HAYLING UNITED 2 HAMWORTHY UNITED 5
Sydenhams Wessex Premier League (Saturday21-03=09)
After establishing a 3-0 lead, the Hammers found themselves pulled back to 3-2 with just over twenty minutes to go. To their credit they kept their heads, and with the help of some fresh legs scored twice more to give them the convincing win that their earlier play had merited.
In the first few minutes playing some confident football Hamworthy twice rattled the Islander’s bar. Warren Byerley neatly headed the ball back to Richard McCabe whose shot hit the woodwork, before Byerley himself shot against the bar after cleverly turning his man. The Hammers were soon to be rewarded however. In the 7th minute a Max Crow’s shot was pushed out into the path of Tim Constable who put the ball firmly into the back of the net to make it 1-0. In less than two minutes the lead had doubled. Warren Byerley scored the first of his three goals when he cleverly clipped the ball over the advancing keeper, and into the net. The playing surface was very hard which caused an uneven bounce at times which led to mistakes on both sides. Hayling should have done better when a poor clearance was blasted over by the advancing striker, and the ball was hit straight at Martin Peters shortly afterwards when they again should have scored. Hamworthy went even further ahead just before the break when Mark Dancer scored from a tight angle after the keeper had pushed out a Richard Jackson shot.
Michael White came on for the injured Ollie Cherrett after the break. The visitors could have gone even further ahead, but Greg Horlock headed a Max Crow cross just over. Things Changed in the 61st minute however when Martin Peters spilled a Hayling free kick taken from twenty five yard out, and into the path of Lee Paul who stabbed the ball home to reduce the arrears. Following more Hamworthy defensive errors, a long bouncing through ball allowed Lee Paul in one on one with Martin Peters to score his second goal of the game, and make it 3-2. A tense twenty minutes looked on the cards for the Hammers as the Islanders were now back in the game. Fresh legs in the shape of Stuart Cannie were brought on by Phil Simkin, and this seemed to lift Hamworthy. Warren Byerley headed a Jackson cross just over the bar before heading another one from the same source powerfully home in the 81st minute to make it 4-2. Good work by Max Crow saw him slide a perfect pass into the stride of Warren Byerley, and put him one on one with the Keeper. Top striker Byerley kept his head to slide the ball past him and make it 5-2, and complete a good day’s work. Team: M. Peters, K. Yelland, R. Jackson, O. Cherrett (M. White), G. Horlock, M. Kenway, R. Mccabe, M. Crow, M. Dancer (S. Cannie), W. Byerley, S. Lockyer J. (Prieur Merritt). Unused Sub J. Crossin