HAMWORTHY UNITED 4 POOLE TOWN 1
Sydenhams Premier League (Wessex) Tuesday 1st Febuary 2011
This has to have been Hamworthy United’s best display since Simon Browne took over the management reins at the County Ground. This was a real Team effort from start to finish in which every individual team member played his part. They not only won the game, but won it by some distance, and thoroughly deserved the victory. The four goals were scored by four different players, and there could easily have been a fifth had George Webb’s effort been on target when he was put right through shortly before the end of the game. It did look for a while that the weather was going to be the only winner when the fog swept in. The Referee stopped the game for several minutes with United having an early 1-0 lead, but luckily for them allowed play to continue when it started to clear again.
Hamworthy for a welcome change were quickly out of their blocks, and were soon causing Poole problems with their pace, especially out in the wide positions. They also were very quick to close the Dolphins down before they could do any damage. United did not take long to take the lead, in fact there was just nine minutes on the clock when Richard Jackson opened the scoring. Soon after the fog that had been threatening from the start really rolled in, and the Referee was forced to call a halt to the game for several minutes. Luckily the fog cleared enough for play to continue, and the Hammers continued to cause the Poole defence problems every time they ran at them. Dan Haysom headed home a second United goal with the normally solid Town defence without Michael Walker now looking very vulnerable. Poole were very much using the long ball tactics that they used to accuse Hamworthy of using, but the United back line, and goalkeeper Sean Lillington stood firm. With just over a half hour gone the Hammers increased their lead even further with a Stuart Cannie goal, once again taking advantage of some poor Poole Town marking. The Dolphins did get back into the game shortly before the break following a rare attack on the ground through Steve Smith. Most of the danger to United until then had come from set pieces mainly directed at Lamin Dibba’s head, but the tall defender was closely marked all night, and kept very quiet.
HT 3-1
As to be expected the Dolphins came out looking for another goal, but the young Hammers stuck to their task, and restricted Poole to mostly long shots that went well wide.
The next goal was always going to be very important, and it fell to United, thirteen minutes into the second half. With Hamworthy’s pace Poole were always susceptible to being hit on the break, as they pushed up for a second goal. This is exactly what happened and Dave Ewing did very well to keep his cool and convert Hammer’s fourth goal. Poole did try to get back in the game, but despite changes never really changed their long ball tactics. A well drilled United side continued to play to orders restricting the Dolphins goal scoring opportunities to long range. Hamworthy almost hit Poole again on the break. But this time the normally reliable George Webb shot wide. The only downside to the match was that somehow Hamworthy picked up six yellow cards, in a match that did not contain one dirty foul. Poole on the other hand who had disputed every decision in the first half received none.
FT 4-1
Team: S. Lillington, R. Murray, R. Jackson. G. Horlock, M. White, D. Haysom, G. Webb, W. Robinson, L. Burbidge, D. Ewen, S. Cannie (D. Spencer). Unused Sunbs: J. Satterley. M. Lawrence, J. Foster, D. Ackerman.