PRE SEASON FRIENDLY
SATURDAY 21ST JULY 2012
HOLT UNITED 2 VERWOOD TOWN 2

Our first friendly of the season saw us at Holt. 17 players were in the squad with a few away on holiday.

Lynch / Evans / O’Sullivan / Delaney / Kelly / Steer / Clark / Webb / Edwards / Satterley / Hill / Haskell / Dyer / Broomes / Elysee / Conrad and Anderton made up the team and bench.

Hill in the number 11 shirt found himself tracking back as early as the first minute as Holt slung a crossfield ball wide. O’Sullivan covered and the ball ran free for Steer to send Edwards away. The keeper won the race and hoofed the ball into our area. A sliding tackle gave away a penalty. 0-1 with only two minutes gone.

We hit back but the football quality left a lot to be desired. A couple of offside flags stopped Satterley and Edwards making impact.

An energetic Hill made ground on the left and slipping a ball wide of the full back released Edwards for a curling shot to test the keeper.

We were getting better. Passes were getting more accurate and an Evans Satterley link finished with Satterley shooting wide.

With 9 minutes on the clock Clark and Edwards broke through on the right. Edwards cut into the box and rounded the keeper. An unselfish cut back to the edge of the area and Clark raced in to slide the ball into the bottom corner. 1-1.

3 minutes later Satterley connected with a deep cross and a firm header was beaten out by the keeper. The bounce fell nicely for Satterley to drill number two. 2-1.

We were on top at this stage but looked ring rusty. Holt’s passing was a bit better than ours and they benefited from a spell of lax defensive work.

31 minutes gone and a long ball into our box was watched by Lynch. Deciding to punch clear Lynch went in hard. The close season had taken its toll. The ball went unscathed but Holt’s centre forward didn’t. Penalty …. 2-2.

34 minutes, Hill made a good run down the left and opened up Holt for Edwards to run clear. A brilliant sliding tackle prevented Edwards having a shot.

The game meandered to the whistle with neither side creating anything worthwhile.

Half Time 2-2

Anderton came on for O’Sullivan and Haskell came on for Satterley.

2 minutes into the half a long hopeful ball into our box was caught by Lynch. Spotting Haskell free a pin point drop kick found Haskell’s head. A ball wide to Evans and space allowed a deep cross. Haskell rose about an inch, and a half header was palmed out. Evans followed in and tried a shot but it went high and wide.

6 minutes and we were pressing hard. Haskell collected a Steer pass and muscling his way past a defender squared the ball back to Edwards. A cracking shot hit the bar and before Hill could shoot a delayed whistle went for Haskell’s challenge.

Clark was enjoying a bit of freedom and a good break on the right gave room for a cross. Haskell’s header was a couple of feet wide of the upright.

Evans came off for Elysee to have a run and as the defence settled Holt created a golden chance to go ahead but the shot went straight to Lynch.

Holt pressed forward. Delaney and Kelly had their work cut out but both looked comfortable.

Steer came off for Broomes. And it was Broomes who next tried to break the Holt back four but was felled just outside the area. Elysee’s cross bounced in the box but no one was close enough to turn it into the net.

Holt’s substitutions worked. Some good football in the middle of the park drew us out of position. A pass between the centre half’s and full back gave space for a low cross and this time Lynch had it covered without downing an opposition player.

Hill and Edwards worked the left flank and Hill’s blaster went narrowly wide of the post.

76 minutes gone and Edwards made way for Conrad. A minute later Hill and Broomes worked the flank and Broomes wriggled free to try a shot but yet again the net remained intact.

8 minutes left and we should have had a third as Clark’s cross was inches away from a stabbing Haskell toe.

Dyer had come on for Webb and a couple of good runs followed, but the score board went unchanged.

Result 2-2