Ely City battle back from one goal down to win derby encounter at Soham Town Rangers
The spoils went the way of Ely City this evening in their first league derby clash with Soham Town Rangers since the 2002/03 season.
Hosting Soham took the lead early on in proceedings and had chances to extend it further, but Ely held in there and their doggedness was rewarded with goals either side of half-time to seal a 2-1 victory that moves them up to third place in the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division.
The first half was certainly a slow burner which was eventually punctuated by the Greens breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute. Ely goalkeeper Ben Newton did well to keep out Jordan Gent’s header from Alfie Connor’s corner, but Max Mattless was first to react and he forced the ball in from close range.
Ely, meanwhile, were finding chances hard to come by, although Austen Diaper almost scored something from nothing with a speculative shot from distance in the 30th minute that struck the crossbar.
Within five minutes Ely lost their skipper Ash Walter to the sin bin and soon after their goal lived a charmed life as Gent flashed a header from another dangerous Connor corner just off target before Joe Carden’s headed effort from Jordan Chipps' cross hit the underside of the bar and bounced to safety.
But having rode those moments Ely bagged themselves a crucial equaliser a minute before the break. Jordan Foster was a menace all night down the right wing and it was he who sent in a cross that Jack Chandler guided in with a well placed header.
And their second goal followed just seven minutes after the restart, though they played very little part in it. A ball into the Soham box seemed to pose little threat, but a mix up between former Ely goalkeeper Harry Reynolds and Connor resulted in the latter inexplicably looping a header into his own net.
Soham somehow survived a 57th-minute goalmouth scramble to remain just the one goal behind and after that they had the lion’s share of possession.
Yet for all of the hosts’ probing Ely proved too tough of a nut to crack. It may not have always been the prettiest to watch, but it was an effective lesson in how to take the sting out of a game and see it through with few causes for concern.
In fact it was not until the final piece of action deep into stoppage time when there would have been a sharp collective intake of breath on the visitors' bench, but Gent’s header went just wide.
While their near neighbours rise to third, Soham sit ninth after losing for the first time in the league this term. It is, however, their third defeat in a row in all competitions after exiting the Emirates FA Cup and Isuzu FA Vase.
Soham: Reynolds, Chipps, Nicholls (Beta 82'), Connor, Mattless, Gent, Andrews (Auger 72'), King, Ward, Watson, Carden
Ely: Newton, Revell, S Townshend, Munro (Bullineria 84'), Bowen, Hunt, Foster, Walter, J Townshend (Hammond 84'), Diaper, Chandler
Man of the Match – Jordan Foster (Ely City): Not everything Ely's number seven tried came off but he was a constant threat. His pace allowed the visitors to get up the pitch on numerous occasions and his cross for the fist goal was inch perfect.