Game 30: South Korea 0.1 Serbia (International Friendly) 18.11.09

I was delighted to see an opportunity for an unusual fixture when I discovered that South Korea were playing a midweek afternoon friendly at Craven Cottage against Serbia during a week off work.

I took the train from Waterloo to Putney and wandered down the high street and across the Thames towards the glowing floodlights to my left. There were a few Korean fans heading the same way but it wasn't until I arrived at the ground that I got the normal match day buzz with supporters from both countries milling around and taking photographs.

I've been to Craven Cottage a few times before, including a boisterous afternoon with some Leicester fans at what was the last game at the Cottage back in 2002 before refurbishment. The terraced area we stood in along the side has now been replaced by an all seater stand while the old Putney End Terrace has been replaced by another huge all seater stand. I was surprised to find that I was really close to the touchline and the view wasn't obscured by any posts.

Both of these teams have qualified for next summer's World Cup Finals in South Africa so it was a good opportunity to see what kind of opposition England could be facing. I arrived in plenty of time and was able to watch both teams warming up in front of the TV Cameras - the game was kicking off in the afternoon so it could be shown live on Korean television. Gradually the ground filled up and the atmosphere was terrific with no segregation and both sets of supporters cheering on their team. The Serbian chants were similar to English support but when the Korean team came out it was more like a Beatles concert with high pitched squeals and orange inflatable clackers the order of the day.

Serbia started well and the Korean keeper had to make two early saves - one from a Danko Lazovic freekick and one from the resulting corner when Vidic put a header towards goal. Serbia then took the lead in the 7th minute from a deep cross from the left into the penalty area. Tall striker Zigic made a great run across his marker and got his foot onto tbe ball just ahead of the Korean defender, placing the ball to the right of the keeper and into the net.

Korea had a good chance five minutes later which was pushed over the bar. They began to settle and play some good passing football with a great sense of determination. When they lost the ball they harried the Serbian players and won it back to set up attacks on a couple of occasions. The experience of Vidic and the impressive Subotic kept them at bay and they weren't able to test the keeper further by creating any clear cut chances.

Serbia had a good effort in the 31st minute from a long cross from the left by Lukovic. It looked like the ball was meant to be aimed at the head of Zigic but it was mishit and almost ended up going over the Korean keeper and in. The ball looped down and came off the top of the crossbar before bouncing out for a goal kick. The Serbians liked to build the ball from the back and were content to pass it around the back four from side to side before moving it forward. This approach was risky as the Korean team liked to put them under pressure and were able to repossess the ball on a couple of occasions. Just before half time the Koreans managed to get a shot on target but the Serbian keeper made a good save.

The second half was similar fare although there was an interuption after 52 minutes when it all became a bit too exciting for one young Serbian supporter who ran onto the pitch with his scarf and went up to several of his heros to give them a hug before being escorted from the pitch by security. Once he had departed the Koreans had a good shot just wide. From the noise being made after that I fully expected my eardrums to explode if Korea scored and this almost happened in the 63rd minute when the ball ended up in the back of the net but was disallowed for offside. The teenage girls in front of us hit their chairs with such force in frustration that their clackers burst!

I enjoyed the second half more as both teams just went for counter attacking football and the ball moved quickly from end to end. South Korea had several freekicks on target that were saved and almost managed an equaliser late on when Lee Chung-yong rounded Stojkovic but couldn’t control the ball and stumbled before hitting a shot into the mass of white shirts that had come back to defend. I was impressed with Krasic who made some great runs down the wing and almost finished the game with a goal from a low shot that the Korean keeper did well to save.

