>SYDENHAMS LEAGUE (WESSEX) DIVISION ONE
SATURDAY 11th AUGUST 2006
VERWOOD TOWN 1 – FARNBOROUGH NE 2

Holiday traffic stopped Farnborough reaching Potterne until 3pm. The result was a kick off 40 minutes late.

It would have been five minutes earlier but a linesman was checking a net as a practice shot was volleyed straight on to the tip of his nose. He went down as though pole axed. A clearer picture was then formed as the ref waved on Farnborough’s Lady Physio. The linesman’s recovery was quite quick and he was soon on the line with a smile on his face! No one ever recovers from Dan’s treatment with a smile.

The delay hadn’t blunted our visitor’s preparations for the first game of the season. They opened with vigour, and Fawcett made a cracking opening save to prove his attention span was longer than we thought.

Yerby on to Elysee, a cross and Goodall spun in the box to try a volley. It sailed over the bar. Lynch won the dead ball. On to Truan then Dyer. A low ball into the box and Truan followed in to smash a shot just wide.

Farnborough well drilled at the back, got players quickly behind the ball and we were finding it difficult to make openings.

Homer’s support to Dyer meant a flurry of crosses but on each occasion we were beaten to the ball. It became frustrating.

Farnborough seemed to have a bit more bite than ourselves and had it not been for the Lynch / Newbury combination we would have gone behind.

King and Reeves worked hard in the middle of the park but we still appeared stifled in front of the sticks.

Goodall was finding it hard to get past his marker as a series of clever blocks stopped his runs.

44 minutes a corner and a deflection found the ball in the back of our net.

H/T 0-1

Freeman came on at right back. Yerby went to left back and Homer went to outside left. To the early learners….left of mid field. Dyer moved to the opposite flank.

An early attack from Homer, a deep cross but the malaise persisted. No one on the end of the cross!

King worked an opening on the right. Reeves picked up the through ball, a low cross flew across the face of goal. No one to meet it!
Farnborough funnelled back and we just couldn’t penetrate enough to get a clear shot on goal.

20 minutes and Beverley came on for Truan. The stiffening up in mid field helped. We had more possession for a while and then came the best break as Freeman raced down the right. A cross into the box and there was King to find enough space to side foot the equaliser.
We stayed on top and Beverley had the ball in the net from a header but was judged to have fouled a defender.

Dyer broke on the right. Cutting inside, the ball switched to Reeves. Out to Homer and a cross whistled past the foot of the post.
Ten minutes to go and we got caught pushing up too far. A long ball whipped over the top of Lynch and Newbury, found a runner…. 1-2.
We went for broke. Pegging Farnborough back in their half we tried hard to infiltrate their area but a well drilled defence blocked our route to goal.

Homer’s lob over the keeper with five minutes left landed on top of the net. King’s shot screwed itself wide of the post and Goodall’s topped shot fell gently into the arms of the keeper.

A minute left and we left ourselves open for a sucker punch but Fawcett was quickly out of his area to beat the attacker with some neat footwork. His long clearance found Goodall, a shot on target but the keeper did well to hold the ball.

The game finished with a disappointing 1-2 defeat.


Report submitted by Bernard Scott