Pembury 2 v 5 Paddock Wood Predators
After a promising opening game versus the current champions Pembury took on another one of the hotly tipped teams for silverware at Woodside. The home side were fast out of the blocks, playing the ball around at a fast tempo and got behind the Predators defence several times in the first 15 minutes. The away side didn’t really know what hit them and after some great interlinking play down the left the ball was slid into Allman who skipped round his marker and finished neatly past the goal keeper.
Predators started to get back into the game and tried to rough the Pembury side up incurring 3 yellow cards in the space of 10 minutes, one of which should have been red when the Predators forward struck one of the Pembury players but the referee only saw it fit of a yellow. This didn’t deter the home side who continued to pass the ball well with Allman and Jackson dictating the tempo from the centre of the park. Soon it was 2-0 when a looping cross from Ells was mis-judged by the Predators goal keeper and McGahan managed to poke the ball home from an acute angle with the outside of his boot.
Things were going the home side’s way and they were enjoying their football creating several other opportunities to extend their lead the best falling to McGahan who could have struck the ball on the volley from 18 yards but decided to take a touch and then the chance was gone. Predators weren’t without their own chances and Larkin made some fantastic saves 1 on 1 to deny the away sides forwards on two occasions. Just as half time approached Predators got themselves a lifeline when a cross from the right looked to be heading straight down Larkin’s throat but the strong wind at Woodside halted the balls progress and the forward managed to get there just before him to head the ball into an empty net.
The second half started well for Pembury with McGahan going through 1 on 1, he tried to round the keeper but was denied by some long arms and the danger was gone. Predators moved some of their personnel around and started to retain the ball a lot better, imposing themselves on the game. Following a lot of pressure in the final third an attempted chip, through ball was adjudged to have been handled by Coxon and the referee awarded a penalty. This was dispatched with aplomb giving Larkin no chance. Pembury legs began to tire and they couldn’t keep the ball like they did in the first half. Genty was tiring a bit up front and was replaced by Hendley who had an immediate impact and went through clear down the left, cutting in and his shot grazed the top of the crossbar.
Allman went off with a hamstring injury replaced by Lester but Predators continued to press and Pembury couldn’t hold out with 3 goals being scored in the last 10 minutes to make it Pembury 2 vs 5 Paddock Wood Predators.
Team:
J.Larkin
A.Chapman (c)
N.Coxon
M.Fenton
J.Fermor
O.Allman
D.Jackson
C.Ells
L.Beaton
D.McGahan
L.Gent
Subs
R.Hendley for L.Gent
M.Lester for O.Allman
O.White (not used)
