SYDENHAMS (WESSEX) LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
MONDAY 29TH AUGUST 2011
PEWSEY VALE 1 VERWOOD TOWN 1

Three games on the trot suffering defeats. Roy Mortimer having a heart problem and Adie on 78mg of Diazepam per day. Now...... Pewsey away. What a start to the season.

A very mixed and thinned down squad found their way to Pewsey. Brown who had started at centre forward last week found himself at centre half. A brighter note was the inclusion of Luke Homer returning to the fold and taking up left back spot.

Pewsey kicked off as usual applying pressure and pushing forward. Brown blocked the way to goal and Evans picked up the loose ball to set Smalley on his way down the right.

A cross found Haskell but good defending stopped progress into the box.

Barnet and Homer worked the flank and Homer's chip over the centre half gave Haskell a bit of room to try a shot. The ball was beaten out and Dyer came in quickly to try a volley. The keeper had it covered but didn't have to make a save as it whistled wide.

Dyer forced a corner. In it swept and Saxby tried a shot. A sliding tackle took the ball away from danger.

Lynch made a couple of good saves as Pewsey stepped up pace. The best was a catch on the penalty spot whilst under intense pressure.

Smalley did well to break on the right and his cross was turned away for a corner. The corner was cleared and a race for the ball just outside our area resulted in a free kick for Pewsey. The ball was fired low through the wall...hit the foot of the post and flew wide.

44 minutes and we gave away another free kick on the edge of the box. A floating ball was well met and we went in at

Half Time 0-1.

The team had worked hard in the first half and was asked to continue effort and to carry the game to our hosts if we could.

48 minutes and Smalley outstripped his marker. A deep cross found Saxby flying in and a powerful header flew wide.

Evans covered a break with ten minutes of the restart and Lynch made a catch under pressure. We looked reasonably solid but Pewsey were always dangerous on the break.

The game went end to end. Good for the spectators but lousy for the managers.

55 minutes Pewsey broke through the middle. Across came Brown to make a terrific tackle just inside the box. The ball ran free. In came the centre forward and a half volley hit the angle of upright and post to go out for dead ball.

63 minutes and it was our turn to threaten the scoreboard. Dyer made the break and his cross was headed onto the bar by Haskell.

3 minutes later Pewsey broke free on the right and a great shot luckily hit the side netting.

The dead ball kick found Barnet. A great pass freed Dyer. The cross was met by Saxby and a low shot was turned off the line. Haskell caught the ball just right and a powerful right foot shot from 2 inches whipped into the net. 1-1.

73 minutes and Saxby broke away for a one on one. The keeper won the challenge.

We then had a purple patch. Haskell and Saxby had shot's, the best from Saxby but the keeper was in great form and stopped us going ahead.

Only three minutes left and the game was still end to end. 3 minutes left saw Saxby break into the box but a late tackle robbed him of a shot.

Full Time 1-1