BRADING TOWN 0 HAMWORTHY UNITED 1
Wessex Premier League Wed. 24-10-07
Things did not start well for the Hammers having already been forced to make changes through injuries, and unavailability. Bret Williams was forced to withdraw after the warm up with a foot problem. Due to the ferry leaving late and following a long trek across the Island the team arrived with only enough time for a short warm up. The journey to Brading had taken three and a half hours about the same time as it did to reach Bishops Cleeve in the Midlands in the recent cup replay. Phil Simpkin and his support team were therefore highly delighted with the display that followed, and the 1-0 result at the end that sent everybody home happy.
Hamworthy kicked up the considerable slope in the first half, and very soon established their control of the game which they held for most of the ninety minutes.
The ability of Warren Byerley and Kieth Middleton to hold the ball up until help arrived ensured that the Brading defence were always kept pinned well back in their own half. The Islanders resorted to punting long hopeful balls forward which were ably dealt with by the Hammer’s back four. Nathan Walker and his defenders were dominant winning everything in the air. United deservedly took the lead in the twenty sixth minute, once again from a Micky Hubbard free kick that was headed home powerfully by Nathan Walker from the edge of the six yard box. Hamworthy continued to have much the better of things for the rest of the half, and always looked the more dangerous of the two teams especially from set pieces.
The second half saw the Hammers if anything get even more on top than the first. w Dave Greening who caused so many problems last year, was not in the game and got more frustrated as time went by. United probably should have increased their lead when both Keith, and Ryan Middleton went close, and a Micky Hubbard shot just grazed the crossbar. Martin Peters must have been glad to have had a very quiet night only having to perform routine saves, and never looked like being beaten.
This was an excellent team performance with everybody giving one hundred percent including those players that had stepped in at the last moment. Brading could not have complained if it had finished 0-3 such was United’s dominance throughout.
Team: M. Peters,M. Hubbard, S. Gilbert, G. Horlock, N. Walker,M. Dean, S. Legg, R. Middleton, K, Middleton ( J. Mores), W. Byerley (J. Kittle), R. Dovell. Unused Subs: S. Griffiths, B. Williams.