WESSEX LEAGUE CUP
WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2009
VERWOOD TOWN 3 ROMSEY TOWN 2

After a dreadful performance against AFC Portchester we came face to face with Premiership side Romsey. Would we sink even lower and take a walloping?

We had a full squad except for Lovell and Matt Newbery. Dean Evans moved himself up front to take No.10 spot and Dan Baguley eased himself into the No.9 shirt.

3 minutes and Dyer headed out of our area !!!! Back it came, a sliced shot and we won a dead ball.

We woke up. It was a pleasure to see effort and a will to win a ball. Faulkner lead a chase and a defence splitting pass gave space for Homer to race to the bye line. His cross though was allowed to go untouched and into dead ball.

Faulkner again was behind a great move freeing up Arnold who shot wide. A minute later Dyer sent Baguley free and a half volley brought out a terrific save from Romsey's keeper.

It was now an open game with football being played as we like it on the deck. Romsey moved the ball accurately and with purpose. For a change we chased everything available and it was Faulkner's night as he watched his free kick from 25 yards speed into the net. 1-0.

Romsey put a great move together to get into the box. A last ditch tackle was judged to be unfair......penalty. Fawcett blocked the shot but the ball spun into space and a simple header levelled the score.

Arnold blazed a shot over the bar and then Baguley hit a cross shot that went wide. Romsey's retaliation had Fawcett making a good save and then Murray cleared an attempt off the line as we were forced to defend deep.

The half closed at 1-1

Evans worked hard up front and his efforts in closing down the backs gave us the edge in attacks.

Baguley again hit a screamer that flew wide and then Romsey came back in force going close with a shot from the edge of the box. A follow up attack had the ball rattling the bar. Murray collected just outside the box and hit a long pass to Arnold, a short pass to Baguley and a fierce cross shot hit the back of the net. 2-1.

The game became end to end play with Romsey taking a large chunk of the action. Fawcett denied a leveller and then Elysee made a couple of successive tackles keeping danger at the edge of the box.

Faulkner sent a cross ball to Dyer, a jinking run and shot had the keeper scrambling on the line and then Homer flashed a drive wide of the post.

Arnold tried a shot and then Baguley intercepted a back pass to chip the keeper making it 3-1.

We continued pressurising but Romsey's quality started to emerge. Good passing, good movement off the ball and an attacking style that pushed us to the limits. Now it was the turn of Lynch and Jamison to show their capabilities. Never yielding an inch on the tackle both had major tussles with their opposite numbers.

38 min and a double corner caused concern in the box. A ground shot was blocked by Jamison and then Murray cleared on the left. Romsey maintained their attacking mode and Fawcett was then in action as a bullet of a header was tipped over the bar. We cleared the corner and took a breather as play was confined for a short time in the middle of the park.

42 minutes we cracked. A superb left foot shot swept past Fawcett into the top corner. 3-2.

It made for a grand stand finish. The ball was like a table tennis ball as it flew from the flanks into our box and then out again. Lynch and Jamison were in excellent form as were Elysee and Murray.

Arnold and Faulkner dropped deep and bolstered the defence. We hung on and finally celebrated a gutsy performance with a 3-2 win.