In the absence of a programme (although there were some scarfs for £5) the line ups were:

South Korea -

Kim Young Kwang
Oh Beom Seok
Lee Jung Soo
Cho Yong Hyung
Lee Young Pyo
Kim Nam Il
Cho Won Hee
Lee Chung Yong
Park Ji Sung
Yeom Ki Hun
Seol Ki Hyun

Subs -

35' Kim Do Heon (for Oh Beom Seok)
46' Cha Du Ri (for Cho Won Hee )
46' Lee Keun Ho (for Yeom Ki Hun )
60' Lee Dong Gook (for Seol Ki Hyun)
68' Kang Min Soo (for Park Ji Sung)
81' Kim Hyung Il (for Kim Do Heon )

Serbia -

Vladimir Stojković
Branislav Ivanović
Aleksandar Luković
Neven Subotić
Nemanja Vidić
Zdravko Kuzmanović
Nenad Milijaš
Miloš Krasić
Milan Jovanović
Danko Lazović
Nikola Žigić

Subs -

46' Zoran Tošić (for Lazović)
60' Gojko Kačar (for Milijaš)
68' Miloš Ninković (for Jovanović)
72' Aleksandar Kolarov (for Vidić)
82' Radosav Petrović (for Kuzmanović)
88' Jagoš Vuković (for Luković)

A very enjoyable afternoon of football!

Game 29: Laverstock & Ford 2.6 Lymington Town (WESS PREM) 17.11.09

Headed over to Laverstock with Andy to see if they could improve their home form under new management against a Lymington team just above them in the table. In the opening period both teams created some opportunities from corners. Laverstock had a shot on target but directly at the Lymington keeper after 8 minutes while Lymington saw a shot cleared by a header off the line and a free header placed wide from the follow up corner a few minutes later.

Laverstock had a good chance to take the lead in the 15th minute following a run down the right wing from inside their half to the corner of the box. The ball was pulled back to the edge of the area and while the first player running in missed the ball, the second player did connect with a shot only to see it fly over the bar. They did take the lead three minutes later from another break down the right. This time the cross was hit to the back post and found a Laverstock head. The ball bounced down and in to the net.

Lymington started to put some pressure on but the Laverstock defence held firm with some good clearances and timely headers. In the 34th minute a ball was played across the Laverstock box from the right and eluded all 3 Laverstock defenders but no-one could get a touch on the ball to steer it towards goal. Laverstock were reduced to counter-attacks but managed to score a second goal in the 38th minute. The ball was cleared to the right wing and then played across the box to an unmarked player who slotted the ball back across goal and past the keeper.

At this point I started to wonder if Laverstock could win the game as the Lymington team didn't looked to have settled into the game. This didn't last long as Lymington pressed forward again. They had a long shot that flew the wrong side of the post and in the 44th minute another long shot on target. The keeper had the ball covered but let it spill out rather than catch it as he had done on a couple of previous occasions. A Lymington player followed it up and put a shot to the keepers left which went just wide of the post. It didn't look as if the keeper had touched it but the referee awarded Lymington a corner from which they scored.

The Laverstock lead didn't last long into the second half. In the 51st minute Lymington won another corner and got the equaliser with a diving header. Laverstock heads were down and Lymington continued to put the pressure on their backline, helped by a defensive line that was so high up the pitch it was almost in the Laverstock half!

In the 73rd minute the pressure finally paid off as Lymington took the lead from a quick break down the left wing. The ball was pulled back to the centre where a player tapped the ball across to a team mate running in on the back post. He took a shot and hit it past the keeper from a tight angle. The Laverstock keeper went down in some pain and both physios were soon on the pitch. It turned out that he had broken his finger trying to make the save and the bone had gone through the skin. An ambulance was called and after a delay of five minutes or so the game continued with a substitute keeper.

Laverstock had a couple of attempts at goal but no clear cut chances as Lymington pressed for more goals. They added a fourth in the 80th minute, a fifth in the 84th minute and a sixth in the 90th minute. The fourth goal came from a low cross into the box. The first shot was blocked by a defender but he was unable to stop the second shot from 8 yards out. The fifth came from a break down the right with a high cross to the back post finding an unmarked player who put a well placed header between the keeper and a defender. The final goal came after Laverstock lost the ball in the midfield. After a great dribble down the right the winger crossed the ball into the six yard box and a team mate shot past the keeper.

Game 28: Bemerton Heath Harlequins 1.1 Hamworthy United (WESS PREM) 16.11.09

Wandered round to Western Way with Andy to see if Bemerton could improve on their weekend performance. Both teams started brightly in the first five minutes but the game then went off the boil with a mix of a whistle happy referee and two sets of strikers who couldn’t stay onside.

