PRE-SEASON MATCH
SATURDAY 13TH JULY 2013
VERWOOD TOWN 1 FLEET TOWN 4

Our first friendly of the season gave us an opportunity to see how much progress we had made since being elevated into the Wessex Prem.

Fleet Town had a good squad but due to holiday's we lost a couple of our players. Still we felt the squad was good enough to give a good account of ourselves against top flight opposition.

29 degrees, hot and sticky. The ground was burnt in patches and as hard as concrete in patches which should help if we ever have friendlies in Lagos or Abidjan.

The pace was a surprise. Fleet were out of the traps quickly and a good run down the left resulted in a cross followed by a downward header that skimmed the post.

We took a few minutes to settle down and then with 8 minutes gone, Gajic forced his way past a full back and fired a low shot for the bottom corner. The shot was deflected but fell at the feet of Webb. A double shuffle and Webb proved he had not lost his touch by firing over the bar.

We kept slightly on top. 18 minutes and it was Gajic again racing away on the right and chipping a great ball into the box, but sadly, no follow up.

Fleet hit back immediately and Oldring had to judge a flighted ball to perfection to get underneath and clear the area.

Wood hadn't had a lot to do at this stage but was alert enough to take a catch under the bar from a quick attack down the right.

Despite the heat both sides applied a lot of energy and no more so than Dyer and Webb.

25 minutes and Dyer slipped the ball to Hill. Hill made ground rapidly down the left and a deep cross forced the keeper to make a good save,

A minute later Hill repeated the exercise but this time the keeper had to palm away letting in Saxby to head for goal. The keeper again did well, holding the ball under the bar.

33 minutes Dyer Webb and Saxby linked to free up Gajic. A good cross flew across the box but no one had followed in to capitalise.

46 minutes a corner for Fleet dropped into a crowded area and after numerous efforts to put the ball in the net it finally trickled in from a half shot.

0-1 at half time.

We should have been better placed on the score line than a 0-1. We had played well enough to have earned a better result so it was a determined start with Lovell forcing his way past a strong tackle and slipping the ball to Saxby. Saxby made ground and an accurate pass cleared Webb for a crack at goal. A low shot heading for the bottom right hand corner was brilliantly turned away by the keeper.

52 minutes saw Saxby drift wide right. A ball was hammered into the box. Lovell collected and tried a shot but watched it go wide.

53 minutes we had maintained pressure and the Saxby/Lovell combination worked again. This time Dyer followed in and a cracking shot beat the keeper to level scores.

55 minutes Homer's tenacity won the ball just outside the area and a ball out to Saxby put us back on the attack. Saxby went clear of his marker and an angled shot was blocked and cleared.

57 minutes we lost discipline and a quick counter attack down the right resulted in a hard cross headed past Lynch 1-2.

59 minutes and Gajic made way for Elysee.

Fleet stepped up the pace and we dropped ours. The result was inevitable.

Fleet's pressure increased. Oldring headed clear a cross from the right. Kelly hoofed clear from a lob into the box. Evans sliding tackle stopped an attack on the right

Oldring stopped a shot. The ball ran free. Oldring followed up and a hard tackle won the ball but the ref decided it was a foul and gave a penalty. 1-3.

Homer offered a spark of hope as he intercepted a line ball and raced free of his opposite number. A great run down the left was halted by an exceptionally strong tackle. Homer decided to take it himself. A floater into the box was met by Kelly's head but the ball flew over the bar.

Evans broke up an attack and released Saxby. A chip inside to Webb gave space for a through ball to Lovell. A rising shot only troubled pigeons.

73 minutes and a high ball over our back four dropped nicely for a chip over Wood to finish the scoring 1-4.

The rest of the half meandered along until the whistle.

Result 1-4