HAMWORTHY UNITED 0 SALTASH UNITED 2
THE FA Carlsberg Vase 1st Qualifying Round (Saturday 05-09-09)
Last season the Hammers reached the last sixtyfour in the FA Vase competition before losing to quarter finalists Hungerford. This time they were to fall at the very first Hurdle to an unbeaten Saltash United team full of confidence following their very good away win the previous week against Western Premier League side Larkshall Athletic in the FA Cup. Hamworthy with a greatly reduced First Team squad through injuries , suspensions etc brought in new signing Ed Roberts in goal and Chia Khiderder an ex Youth Team Player in mid field, for their first games.
The first twenty minutes of the game gave no indication of the eventual outcome of the match with the Hammers dominating most of the play. They kept the ball down and played some nice passing football, but as in previous game just lacked that final telling ball. Stuart Cannie forced Saltash Keeper Kenny Griffiths to make a good save low to his right, but unfortunately for the Hammers Jack Swann arrived just too late to collect the loose ball, and score. Apart from the odd break from the Ashes Hamworthy looked in control that is until they were awarded a free-kick right out on their left wing some thirty yards out. A very optimistic diagonal cross to the opposite wing was cut out by the Ashes left back who then picked out Marc Thorne just inside the Hamworthy half. The big Saltash striker shook of a tackle from Chia Khider and started a long powerful run into the penalty area. The move was finished with a pass to fellow striker Chris Wright who shot past the helpless Ed Roberts. This goal changed the game, and from that point onwards the Ashes were always in control, as their confidence went up, and the Hammers went down. Ed Roberts had to make a very good save before Ryan Dovell, almost equalized for the Hammers five minutes before half time when his header just skimmed past the far post.
HT 0-1
Hamworthy having been forced already to make a change through injury in the first half to Stuart Langrish had to make further changes in the second half. One being his brother who also took a knock as the Hammers tale of woe continued. Saltash were now in full control of the game. Hamworthy now relied on the long ball all the time instead of the shorter passing game they played so well in the opening twenty minutes of the game. The Visitors used the same tactics, but with a little more success having two big powerful front runners who continued to make their presence felt. The Hamworthy defence held out until the seventy fourth minute when a corner was only half cleared back out to the wing. The ball was returned into the area, and Marc Thorne rose to powerfully head the ball past Ed Roberts, and double the lead. When the final whistle came the Hammers could not have any complaints having lost on the day to the better team.
FT 0-2
Team: E. Roberts, M, Crow, S. Langrish (M. Claremont),O. Cherritt, S. Llewellyn, C. Khider, R. Dovell, G. Langrish (J. Merritt), R. Jackson, S. Cannie, J, Swann (M. Dancer)
Unused Subs: K. Yelland, M. Jackson