The weather had stayed unusually dry all day. I traveled in rush hour traffic, through the Dartford tunnel to visit the Parkside (Aveley) Stadium, to see May & Baker FC play Park View FC in the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League Division 1.

The Parkside (Aveley) Stadium is modern, has good parking and boasts a high quality 3G pitch. The ground has a huge covered grandstand, incorporating clubhouse, refreshment stands and a bar. The ground has floodlighting and an electronic scoreboard. There is also covered standing and a smaller covered seated stand.

The Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League Division 1 has already seen most teams play twice. May & Baker FC had lost their opening two games, both home fixtures, to Cannons Wood (1-2) and Barkingside (0-3). Park View’s opening two games were also defeats, with the side losing 1-0 away at Enfield Borough and 3-1 at Southend Manor.

The game started with the teams cautious and eager to secure the points required to kick start their seasons after the poor starts they have both made. In the 22nd minute the home side, May & Baker FC, went 1-0 up when Gabriel Odilli drove the ball home, from the edge of the area, when finally finding some space.

On 43 minutes it was 2-0 when a cross from the right met the diving head of Abidemi Lamina, to put May & Baker in the ascendency.

A minute later, Park View FC were back in the game when their centre forward Fulton broke free and finished comfortably, to make the score 2-1.

With almost the final kick of the half, May & Baker were back to being two goals ahead. A free kick was fumbled by the keeper and fell to Lamina, who slammed the ball home to the delight of the home support for his second of the game.

The second half was more scrappy as both teams pressed for the goal they needed, however neither side could put the final touches to their moves.

In the 87th minute May & Baker made sure of the victory when Gabriel Odilli broke and beat the Park View keeper to make it 4-1.

At the full time whistle it was May & Baker who secured their first win of the season. Park View FC played with spirit but will need to be much more clinical in the final third, if they are to kick start their own season.