Today’s match saw us up against a side who had easily beaten us 5 - 2 in our previous encounter this season and labelled us a poor side in their website’s match report.
On the postage stamp that is better known as the Hilbert Rec’s top pitch the opening exchanges were fairly frenetic, with space proving to be very limited. However as the game settled down we proved to be the side more adept at adapting to the pitch. We were winning most of the first challenges, defending well and putting together the best moves. We should have taken the lead after about twenty minutes when decent link up play presented Yacine with a clear shot on goal. Unfortunately he blazed the ball over from about ten yards. Shortly after Jamie had a chance on the edge of the box, but a poor bounce meant he had to control the ball, rather than shoot and he was closed down by the defender. Five minutes later disaster struck, when for the first time we let a drop kick bounce in our half. From the resultant attack Iggy, admirably filling in at left back, left the referee with no choice but to point to the penalty spot, when he brought down one of their attackers from behind. Diving to his left the returning Dom saved the resultant kick, with Richard reacting quickest to clear the rebound. Unfortunately this was the beginning of a poor spell of play for us and a good move down their right resulted in their centre forward putting them one up. This should have been two shortly after, when Garry trying to retain possession, had an ill advised back pass intercepted. The Hawkenbury player went round Dom and with the empty net beckoning, sent his shot a good six yards wide. We then composed ourselves and a fine move down our left gave Matt a shooting opportunity and his low shot gave their keeper no chance. For the rest of the half we went back to looking the better side. Dom’s handling was excellent and in front of him the back four were looking very safe. Whenever possible the midfield and forwards were linking well and we went into half time confident that we could go on to win the game, as Hawkenbury had failed to realise that we were not the same side they had met in this season’s earlier encounter.
The early second half exchanges were fairly even, with neither keeper really tested. Mid way through the half both sides turned to the attacking experience on their respective benches. Within ten minutes this was to pay dividends for us when an excellent free kick from Garry was met by Steve, whose header was guided just inside the far post. Hawkenbury then pushed men on in a desperate attempt at getting an equaliser. Dom made two great saves low down to his left. The second of which was then knocked back into our six yard box, where Richard in an attempt to clear his lines, sent his clearance against our post. Whilst defending resolutely we continued to attack with purpose. Nick took a break from defending and after winning two good tackles inside their half decided to try his luck from thirty yards. Lets just say that tackling is his stronger suit! Yacine then finished off a great run with a fine shot, which their keeper did well to turn round the post. With five minutes to go Hawkenbury got a corner. With us well set to deal with the high ball, their corner taker mis-hit the corner and with us failing to deal with the low ball, one of their players finished from close range. At this point it was looking like we would have to be happy with ending a run of three straight defeats with a draw. However in the last minute our younger attacking players come to the fore. A ball was played up to Steve on the half way line and he turned and played the ball down our right. Alex made a great run and drove on to the dead ball line. Yacine made an intelligent run to the near post, taking his marker with him, leaving Richard who had run half the pitch, unmarked at the far post. Alex sent over a pin point cross, which Richard drilled into the bottom corner, for his first goal for the club. We then defended effectively to see out the remaining minute and injury time.
An excellent performance where all twelve players should be congratulated, as we looked a totally different team to the ones who were beaten last week by Hadlow and earlier in the season by Hawkenbury. It will be interesting to see what the Hawkenbury match reporter has to say about this!
Team:
D.Lanaway
L.Drury
N.Edwards
K.Waterman
I.Crouch
J.Bush
M.Edwards
G.Knight
R.Fothergill
A.Donaldson
Y.Marouani
Subs:
S.Waterman (for J.Bush)