Game 25: Blandford United 4.1 Sturminster Newton (Dorset Prem) 06.11.10

After hurting my foot last Saturday and having to miss Salisbury's FA Trophy win, I was looking forward to a game today. I had considered a number of games around the local leagues but after a text from Paul to let me know he would be in the area, we decided to drive down to Blandford United's match against Sturminster Newton, a 2pm kickoff.

After a quick drive down the A354, we navigated round the one way system and found the ground. There was one parking space at the end of the row of cars next to the Recreation ground where both teams were warming up in the bright sunshine.

We wandered over to the touchline by the changing room which were adjacent to a lockup with a club shop sign above it. There was no-one collecting admission until after the first half had started and someone then came round with programmes and requesting donations which we were happy to make. As we approached the kickoff there was a sudden influx of people and our headcount reached 50, more than some Western and Wessex Premier teams get.

The start of the game was a bit scrappy but Sturminster Newton didn't look like a team who had lost all 12 games in the league before today. They were putting together some attacking moves and forced the first save of the match from the Blandford keeper in the 10th minute. The next chance came five minutes later to the home team when a defender misjudged the flight of the ball and let it go past him to a Blandford player. This player also misjudged the flight of the ball and sliced his shot well over the bar.

Sturminster had the best of the first half hour but lacked a cutting ball to create clearcut chances. The closest they came to scoring was in the 27th minute when a freekick was played into the area and headed over the bar.

Blandford had been caught offside a number of times but finally got through the defence on the half hour. The player ran from his own half as the ball was played through before outstripping the defence and taking the ball wide round the keeper. He then hit a low pass into the back of the net as two defenders tried to catch him. This gave Blandford a bit of confidence and they almost made it 2.0 7 minutes later with a shot following a goalmouth scramble. The keeper was well placed this time to make the save.

As the players came in for half-time, one of the Blandford players noted that at least the poor half was out of the way now. Ten minutes into the second half and we saw one of the own goals of the season. Blandford crossed the ball into the middle of the area but no blue shirts were there to take advantage. It didn't matter as one of the Sturminster defenders decided that he would head the ball towards the goal. It looked like he was hoping to pass it back to the keeper but he had no chance to reach the ball and it ended up in the back of the net.

Five minutes later and it was game over. Blandford's 7 dribbled through the Sturminster defence and unleashed a rising shot that the Sturminster keeper did well to tip over the bar. From the resulting corner, the ball was crossed high to the back of the penalty area where a Blandford defender stooped down and headed the ball. It flew through a group of players and into the goal.

With the game as good as gone, Sturminster's keeper decided to take his sweeper role a bit further and on a couple of occasions dribbled the ball out of his area and looked to take the ball as far up the pitch as possible. It looked like he was a frustrated outfield player but his attacking urges gave his teammates a few scares, noteably when he came up past the halfway line for a corner! Blandford almost scored from a breakaway and came even closer when the keeper dropped the ball in the area and a toepoke ended up just over the bar.

Sturminster managed to pull one goal back in the 70th minute when the ball was switched from the left wing to the centre and a substitute got on the end of it to knock the ball past the keeper. This gave Sturminster a bit of confidence and they had a five minute spell when they came close to getting another goal.

Blandford wrapped up the game in the last minute when one of their midfielders burst through the middle, beat a couple of tackles and hit a low shot that trickled under the keeper as he came out to try and gather the ball. The ball rolled in on the left side of the right post and into the net before a defender could catch up with the ball. An entertaining game and while it was unlucky 13 for the visitors, the scoreline didn't reflect the effort that they put into the game.