Sydenhams Premier League (Wessex) Tuesday 18-10-11

For the second time this season the Hammers came away from Alton on the losing side

and they should consider themselves lucky that the goal deficit was not more. The

Hammers were second best for most of the ninety minutes as they struggled to contain

the Town who appeared to want the win much more than United. The night did not start

well when Simon Browne was forced to reshuffle his back line when Karl Yelland was

late in turning up due to work commitments.

The Home side was much the liveliest of the two teams right from the kick off, and soon

had the Hammers under pressure. Alton twice went close to scoring, first with a shot

that went inches wide, and then with an unchallenged header that also went very close.

Hamworthy did have a near miss of their own with a move started by Matt Head who

picked out Jack Satterley on the left hand side of the penalty area. He sent a dangerous

cross which was met by Luke Burbidge, but the Town Keeper pulled off a good save.

ShaneMurphy had to dive at the feet of an Alton striker who ran straight through the

middle of the United defense to make the first of a quick succession of good saves.

Town then saw another shot hit the post with another good strike before Murphy dived

full length to divert the ball round the post and make the save of the night. Just as it

looked as if the Hammers had weathered the storm they went behind to a goal helped by

some sloppy United play. Will Robinson bringing the ball away from goal without

looking passed it straight to an opposing player, and this led to Sam Knight taking full

advantage to go on and score. With half time less than two minutes away Keeper Shane

Murphy (who had up until then kept United in the game) collected the ball, and under no

pressure threw the ball straight to Steve Brown standing less than ten yards away. The

Town striker collected the ball before returning it into an empty net to double the lead.
HT 2-0

Hamworthy restarted the second period with a lot more effort and were desperately unlucky to hit the underside of the bar in the first minute with the Keeper well beaten. Unfortunately the ball bounced back out to safety instead of going into the net. The Hammers may have started the second half on top but it did not last long as Alton gradually began to dominate again. Any hope that United may have had disappeared when they failed to defend a corner allowing Brown to score his second goal with a header. The Hammers miserable night continued when the Town were awarded a penalty for a foul. Brown stepped up to fire a low shot which Shane Murphy did well to get a hand to, but unfortunately could not stop the ball from going in just inside the post. The final whistle could not have come soon enough for Hamworthy and their travelling fans who had just witnessed United’s worst display of the season. One to forget.

Team: S.Murphy, M. White, S. Lockyer, J. Byron, D. Haysom, W. Robinson (K. Yelland), L. Wilkinson (A. Adetunji), M. Head, L. Burbidge, J. Satterley, D. Pidgley (S. Cannie) Unused Subs: D Bassiriki, R. Voysey (GK)

Sydenhams Premier League (Wessex) Saturday 15-10-11

The Hammers started the game very brightly and forced the pace, but were unable to get

much penetration in the last quarter of the pitch. Following a corner the ball was cleared

to the right hand side where it was collected and returned by Matt Head. Dan Haysom

headed back across the goal to Aaron Corby who shot over the bar. Hamworthy

continued to press, and a Will Robison pass once again found Corby in a good position.

Unfortunately for the United mid-fielder he shot tamely making it an easy save for the

Town keeper. The Hammers had two consecutive corners followed by a free kick as

they went searching for the opening goal. Dan Pidgley took the kick, but once again did

not bother the keeper who had no difficulty in making the save. Half –time arrived

without United getting the lead they probably deserved.

HT 0-0

Hamworthy were caught out straight after the break by a long clearance that sailed over

The Hammers back four. The pacey Romsey striker ran on to the ball before giving

Simon Evans no chance with a thunderous shot into the top right hand corner of the net.

United were behind for only five minutes before they drew level from a corner. Dan

Ridgley’s kick found Michael White at the far post unmarked, and he headed home.

Hamworthy should have taken the lead soon after, but Robinson missed his header from

two yards out. Luke Burbidge had given the Romsey left back a torrid time all afternoon

and was unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty when he was brought down in the

box. Burbidge again went close with another good run. He this time ghosted past three

players before shooting just past the post. Romsey won the match five minutes from the

end with a very dubious goal. Evans appeared to be fouled as he went to catch the ball

and dropped it enabling a Town player to score. The Referee waved away all protests

and much to the amazement of the United camp allowed the goal to stand, giving

Romsey a win their play had not deserved.

