SYDENHAMS LEAGUE (WESSEX) DIVISION ONE
SATURDAY 31ST JANUARY 2009
VERWOOD TOWN 1 STOCKBRIDGE 2

Stockbridge hit first. Within 3 minutes they had shot wide and then brought out the best from Dan Fawcett as he had to tip a rising drive over the bar.

We picked up the pace and carried the game to our visitors. Reeves jinked his way past a couple of defenders and released Chivers for a crack at goal. The keeper was up to the challenge.

Dyer tackled back, passed inside to Arnold and a cross field ball to Homer split Stockbridge right flank. A cross into the box and a sliding Newbury was inches wide from touching the ball home.

7 minutes gone and Homer sliced the full back pairing for Murray to race free. A curling cross created havoc and a deflected clearance skipped into the roof of the net. 1-0.

We continued to press forward and had more of an appetite than Stockbridge at this stage. The stamp of a steady side was evident though in our opponents and they kept a tight midfield but looked vulnerable with a flat back four pushing up to the half way line.

We cracked the offside trap a few times but Stockbridge keeper was in excellent form and won three successive one on ones. We couldn't capitalise on half chances either.

Stockbridge got back into the game for a while and had us back pedalling. Fawcett made a couple of good stops and Elysee made a timely tackle with only minutes left to keep us in front.

A last gasp attack had Chivers and Homer in the box and a snap shot from Homer was blocked. The ball spun free and Chivers went inches wide of the post.

The referee needed a hot coffee so blew the whistle for half time with the score 1-0.

Stalagmites in the stand (in the first half known as spectators) expected a Verwood pressure. It was but on the nerve ends.

Only 3 minutes had past since the whistle stuck to the referee's lips and the ball was in the net to level the scores. 1-1.

Stockbridge looked sharper and wanted the ball more. They pushed forward and we buckled. Lynch was a stalwart clearing the ball high into the stand on several occasions. Murray and Elysee were extremely busy keeping bustling forwards in check. Giles also was on oxygen as he swept from one side to the other.

We dug in. Arnold and Reeves gradually won their individual battles and we then had Chivers going close and Dyer again springing to the attack.

We looked predictable though so Adie and Nigel conferred on their head phones. Perhaps the reception wasn't what it should have been as Newbury came off and Goodall went on. The instruction we believe was for Goodall to join the attack without anyone coming off.

3 minutes later Faulkner came on for Reeves. Reeves had taken a tumble a little earlier and a sore ankle prevented him carrying on.

Adam Faulkner had shed his shell track suit bottoms and joined Arnold in the middle of the park. Stockbridge celebrated with a looping ball over the middle of the park. On raced a greyhound forward but out came Fawcett with receding hair streaming in the wind. Fawcett won the race and cleared the ball over the half way line. Homer picked up the loose missile and tried a shot on the turn. It was a cracking effort but again the visiting keeper made an excellent save.

The game evened out but one thing missing from our team was someone who could put the ball in the net.

Minutes ticked away. 3 to go and a break on our right allowed a low cross to be controlled and a low volley beat Fawcett to put Stockbridge ahead.

We couldn't retrieve the situation so finished up beaten 1-2.