Pelicans end 2024 with a third successive defeat

Pelicans ended a memorable 2024 with a third defeat in a row away at Saffron Walden.Not only did both teams have to battle with each other on the pitch but they also had to battle with the elements as Storm Darragh battered them and ruined the game of any great quality.A goalless first half saw the team exchange chances with George Van Aalst, Miles Doncaster and Ian Simons going closest for Pelicans.Goalkeeper Dan Upton was kept busy in goal making several great saves.He was ably assisted by his defence of Huw Mathers, Iain Page, Jason Esser and Chris Page.The midfield battle between the two teams was pretty equal throughout the match with Kirwin Christoffels, Ollie Booth, Sam Landles and Jack Major putting in another big shift.Despite the first half ending goalless Pelicans were on the wrong end of two injuries in the first half which ruled out two key players for the remainder of the game. Firstly, captain Sam Philips took a nasty blow to the knee from a Saffron Walden short corner and then Simons was struck in the mouth by the ball. The second half continued to be a battle but both sides cancelled each other out.The game was calling out for a bit of quantity but eventually, it came from Pelicans who took the lead through Toby Phillips who finished well at the back post after fine work from Christoffels in midfield.The pair combined well to feed Van Aalst whose defence-splitting pass found Phillips. Pelicans were hoping to build on this momentum and secure a key victory to finish off the year but instead, the home side grabbed two quick goals towards the end of the second half to win the game.Despite their recent form and a slip down the table, Pelicans can still be proud of their first half of the season in the East Premier Division.There’s no doubt they’ll be raring to go in 2025 and turn their recent run of results around.