FT 2-1

Team: S. Evans, K.Yelland, S. Lockyer, M. White, D. Haysom, W. Robinson, A.Corby,

M.Head, J. Satterley, L. Burbidge, D. Pidgley. Subs: A. Adetunji, D. Bassiriki, S.

Cannie

Sydenhams Premier League (Wessex) Saturday 22-10-11

The Hammers put their last two poor results behind them, and got back to winning ways with a good performance against Laverstock & Ford. Simon Browne made a few changes to the team that played in mid-week. Dianne Bassiriki started his first game since returning from injury, and Aaron Corby returned in mid-field. Sam Lanahan who has changed Universities, and is now available every week also returned in mid-field.

The Hammers took the game to the visitors right from the kick off, and soon had Laverstock under pressure. Dianne Basseriki caused the opposing defenders all sorts of problems. He was upended twice in the box in the first ten minutes, but the Referee waved play on both times despite the strong appeals for a penalty. A third appeal for a penalty soon followed, when a Laverstock defender clearly handled the ball, but this was again disallowed. One can only assume that the Referee decided that it was ball to hand, and not hand to ball. In the thirty fourth minute Hamworthy did eventually take the lead from the spot for a foul that looked an even more debatable one than the first two. The ever reliable Luke Burbidge stepped up to give Sam Pearce no chance with his shot into the corner of the net. United had the ball in the net again soon after, but this time Aaron Corby was adjudge to have fouled the keeper when he headed the ball home. The Hammers were rewarded for their complete domination of the first half with another goal five minutes before the break. Burbidge this time became the provider, and laid the ball in the path of Sam Lanahan who hit an unstoppable shot past keeper Pearce to double the lead.

HT 2-0

Dianne Bassiriki celebrated his return by going right through the middle of the Laverstock defence before rounding the keeper, and scoring straight from the restart. To their credit the visitors never gave up, and kept trying. Their best chance however was a long range effort that Shane Murphy tipped over for a corner. The Hammers continued to be on top, and went close again after Dan Pidgley cut in, and put the ball just the wrong side of the post. A fourth goal was almost inevitable, and it came from the move of the match. Corby broke down the right wing and picked out Lanahan on the far left with a great cross. He fed Luke Burbidge who fired home for his second goal of the match. United should have gone even further ahead in the last minute when substitute Jack Satterley was put through one on one with the keeper, but he shot wide.

FT 4-0

Team: S. Murphy, K.Yelland, S.Lockyer, M. White, D. Haysom, S. Lanahan, A. Corby, M. Head, L. Burbidge D. Bassiriki, D. Pidgley. Subs: J. Byron, L. Wilkinson, J. Satterley. Unused Sub: R. Voysey (GK)

Sydenhams Premier League (Wessex) Tuesday 11-10-11

The Hammers came in to this match on the back of a good away win at Fawley the previous Saturday, unbeaten in 10 league outings, and the only league defeat on the opening day of the season……..GE Hamble at Home, so how likely were they to be able to turn the tables, in what was going to be a very tough game, with our opponents sat third. Two changes from the last match. Michael White returned to replace the injured Greg Horlock along side Dan Haysom in Defence, and Will Robinson in to replace the unavailable Aaron Corby.
The Hammers started off very brightly, almost where they left off from in the previous
game. They passed the ball with confidence and looked threatening on a couple of occasions down the left hand side. Hamble allowed Hamworthy a lot of space to play the ball around in, and they almost took advantage of this, after a good move down the right hand side. Yelland crossed the ball into the box right into the path of Luke Burbidge, who took it on the volley, but his attempt was well blocked. A couple of well created moves failed to hit the target, but Hamworthy were clearly on top in the early exchanges. Hamble managed to slow the impetus of the Hammers as the half progressed, but they reverted very much to the long ball, which Haysom and White happily dealt with.
HT 0-0
No changes in personnel for the start of the second half, but Hamble came on stronger and Keeper Simon Evans had to be a lot busier than he probably wanted to be. Even when the ball rolled past him, goal-bound, after a lofted free kick into the box, there was a Hamworthy defender to clear it off the line. Hamble were coming on a lot stronger
throughout the middle of the second half, and Hamworthy had to dig deep to defend their Keeper. Despite often being pushed back deep into their own area, they did manage to defend well. They still had their moments too, when both Burbidge and then Satterley lost opportunities to shoot, after making the space to do so. With about 12 minutes left of normal time, a long ball out from the Home Keeper was met superbly well by Haysom, jumping above the forward in the Hamworthy half. His header flew straight out to an unmarked Satterley, on the right hand side of the penalty box. Despite appeals for off-side, the flag stayed down, and Jack Satterley, with all the composure in the world, calmly lobbed the approaching keeper with his first touch, and saw the ball bounce into the top corner of the net. It was nothing more than he & Hamworthy deserved, and would have been a massive confidence boost for the 17 year old forward. Hamble launched a four man attack from the kick off, with the last defender always having a man on his shoulder, so there was no room for error. A series of silly free-kicks conceded in the dying minutes only stretched out the heart flutters for the large number of Hammer’s fans who made the trip, but the final whistle came, to huge relief, and for a professional job well executed. The second of four consecutive away matches, and 6 points collected.
FT 0-1

