Hamworthy United 0 New Milton Town 1
Sydenhams Wessex Premier Leagu ( Saturday 25-04-09)
On the last day of this seasons campaign Hamworthy United faced New Milton Town the team they had beaten at Fawcettes Field on the very first game back in August. This game however was not to be a spectacle with neither team having anything much to play for. No matter what the result of the match United would finish in eighth position, and Town in ninth place in the league. Hamworthy’s players also had one eye on the Cup Final, and were going to try and avoid taking risks where they might get injured. Keeper Martin Peters, and Mark Kenway both missed the game and must now look doubtful for the final
The game was played on a hard pitch with a strong wind blowing across the field making playing conditions far from ideal. Hamworthy had most of the play in the first half, but never really looked like taking the lead. The New Milton defence did well to restrict most of the chances created by United to long range. The nearest Hamworthy got to scoring was a Stuart Cannie effort that went just over the bar with ex Hammer,and now Town keeper Nick Jones struggling to cover. Steve Shergold at the other end was even less busy not having to produce one real save in forty five minutes, so it came as no surprise for the teams to have gone in goal less at the break.
New Milton came much more into the game in the second half, and play became a lot more even. Hamworthy thought they had scored when Nick Jones standing well behind the goal line caught the ball. Neither the Referee nor the Referees Assistant were in a position to see if the whole of the ball had crossed the line and therefore denied the loud appeals for a goal. With twenty minutes of the game remaining United failed to clear their lines, and for the first time some slack defending allowed Dan Cox to take full advantage, and score from New Milton’s only real chance of the game. Phil Simkin brought on the promising seventeen year old Central Defender Mark Jameson to make his first team debut, but Hamworthy failed to raise their game, and never really looked like getting back on equal terms.
Team: S.Shergold, M. Crow, R. Jackson, O. Cherrett (Capt), G. Horlock (M. Jamison), S. Gilbert, R. McCabe, S. Lockyer, S. Cannie, W. Byerley, R. Dovell
Unused Subs: A. Turner, J. Merritt, M. Seal