WYVERN LEAGUE DIVISION 1 (WEST)
TUESDAY 10TH MARCH 2015
VERWOOD TOWN RESERVES 1 LAVERSTOCK & FORD RESERVES 4

A problem of having a chunk of the side still at School and College is the demand for school breaks overseas. We got hit with six of the squad missing ..but.. we still mustered a team and bench.

Team… Ray Stroud.. Liam Percy .. Will Cobley .. Harrison Harding .. Richard Glanville .. George Thomas .. Jamie Davies .. Matt Jones .. Matt McGilchrist .. James Guthrie .. James Murray .. Bench ….. Chas Petit .. Matt Lusted .. Dan Sharp.

We were still learning names when L&F struck down the left. A low cross into the penalty area was pounced on by Stroud. A throw to James put us on the attack but petered out when a cross from Guthrie was intercepted and cleared.

L&F pressed forward with some good football bringing out the best in our defence. Harding and Glanville were strong in the tackle and not much given away despite being pinned in our third.

Cobley stopped an attack on the left hand side of our box and slipped a line ball to Murray. Murray's cross was punched away by the keeper and James nipped in to try a shot but had to watch it go high and wide.

Laverstock's pressure increased. We were still trying to gel. Mid field was loose giving L&F a territorial advantage. Stroud made a superb save at the foot of the post from a shot on the edge of the area and then raced out to boot a through ball out to touch.

Guthrie superbly turned inside his marker to unleash a ground shot but the L&F keeper remained unemployed as his defence dealt with the threat.

Percy and Cobley had to work the flanks as L&F made use of their wide men. Again pressure mounted as L&F gained more possession. We were relying more on the counter attack but had no finish when near the sticks.

37 minutes and we wilted. A good run down their left resulted in a cross that was turned in from a couple of feet. 0-1.

No heads fell. Instead a bit more determination was evident as McGilchrist and Davies worked the ball through the right hand side and Davies tried to finish the move with a shot but was floored with a strong tackle.

Thomas became hero with a block tackle on the edge of the box stopping a volley and then headed clear as L&F went for No.2.

We held out until the whistle, going in at half time 0-1 down.

George Thomas had to come off at the start of the second half because of a sprain and was replaced by Matt Lusted.

We looked to have got a little bit more understanding as we moved the ball better than in the first half. Harding James and Davies worked the ball down the right and Davies finally finished the move slipping the ball through the defence for McGilchrist to try a shot. The keeper went low right to make a good save.

We were having a bit more possession as better links developed between mid field and forwards. Lusted enjoyed a run across the box and tried a shot on the turn. The keeper made a catch and then tried to launch a counter attack with an enormous punt upfield. Harding was first to the ball and a strong header put the ball back in the L&F third.

71 minutes gone and we got caught pushing too far forward. A long clearance found a runner on the left and a quick cross was turned on from close range 0-2.

73 minutes we had Davies taking a breather with Petit joining attack.

We didn't buckle and within a minute of the second goal almost had the ball in the net as Guthrie drifted past a defender to hit a great shot just wide.

Stroud then flicked a long range shot over the bar with Percy clearing the corner.

Glanville made a crucial tackle just outside the area and then Harding headed clear as L&F recovered their flair and pushed us back.

Percy stopped a break on the left from getting into the box and at the other end Guthrie had a shot blocked by a defender.

It was end to end stuff with L&F looking to have a bit more clinical finishing ability than we had.

Stroud was in action again diving low to palm away a 'grubber' and Cobley got in the way of a volley as L&F increased their shots on goal.

Lusted and Guthrie produced a good move together and Lusted tried to blast a Guthrie return ball through a curtain of defenders. The ball was beaten out.

87 minutes and our efforts were finally rewarded when Percy joined the attack and lifted the ball past a packed box and the keeper to make it 1-2. Sharp was now on for Cobley and was soon in the thick of it as L&F countered. We again got caught pushing too many up and a runner was given lots of space on the right to cross low for another tap in. 1-3.

We looked tired and in the last minute of the game allowed another goal to hit the score board but this for a good left foot angled shot past Stroud.

The score line we felt was a slight injustice but acknowledge that L&F on the night probably deserved the points.

Our 'take' from the game was a sterling effort from an 11th hour round up of players some of whom haven't been playing league this season.

Result 1-4