Despite a loss last week against high flying Fareham Town, the Hammers were in confident mood about this match after their recent good run of form. Brockenhurst sat just above the Hammers in the league, and with the pitch being very soft and easily cutting up, any home advantage was probably lost before the kick off.
The early exchanges saw both sides giving the ball away, but a long ball over the top caught the Hammers defence square, and only a timely intervention from Richard Jackson averted a very dangerous situation, preventing a strike at goal. With Max Frampton recently re-signing for the Hammers from Brock, he was obviously keen to keep a clean sheet. Richard Jackson, a much improved player these days was soon to show off his attacking skills, when a sharp run down the left gave him the chance to drive the ball across but the ball was beaten out. The left hand side was proving fruitful for the Hammers. Nice inter-play between Jackson and Diaper laid on an opportunity for Max Crow, but his rasping left footed shot was wide. Good pressure was now being asserted by the Hammers, playing in their change strip of orange and black. A Jamie Barron corner was met by Dancer but his header was high. Although Brockenhurst showed that they could still look dangerous with a long ball out, Hamworthy looked by far the better side and passed the ball around with confidence. After 21 minutes the first Hamworthy goal came. Some good linking play after a throw-in down the left hand side between Jackson and Dancer, allowed Toghill to cross. The ball was not cleared and rolled out to Barron, who surprisingly scuffed his shot, but it went to Jack Swann who knocked it in. 1 - 0 Hammers. A second goal almost came straight away when Swann forced a low down save from the home keeper, but on 29 minutes, Brockenhurst almost equalised. Max Frampton was forced to parry a great effort, and it was only the intervention from Toghill that prevented the forward from tapping in the rebound. The Badgers were still showing enough to make us realise that this game was far from over. Although the surface was difficult to play on, there was absolutely no excuse for the Brock number 6 to take out Max Crow from behind, ball gone, sending Crow up in the air and crashing to the soggy ground beneath. For anyone that watches football regularly, it looked a straight forward ‘Red’ card, although the Referee didn’t think so. Amazing ! Fortunately Crow didn’t suffer any serious injury. Just before the break, Swann had the ball in the net following a smart turn but was alleged to have ‘turned’ his man.
Half time 1 - 0.
The Hammers started the second period in the same vein, and a second goal always threatened. The home keeper was called upon to make a couple of good saves, and then after good play between Crow, Barron, Joe Toghill’s shot hit a post. The second goal came almost straight after, when a deep Barron cross was not cleared resulting in Mark Dancer scrambling the ball in. 2 - 0 Hammers.They couldn’t rest on their laurels, as Brock struck back almost straight away when Llewellyn gave away a penalty, after dangerous play inside the box. Only moments bwfore, Greg Horlock had headed a golden chance wide. Frampton failed to keep the shot out, so at 2 -1, Brock fancied their chances. For a 5 minute spell, the Hammers looked a little on edge, but kept their composure to score a match winning third goal, put away by Jack Swann, after great work on the right from Antrobus. Final score 3 - 1.
Team : Frampton, Antrobus, Jackson, Horlock, Llewellyn, Crow, Diaper (Seal), Barron, Swann, Dancer, Toghill. Unused subs. Cherrett, Browne

Sydenhams Wessex Premier League (Saturday 13-02-10)

Hamworthy’s five match unbeaten run came to an end when they went down to high flying Fareham Town. Two first half goals from far post crosses meant that United would have to make yet another second half recovery. Good defending by the Town ensured that this was never really on, and any chance of getting a point as they had in the away fixture was not going to be. Once again Simon Browne was down to the bare bones when picking the team for this game. With mounting injuries and with Captain Steve Llewelyn not available, he was again forced to name himself on the bench. United did however welcome back Steve Gilbert for one week only before he transfers to Wimborne next week.
Hamworthy were once again slow to get going, and were soon under pressure from the much quicker Town front men. Fareham took the lead after only three minutes from what at best could only be called a speculative cross. Max Frampton appeared to misjudge the flight of the high looping ball into the box, and could only watch as it went over his head. Graham Lindsey unmarked at the far post had the simple job of heading it down, and into the net to put the Visitors in front. A penalty appeal for handball by some Town player was quite rightly turned down by the Referee. The offending United defender had no chance of avoiding the ball as it was hit straight at him from close range. The Hammers gradually got into the game, and almost got the equaliser when Jamie Barron’s shot went just wide with the Keeper beaten. The same player hit another goal bound thunderbolt of a shot from close to the penalty spot, but the Town central defender bravely put his body in the way to avert the danger. With just five minutes of the half remaining, and with Hamworthy now playing with a lot more confidence, they conceded a second goal. Another quick break up the right resulted in a cross to the far post. Mike Antrobus appeared to have it covered, but he mistimed his jump, and that allowed the ball to go over him. The ball was chested down by Dave Birmingham before smashing it home with his left foot to double Fareham’s lead.
HT 0-2
In recent games United have left their best performances for the second half, and it would have certainly required something special to get anything from this game. Jack Swann slipped as he took the ball into the box, and was shown the only yellow card of the game for diving even though he never actually appealed for a penalty. The Hammers more than held their own in the second half, but a well drilled Fareham defence made sure that any attempts on goal were few and far between. The majority of the play was in mid-field for most of the second half as the Town protected their first half lead. With time running out, and United pushing up to get something from the game, they were nearly made to pay again. If Max Frampton was in anyway to blame for the first goal he more than made up for it with two brilliant last ditch saves in the last two minutes from Gary Austin.
FT 0-2

