SYDENHAMS LEAGUE (WESSEX) DIVISION ONE
SATURDAY 30TH AUGUST 2008
VERWOOD TOWN 4 WHITCHURCH UTD 4

Adam Faulkner, Paul Stephens, Paul Arnold all late absentees. In came Steve Reeves and Jon Homer.

Willis fortunately was alert from the start and tipped the ball over the bar with only a minute gone. It was a good warning. Whitchurch stayed on the offensive and we had to dig in. We didn't hang about and hit back with a good move through Luke Homer and Pete King.

4 minutes gone and Giles won a tackle on the line. A cross to Elysee and a deep cross was headed across the box. A defender headed out and in stormed Lynch to chip the ball over his marker, and before the ball hit the deck hit it with his left. It would have been a great goal had he been accurate. To be fair he got it nearer the goal than he normally does.

14 minutes and a piece of magic from Dan Goodall opened up Whitchurch on the right. A chip into the area and up rose Pete King to plant a header wide of the keepers right for our first goal of the game.

Whitchurch whipped the ball upfield, caught us completely adrift and an angled shot whistled past Willis to make the score 1-1.

22 minutes and we won a free kick. A 30 yard 'bender' from Cousins beat the keeper but not the bar.

3 minutes later our visitors worked the right flank, a cross across the box and a simple tap in…1-2. Whitchurch knew how to finish we didn't.

Another 3 minutes and a great move from Whitchurch finished with the ball being hammered low past Willis…1-3.

We tried hard to get back into the game and a free kick from Cousins was met by Homer. His header went over the defender, hit the inside of the post and bounced out….Half Time….1-3.

25 seconds of the second half gone…..in flashed Homer….just inside the box he was felled. Up stepped Goodall to hammer the ball past the keeper 2-3.

We were playing well but obviously still stuttering in the middle of the park.

Cousins worked an opening, a left foot shot went wide. Dyer then wormed his way into the box and a right foot blaster was blocked by a defender. We had the edge but couldn't produce that finishing touch.

57 minutes Whitchurch keeper snatched up a shot from Elysee and a long ball found a lone runner. Racing just ahead of Lynch it looked like a one on one but across came Yerby to make a good strong tackle. The player partly somersaulted and a swallow dive completed his effort. A major clamour from the Whitchurch end claimed a penalty but the ref would have none of it. Its rumoured Seb Coe was on the phone shortly after to check on his availability for 2012.

64 minutes and another lesson on taking chances. Out to the right went the ball, a cross and a simple tap in 2-4.

65 minutes up went King to meet a Homer cross and into the net went a rasping header. 3-4.

On came Steve Reeves for Chas Elysee and had an immediate impact. A run down the right a low cross and King caught the ball just right for a shot at goal. The keeper made a great save.

It was an entertaining half but some of the tackles going in were now becoming dangerous. Yellow cards flashed but the tackles continued.

Keighley came on for Goodall. King played him in, a shot went wide.

79 minutes Dyer broke through a tough defensive wall and was dropped in the box. Cousins put the ball low to the keeper's right. It was almost saved but the ball was tipped onto the inside of the post and finished up in the back of the net. 4-4.

It was a storming finish but with no more goals.