SYDENHAMS LEAGUE (WESSEX) DIVISION ONE
SATURDAY 30th SEPTEMBER 2017
TADLEY CALLEVA 2 VERWOOD TOWN 0

The old cliché ‘A game of two halves’ applied to this one. Tadley claimed title to the first 45 minutes and we had the majority of play in the second 45 minutes.

We launched the first attack with Davis and Guthrie opening up Tadley’s right flank. Davis finished the move with an angled shot across the keeper but watched it go wide.

Tadley’s reply was to cut through the middle finishing with a shot hitting the bar and Manley clearing the danger.

10 minutes Tadley broke free in the box. Daniels moved quickly to smother the ball and although in his grasp a player tumbled over him. A penalty. Many thought it a harsh decision but Tadley took the opportunity of going ahead from the spot 0-1.

Manley broke up a potential threat but was judged to have made too heavy a tackle. The free kick floated into the box and a Tadley boot put it over the bar

Browning stood strong to hold up a central attack and with a growing understanding between our backs Ballard stepped in to take up a counter. Davis went wide left. A deep cross found Fisk but Fisk’s volley went high and wide.

Guthrie benefited from a Gale defence splitting pass but fired narrowly wide. Tadley had the higher percentage attacking moves and went in at half time a penalty ahead.

Half Time 0-1

Our squad is starting to gel. A good move on the right took Frost wide. A good chip over a defender and there was Guthrie to close in. A despairing defender’s lunge took the ball off toes.

Two minutes later Guthrie again broke the shackles and got into the box. A zealous tackle took him out but for some inexplicable reason a foul was given to Tadley’s benefit.

Browning almost scored with a powerful header from a Dyer corner and then Fisk had a good volley saved on the line. We were on top but couldn’t put the ball in the net.

On 58 minutes Webber came on for Manley and on 66 minutes Fisk came off to give Kimber his first run out for a few weeks after sustaining a calf injury.

19 minutes left and Guthrie almost stole the show with good feet in the box rounding the full back and hammering a low shot for the bottom corner. A great save prevented us drawing level. O’Hare joined in our next attack and had a good shot saved at the foot of the post.

We suffered from pushing up leaving space. Tadley taught us a lesson on how to counter and with 17 minutes left broke on our right to volley past Daniels. 0-2. A travesty of justice ?? Not at all. We got caught napping and suffered because of that lack of concentration.

A couple of minutes had Tadley on top but we then got back into the game. Gale went close and Frost headed over from close in.

Webber and Kimber did well when they came on but couldn’t alter the score line.

Result 0-2.