HAMWORTHY RESERVES 1 BLANDFORD UNITED 1
Dorset Premier League (Saturday 24-01-09)
The Reserves can count themselves a little unlucky to have lost this game. They lost their Keeper just before Blandford’s equalizer, and then fell behind to a disputed penalty. Hamworthy United started the game with five under eighteens on the pitch and a further four on the bench, all gaining valuable experience of Senior football.
Play was fairly even for the first twenty minutes with neither Keeper having anything difficult to deal with. Gradually the Home side began to get on top with Lewis Williams featuring in a lot of the good things that were now beginning to happen. He played a beautifully placed through pass that split the Blandford defence to his namesake Gary. Unfortunately the Hamworthy number nine was just not quick enough, and the chance went begging. After twenty four minutes a throw in from Lewis Williams was chested down by Gary Williams. He controlled the ball before passing it low into the six yard box where Michael Wynne following through smashed it into the net to make it 1-0 to the Hammers. The Reserves continued to have the slight edge on the play until the interval, but were unable to add to the score line.
Blandford came out a lot more determined in the second half, and took the game to the Reserves putting them under real pressure for the first time. Despite this pressure Blandford never looked like beating Wane Robbins the Hamworthy Keeper, that is until he got injured. A fifty fifty through ball saw Robbins come off his line, and dive bravely at the Blandford main strikers feet to save, but was left needing treatment afterwards. Unfortunately the Keeper had to leave the field with a leg injury and was replaced by seventeen year old Tom Rees. Within a minute of the restart Blandford won a free kick on the left hand side edge of the box. The resulting cross was headed onto the under side of the bar before going over the goal line for the equalizer. Five minutes later the Visitors were awarded a debatable penalty indicated by the Referee’s Assistant. The Referee had waved play on before having his mind changed. The Hamworthy players felt that their man could not get out of the way of the ball kicked straight at him from close range. Blandford scored from the spot to take the lead which they kept for the remainder of the game. To their credit the Hamworthy youngsters picked up their game again towards the end of play, and perhaps were a little unlucky not to have snatched a late equalizer.
Team: W, Robbins (T. Rees), R. Flower, S. Coakes, S. Griffiths, M. Jamison, M. Wynne, D. Orchard(Capt), S. Lanahan, G. Williams (S. Jones), L. Williams, L. Reynolds (L. Wadley). Unused Sub: J. Keating.