In the 20th minute Bemerton’s keeper handed Hamworthy a good opportunity as he came outside of his area by a couple of feet to collect a ball with his hands under no pressure. The assistant noticed the infringement and the referee awarded a freekick. Hamworthy tried to take the kick from further out to give them an advantage in getting the ball over the wall but the referee spotted this and moved the ball forward. The kick was on target but was well saved by the keeper.

Bemerton took the lead in the 33rd minute. The ball was passed out to the left for Hughes to run onto. He took the ball down the wing and passed the ball back into space for a teammate to cross. The ball was too high for the players running into the near post but Sanger was at the backpost and volleyed the ball along the ground into the net. This was the first time that Bemerton had attacked down the left, just minutes after Andy had mentioned that they really needed to get the ball over to that side!

At the start of the second half Bemerton had a couple of opportunities to win a penalty. The first one was for a push in the area which was a bit dubious, the second one was for a sandwich on Rowe as he tried to take the ball past a couple of defenders. Although he was brought down, he got up to carry on the attack only to lose the ball. If he had stayed down it looked like the referee was about to point to the spot.

In the 65th minute Sanger was held back in the box but managed to keep his balance to put a shot on target. The keeper managed to stop it but the ball deflected out to the right to Rowe. He saw the keeper well off his line but decided to bring the ball forward rather than attempt a chip. When he eventually took a shot his aim was off and the ball sailed well wide.

Bemerton continued to press forward. A great move down the left saw the ball pushed across the area only for the player running in to put his shot narrowly over the bar. A minute later and another attack saw the ball hit with pace parallel to the goalline. It only needed a touch to put it into the net but none of the Bemerton team were far enough forward to finish it off.

In the 68th minute Bemerton came close to extending their lead again. A freekick was played into the box from the right and fell near the line. There was a big scramble as players from both teams tried to get the ball and eventually it was cleared away.

Hamworthy made Bemerton pay for not killing the game off in the 84th minute after a spell of extended pressure. The ball was won in midfield and sent down the right side. A good cross found an unmarked player who rose up and headed the ball into the top right hand corner.

In the 86th minute the goalscorer turned villain and was booked for a late, heavy challenge in the middle of the pitch that lead to a number of players piling in to each other to compare handbags. Bemerton hadn’t given up and came very close to scoring in the 88th minute from a corner. The ball found Fisher on the far post who rose above the defence, headed the ball down into the ground and saw it bounce up on course for the goal until somehow the Hamworthy keeper managed to get a foot onto the ball and clear it away. Hamworthy almost stole all 3 points in the last seconds of injury time but this time the unmarked header went over the bar.

Game 27: Shortwood United 3.0 Bemerton Heath Harlequins (FA Vase) 14.11.09

After heavy rain and winds were forecast for the weekend, Saturday morning was spent in the dry working out some alternative fixtures in case the game at Shortwood was called off. I found a few possibilities and saved various bookmarks onto the phone so we could monitor postponents as the morning wore on. While I was doing this I got a call from Alan to let me know that he was on the hard shoulder of the motorway after a lorry had shed some of its load and some wood had gone under his car - this reduced his gears from 5 to 0, luckily he was able to brake and get to the side of the road.

Andy and I left Salisbury and on the drive up to Stroud the rain got heavier and heavier. More games in the area were getting called off but there was no news on the pitch condition as Shortwood. After a wander round the shops we drove to Nailsworth for lunch - only to find the pub kitchen didn't open until the evening! A quick drink was followed by a trip to the chippy we had spotted earlier and then we drove up to have a quick look at Forest Green's ground before heading up some narrow roads to the top of the hill where Shortwood's ground is found.

I jumped out of the car and wandered over to the turnstiles where the gatekeeper confirmed that the game was on and that there was a clubhouse to shelter in before the game. The promise of beer meant that Andy was soon out of the car and after paying £5 for entrance and a programme we were in. Last season Shortwood had a successful run in the FA Cup but were beaten 3.0 by Bemerton in the FA Vase so this tie was an opportunity for the hosts to take revenge. Bemerton had gone out of the Vase in the last two seasons at this stage - both times to late extra time goals.

