MONEYFIELDS 1 HAMWORTHY UNITED 0
Sydenhams Wessex Cup Quarter Final (Tuesday12-02-08)
Following a very closely contested game Hamworthy went out of the Cup in the last minute of normal time. This was a much better display than Saturday’s poor showing against Hamble, and there was nothing to choose between the two sides throughout the game. Due to the long list of injuries and unavailable players the Hammers saw the forced return of Nathan Walker and Bret Williams. Both players were still not fully fit but were needed to play especially as United had just two Youth team Players on the bench after two men failed to make the pick up point on time.
The pattern of the match was soon set with the play evenly spread between the two sides. Both defences held the upper hand, and prevented any clear shots on goal. Martin Peters had to be alert to dive and push a free kick round the post after ten minutes, the first save of the game. Following a good move up the left James Pinder squared the ball back to Micky Hubbard who was running through the middle. The United midfielder took the ball in his stride and hit a fierce twenty yard drive that Dean Harris did well to push over the bar. Hamworthy thought they had taken the lead five minutes before the break with a well taken goal. Warren Byerley and Richard Jackson exchanged passes before the latter crossed the ball from the left wing. It was met bravely by Mat Grimason with a diving header between two Moneyfield defenders to head home, but the goal was ruled offside by the Assistant Referee. The goal was at first been given by the Referee, and no protests followed from the Monyfields players, but he changed his decision however after speaking to the linesman. The score therefore remained 0-0 at the break.
The second half continued in much the same way as the first with both teams seeing plenty of the ball in midfield, but few scoring chances being made. Moneyfields did hit the crossbar, and Hamworthy had a strong appeal for a penalty turned down when the keeper appeared to grab hold of a United man in the six yard box. A crucial turning point in the game came when Steve Legg was dismissed for a second offence with just over ten minutes remaining. This was part of a series of yellow card issued to both sides by the Referee for what appeared to be quite minor offences. Just when extra time looked a certainty Moneyfields hit the winner under again debateable circumstances. Some of the Hamworthy players stopped when they thought that Bickran Singh had taken the ball over the line before he cut inside to score low past the unsighted Martin Peters. Had they played to the whistle the outcome might have been different.
Team: M.Peters, S. Legg, M. Grimason, S. Gilbert, N. Walker, B. Williams, R. Dovel, M. Hubbard, J. Pinder, W. Byerley, R. Jackson. Unused Subs: M. Seal, M. MacDonald