SYDENHAMS (WESSEX) LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
SATURDAY 19TH JANUARY 2019
AFC STONEHAM 4 VERWOOD TOWN 1

Tom Aston came into the squad for the first time and got a start. Josh Hall retained the No. 4 shirt. Sam Joy moved to right back and the very versatile Joe Kimber took up left back spot.

3 minutes gone and Davies was upended just outside the Stoneham area. Guthrie’s free kick whistled wide of the post.

The dead ball kick had Heggan on the end of it and a ball wide left had Davies showing a pair of heels to his marker. A low shot brought a brilliant save from the home keeper.

It was a good opening spell but Stoneham’s defence was resolute and we couldn’t penetrate it. A good keeper at the back gave them a very solid look.

Stoneham’s reaction to our pressure was to counter quickly but briefly until they commanded more of the ball and on 10 minutes a high cross into our box was followed in. Tierney had no chance with a ball turned in on the post 0-1.

We hit back with Davies heading just over the bar from a Dyer cross, Stoneham’s break on the right from the dead ball kick was superbly checked by a Kimber sliding tackle.

It was end to end stuff. Tierney saved at the foot of the post and at the other end Hall skipped a strong tackle and clipped the ball over the back for Davies to go down the line and send in a low cross. Guthrie escaped a sliding body and cut into the box, His shot was beaten out. Aston followed in, rounded a defender and shot for goal but put it Inches past the post.

Tackles got tougher. A couple of yellow for Stoneham and Davies and Gajic shared flourishes.

43 minutes had us in Stoneham’s box. Guthrie hammered a volley for the bottom corner. The keeper made a superb save beating the ball off the line. The clearance was long and we got caught pushing too far up with a runner steaming away to beat Tierney with a low shot into the bottom corner. 0-2.

Half Time 0-2.

The second half started with Mike Johnston dirtying his boots giving Alex Eton a well earned rest. Sam Joy did a cover job on the left and Kimber moved further upfield

55 minutes Davies collected a Guthrie pass but was upended on the edge of the area. Dyer’s free kick flew wide of the upright.

An odd yellow was flourished by the ref when Joe Kimber turned to collect a loose ball but stumbled into him. The yellow was viewed harsh but had to stand.

Davies was dropped again on the flank as tackles became fiercer. Hall was next to suffer as he tried to break from the left but his feet were taken from underneath him.

Johnston had curbed the long central high ball danger with two fine stops and Stoneham quickly switched to use their flanks instead.

Josh Hall came off on 78 minutes for Mick Cowland. Cowland’s introduction to the game was instant. A Guthrie double shuffle opened up a gap and Cowland sped away with the ball. A chip over the defence and Heggan shot just over the bar.

We had a couple of opportunities with Aston blazing a volley wide and Davies hitting the foot of the post.

A good Stoneham side more than survived. 85 minutes a Gajic tackle in the box was judged a foul…. Penalty…. 0-3.

2 minutes left and a high ball from the right dropped onto our penalty spot. We had drifted too far upfield again and gave space for a header to make it 0-4.

No heads dropped. 90+1 saw Nicholson cutting inside his marker, Nicholson then put the ball past an advancing keeper to make it 1-4 on the whistle.

Result 1-4.