There were two stands along the side of the pitch and some shelter at the near end of the ground next to the clubhouse which gave a decent view of the pitch. I nominated the new stand as the vantage point for the game as the main "Howard Webb" stand had some posts at the front which would have made taking photographs more difficult - although it offered better shelter from the driving rain.

The home team decided to kick into the strong wind in the first half and this gave Bemerton an opportunity as the ball was carrying a long way in the wind. In the 6th minute a free kick was punted 30 yards into the area and flew over the keeper's hands and into the top corner. The effort was disallowed by the referee as he felt the keeper had been impeded by two Bemerton players who had jumped with him for the ball. This seemed a bit harsh as it didn't look like they had fouled him and the ball looked to be out of his reach.

Bemerton seemed to be coping with the conditions better in the first quarter of an hour with some good passing football. They were attacking in numbers but couldn't play a good cross or final ball to set up a straightforward opportunity to test the keeper. Shortwood hadn't created much until the 16th minute when they intercepted the ball in midfield and played a good through ball low down the middle for a player to chase. He beat the defenders to the ball and then took it wide round Bemerton's keeper to pass it into the net. A well taken goal.

The rain started to clear around the 20 minute mark although it was still very windy. Andy had his umbrella up in the side of the stand to try and keep the wind and water at bay and on a couple of occasions he was almost blown out of the stand. The wind might have been better used to reflate the deflated Bemerton players as Shortwood took control of the game. They had one opportunity cleared off the line and Bemerton almost conceded an own goal when a clearance from a low cross was just placed wide before a Shortwood foot could get to the ball. Another attempt on the halfhour saw the ball ripple the side netting when a shot from an acute angle hit the stanchion from outside the goalmouth.

In the 38th minute Shortwood put a shot over the bar and Bemerton copied this five minutes later when the ball was carefully worked across the box only for the shooter to lean back at the crucial moment. This was only a temporary respite and Shortwood should have scored again moments before half time. The ball was won on the left side and a great long cross found a player running in on the right side. His efforts to reach the ball were in vain as his attempt to place the header on target led to the ball flying wide of the near post.

Andy retired to the covered standing by the bar (and later to the bar itself!) for the second half while I returned to the stand. In the 50th minute Shortwood had a good shot turned wide for a corner. The corner was floated into a congested penalty area and cleared out but only to a Shortwood player who hit an unstoppable shot into the back of the net. The Bemerton players protested that the keeper had been impeded by an attacker which stopped him from being able to attempt to save the shot but the keeper waved away their protests. The protests and verbals continued for several minutes and led eventually to a player being booked and the bench being spoken too. As the Shortwood manager observed, "This lot could whinge for England".

Bemerton should have got back into the game three minutes later when a ball into the box finally managed to find an orange shirt, only for Sanger to take a heavy touch instead of shooting first time and losing control of the ball. A minute later and another good opportunity was wasted. This time a cross was played to the back post and the header was on target but bounced off the bar and down onto the goal line where a defender gratefully cleared the ball before it could be forced over the line.

Shortwood realised that the game wasn't over yet and stepped up a gear with a great run down the right wing. When the cross came in there were two unmarked home players in the box. The first player left it for his team mate but his attempt at a diving header didn't make contact and he ended up diving under the ball. The home team took a 3.0 lead in the 63rd minute. A corner was delivered to the far post where a Shortwood head rose high above the defence and steered the ball over the keeper's hands and into the goal.

Bemerton continued to get frustrated with the way the game had gone and another player was booked for continual dissent with the officials. There were a couple of tackles from both teams that led to some verbal altercations and the atmosphere turned a bit sour. By the end of the game Bemerton's passing game had been reduced to hoof and hope and Shortwood almost added a fourth from a one-on-one chance when the striker chose to pass the ball wide to a team mate instead of taking a shot. This allowed Bemerton to recover the ball.

There was enough injury time for the Bemerton keeper to make some acrobatic saves to tip shots over the bar and for his counterpart in the Shortwood goal to make a good save with his feet before the referee decided to put Bemerton out of their misery and blow the final whistle. A good performance from the home team to tie the FA Vase series at 1 a piece - be interesting to see if these teams get drawn against each other again next season for a decider!

