I arrived at the ground to find the sun up and not a cloud in the sky. There were about 50 people already at the ground and from a quick headcount during the game I estimated a crowd of 120. There was a sizeable contingent from Poole with their Dolphins flags behind the goal.
The first twenty minutes of the game were fairly scrappy and neither team really settled on the ball well. Poole had a shot from close range over the bar while Laverstock managed a couple of runs at the Poole defence but the shots were hit straight at the Poole keeper. The experience of the Poole team showed - Taffy Richardson earning an opponent a yellow card by hitting a freekick straight into a Laverstock player who was walking away from the ball.
Poole's main threat was their prized striker Charlie Austin and he created the first clear cut chance after 25 minutes. He took the ball down the right wing, beat his man and then went one on one with the Laverstock keeper. The keeper delayed his dive and got the angles right as Austin's shot curled round him but ended up to the right of the far post.
Poole continued to apply pressure and won a freekick on 30 minutes. The ball was played deep into the Laverstock box to an unmarked player but his header came back off the bar from six yards out. Austin's strike partner Russell Cook also had an opportunity to beat the keeper but the Laverstock keeper was quickly out to the edge of the box to win the ball.
Laverstock's new signings from the Eastleigh academy then showed what they could do. A long shot was tipped over the post following a good pacey run down the wing. However the corner was taken too long and was won back by Simon Browne for Poole. He started a quick counter attack and Poole moved the ball superbly from the back and then switched wings. The ball was crossed in and again found an unmarked player. This time the header went wide of the target when the player should have scored.
Lessons were not being learnt by the Laverstock team and another player was booked for not retreating when Poole took a quick free kick. The referee seemed to prefer giving free kicks instead of waiting to see if there was an advantage which was unpopular with both sets of players. Laverstock managed one more shot on target following a mazey run which took in stretches along both the right and the left hand wings. Poole had a couple of shots from distance but they didn't trouble the Laverstock keeper.
Poole came out for the second half all guns blazing. In the 46th minute, Austin received the ball on the right side of the box and played what looked to be a cross intp the box. No-one managed to get a touch on it and it was a surprise to suddenly see the ball rebound off the post and out. Laverstock cleared their lines momentarily but couldn't keep possession. The ball was won back on the halfway line by Dibba and he played a superb through ball for Taffy Richardson to run onto. He beat the offside trap but the ball curled away from him and didn't give him a chance to take a shot before Laverstock could clear it.
As I was making some notes, I suddenly heard a roar from the Poole supporters and looked up in time to see Austin celebrating a goal and the ball in the back of the net. The ball had been crossed in from the right wing and he shot low past the keeper.
Laverstock worked hard and didn't let the goal put them off their stride. They were unlucky not to equalise after 65 minutes when a cross to Heath on the far post should have been converted. Heath decided to hit it with his right foot and it went wide - if he had used his left foot then it would have been on target and would have beaten the Poole keeper. Poole had some chances too but the Laverstock keeper pulled off some great saves, including taking the ball off Austin's feet in the penalty area. They seemed satisfied to keep their lead as the end product didn't match the skillfull approach play.
In the last ten minutes the game boiled over. There had been some late tackles and sledging comments from players on both sides during the second half and this escalated. Laverstock were throwing bodies into the way of the ball and as a result of a challenge one of their players went down injured. Poole played on and didn't put the ball out for a throw so one of the Laverstock players went in with a late high tackle that caught the Poole player and knocked him to the ground. Poole's manager went up to the assistant referee on the nearside as he felt that the official should have spotted the foul and gave him a talking to.
A minute later and another infringement - this time a Laverstock player went in with a high boot on a Poole player and caught the man instead of the ball. Players on both sides rushed in to start a fight but the referee managed to keep control and prevent anything more than handbags. Tommy Killick, the Poole Manager, then had a verbal altercation with a local spectator about the challenge. It was a relief to hear the final whistle before there were any more flashpoints.
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