SYDENHAMS (WESSSEX) LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
MONDAY 31ST APRIL 2013
VERWOOD TOWN 2 CHRISTCHURCH 1

Four changes had to be made to the Verwood team that drew at Lymington on Saturday. Mike Haskell and Ryan Long had picked up knocks and James Murray and Martin Smith were unavailable. Charlie Elysee returned to the side and Dean Evans moved across to the middle of the back four. Jack Satterley and Nathan Saxby returned from injury and Jack Lovell was given a start. Announcer Andy Mercer coped with those okay, not so well with the Christchurch substitutes Les Anya, Carl Hickbread, T.Fortu and A.Pril-Fool. Much hilarity all round got April Fools day off to a good start.

Verwood got off to a good start too and were showing their attacking hand early on. Gajic went on a great run beating three defenders but his shot wasn’t as good and flew over. The returning Saxby and Satterley were to feature strongly in the first half and it was Saxby who gave Verwood the lead after 23 minutes. He picked up the ball out wide on the edge of the penalty area and a fantastic shot flew over the keepers head and into the far corner of the net. 1-0. A strange incident in the 37th minute when another Saxby effort was palmed away by the keeper for a corner but the chance to put more pressure on the visitors was lost as Satterley picked the ball up with his hands before it had crossed the line. On 40 minutes “Sats” made amends when he was found by Webb after a great run, he turned inside two defenders and shot from 20 yards giving the keeper no chance. 2-0. Christchurch had shown little of the outstanding attacking football they had displayed only a few weeks ago in the 11 goal thriller but a warning of what was in store for the second half came on the stroke of half time when a dangerous ball across the box was well cut out by Lynch. H-T 2-0

As perhaps anticipated Christchurch came at us in the second half. On 51 minutes a shot on the turn came back off the post then on 55 minutes Christchurch pressure paid off when a cross from the left was headed home. 2-1. The visitors still held the upper hand in this half but Evans and Kelly were excellent in the middle of the back four, marshalled superbly by Lynch. They should have equalised in the 71st minute but a header went over. Inevitably with the opposition pushing forward chances were still there for us. Satterley’s cross on 79 minutes wasn’t dealt with and Gajic pounced on the loose ball but shot straight at the keeper from 10 yards. With 90 minutes on the clock Christchurch were throwing everything at us without creating the perfect opening, meanwhile on the break Satterley fed Lovell but the keeper just denied him in a one-on-one. Verwood held on and secured a very pleasing victory. F-T 2-1



Report submitted by Steve Jefferis