Two more home debuts by The Manor shows the current plight of the Club. With 8 first team regulars on the treatment table before the kick off. Kirk Whitelock Eton Manor Manager turns to the kids once more to face today's opponents Southend Manor.

Southend take the early initiative and have several chances within the first 10 minutes. The Braves dig deep to find their rhythm. Most of the play in midfield and the Braves back four looking comfortable and able to deal with any threat offered by the visitors. The best chance in the early stages going to Southend when Gary Pearce dispossessed George Fullbrook 5 yards out of the Braves area and shoots over the bar. This acting as a wake-up call to Eton Manor. The home team respond with a nice one two with new boy John Hammond and Glenn Connolly which resulted in the visitors keeper Steve Ridgley having to make a comfortable save.

11 minutes and a Eton Manor free kick is taken by Joe Morritt 35 yards out, high ball driven in to the danger area efficiently cleared by the visitors for a corner. 14 minutes and Southend attack deep in the Braves half, throw in quickly taken Dan Kemp sending a ball wide to Scott Phillips who punts the ball just wide of the post.

15 minutes and the visitors attack again, Morritt penalised 30 yards out of the Manor's area. Free Kick hit across the goal, Carl Prince with a good shout collects the ball. 17 minutes and Prince called into action once more when a loose ball is not dealt with leaving John Hodges running towards goal, Prince alert comes out of his area to clear the danger.
25 minutes Eton Manor's Glenn Connolly working hard down the left hand-side couldn't find the room to cause any damage to the visitors.
The Manor defence now under pressure, Matty Marsh acting like a brick wall in the Braves defence not giving an inch. 28 minutes and Marsh with a diving header to clear his lines.

35 minutes and Southend putting Eton Manor under more pressure Prince this time having to make a comfortable save. John Hodges Southends front man showing fabulous skill and determination to break the deadlock, going round two Manor defenders and just missing the target by inches.
36 minutes and Young Steve Whitelock trys to go alone deep into the Visitors half trys to pull the trigger but the ball quickly cleared eliminating any threat. 37 minutes and Striker Chris Hammond working hard to setup the next attack, slipped the ball back with a neat back heel for Connolly to run onto but again cleared by the tough right back Ryan Hodgson. 38 minutes and the deadlock broken after new Manor defender Steve Reading clearing the ball out for a corner, quickly taken by the visitors Prince fumbles and Hodges nips in to make the score 0-1 to Southend. Almost immediately after kick off, the Braves dispossessed once more, the ball sent wide to the right, a sweeping ball across goal from Gary Pearce into the path of in form striker John Hodges to make it 0-2 after 40 minutes.

The Braves trying to respond but simply could not penetrate the stern Southend defence. the first half finishing 0-2.
The second half and the game settled into a midfield battle, with the better chances falling to Southend. The best chance for the Manor was early in the second period when Glenn Connolly down the left opened up Southends defence with a cracking pass to the feet of Bradley Mills with only the keeper to beat blasted the ball wide of the post, leaving the feeling that may have been the turning point in the game which could have resulted in a Manor come back. Most of the second half seemed a dour event compared the first.

Southend did all they needed to do in the first period to claim all 3 points. a good performance from the visitors, assisted by some unusual decisions by the officials.

More injury concerns for the Manor as Sammy Marks was substituted with a bad cut to the head and Bradley Mills with a jarred back. The Manor face Sawbridgworth in the Essex Senior League Cup on Wednesday evening with an alarming problem with injuries, which now takes the total of 10 Manor first team players with injury concerns! Kirk Whitelock is expected to make a statement on this issue later in the week.

Scorers : Southend Manor Hodges (38) (40)

Manor: Prince, Fullbrook, Reading, Marsh, Morritt, Lobe, Marks, Mills, Whitelock, Hammond, Connolly. Subs: Richards, Docherty,McDonald.

Enfield Town:Ridgley, Hodgson, Daves, Jay, Easterford, Downer, Phillips, Kemp, Hodges, Foy, Pearce. Subs: Donnelly, Barker, Haydon, Smith, Cheesewright.

Next game is at home to Sawbridgworth in the Essex Senior League Cup on Wednesday 8th December kick off at 7:45pm.