WESSEX LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
WEDNESDAY 10TH FEBRUARY 2016
FAWLEY 0 VERWOOD TOWN 0

Team and Bench…… Lynch Evans Brimson Dyer Kelly Phelps Atkinson Gajic Wood Rutten Fisk / Murray Goddard Kimber. Still injured, Donachy and Swann.

We needed to prove the second half against Follands was just a horror story that wouldn’t be repeated. We were tested within the first three minutes as Fawley hit the ground running with a direct simple approach bringing Kelly and Brimson in to focus. Kelly broke up a threat on our left of central and then Brimson cut out a run on his flank with a telling tackle.

Fisk produced a run on the left but his cross was well taken by the keeper.

Fawley continued their attacking flair and Lynch had to make a couple of saves to keep the score board clear.

It took time for Gajic and Dyer to get to grips with play but steadily got into gear and began imposing their stamp on the game.

Atkinson was fed a cross field ball from Dyer and a terrific run took him to the bye line before firing a cross into the box. Wood climbed high but saw his header fly over the bar.

Rutten then benefitted from a typical Wood delivery and tried a shot from 18 yards. Again a good keeper took a clean catch.

The game was end to end with some good football played by both sides.

Fisk forced a corner following a line ball from Brimson. The inswinger dropped nicely for a Wood header. The keeper this time was stranded but good defending had a full back on the line to head clear.

Fawley’s retaliation was instant. A ball wide was knocked into the area. Phelps went high and cleared with a powerful header.

Back it came and deflected for a corner. This time it was Kelly clearing the lines.

15 minutes to go and Phelps worked the ball forward. Atkinson took up the running and found Fisk on the opposite flank with a raking pass. Fisk gathered, turned and volleyed for the top corner. The keeper made a brilliant one handed stop. The ball bounced kindly and was hoofed up field.

A couple of minutes before the whistle Dyer split Fawley’s defence with a slide rule pass freeing Gajic. A shot on target was well saved on the post.

Half Time 0-0.

Now came the acid test. The whistle went for the second half. Would we sink into a bolt hole or continue with a credible performance.

Fisk led the way. Good feet took him clear on our right and a cross shot was palmed out then scrambled out of the area.

Rutten was busy chasing down and one tackle on the edge of the box almost yielded a goal when his shot clipped the post and went for dead.

Dyer sent Atkinson clear. 20 yards out a sliding tackle took Atkinson off the ball. The ref decided it a fair tackle and allowed the ball to be cleared up field. A run on our goal was tracked by Phelps but Lynch had spotted the danger and was out quickly to boot the ball back into Fawley’s third.

Dyer and Gajic were enjoying possession and Dyer with 59 minutes gone almost broke the deadlock with a 30 yarder that hit the foot of the post and bounced out.

Fawley’s energy swept back and both flanks were subjected to line balls with a couple of corners resulting. Lynch punched one clear and then Kelly volleyed a clearance to Rutten. Rutten on to Wood, on to Atkinson and we almost caught the home team on the break. Good defending blocked the shot and a long ball put the home team back on the edge of our area. Evans won a tackle and took the ball back into Fawley’s half. A threaded pass found Atkinson and a low ball into the area found Wood. A side foot on target was punched out by the keeper.

It was an enthralling period where either side could have gone in front but both teams had keeper’s on form but also both lacking a cutting edge in front goal.

81 minutes Murray came on for Phelps. A shuffle of the back four took place with the versatile Brimson joining Kelly in a central pairing.

Murray was straight into the game as Fawley launched an attack on their right flank. Fresh legs won the race and tackle.

Fisk Rutten and Wood linked up with 6 minutes of normal time left. Wood’s shot hit defenders in the area and cleared. The ball landed just outside our area and both Phelps and Kelly closed ranks to prevent a shot.

The game see sawed. 86 minutes and Alan Lay decided on a double substitution. Evans made way for Kimber and Rutten made way for Goddard.

Goddard’s role gave opportunity for a shot shortly after coming on but again a good defensive and disciplined Fawley back four blocked the effort.

94 minutes gone and handbags flourished. The ref judged Gajic’s reaction to a mixed tumble as a Red Card, so we were down to ten men.

The ref’s whistle blew a minute later on a hard earned draw.

Result 0-0