PRE SEASON FRIENDLY
TUESDAY 24TH JULY 2012
GILLINGHAM TOWN 3 VERWOOD TOWN 2

Our second friendly of the season. Matt Dear back along with Chas Gajic but 4 missing from the Holt game last week end.

It started well with both teams showing good commitment. O'Sullivan spared hopes of an early goal with a mazy run down the left but was dropped unceremoniously on the edge of the box. A deep free kick and up went Haskell to nod wide.

We had a slight edge on the game and with 7 minutes gone Dyer and Webb combined to free up Webb to place a crossfield ball to Evans. A switch ball found Gajic but Gajic couldn't tee up well enough to trouble the keeper.

2 minutes later Clark zipped past his marker and tried a cross shot but was unlucky to see it palmed out for a corner. The corner was headed clear and a swift counter attack had Delaney and Kelly scrambling to clear.

Lynch had to show his handling capability with a fine save low on the post and then Evans was tested as a break on the right threatened the goal.

21 minutes brought into focus Satterley as he raced clear of his marker and from a narrow angle tried a shot on goal. The keeper did well and palmed clear, but the ball broke for Satterley to try a shot that hit the post and out.

Gillingham's forwards got their act together and successive attacks off the flanks caused trouble. Lynch had enough to contend with but had a good back four in support.

Delaney and Kelly stitched up the arial battle and Evans pace was a godsend as Gillingham varied their options.

Satterley tried a shot across the keeper and then Webb skied a shot.

With 33 minutes gone Satterley pulled up sharp with a hamstring pull and had to come off. Matt Steer got the call and went one for one.

Gillingham tested the flanks again and O'Sullivan did well to shadow a runner and finally take the ball and player over the line with a fine tackle 20 yards from the line.

We hit back with Clark and Evans working through the middle and finally seeing Clarks chip finding Haskell. The header was planted for the top corner but an athletic keeper tipped the ball over the bar. The corner came to nothing so at the whistle we went to a

scoreboard of 0-0.

Gillingham's half time adrenalin shot had effect. We were pushed back at the start and Delaney Kelly Evans and O'Sulivan were called on yet again to give Lynch cover.

A Gajic clearance wide to O'Sullivan almost had us free but the keeper was quick off is line to hoof it back.

53 minutes Clark received wide. A cross found Evans. Back into the box and Gajic this time hit a volley into the bottom corner…1-0

6 minutes later a similar move let in Haskell but hit a wall of defenders and the ball was cleared wide.

Then came a horror ten minutes. A push down the right went unchecked. A low ball and 62 minutes read 1-1.

69 minutes and Matt Dear tried to bamboozle a forward with a Samba dance but when he looked had lost the ball …1-2.

71 minutes a corner was allowed to roll gently across the box. A simple tap in… 1-3.

Charity or what ??

Gillingham could have had more. A resolute Delaney and Kelly dug in. Nothing got through centrally and a tightening up at full back spots gave hope for a fight back.

At 75 minutes Clark came off for Conrad to have a run and at 80 minutes Dyer came off to let Kris Anderton ply his wares.

Gajic and Webb were the instigators of a couple of promising attacks but Haskell was now very closely shadowed leaving little scope for shots on goal.

Conrad sparked off a move down the left with a couple of minutes left and Gajic stole in to fire just wide.

Both teams looked a bit tired in the heat and it was no surprise that the final whistle blew without any further change to the score line.

Result 1-3.