Heybridge Swifts vs Witham Town

The match — originally scheduled for the previous Saturday but postponed due to England's World Cup clash with Norway — started cautiously. Witham Town, who had beaten Hendon 1-0 in their previous friendly, controlled possession through the first half but struggled to carve out clear openings. Heybridge Swifts, recently relegated from the Isthmian League North to the Essex Senior League, defended deep and looked to hit on the break. The half ended 0-0, with Witham Town fan presenter James Beardwell reporting that the visitors had dominated territory but lacked a finishing touch.

Heybridge broke the deadlock early in the second half. A Swifts attacker struck the post before the rebound was eventually turned home to make it 1-0. The goal sparked a surge from the home side, but Witham Town responded well.

Within minutes of falling behind, Witham Town won a free-kick in a promising position. Sam Bantick stepped up and drove the ball through the defensive wall, leaving the Heybridge goalkeeper with no chance to make it 1-1. The vlog footage from the match shows Witham Town supporters celebrating the equaliser with chants of "My striker, my striker!" and "One more year, Sam Bantick!"

Witham Town pushed for a winner in the closing stages, pinning Heybridge back in their own half, but the Swifts held firm to secure a share of the spoils.

Sam Bantick (Witham Town) — The striker scored the goal of the game with a well-struck free-kick through the wall. Witham Town supporters singled him out for praise post-match, calling him "my striker."

Witham Town's press — Acting head coach Glenn (standing in for Kevin, who was on holiday) noted post-match that the team's pressing forced Heybridge into wide areas and generated "a lot of turnover success." Witham Town created more goalscoring opportunities and had more final-third entries than their hosts.

Heybridge Swifts' defence — Despite being on the back foot for long periods, the Swifts defended their lead resolutely after going ahead and limited Witham Town to mostly half-chances after the equaliser.

Witham Town's acting head coach Glenn said after the match: "I always judge games about the probability factor of winning them. I kind of felt that tonight a draw. But we created far more goal scoring opportunities and had a lot more final third entries than they did. So the probability of us winning that game was high." The statistical profile of the match — Witham Town dominant in territory and chances, but unable to convert that into more than one goal — bears that out. The visitors' 1.0 xG (implied by the 1-1 scoreline and their dominance) likely would have been higher than Heybridge's, but the Swifts were clinical with their one clear opening.

This was the fourth pre-season friendly for Witham Town, who have now recorded two draws and two wins across their summer schedule. They face AS London away on Saturday 18 July before a trip to Great Wakering Rovers on Tuesday 21 July. Their competitive season begins with the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round at home to Colney Heath, followed by an FA Trophy First Qualifying Round tie away to Concord Rangers.

Heybridge Swifts continue their preparations for life in the Essex Senior League following relegation from the Isthmian League North.

A typical pre-season derby: competitive without being cut-throat, with both sides using the game to build fitness and test systems. Witham Town will be the more encouraged — they dominated possession and created more chances — but Heybridge showed defensive organisation that should serve them well in the step down. Bantick's free-kick was the standout moment of quality on the night.

• Betmana.co.uk match page (provider payload: score 1-1, half-time 0-0)
• YouTube: "HIGHLIGHTS | Pre-Season Friendly 2026/27 Heybridge Swifts vs Witham Town" (e8xDpJDHftU)
• YouTube: "Witham Town FC 26/27 | Match Day Vlog No 4 | Heybridge Swifts vs Witham Town" (IrDXlGYZrSI) — James Beardwell's matchday vlog containing post-match quotes from acting head coach Glenn and supporter reactions
• Pitchero.com — Witham Town FC official site, match listing and photo album by Nigel Hakes
• Instagram: @withamtownfootballclub (reel Daya1flIL90) — full-time thoughts and mention of Bantick's free-kick