WESSEX LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 19TH DECEMBER 2015
BOURNEMOUTH 2 VERWOOD TOWN 1

We had to shuffle the line up because of absences but still had a good squad for this fixture.

Lynch Brimson Murray Dyer Donachy Phelps Goddard Gajic Swann Atkinson Rutten, made up the starting eleven with a welcome back for Ben Kelly who was joined on the bench by Harrison Harding and George Thomas.

It was the home side making early running with a good move down their left. Brimson was in quickly but judged to have fouled the runner. The free kick dropped in the six yard box but Donachy was first in to head clear. Phelps followed the ball out and good feet took him into mid field. A quality ball wide to Rutten sparked the counter. Rutten reached the box but a sliding tackle took him and the ball over the line. Remarkably it was judged a dead ball.

The pitch was heavy and rutted so it was no surprise to see players slipping and the ball bobbling from passes along the deck.

Phelps swept up a dangerous break and squared to Donachy. On to Brimson, then Swann and Atkinson. Atkinson's cross was diverted for a corner. Rutten dropped the ball in the six yard box but Bournemouth's defender's won the battle and cleared.

The game proceeded to be end to end with Bournemouth always looking dangerous in front of the sticks. We seemed to lose direction when in and around Bournemouth's box and noticeably shot shy.

34 minutes and Atkinson benefitted from a piece of Dyer's skill. A ball threaded through was picked up but as Atkinson reached the edge of the box he slipped. Swann followed in and taking up the running rounded a defender to hit an angled shot forcing an excellent save from the keeper. A dive left and a palmed ball inched past the post.

Rutten made the next break but an extra strong tackle had him somersaulting on the edge of the area. Play was held up for a few minutes while we pumped some oxygen into deflated lungs.

We kept up pressure but lost a bit of discipline when Bournemouth cleared an attack and sprung a counter. The ball whistled past Lynch to put Bournemouth ahead. 0-1.

We spluttered for a couple of minutes in which time we gave away a corner and Murray saved blushed with a line clearance.

Half Time 0-1

Our half time message was simple. When you have a sight of goal try a shot.

The message must have echoed. A minute gone and an angled shot whipped past Lynch into the bottom corner. The linesman's flag was upheld and we got a free kick for offside !!! Squeaky bums relaxed.

We struggled to get our game back on track and signs of recovery were evident with a couple of attacks. Dyer and Gajic were well on top of their counterparts displaying some good football.

A Swann volley was tipped over the Bournemouth bar and Rutten had a golden opportunity to steer the ball into goal but slipped before connecting.

A counter attack from Bournemouth down their left finished with a player inside the box. A very much disputed penalty claim was upheld as the player nose dived and on 58 minutes we were suddenly 0-2 down.

Alan Lay went for a double substitution with Ben Kelly on for Brad Goddard and George Thomas on for Aaron Atkinson.

A minute later, Kelly delivered a deep cross and Rutten judged it to a nicety. A full blooded volley was goal bound taking a slight deflection. There was nothing the keeper could do about it and Rutten found his name on the score sheet. 1-2.

We stayed on top for a while with Dyer and Gajic delivering telling balls to feet just outside the box. Swann had a good shot saved and from a Dyer cross Donachy stretched to place the ball for the top corner. A superb fingertip save kept Bournemouth in the lead.

Lynch was forced to save at the foot of the post as Bournemouth tried working the flanks with long balls. One skipped through for a cross to be hammered into the box and a runner connected but Lynch was more than equal to making a superb stop.

Harding came on for Swann with 14 minutes left and a shuffle of the formation let Harding in at full back with Brimson pushing up.

We pegged away. We couldn't impact on the score line though despite opportunities. Both Thomas and Harding worked hard to influence the game but this was a day we couldn't take advantages.

Failure in front of the sticks continued until the whistle so we left with zero points leaving the home side climbing higher in the table.

Result 1-2