BRADING TOWN 0 HAMWORTHY UNITED 4
Sydenhams Wessex Premier League (sat17-01-08
It was a happy Hamworthy United side that travelled back from the Isle of Wight on Saturday evening after gaining a comprehensive victory over the team one place below them in the league. The Hammers dominated the game throughout and gave probably their best league performance of the season. Ryan Dovell the scorer of both midweek goals was unable to travel due to work commitments, but Phil Simkin welcomed back Stuart Cannie after illness.
United started the match kicking down the slope on a very sticky pitch, and very soon had Brading Town on the back foot. The Islanders were having great difficulty in reaching their solitary front runner, and top goal scorer Dave Greening, and so remained encamped most of the time in their own half. Following a good move down the left wing, a cross from Richard Jackson found Stuart Cannie whose shot rattled the crossbar after sixteen minutes. This was the start of a golden patch when the Hammers scored three goals in quick succession the first after twenty two minutes. Ollie Cherret headed a corner back across the goal for Warren Byerley to score from close range to make it 1-0. Within a minute Mark Dancer took full advantage of Brading’s failure to clear their lines when he picked up the loose ball, and knocked it past the keeper for United’s second. A desperately careless tackle led to the Hammers being awarded a penalty to add to the Home Side’s woes soon after. The ever dependable Warren Byerley found the bottom corner of the net with his spot kick to make it 3-0 to United. A score line that remained that way until the break.
Although Hamworthy now playing against the slope had to defend more in the second half they still controlled the game, and never looked in any real danger. In fact they still looked more likely to score than the Island side. As the game drew to a close Brading threw more men forward in an attempt to get something out of the game, but this left them open at the back which was later to prove costly. Dave Greening’s sole shot on target in the entire game was well saved by Martin Peters. A swift counter attack by the Hammers found Max Crowe out on the right. He cut inside and was very unlucky to see his shot hit the post with the Brading Keeper well beaten. In the last minute of the game another quick counter attack this time found Sam Lockyer running through the middle with just the Keeper to beat. The United midfielder kept his cool to draw Jamie Bray off his line and slot the ball past him to make the final score 4-0 to the Hammers, a score line they thoroughly deserved following such a display.
Team: M. Peters, M. Crow, S. Lockyer, O. Cherrett (Capt), M. White, S. Gilbert, R. McCabe, M. Dancer (G. Horlock), S. Cannie, W. Byerley, R. Jackson. Unused Unused Subs : T. Jeffes S. Lanahan