Hadleigh commenced their 2010 / 11  season with this home tie against Witham Town, with Witham taking an early lead, Hadleigh missing a penalty, but a spirited fight back  by Hadleigh  in the second half saw both teams share the points.

Witham won an early free kick which Hadleigh's keeper Ryan Bruce cleared with a long range throw, but Witham kept up the early pressure which resulted in their first goal after only 5 minutes, when their forward ran through to beat the Hadleigh defence and fire in from distance low and hard to beat keeper Ryan Bruce.

Hadleigh pressed from the re-start, winning a corner , with Callum Smith's perfect corner ball in  Patrick Armstrong  saw his header in go agonsingly just over the bar.

On 10 minutes Hadleigh full back Reece Booth saw a shot in on the turn go just wide. Hadleigh were then caught napping in defence as Witham's livewire centre forward broke clear to fire just over from an unchallenged position.

On 18 minutes Hadleigh earned a corner, again Callum Smith's  good delivery caused Witham problems with another corner awarded, this time Smith's ball in found Patrick Armstrong with his header being headed off the line, with Luke Wilding firing just wide from the loose  ball.

Hadleigh were now having a good spell, with Luke Wilding forcing the Witham defence to concede another corner , before Patrick Armstrong fired into the side netting from yet another corner on the far side.

Hadleigh were then awarded a penalty after 24 minutes when a long range pass from Jermaine Haynes found  Franco Mallardo who was brought down in the area by the Witham keeper ( escaping a booking ).  But unfortunately  Callum Smith's   spot kick was too high.

More drama then at the other end on 29 minutes, when a poor back pass by Elliot Doe-Laney put keeper Ryan Bruce under pressure to clear, but he sliced his kick which landed perfectly for a Witham forward to control round Reece Booth and fire at close range pass diving keeper Ryan Bruce.

In the final minutes of the first half Hadleigh's Jermaine Haynes broke clear down the right with a perfect cross in finding Michael Barwick to run onto the ball but his shot in just skimmed the near post.

H-T   Hadleigh 0 Witham 2

An early shot in by Franco Mallardo was spilt by the keeper , but Mallardo's shot in from the loose ball was held well. As Hadleigh pressed  another Callum Smith corner was headed just wide by Jermaine Haynes .

On 55 minutes Hadleigh reduced the deficit , when a great through ball found Patrick Armstrong to run through beating two Witham defenders to fire in a perfect goal past the diving keeper.

From the re-start Witham attacked with keeper Ryan Bruce making a reaction save with his leg as he was wrong footed from a Witham shot in .

Hadleigh then broke from the goal kick with Callum Smith making a good run down the left, his cross in was just too much for Franco Mallardo to contact, but the ball fell into the path of Luke wilding to fire in low and hard for the equaliser.

This goal lifted Hadleigh in the final 20 minutes of the match Hadleigh had a majority of the play and possession, with chances to get the winner being created with Patrick Armstrong heading just wide from a Callum Smith cross, before a cross in by Franco Mallardo saw a shot in by Patrick Armstrong skim the bar. Franco Mallardo was then saw a one -handed save by the Witham keeper from an angled shot in .

In the final 5 minutes, Hadleigh were awarded two free kicks on the edge of the Witham area as Witham defended deeply, with Elliot Doe-Laney's shot in being blocked by the wall, before in the 88th minute a free kick from Franco Mallardo was parried clear by the keeper with the keeper saving the shot in by Josh Caraccio from the loose ball.

F-T    Hadleigh 2   Witham 2

probably a fair result on the night with Witham having the first half and Hadleigh the second, setting up an interesting match at Witham on 16th September