WITHAM TOWN 0 METROPOLITAN POLICE 2

Ryman League premier division

Witham Town had their relegation from the Ryman League premier division confirmed as they lost 2-0 at the Village Glass Stadium to Metropolitan Police.

Sadly for the home side, this game proved to be the story of a season that has seen them battling in the drop zone for much of the latter stages.

Just like they had done in many fixtures this year, they failed to make more of the chances they had to forge a telling lead and were hit by sucker punches at the other end.

And with them needing a win to have any chance of taking their survival fight into the final game of the season, their defeat signals a drop back into division one north from where they were promoted 12 months ago.

Witham made two changes from the side that had started the 3-0 defeat by Tonbridge Angels seven days previously and both came in the heart of their back line.

Taylor Hastings dropped to the bench, while Lawrence Yiga was suspended and that saw Lewis Dark moving from central midfield into a defensive role and Paul King returning as captain.

On a beautiful spring day Witham found themselves under early pressure as Met Police pressed for an advantage and to benefit from any nerves in the hosts’ ranks.

However, there was little sign of trepidation from Witham and they showed plenty of hunger in the first half, chasing down the visitors’ defence and with Lewis Godbold and Ryan Blackman pulling the strings from midfield.

The first opportunity for them to get their noses in front arose in the sixth minute.

A great ball by Blackman released Kurt Smith, who fed Danny Emmanuel, but his shot was saved by Met Police’s young keeper Joe Tupper and the ball span away to safety.

That lifted the home team and their fans and good work between Emmanuel and Tom Wraight on the left opened a shooting opportunity for Wraight, but 17-year-old Tupper made the save once again.

They stayed on the front foot and great play by Godbold opened the left-hand channel for Ryan Charles, who turned inside the Met Police full-back but couldn’t get his shot on target.

It was then Blackman as provider again in the 20th minute when a ball forward split open the Police defence and Tupper was called on once more to make a save, with Smith just unable to pounce on the follow-up chance.

Smith did go within inches of opening the scoring just before the half-hour mark, though, when Wraight’s long inswinging cross was met by the head of the Town striker but it went just wide.

Despite Witham’s possession and chances, it stayed level at half-time and they were soon regretting not making more of their opportunities as Met Police went ahead 11 minutes after the restart.

A scrappy passage of play ended with Jake Reid slamming the ball past Martyn Guest and into the back of the net.

It was a big blow but Witham came straight back and only a goal-line block prevented an equaliser from Blackman’s free-kick in the 61st minute.

With their premier division status hanging by a thread, Witham continued looking for a way back into the game, but it was the visitors who had the next real sight on goal.

Substitute Matt Pattison raced clear of the Town back line and Guest had to make a save to keep his team in it.

They came close to a leveller in the 79th minute when Godbold turned a free-kick on towards goal but another block on the line – this time by Tupper – meant it just wouldn’t come.

Witham knew the writing was on the wall and as they pushed all 11 players forward for a free-kick desperately looking for a way back into the game, Met Police scored a decisive second.

The visitors broke with Guest well out of his goal and Joe Turner slotted the ball into the undefended net to really put a cap on Witham’s time in the top flight.

Witham: Martyn Guest, Conor Mead, John Watson, Lewis Dark, Paul King, Danny Emmanuel, Ryan Charles, Ryan Blackman, Kurt Smith (Andy Jones 67), Lewis Godbold, Tom Wraight. Subs not used: Chris Bryan, Taylor Hastings, Louis Godwin-Green.