SYDENHAMS (WESSSEX) LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
MONDAY 25TH APRIL 2011
VERWOOD TOWN 2 RINGWOOD TOWN 2

This was our last game of the season, at home, and against Ringwood. We all looked forward to it.

The game was only a minute old and Ringwood had the ball in the net!! It stemmed from a break on their right and a ball to a player on pitch two!!. One or two Ringwood diehards challenged the offside decision but when they realised it needed a bus to get him back to the pitch they curtailed their disenchantment.

We looked a bit ragged and the visitors took every advantage. With 7 minutes gone a corner had been headed inches over the bar and a shot from 15 yards needed an attentive Fawcett to keep sanity.

Dyer sprung our first attack and a low cross to Smith gave space for a 20 yarder to bend goalwards. A deflection put the ball in the air and a grateful keeper made an easy catch.

14 minutes and Lynch miscued a clearance. The ball dropped on the edge of the box. It left a one on one. Fawcett won the tussle.

We got on top. Dyer tried a volley that hit the linesman.

Murray pulled a hamstring and had to come off with 18 minutes left. Freeman slotted in to right back and Matt Dear transferred his affections to left back.

30 minutes and Elysee got away from his marker. A cross found Haskell. A quick pass left gave Aspin an opportunity who shot but over the bar.

Then 39 minutes gone and we won a free kick. Dyer cracked it low and hard into the penalty area. Smith cut across the flight of the ball and turned it past the keeper. 1-0.

A close call on the Verwood goal came with a minute left of the half. Fawcett did the necessary and we went in at Half Time 1-0.

Ringwood literally ran through the middle f the park unchallenged from the kick off. Luckily Matt Dear was still awake and raced across to block the shot.

Delaney worked hard to cut out threats from his opposite number in midfield and with Webb buzzing alongside helped ease our way back into possession.

51 minutes hard graft paid off when Freeman linked with Lynch and slipped the ball into space on the right for Elysee to run clear. Aspin picked up the cross and a ball back to Haskell left Haskell one on one. Haskell won this one chipping the advancing keeper. 2-0.

We looked comfortable but Ringwood as always looked a dangerous proposition given time on the ball.

Aspin and Haskell raced for a dropping ball and a blatant hand ball in the area was judged a free kick outside the box. Dyer hit the defensive wall.

Webb and Smith broke through a tight defence and the shot from Webb skimmed the post....wrong side.

65 minutes we paid the price of laxity leaving an unmarked player in the penalty box and a corner was politely nodded past Fawcett. The usual airplane celebration followed as the visitors recognised the possibility of a Verwood charity match.

77 minutes the ball was scooped into our box and allowed to bounce. Fawcett came off his line to block a shot and then as the ball spun free the goal gaped in front of a lone attacker. Luckily the player must have been training with our lot as he placed his shot into the water ditch.

Saxby and Elysee went close before Haskell shot wide.

2 minutes left we tried to scramble the ball away from goal but a Ringwood toe put it in the net 2-2. That’s how it finished with Ringwood full of smiles and Verwood coaches and team at the dentists to have ground teeth sorted out.