SYDENHAMS LEAGUE (WESSEX) DIVISION ONE
SATURDAY 18TH AUGUST 2007
VERWOOD TOWN 3 – HYTHE AND DIBDEN 2

Reeves and Arnold both side lined through injury. Dan Goodall turning up as bridesmaid at a wedding! We still had a reasonable squad though but Adie and Nigel had to shuffle the formation to match the occasion.

We hadn’t settled before Fawcett had to save from an edge of the box shot. A long kick should have sparked a counter attack but the ball was headed back into our area and Fawcett again had to sprint from his line to divert the ball away from danger. Freeman, Beverley and James all featured in keeping the goal intact as we weathered the storm.

Newbury brought some semblance of order to the defence and as Lynch tightened his grip on the centre forward we worked ourselves into the game.

James and Homer looked particularly sharp and a break on the left allowed Homer a chance to cross deep into the box. In came King but the keeper sprang across goal to palm the ball away from danger.

Matt Newbury linked up with King. A ball, wide to Dyer back to Beverley and then Dyer again, produced our best move of the game. The ball finished up in the side netting from a Homer snap shot.

26 minutes and Freeman limped off to give Pat Yerby a run at full back. Yerby’s run down the right brought a free kick as he was dropped just outside the box. Homer stepped up and his curling free kick was tipped over the bar. Dyer’s corner was gratefully gathered by the keeper.

39 minutes and H&D split us open in the middle. A run at goal and a cross was met six yards out. 0-1.

We rallied and Homer raced free from his marker. The keeper came out, Homer lobbed him but the keeper back pedalled and caught the ball just under the bar.

Back came H & D but Fawcett again proved he better than the shot.

Half Time 0-1

The rain still fell, the playing surface becoming slippier but both teams committed themselves to open football. It was a good first few minutes with Fawcett again having to make the earlier saves as H&D pushed us back.

Martin Newbury and Chris Lynch were solid in the middle forcing the play wide where James and Yerby were excelling.

5 minutes gone and Matt Newbury tussled in the box for a loose ball. Over he went and the Ref pointed to the spot. Up stepped Matt James and the ball flew high and wide leaving H&D breathing sighs of relief.

10 minutes and Matt Newbury made room for Ben Truan to come on.

12 minutes we lost concentration. A ball was threaded through the middle and we lost the runner. Out came Fawcett and spreading himself, deflected the ball wide. We had failed to follow up leaving an unmarked player with oceans of room to tap the ball into the net.
We didn’t give up. Although we were two down the spirit in the side bubbled and a great move on the right with Dyer, Truan and King split H&D for the first time and Homer surged in from the left to slam a shot that the keeper did well to hold.

10 minutes to go, Truan and King worked the ball to the edge of the box. A shot on the turn from King was beaten out and Homer raced in to hit a low shot past the keeper to reduce the score line.

4 minutes to go, a clearance from Fawcett went wide to James. A cracking ball across the area and there was King flying in to glance a header past the keeper into the net. 2-2.

3 minutes left we attacked again. The ball was fired across the area. The keeper raced out but Truan was quicker off the mark. Taking the ball wide of the keeper, Truan sent the ball across the box, King stepped over the pass and in swept Giles to hammer our third goal giving us the lead.

91 minutes and H&D broke into our area. A shot for the bottom corner of the net had goal written all over it…….Fawcett produced one of his better saves and the game finished with our first three points in the bag.