SYDENHAMS (WESSSEX) LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
SATURDAY 2ND APRIL 2011
TADLEY CALLEVA 3 VERWOOD TOWN 1

Holiday's and work kept the squad to 12. Mark Beverley and Adie Arnold shrugged off the wrinkles to make up the bench.

With a good result against Tadley only a couple of weeks ago we felt confident we could grab another three points to haul ourselves into the upper echelon.

Saxby picked up Wrixton's pass just outside the box and shaped to shoot but a strong tackle left him prostrate.

Tadley worked the ball forward and won a corner in the 9th minute. In it came and dipped in the six yard box. A toe prodded it for the net but Fawcett kicked it off the line. A chip back into the area was headed out by Delaney and then Lynch had to head the next effort clear of the area.

13 minutes and Haskell chested down Delaney's cross. A swivel and a looping shot beat the keeper to put us ahead. 1-0.



16 minutes Wrixton chipped the defence and Saxby went through on the edge of the box. Unselfishly, Saxby cut the ball back from the line and Haskell stepped over the ball to send Tadley defenders in the wrong direction. The slick move had no effect whatsoever. The nearest person from Verwood was in the stand and Tadley's players merely stood still and walloped the ball upfield.

This set the scene for a steady deterioration in our play.

Dyer tried a shot from a Lynch clearance. The shot went wide. Minutes later Gajic shot past the post with only the keeper to beat. Wrixton Gajic and Haskell linked to put Saxby through. The shot swerved past the Tadley kitchen.

Tadley had no worries. They just got stuck in towards the end of the half but like us couldn't score.

Half Time 1-0.

Gajic sparked two early moves but both efforts from Elysee and Haskell went wide.

Then the rot really set in. Tadley found they had 22 players all passing between themselves. Progress into our half was easy. Fawcett stood between Tadley and a levelling of scores. 12 minutes he gathered a low cross flashing across the box. 2 minutes later he gathered another cross low left.

Saxby broke the one way traffic with a run and shot but in keeping with the game.....missed. Delaney went up to join the forwards for a free kick. We're still not sure why, as it was a Tadley free kick!!!

64 minutes the inevitable happened. A canter down the right a low cross and the ball was turned past Fawcett. 1-1.

3 minutes later Fawcett made a great save as we cracked down the middle and a run on goal finished with a blistering shot.

72 minutes a high ball dropped into the box and a mad scramble followed. The ball bounced around and finished up in the net after a lunging forehead deflected it past Fawcett. 1-2.

At this point vallium was in demand by the Verwood management. It was hard to understand the performances recently put in against Horndean and Tadley and to now witness a complete reversal.

A very chuffed Tadley pushed forward. A lot of their passes went astray but we remained charitable and gave it them back.

83 minutes we gave away a corner. We watched in awe as it landed on a home players head and whistled past Fawcett. 1-3.

Could we get back into the game? We could have played for a month and it wouldn't have made any difference.

We had chances and didn't take them but our general performance left a lot to be desired.

Full Time 1-3.