End of the road?

Bourne Deeping’s season-long struggle to avoid relegation appears finally to have ended in failure after a 1-0 home loss to fellow strugglers Upminster.
With a significant points gap to make up - having already played more games than rival teams - it now feels as though survival will be out of reach for the Dragons, who started Saturday’s game positively and were by far the better team in the first half. Most of their control stemmed from their ability to create and exploit space down the right-hand side but, as has so often been the case this season, they failed to convert any chances and the game was goalless at he halfway point.
Upminster regrouped well and began the second half aggressively, pressing the home team high up the pitch and preventing the ball reaching the dangerous right hand side.
Their change of approach paid off when, with twenty minutes remaining, their most influential midfielder received the ball with his back to goal before turning well and firing a shot into the backboard.
The Dragons tried to chase the game but found any momentum spoiled by persistent cynical fouls. These went unpunished and therefore continued unabated to the final whistle. Unable to sustain any pressure, the Dragons slipped to a costly defeat. The only silver lining to a dark cloud is that Upminster will, despite this victory, in all likelihood find themselves relegated alongside their unfortunate hosts.