Game 26: Laverstock & Ford 1.6 Winchester City (WESS PREM) 10.11.09

Despite the earlier heavy November rain, a dry afternoon meant that Andy and I were more concerned with some fog that was starting to move across the pitch as we arrived at Laverstock's ground. Andy parked the car so we could watch the game in the dry if conditions deteriorated and as the two teams came out for kickoff the haze on the far side of the pitch had drifted away.

Laverstock haven't won a home league game this season while Winchester have drawn 11 games so both teams were in the bottom half of the league prior to this fixture. However Winchester could count on the experience of former Portsmouth and Brighton defender Guy Butters and in the opening quarter of an hour started to dominate the game. The first goal arrived after 14 minutes from a free kick on the edge of the box. The ball was hit forward with pace and one of the Winchester players ran across the area and glanced the ball with his head past the home keeper.

Laverstock had a good opportunity to equalise a minute later. The ball was played high and bounced just outside the area. The Winchester keeper came to the line and attempted to catch the ball as it dropped into the area but was beaten to it by a Laverstock player. He passed the ball back to a team mate to take a shot but his on target shot wasn't far enough away from the covering defenders who were able to clear the ball.

In the 23rd minute Winchester made it 0.2 when one of their players took the ball through the middle and hit a great shot from the edge of the box up into the top left corner of the net. Laverstock were lucky not to have conceded a penalty for handball a couple of minutes earlier or to have no players booked after a couple of late tackles. As with the first goal, Laverstock had a good chance to equalise just after conceding. On this occasion Heath got past the defence on the far left and put a great ball into the middle but the player following up hit his shot way over the bar.

Winchester extended their lead in the 35th minute following some good wingplay on the right. The ball was passed into the penalty area where a Winchester player spun to beat his marker and played a quick and low ball past the Laverstock keeper to a team mate who slid in and scored from close range. In the 40th minute it was 0.4 to the visitors. Another freekick was conceded on the edge of the Laverstock box and this time it was played to feet. The impressive number 8 twisted round and hit an excellent shot into the top left corner.

After the excitement of the first half, the second half was fairly dull until both teams made all their substitutions around the 70th minute. Suddenly the game was brought to life by the fresh legs and in the 75th minute it was Winchester - who had included a goalkeeper substitution - who won the ball in midfield and played it in to the middle. Laverstock tried to play offside but the two Winchester players who ran forward were both onside. This numerical advantage meant that one player was able to take the ball towards the keeper before passing the ball across to his teammate to score once the keeper was committed.

Laverstock created a couple of chances but both shots were hit straight at the Winchester goalkeeper.In the 79th minute Winchester made it 0.6. The ball was worked along the edge of the box and then to the right of the defence. The Winchester player dummied the defender and slipped the ball past him before smashing a shot along the ground and in. The visitors should have scored again with a chance similar to the 6th where a passback would have found a free team mate to tap the ball in but the striker went for a chip over the keeper that was saved.

To everyone's surprise the next goal came from Laverstock in the 85th minute. They won a corner and when the ball fell into the box a volley of frustration connected and the ball was cracked into the back of the goal before the keeper could move. Winchester had a couple more chances but both were well saved by the Laverstock keeper who had a better game than the scoreline suggests.

Game 25: Bemerton Heath Harlequins 4.1 Downton (aet) (Wiltshire Senior Cup) 07.11.09

Decided to head over to Bemerton for the local derby against Downton. Bemerton were going for a club record 8 wins in a row against a Downton team that had lost the two previous cup games I’d seen them play in this season.

Bemerton had former Salisbury keeper Grant Porter making his debut and it wasn’t the best start for him in the 10th minute when he missed his clearance, allowing McGregor in. He scuffed his shot and it wasn’t powerful enough to cross the line before a defender got back to clear the ball.

In the 21st minute it looked like Downton had taken the lead from a breakaway attack. McGregor crossed the ball for a team mate but he was in an offside position when he took his shot and the goal was ruled out by the assistant’s flag. The talk on the terrace was that Bemerton had gone with local players for this cup game as they would be “more up for it” but the reverse seemed to be true. Downton took the lead just before the half hour when dangerman McGregor took on a through ball and managed to get the wrong side of the defender marking him. He ran though and put a low shot past the keeper.

