SYDENHAMS (WESSEX) LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
SATURDAY 5TH OCTOBER 2019
FAWLEY AFC 3 VERWOOD TOWN 5

Nathan Gray’s hat trick and Lee Vint’s brace earned us three points against Fawley. Their efforts could have gone belly up in the second half as we became lethargic and almost gave the game away as Fawley stormed back in the second half.

Hall picked out Davies with the game 3 minutes old. Davies cut in and a left foot shot from the corner of the box was scrambled off the line. A good start and it got better.

Davies again was the architect with 6 minutes gone putting a great cross on the spot. Vint timed it to perfection and nipping in between players glanced a header past the keeper. 1-0.

Nicolson tried a blaster a couple of minutes later but defenders got in the way and a sizeable boot put the ball into Coombs’ hands.

Danvers cut out a raid down their right and slipped the ball through the middle finding Gray. A good hold up and a lay back to Dyer. Dyers clinical pass through Fawley’s defence sent Nicolson free. A body check and a trip was rewarded with a penalty decision. Up stepped Vint to put the ball past the keeper 2-0.

We slackened a little and almost suffered a goal as a high ball into the box wasn’t attacked and a shot whistled past the post.

Fawley continued with ‘direct football’ but Gajic and Brigden had the measure centrally protecting our area. Fawley switched to flank, Danvers and Cowland did well to contain their opposite numbers and the game gradually swayed back to our possession.

Nicolson’s chip into the box with 24 minutes gone fell nicely for predator Gray and goal number 3 hit the board.

Coombs was in action with 15 minutes to go saving in the six yard box but suffered a heavy collision that needed attention.

Dyer and Vint worked an opening and Vint’s header was palmed out but at Gray’s feet. 4-0. On 45 minutes Gray rounded the keeper to claim his hat trick.

Half Time 5-0.

We fell apart. A couple of minutes preening ourselves was rewarded by a simple break through the middle and a low shot made it 5-1.

The standard of play deteriorated. Fawley’s ‘will to win’ blossomed. A series of attacks were the danger sign of things to come and we did very little to recover our display of the first half. A series of bad tackles gave us several free kicks but we couldn’t impact as we had done earlier.

20 gone it went to 5-2. 40 gone 5-3.

For the remnants of the game we had to desperately defend as Fawley mounted a series of attacks. Coombs flicked a couple of volleys over the bar just before the whistle went.

Result 5-3