WESSEX LEAGUE CUP
TUESDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2008
ALRESFORD TOWN 6 VERWOOD TOWN 0

East Cowes … a distant memory. We were up for this one shedding the thoughts of the nightmare against our last opponents.

We looked good at the kick off. Nicely ironed shirts clean boots and confident smiles. Goodall kicked off rolling the ball to Alresford's centre forward. A nice gesture but that didn't do Adie Arnold's heart any good at all.

Alresford pushed forward but we resisted and Moore's linguistic talents came to the fore. Willis made a good save from a Murray back pass but there was nothing he could do about Charlie Elysee's volley that whipped over the bar. We had put the ball into our box in the first five minutes more than Alresford had.

10 minutes gone and the first shades of an attack. Dyer and Goodall linked on the right and Dyer made the last run to fire a 20 yarder just over the bar.

Alresford were quick off the mark and in our faces. Maybe it was bad breath but we did all we could to avoid them.

32 minutes and a free kick landed in the box. It was like a hot potato. No one wanted it and it finally came to rest at the back of the net after a toe poke pushed it over the line.

2 minutes later a break on the right a low shot and Willis threw himself right to palm the ball away. In came an unmarked Alresford local and the score line changed to 0-2.

We watched in amazement as Alresford went for more goals. Was it gluttony or merely killer instinct? We immediately went into a different formation 11 across the back. It worked. We went in at half time 0-2.

Nigel and Adie came out first. Sounds of a verbal battering reverberated off the walls. Out came the team wearing ear plugs! They hadn't heard a thing.

Elysee stopped a raid on the right and Yerby raced across minutes later to cut out another runner.

Alresford maintained pace and pressure. We didn't have an answer.

58 minutes and a player was allowed freedom to slam a low shot at goal. Willis made a good save palming the ball away. In raced the player to try a second shot. Again Willis did the business beating the ball away to the edge of the area. Some of us stood in awe some wondering why a player should keep trying to ping the ball past Willis. Anyway the player finally won the battle placing the ball into the bottom corner 0-3.

The difference between the teams was that Alresford had a desire and willingness to chase and work hard for each other. We couldn't give a toss.

Homer tried a shot and then Goodall hit a rising volley over the bar. That was all we could muster in twenty minutes.

81 minutes and our defence had gone on holiday. In jogged the home sides centre forward and we went four down.

87 minutes same again but this time the player spotted Willis off his line and a lob dropped into the net.

94 minutes we had gone AWOL. 0-6.

We had made an Alresford side look a lot better than they were but all credit to them for working as hard as they did to get the result.

We have a good test on Saturday against Fawley. Lets see if we can do better.