POOLE TOWN 3 HAMWORTHY UNITED 0
Sydenhams Wessex Premier League (Saturday 26-12-09)
(Match Report Taken from Bournemouth Daily Echo 28-12-09)
SIMON Browne probably wished he had continued his well-trodden path towards the home dug-out at Tatnam on Boxing Day. But the former Poole Town defender, now Hamworthy United boss, was instead forced to watch his side’s defensive frailties cost them at least a share of the spoils on the other side of the lifting bridge.
Luke Whitley’s header, bedded deep into a Hammers defensive horror show just before the hour mark, was quickly followed by Stuart Brown’s effort for Dolphins, while Steve Smith bagged a third late on. But it was Whitley’s opener that riled Browne after struggling Hammers had more than held their own against the reigning Wessex League champions during a dogged opening 50 minutes.
Browne said: “For nearly an hour, we competed with them and we had a couple of chances ourselves. I said at half-time that we needed to keep doing what we were doing. But we gave the first goal away and it went straight through (keeper) Steve Shergold’s hands. It was frustrating because I know the Poole team and I had told the players who they were marking and made sure they knew their jobs.
“Unfortunately one player didn’t do it and Luke Whitley had a free header. I wheeled away from the dug-out and kicked a bucket in frustration because if someone had smashed it in from 20 yards I’d have said ‘fair enough’. “They scored again a few minutes later and it was pretty much game over then.
“It’s frustrating because you tell players what jobs they have to do and then they go missing. I’ve been drumming it into them because you can get things right nine times out of 10 in defence, but the one time you don’t, the better teams punish you.” It was Browne’s first trip back to Tatnam since taking the County Ground reins in October following Phil Simkin’s departure. The former Salisbury City defender captained Tom Killick’s side to the Wessex League silverware last term.
Browne added: “I was back at my old stomping ground and I got a great reception, which was nice. I was walking across the pitch before the game and I was heading for the home dug-out, but these things happen! It was nice to go back there, but I wanted to get something out of it.”
Dolphins boss Killick said: “We were a little bit lackluster and until we scored the first goal, it was a little bit in the balance.
“I think we controlled the game from start to finish, but we weren’t very good in the last third and Hamworthy defended doggedly.”
Team: S.Shergold, R. Rule, R. Jackson, O. Cherrett, G. Horlock, J. Merritt, L. Diaper, J. Barron (T. Vavrecka), M. Dancer, L. Mekchiche, T. Toghill, (M. Crow)