WESSEX LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
SATURDAY 15TH OCTOBER 2022
VERWOOD TOWN 2 FAWLEY AFC 2

We won the toss. (Was this a sign?). Joe Smith kicked off sending Davis away on the left. A cut back and Stock carried on the attack finding Fishlock on the edge of the box. A shot on target was gathered by the keeper. A good start.

Fawley though hadn't arrived just to make up numbers. A counter cut through the middle but Davis was on hand to block the shot.

McWilliams latched on to a Carswell through ball but hit his shot down the keeper's throat. Only 8 minutes had elapsed and we'd had incidents at both ends. Good for the spectator (singular).

We had the upper hand for most of the first half with Joe Smith fitting in well in his debut for the Club.

Fawley looked dangerous on the break but we had a solid looking defence aided by Mitchell on top of his game.

16 minutes on the clock and Joe Smith's low shot from just inside the box was too hot for the keeper to handle. Scorched gloves. 1-0.

Fawley hit back and had a spell of attacking flair testing our defence. We held firm. Sumers Stock and Cam Smith were the central block to Fawley's efforts.

24 minutes gone and Joe Smith grabbed his second goal with a volley from the edge of the box. 2-1.

Inexplicably we slackened off and Fawley benefitted from a lapse of concentration with 34 gone making it 2-1, by exploiting a gap in the middle wider than the M3.

Half Time 2-1.

We lost our mojo. Fawley were handed space and possession in the second half. We sauntered allowing Fawley to dominate.

Mitchell was busy taking several shots as we buckled. It looked like being a long 45 minutes.

Broad and Kerr measured up well and we survived the onslaught.

16 minutes and Tabor made an entry giving Fishlock a rest.

The game lost impact. Both teams seemed to have gone off the boil with passing quality in the doldrums.

The game meandered.

6 minutes of normal time left and we were punished for not closing down a runner. 2-2.

We're were back on the Imodium.

Both teams went for broke. It was a rousing finish to the match as both teams threw caution to the winds.

Fawley had a shot from 6 yards saved by Mitchell and then a corner was cleared off the line by Sumers,

At the other end Carswell's shot with a minute left flew over the angle.

Result 2-2.