Team : Evans, Yelland, Lockyer, White, Haysom (Capt), Head, Wilkins, Robinson, Burbidge, Satterley (Bassirikki 85), Pidgley UnusedSubs : Byrom,

Sydenhams Premier League (Wessex) Saturday08-10-11

They say a football match is usually a game of two halves, and it was probably just as well for the Hammers that it was, as they eventually came away from high flying Fawley with all three points.

The opening exchanges were frantic and neither side able to keep possession and pass the ball around, making it a scrappy start. However, it was Fawley who drew first blood, with a long deep ball over the top, straight down the middle, which caught Haysom & Horlock in a bit of a tangle, allowing the Fawley striker to smash the ball home from inside the area. Fawley 1 - 0.The Hammers were never allowed to settle anywhere on the pitch, especially in midfield, where possession was too easily given away. The only threat Hamworthy had was Luke Burbidge up front. He moved all over the front line, and was a constant live-wire to the home defence. In fact it was Luke Burbidge’s run at the left side of the home defence that saw him beat the full back, before being upended for the penalty, which he duly despatched on 14 minutes. 1 - 1. This appeared to settle the Hammers a little, and after applying a little pressure, Greg Horlock came close with a glancing header just missing the far post from Pidgley’s corner.Fawley were still looking dangerous, and were in control of the midfield area, and forced a corner on the left side. The ball in was cleared easily by Yelland to the touch line, but did not go out of play. The Hammers were slow to close the gap, and allowed the Fawley winger to reach the goal-line, before squaring back to the penalty spot, where the ball was smashed in, giving keeper Evans no chance on 39 minutes. Following the re-start, Hammers defender Greg Horlock committed to a tackle in the middle of his own half with a Fawley forward, and sustained a serious knee injury, which held-up the match for almost 45 minutes, before he was taken to hospital by ambulance. The half still had 7 minutes to complete when play resumed, Johnny Byrom replacing Horlock in defence and it was Hamworthy who took advantage of the long break. They suddenly looked a different team, and only a great save from the home keeper prevented Corby scoring from long range. No doubt words of wisdom from Manager Simon Browne during the enforced break had been absorbed, and I don’t believe they wanted the half-time break to come.

