PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
THURSDAY 13TH AUGUST 2020
STURMINSTER MARSHALL 1 VERWOOD TOWN 1

Rumour had it that binocular sales in Sturminster Marshall had rocketed following an announcement that both teams changing facilities for our friendly would be in the car park. A couple of players had misinterpreted the instructions to come changed in the strip and not as it proved stripped to change.

The depth and quality of squad proved to be a massive plus. :-

Treading the soil … …. Mayer Dyer Anderton Joseph Rose Glatzel Parslow Ashby Petty Vining Lawrence

Gathering splinters in the first half (had there been a bench) :- Guy Kelly Ahern Hazel.

We were lax at the start and Stur took advantage whipping a ball wide for a runner. The shot went over the bar but the whistle had gone for offside anyway. Anderton and Dyer rallied the team and we hit back through a Lawrence run and strike down the left. The keeper gathered and launched the missile high into our box. Rose won the header despite elbows and a body slam.

Mayer became busy. Long range shots had to be dealt with and although Dyer and Anderton controlled flank runners, regular shots from distance fell to Mayer.

Glatzel steered a line ball for a Parslow run and a spot on pass found Vining. A dip of the shoulder sent his marker the wrong way but the shot deserved better than riffling the side netting.

Joseph's strength on the ball led to a run past midfield and linking with Petty sprung a gap for a shot. Petty seized a scrambled ball and a clinical finish put us ahead. 1-0.

On 24 minutes we lapsed concentration and a free run on goal produced a leveler. 1-1.

Half Time 1-1

Vinings’ effort just after the re start gave us a breather as Stur foraged for the ball in Dorchester.

Handbags were disposed of in favour of a more physical contact. Parslow bit the dust. Ashby followed. The ref seemed unsure of the rules. We got a couple of free kicks but so did the offenders. !!!

Off came Matt Vining and Tom Rose. On came Charlie Guy and Hedley Hazel.

We continued pressing. Guy joined Parslow in an attack finishing with Parslow crossing low but Petty wasn’t close enough to stick it in the net.

Russ Dyer made way for John Ahern with ten minutes to go and Ahern was straight into the game intercepting a through ball and clearing the danger.

We were pulled up a few times for offside, We challenged the decisions regularly but ignored by the ref who seemed to be lodging in the wrong half.

The game finished at 1-1. A late rally by Stur resulted in a brilliant save by Callum Mayer from an obvious miss hit volley that was on target and heading for the bottom corner.

Result 1-1.