Team: M. Frampton, M. Antrobus, R. Jackson (S. Browne), G. Horlock, S. Gilbert, M. Crow, L. Diaper J. Barron, J. Swann S. M. Dancer, J. Toghill (M Jackson). Unused Sub R. Rule

Sydenhams Wessex Premier League (Tuesday 09-02-10)

Back in September these two teams played out a boring 0-0 draw at the County Ground. This match once again finished all square, but unlike the previous encounter was far from being boring. After a first half largely dominated by the Home side, and finding themselves a goal down at the break, the Hammers battled back in the second half to earn a well deserved point. Manager Simon Browne made one of his rare starts in place of the unavailable Steve Llewlyn. Max Crow took over the Captains arm band. The only down side of the game came when Stuart Cannie hobbled off with a reoccurrence of his hamstring pull, and now looks set for a long lay off.
The game was played on a sticky bumpy pitch which led to a variable bounce of the ball and made close control very difficult. Despite this Romsey set off at a terrific pace, and soon had United on the back foot with some long accurate passes that exploited the space behind the Hamworthy defence for their fast forwards to run onto. It was all Romsey as the Hammers at times defended desperately to try and stem the continual flow of attacks that came at them. On a rare break Jamie Barron went very close with a shot that went just wide, and the Town Keeper struggling to cover. Just as it looked as though United were perhaps going to weather the storm they conceded a goal on twenty three minutes. Two Hamworthy defenders slipped as they desperately tried to clear the ball out of a crowded penalty box. This allowed the Romsey man the time and space to smash the ball past Max Frampton and give his Team the lead that they thoroughly deserved. To their credit United did not crumble as they might have done earlier in the season. They gradually clawed their way back into the game, and did well to keep the lead down to a single goal, and create a few chances of their own before the break.
HT 1-0
Hamworthy continued to improve after the break and gradually began to get the upper hand, and control the game. It was the Town’s turn to spend most of their time defending as United came more and more into the game. Lee Diaper was now giving his full back a torrid time out on the wide right, going past his man almost at will. Greg Horlock scooped the ball just over the bar as he lunged at a low cross into the six yard box, and Joe Toghill hit the ball straight at the Keeper after being put through on goal. Lee Diaper got the winner cutting in from the right, and hitting a great shot past the stranded Keeper into the far corner of the net. The same player should have scored again a minute later, but this time hit the ball straight at the advancing Romsey Keeper. The last ten minutes of the game saw both Teams going all out for the winner with both defences at times at full stretch. Manager Simon Browne did well to make a last ditch clearance off the line with Max Frampton well beaten. Hamworthy I am sure would have gladly settled for a draw at half time, but must have been a little disappointed at the end not to have snatched a win, having created much the better chances in the second period.
FT 1-1
Team: M. Frampton, M. Antrobus, R. Jackson, G. Horlock, S. Browne, M. Crow, L. Diaper J. Barron, J. Swann S. M. Dancer, S. Cannie (J. Toghill). Subs not used: M. Seal

Sydenhams Wessex Premier League (Saturday 06-02-2010)

Following three successive wins the Hammers were keen to keep the run going, but Alton were certainly not going down without a fight. The Visitors were on top for most of the first half, and also in the early parts of the second. They must have gone home very disappointed not to have at least have got a point out of the game. Hamworthy welcomed back the large presence of Max Frampton in goal following his move back to the County Ground from Brockenhurst. He was to play a major part in their victory with a couple of top drawer saves at key moments during the game.
The game took a little while to get going as both sides struggled to get their games together, and play was a bit scrappy for the first quarter. It was the Visitors who gradually got on top, and began to put pressure on the United defence. The Hamworthy back four were at times at full stretch to contain the nippy Town front runners. Luckily for them the Alton finishing was not as good as their approach work, and Max Frampton was able to deal with most things that got through, and on target. He did however have one let off when with the goal at his mercy an Alton striker hit the ball straight at the United Keeper’s midriff from close range. United finished the half somewhat disappointingly without creating one clear cut chance in the first forty five minutes, and unable to produce the attacking football of their last few games.
HT 0-0
The second half saw the Town once again take the game to Hamworthy and Max Frampton was twice called into action to make two good stoppages in quick succession to keep his side in the game. The Hammers gradually got into the game and at long last began to find their men, and for the first time put the opposition under pressure with a series of corners. These were cleverly taken by Stuart Cannie, and from one of these the ball was only half cleared to the edge of the penalty box. Jamie Barron was on hand to pick it up, and drive it through a ruck of players low into the net, giving Dan Hill no chance to save. A second goal for United soon followed in a similar fashion to the first, this time scored by Steve Llewelyn. From the corner, and following a foul, the Referee allowed the advantage. As the ball pinged around the Alton penalty box Llewelyn hit it past Hill to double the lead. Alton were far from finished, and following a quick break out found Hamworthy stretched at the back. As he closed in on goal an Alton man was adjudged to have been pulled back, and a penalty awarded. Max Frampton dived to his left, but was unable to get to the ball and prevent the goal. The Hammers were reduced to ten men when Richard Jackson received a second yellow for two innocuous looking fouls. Any chance that the Town might get something out of the game was soon lost when United restored their goal advantage. Dan Hill did well to save a close range header from the unmarked Jack Swann, but the ball fell at the Keepers feet. Before he could clear the Hamworthy striker had followed up to knock it over the line, and ensure the win.
FT 3-1

Team: M. Frampton, M. Antrobus, R. Jackson, G. Horlock, S. Llewelyn (Capt), M. Crow, L. Diaper J. Barron, J. Swann S. M. Dancer, S. Cannie (S. Browne),. Subs not used: S. Shergold, M. Seal