Clapton CFC Men’s First Team won for the first time in 2026 at a Southend Manor side who were unbeaten at home in six matches.
It was an impressive, composed performance, with a tight first half giving way to a ruthless second-half display.
After a quiet opening period, the breakthrough arrived just after the half-hour mark when the Southend keeper failed to deal with a cross and Flavien Stierlen reacted quickest to turn the ball into the net from close range.
Southend threatened an equaliser before the break, but Jack Francis made an excellent close-range save to preserve the 1–0 lead at half-time.
The game swung decisively in Clapton’s favour early in the second half. Stierlen went off injured on 57 minutes to be replaced by Korahn Gayle, who took just 3 minutes to score his first goal for the first team. Andre Odeku’s persistence created the opening for Gayle to side-foot into the corner.
Barely a minute later, Fred Taylor found himself in space and lobbed the advancing keeper to extend the lead to 3–0.
Sub Louis Brown had a header well saved, while Taylor went close when his first-time volley from a Sam Cook cross was tipped onto the bar by the Southend keeper.
The fourth goal eventually arrived when Cook danced down the left and delivered another teasing cross to the far post, where Taylor side-footed home on the volley for his second of the afternoon.
There was still time for more drama at the end, with the keeper denying Taylor a hat-trick with a fine acrobatic save, but Clapton saw out the closing stages comfortably to secure a convincing win.