A Crowd of well over 1,505 fans gathered for Maldon & Tiptree’s Emirates FA Cup clash against Southern Division One Central side, Flackwell Health FC, though only one goal would settle the score line with number 11 Freddie Sears scoring a header for Maldon.

FIRST HALF

The match initially begun much in Maldon’s favour in the first five minutes of the fixture before Flackwell would eventually cease a counter-attack opportunity that would lead to the first goal of the match for Flackwell, though the goal does eventually get called offside in a situation which looked like pure uncertainty from the officials.

Maldon was lucky to still be goalless by the first thirty after a wave of clever and effective attacks from Flackwell’s forwards nearly secured them their first goal of the match though Maldon did still hold on thanks to the defensive work of Elliot Justham and the backline.

They would slowly begin to put pressure down the left hand side of the pitch and Maldon would finally cease the moment in the thirty third minute with a ball in from Maldon’s Courtney Senior which cleverly finds its way to Freddie Sears, finding the back of the net and securing their one goal advantage of the game.

Cameron James also plays a pivotal part just moments later with the potentiality of a second goal before being swiftly denied by Flackwell’s keeper also a throw-in from Cawley.

Near to the end of the first half (43 minutes in) a penalty is awarded to Flackwell Heath and Maldon’s Zack Littlejohn is carded and sent off the pitch after a risky attempt to regain the ball but unfortunately for Flackwell, the goal is saved by Elliot Justham who reads exactly where the ball was going to land.

SECOND HALF

The second half of this fixture resumes with Ex-Southend United man, Malcauley Bonne, coming on for Terrel Egbri, marking his first game for the club since signing earlier ahead before the match was set to kick-off.

Bonne does begin his first match for the Jammers extremely well with multiple attempts to pass through their backline but still seemed rusty just before he parted ways with Southend United Football Club.

The remainder of the game would slowly begin to drag by with multiple substitutions by both Flackwell and Maldon after twenty minutes of second half football played, neither side really seeming to be able to put one past the opposition’s keeper.

In a bid to change their fortune, Maldon sub off their early goal scorer (Freddie Sears) in replacement for Ex-Concord Rangers star boy and goal scorer, Anisuis Lewis, who was still coming fresh off an injury.

The final ten would see Flackwell come extremely close to scoring some exceptional goals that would’ve seen them not only equalize the match but eventually take the lead, though Elliot Justham managed to keep well over five different attempts of shots way out of the net.

EXTRA TIME (+4 Minutes)

Nothing notable really occured during extra time aside from a push from Courtney Senior which would eventually wind up to lead to a corner in Flackwell’s half, this corner would not only have nothing fruitful occur but would also see off the match as the referee blew the final whistle with Maldon coming out victorious in a scrappy 1-0 win against a very well and hard-fought Flackwell Heath.

CONCLUSION

Despite the narrow 1-0 result in favour of Maldon & Tiptree, this Emirates FA Cup clash proved to be a tightly contested and entertaining fixture from start to finish. Both sides had their moments, with Flackwell Heath showing incredible resilience, particularly in the second half as they pushed hard for an equaliser.

While Maldon’s Freddie Sears took the spotlight with the match-winning goal and Elliot Justham made some critical saves—especially the first-half penalty—it was Flackwell Heath’s goalkeeper who truly stood out. For his composure, sharp reflexes, and ability to keep his side in the game under relentless pressure from Maldon’s forwards, my Star Player of the Match goes to Flackwell’s keeper. His performance was nothing short of exceptional and undoubtedly kept the scoreline from growing wider.

Overall, from a spectator’s perspective, I’d confidently rate the match a 4.5 out of 5. It had a mix of drama, tension, and quality football, with moments that kept fans on the edge of their seats right until the final whistle

MATCH RATING