SYDENHAMS LEAGUE (WESSEX) DIVISION ONE
SATURDAY 20TH DECEMBER 2008
VERWOOD TOWN 4 FLEET SPURS 0

Dan Goodall…. Suspended…Steve Moore….Ligament damage…yet another two absences. In came Matt Newbury and Ben Giles.

Spurs could have gone ahead in the second minute had they had a finisher. In swung the ball from the right and a header went just wide of the post. It was a clear cut chance that went begging.

Two minutes later we saw a glimpse of good football from Verwood as Newbury sent away Homer. Homer returned the compliment but Newbury shot wide.

We were holding the middle well and Faulkner was showing signs of his old self.

It was Faulkner who sparked a move on the left. Newbury carried on the attack and Faulkner's support was rewarded with a through ball. Faulkner forced his way past a defender and his shot was a blaster that the keeper did extremely well to save.

12 minutes and Homer Newbury then Homer to Reeves, back to Newbury and the resulting shot whistled wide.

We were playing good football but Spurs equally looked good on the ball.

28 minutes had passed before our pressure paid off. Dyer whistled in a cracking cross and the ball spun off a defenders head past the keeper, 1-0. OG strikes again!!!!

Two minutes later Homer hit the post from a narrow angle and Faulkner's acrobatic scissor kick connecting with the rebound went over the bar.

Half Time 1-0.

52 minutes we forced a corner. Lynch climbed above everybody but the ball went over the bar.

Three minutes later and Elysee joined Homer in attack. Cutting back from the bye line Elysee blasted a shot for the bottom corner but the keeper pulled off a great save.

Inspired substitutions are talked about often, but here today Adie Arnold pulled off a cracker.

61 minutes on came Evans. The corner we had won swung in….Evans made no mistake planting his header beyond the keeper into the bottom corner of the net. 2-0.

Eight minutes later, Homer connected with a cross sending a second header past the keeper for our third of the game.

Spurs hit back and Fawcett produced a brilliant one handed save turning a volley past the post.

Giles read the game well to clear danger a few minutes later and Lynch had mastered a very robust centre forward.

Spurs looked jaded at this stage and for the first time in many weeks we looked the fitter side.

Murray was now enjoying freedom to overlap with Homer and we pushed forward hoping to get a fourth.

Then our secret weapon was unleashed. A loud sucking noise and Martin Newbury pulled himself off the bench for the first time in many weeks. Off came Elysee.

Immediately Newbury was employed planting a 35 yard pass right on the toe of Steve Reeves. The shot went wide.

9 minutes left and shots on goal were blocked. The ball bounced around until Arnold slammed it low past the keeper.

Full-Time 4-0.