It might have only been their first season but what a season it has been for South Essex College of Further & Higher Education’s SESSA (Southern England Students Sports Association) Football Team, who have triumphed in their league and gained promotion after a blistering final match that was the crowning glory of their amazing season.
The crucial match of the season was a ‘winner takes all’ encounter against Haringey 6th Form College who occupied the top spot prior to kick off at Southend Manor’s home ground. A nervous start resulted in numerous missed chances for the home side however a flurry of goals towards the end of the first half meant that South Essex College went in 4-0 up at the interval. Much of the same pressure in the second half resulted in another 4 goals making it 8-0 to the hosts which firmly cemented themselves as champions in their first season and promotion to the Premier division for the next season.
David Warren, 19, from Canvey Island, who is studying BA (Hons) Business Studies, said: “We never dreamed of the success we have had and it has been great winning so many games in our first full season together. It has been a real incentive for us alongside our main qualification and we now hope to do well in the forthcoming cup competition and challenge at the top in the premier league next season”.
Overall the season has been very successful with the team playing 9 league games winning 7 and drawing two, a total of 44 goals have been scored, the highest in the league, with only 9 conceded, the lowest in the league, resulting in the league title in their first season together.
The team will now compete in the SESSA cup which is a knock out competition and look to have a real chance of progressing into the latter stages if they can overcome ‘City of London University’ in the first round.
Lecturer and Team Manager, Steve Newman, added: “For their first season together the lads have done incredibly well and were motivated from the start. I am incredibly proud that they have achieved so much is such a short space of time and the camaraderie has transferred into their studies”
Background
Having held trials in September a squad of players was put together to represent South Essex College of Further & Higher Education, who entered into the SESSA Football League at the beginning of the 2009/10 academic year.
Established Colleges and Universities from all over the South East of England such as Haringey, Barking, Kingston, Middlesex, Writtle, Tower Hamlet, Southwark, Greenwich and Havering entered and took part in the league with everyone required to play each other once.
The team is made up of higher education students aged 18+ who are studying towards their degrees at South Essex College. As part of the students learning it was decided to offer the opportunity for those interested in sport to take part in a range of extra-curricular activities to compliment their course.
Further information can be found at: http://www.sessa.ac.uk/FixturesLivecontent/tabid/239/Default.aspx?FLAPIStartPage=division:19082
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