AFC FAWLEY 2 HAMWORTHY UNITED 3
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