Downton continued to put pressure on Porter in the Bemerton goal. Thick had a good chance in a one on one but the keeper saved. A couple of minutes later a very strong back header saw the keeper having to dive at full stretch to tip the ball round the post for a corner. From the corner McGregor put a shot in from a tight angle and it hit the side netting. The home support in the crowd were getting agitated and started to show their displeasure just before half time when McGregor put a header just over the bar. It wasn’t until the referee had the whistle in his mouth for halftime that Bemerton managed to create an effort on target. The ball was crossed from the left and a strong header was on target for the top left corner until the keeper made a spectacular save to push it round the post.

It looked like it was only a matter of time before Downton added to their lead but Bemerton had a lucky break on the hour. They were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box and hit it low though the wall into the penalty area. The ball bounced around like pinball and fell to Jack Slade who popped it under the keeper’s dive and in for the equaliser. Downton continued to press for a winner and McGregor saw one shot pushed onto the post by the keeper and another shot beat the keeper but fly wide of the goalmouth. Downton also managed to chip the onrushing Porter but the ball dropped over the bar and onto the top of the netting.

In the absence of any more goals, the match went into extra time and Downton began to run out of steam. In the 95th minute Bemerton took the lead from a free header at a corner and never looked back. In the second period of extra time Sanger belted in a third from close range after a great pass by Pratt and Eastham scored with a header a moment after the Downton keeper had pulled off a point blank save from another header.

Game 24: Bemerton Heath Harlequins 4.0 Brockenhurst (WESS PREM) 02.11.09

Another Monday night game at Western Way saw a queue 8 deep at the turnstiles as Andy and I arrived ten minutes before kick off. While there was a brief concern that we might not be able to get to our usual spot on the terrace, a brisk walk meant we were able to view the game as normal.

Bemerton have been on an excellent run of form recently and were second in the Wessex Premier table at the start of play. The programme noted that if the team won tonight's game it would equal a club record of seven consecutive wins with an opportunity then to beat it in a local cup derby with Downton on Saturday.

The first half was entertaining as both teams created chances and the game flowed from end to end. While the approach play was good, the final efforts on goal were either ending up well wide or over the bar. In the 21st minute Bemerton took the lead from a corner. The ball was crossed into the area and the Brockenhurst keeper was able to push it away from goal but only to a Bemerton player. He took aim and put a low shot on target which was deflected past the keeper and in.

Bemerton extended their lead in the 42nd minute. Brockenhurst had a free kick on the edge of the Bemerton area but the effort was hit directly into the wall. The ball was cleared out to the left of midfield which allowed Bemerton to launch a quick counter-attack. As the defenders moved back, a well timed pass into space allowed a Bemerton player to run onto the ball and take it into the area. As the keeper tried to narrow the angle, the ball was hit across the 6 yard box past him and into the net.

Just before halftime Brockenhurst almost pulled a goal back. The ball was cleared out of the Bemerton area and bounced up nicely for one of the Brockenhurst players to control. Although it appeared to hit his hand, the referee didn't spot the infringement and he hit a volley that the Bemerton keeper did well to push over the bar. From the resulting corner, the ball was played too close in the air to the keeper and he reached up to grab it. There was some drizzle falling and this contributed to the ball slipping out of the keeper's hand. One of the Brockenhurst players pounced on the ball and tried to force it over the line but the keeper managed to recover the ball. Despite a few protests, the assistant on our side felt the ball didn't cross the line although from our angle it looked like a close call.

The second half was a similar end to end affair as Brockenhurst looked to get back into the game and Bemerton worked to extend their lead. They almost grabbed a third goal in the 62nd minute with a high looping header from the penalty spot that went over the keeper but bounced off the top of the crossbar and over. Bemerton went further ahead in the 68th minute after one of their players won the ball back in midfield. He pushed forward and wasn't closed down. Just as Andy said "shoot" he did and the ball flew from outside the box low past the keeper's left and into the net. An excellent finish.

Bemerton wrapped the game up in the 75th minute from a corner. The ball was played into the near post and flicked onto the far post. The Brockenhurst keeper and defender on the line managed to stop the shot but the ball bounced out to another Bemerton player who knocked the ball past them to give his team a 4.0 win.