: Dan Wright
First Team Manager: Lee Scott
First Team Assistant Manager: Mike Cundy
First Team Coaches: Ray Coker & Louis McKenna
First Team Physio: Dave Saxton

Previously members of the Essex Olympian League and the Essex Intermediate League, Benfleet have spent recent seasons in the Eastern Counties League Division 1 South (2018-19 to 2023/24). In 2023/24, they were Champions and earned promotion to the Essex Senior League for the current season.

The Bridge and Benfleet – recent meetings:

Season 2024/2025
Saturday, 21st December 2024
The Bridge 3 Benfleet 1
171 were at The T.J. Cottis Stadium to see two late goals win it for The Bridge after Callum Knowlden and Nathan Saunders had ensured a 1-1 half-time score. The two late goals were an Owen Bellamy penalty (85’) and Freddie Moriaty (90+3’).

This was the only recent league meeting between the two teams as Benfleet were mainly in the Eastern Counties League Division 1 South, whilst The Bridge were in either the ESL or the Isthmian League North.

However, the teams met in the BBC Essex Senior Cup 1st Round on Wednesday 4th October 2023 at Canvey Island, and The Bridge won 2-0. Charlie Heatley & Gursewak Jagdev were the scorers.

Benfleet This season:
League positions in brackets are current position

Home: Won 8, Drawn 2, Lost 8 (F36, A38 = -2) Pts 26 ESL 12th
The 8 wins:
Ilford (16) 6-3
Buckhurst Hill (9) 1-0
Halstead Town (13) 3-2
Little Oakley (8) 2-1
Athletic Newham (12) 3-0
Great Wakering Rovers (4) 2-0
FC Clacton (20) 4-2
White Ensign (7) 3-2
The 2 draws:
Romford (10) 3-3
Saffron Walden Town (6) 3-3
The 8 defeats:
Woodford Town (3) 0-1
Stansted (19) 1-3
Sawbridgeworth Town (17) 2-3
Barking (5) 0-5
West Essex (11) 0-2
Takeley (2) 2-3
Frenford (14) 1-3
Stanway Rovers (1) 0-2

Away: Won 4, Drawn 2, Lost 13 (F28, A40 = -12) Pts 14 ESL 17th
The 4 wins:
FC Clacton (20) 5-0
Frenford (14) 2-1
Sawbridgeworth Town (17) 4-1
Athletic Newham (12) 3-0
The 2 draws:
Buckhurst Hill (9) 3-3
Great Wakering Rovers (4) 0-0
The 13 defeats:
Romford (10) 0-2
Barking (5) 2-5
West Essex (11) 2-3
Halstead Town (13) 1-2
Stanway Rovers (1) 0-2
White Ensign (7) 0-1
Saffron Walden Town (6) 2-3
Takeley (2) 0-1
Hullbridge Sports (18) 1-3
Ilford (16) 1-2
Woodford Town (3) 1-4
Stansted (19) 0-2
Little Oakley (8) 1-5

Up for the cup!
In the FA Cup, Benfleet won 3-1 at home to Woodford Town in the Extra Preliminary Round before losing 5-1 at home to Haringey Borough (Isthmian League North, Level 8, Step 4) in the Preliminary Round.

In the FA Vase Second Qualifying Round, Benfleet beat Baldock Town (Spartans South Midlands League Premier Division, Level 9, Step 5) at home 3-1. They were drawn at home again in the First Round and won 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw against Newbury Forest (Eastern Counties League Division One South, Level 10, Step 6). They exited in the Second Round at Brantham Athletic (Eastern Counties League Premier Division, Level 9, Step 5), losing 2-1.

Benfleet beat FC Clacton 4-1 on penalties after a home 3-3 draw in the BBC Essex Senior Cup 1st Round, before losing 3-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the Second Round at Harwich & Parkeston.

In the Peter Butcher Trophy Preliminary Round, Benfleet lost 4-0 at Great Wakering Rovers and were beaten by GWR again, by the same result, in the Errington Challenge Cup 1st Round.

The Bridge: 1 win; 1 draw; 4 defeats; For 5; Against 11; GD -6; Points 4
Benfleet: 1 win; 3 draws; 2 defeats; For 10; Against 15; GD -5; Points 6

The last one of the season, and not much resting on it. Benfleet, with a win, could jump Frenford and finish 14th. The Bridge could finish above Sawbridgeworth Town in 17th if they take the three points. All dependent on the results for Frenford and Sawbo, of course.
Both teams have just one win in their last six, although Benfleet have three draws in there and will be favourites which is something not uncommon to The Bridge this season.

As mentioned elsewhere, the ESL is all but complete with just the finishing positions of GWR and Barking to be confirmed to decide the play-off games, so that’s nearly it for 24/25 and we’ll all be back to do it again in 25/26 because, as always…