WESSEX LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
TUESDAY 27TH DECEMBER 2016
TEAM SOLENT 6 VERWOOD TOWN 1

A couple missing because of slow recovery from over indulgences but nevertheless we had a good squad.

Both teams opened well and with only five minutes on the clock an Evans overlap took him to the bye line. A cut back gave Gajic a chance but the shot went wide.

Wide men Fletcher and Atkinson had early runs on goal and Brown's first game for us could have been a memorable one had a couple of his efforts not been well covered by an on form keeper.

Solent gradually initiated the age old adage of possession being 90% of … and forced us back on defence. A run on 12 minutes down their left finished with a slide rule cross that was hammered in from a couple of yards. 0-1.

We worked hard and should have done better from one attack where Atkinson slipped his marker and a cross into the box only wanted a touch but we had no one on the follow up.

Brown was unlucky to have a volley tipped round the post as the game see- sawed.

6 minutes left we gave the ball way in the middle a quick counter resulted in a goal scored from a narrow angle.

2 minutes left and Smith was felled as he went up for a corner. Gajic did the business sending the teams in at half time 1-2.

Half Time 1-2

Max Fletcher made way for James Bergin at the start of the second half and on 49 minutes Elsom had to be replaced by Snow following a flared up groin strain.

We battled on forcing a corner. Atkinson's in swinger dropped nicely for Donachy. A powerful header was cleared off the line shooting upwards to rebound off the bar.. A volley from Dyer hit bodies and then Lewis Brown's shot was blocked and cleared.

We pressed forward but on 61 minutes left ourselves a bit thin at the back. A tumble on the edge of the box resulted in a penalty. 1-3. It was a turning point in the game. Our efforts had deserved a leveler but the more clinical Solent took a comfortable lead.

We went for broke. Our passing accuracy wasn't as good as Solent's and we suffered giving the ball away again on 66 minutes. A snap attack, a gap, and a 1-4 score line.

We pegged away with Gajic and Dyer prompting and probing in the middle. Kelly and Evans pushed on. Kelly dropped a great ball into the penalty area with 15 minutes left and Dyer blasted for goal. Bodies blocked the shot.

Solent gained a bit more of the ball in the closing stages. A two minute spell gave a slanted view of the game with a fifth being toed in from a goalmouth scramble and finishing in the 88th minute with a break on the left, a cut back for a run on goal and a clinical finish sending us in at 1-6.

Result 1-6