ROMSEY TOWN 1 HAMWORTHY UNITED 1
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