HT : 2-1

The second half commenced with Fawley picking up where they had left off, applying early pressure down the Hammer’s left. Evans was at full stretch as he failed to hold on to a cross, dropping the ball at the far post, but the Fawley forward could only lift the ball on to the roof of the net, a let off for the Hammers . Burbidge, a constant threat, went close, after he again tormented the home defence, this time on the right, when he danced past two defenders, but shot wide. Had he gone down from the contact, he may have got another penalty, which could have been justified! Fawley were still attacking down the left side, and another cross, this time on the ground, left the Hammers keeper beaten, but the ball was cleared away from the line before the incoming forward could apply the final touch. Hamworthy though, looked very comfortable playing football on the counter-attack, and began to grip the midfield area and combine very well together. Jack Satterley, quiet in the first half up front with Burbidge, was becoming increasingly involved in the play, and was holding up the ball very well. Another corner on the right hand side produced the Hamworthy equaliser, when Pidgley’s cross was met by Dan Haysom’s powerful downward header at the far post. 2 -2. From this point, it seemed likely that Hamworthy could go on to win the game, as they were dominating the play, from defence, right through to the two front men. Haysom and Byrom were looking solid in the middle. Satterley’s superb through ball into the path of Burbidge almost brought the third goal, but the advancing keeper managed to block the shot and keep Fawley on level terms. Burbidge was also put through after fine work by Corby and Satterley, but his effort was high. The Hammers took the lead shortly after, when an early ball from Matt Head found Satterley in space on the left. He fed a beauty through to Burbidge, who this time, with great composure, rounded the advancing keeper, and scored his second of the match. Satterley’s second half performance almost brought him a goal that he undoubtedly deserved on 81 minutes, when cutting in from the left, forcing the keeper to concede another corner. Despite so many great chances that the Hammers created in the second half, they had keeper Simon Evans to thank for all three points, when 5 minutes from time, he produced a blinding save from close range, when he just threw his body across the goal, and the ball somehow richochetted over the bar, after Fawley had got in behind again, down the left side. Bassiriki replaced Satterley in the 88th minute, and it was nice to see him back after a long injury lay off.It was a well deserved first away win for the Hammers, which moves them up to fourth place in the league, and the first of four away games, rolling on to GE Hamble next Tuesday (11th October).

FT 2-3

Team: Evans, Yelland, Lockyer, Horlock (Byrom), Haysom (Capt), Head, Corby, Wilkins, Burbidge, Satterley (Bassiriki), Pidgley (Robinson). Unused subs : Murphy (GK

Sydenhams Premier League (Wessex) Saturday 01-10-11

For the second Home game running the Hammers dominated the game, and never really looked in any real danger of even conceding a goal. It was ten minutes from the end of play before Simon Evans had to make a real save. His counterpart Gary Austin however was Horndean’s man of the match, and but for him Hamworthy may have had another couple of goals. Aaron Corby returned in mid-field for the unavailable Will Robinson, and Diane Bassiriki made a welcome return to the bench after his long lay off with injury.

The game started at a fair pace on a very hot afternoon with both teams testing each other out. Hamworthy gradually got on top, and Jack Satterley just failed to connect with a dangerous Luke Burbidge pass across the six yard box. As United increased the pressure Horndean were driven further back, and were having difficulty in reaching their sole striker. An Aaron Corby fiercely struck thirty yard volley from a poor clearance was hit straight at the Keeper luckily for the visitors. With thirty one minutes gone Jack Satterley ran into the box went round his man, and brought a good save from the Keeper. The ball ran loose to Luke Burbidge who was following through to find the net, and open the scoring. Greg Horlock headed just over from a corner before the United lead was doubled with an individual goal by Aaron Corby. The Hamworthy mid-fielder went on a run that took him past several Horndean defenders before picking his spot to score his first league goal of the season.

HT 2-0

There was no change in the pattern of the game at the start of second half with the Hammers now comfortably on top. Horndean appeared to be more concerned with a damage limitation exercise than trying to score themselves. United deservedly increased their lead even further with a goal very similar to their first one. Jack Satterley once again saw his shot blocked by a reflex save by Austin, and again the ball broke loose. This time it was Lee Wilkins who reacted first to claim his first goal since joining the Hammers. With twenty five minutes still remaining it was only surprising that Hamworthy did not add further to their tally. Keeper Austin once again did well not to give away a penalty when he timed it to perfection his last ditch clearance. He slid in and stuck out his foot to take the ball off the United striker’s toe just as he was about to shoot. Horndean’s only real effort on target came in the eightieth minute which Simons Evans dived to save comfortably.

FT 3-0

Team: S. Evans, K. Yelland, S. Lockyer, G. Horlock, D. Haysom, M. Head, A. Corby, L. Wilkins, L. Burbidge, J. Satterley (J. Byron), S. Cannie (M. White)

Unused Subs: D. Bassiriki, R. Voysey (GK)