Game 3: Salisbury City 2.0 Bemerton Heath Harlequins (Friendly) 20.07.10

This date was originally pencilled in for the visit of Aldershot to the Ray Mac but they withdrew following Salisbury's two league demotion to the Southern League Premier. In their place a motivated Bemerton Heath side who finished 3rd in the Wessex Premier last season.

It hasn't been a typical pre-season for Salisbury. Once the FA upheld the Conference Board decision to relegate the club for a breach of the controversial Appendix E regulation a number of the squad have moved on to other teams with Crawley and Bath City the main recipients.

The moves haven't been limited to the playing staff - manager Tommy Widdrington moving onto Southend as their new assistant manager while the always popular Nick Holmes left the club last week following a period of gardening leave.

In their place, Darrell Clarke and Mikey Harris have been tasked as caretakers with a number of trialists joining the club in the hope of gaining a contract. The main talking point with Andy and I before the game was the appearance of ex Southampton striker Kayne McLaggon on the teamsheet.

The first half was a fairly even contest, perhaps reflecting the level of the players Salisbury have been able to retain but also testament to the effort of the Bemerton team to track their opponents moves. Most of the Salisbury forward play was channelled through Chris Flood and Bradley Gray but there weren't many clear cut chances for either team. The best two opportunities fell to McLaggon who had a spectacular shot tipped over the bar and was inches away from tapping a Flood cross in at the far post.

The second half started in a similar fashion. Any shots on target were well covered by the goalkeepers although Bemerton started to tire and most of the play was towards the soon to be renamed Inexcess stand.

The opening goal came in the 63rd minute when McLaggon turned and fired a great volley across the keeper and in. Moments later it was almost 2.0 when Bradley Gray hit a long range chip over the Bemerton keeper that came off the right hand post, bounced along the goalmouth to hit the left hand post before being cleared.

Another good chance fell to substitute Ben Joyce two minutes later. He ran in at the backpost to connect with a deep cross but his diving header slammed against the right hand post and went wide.

Bemerton's best move of the game came in the 81st minute. A flowing counterattack saw the ball moved through the centre of the pitch and then cut back from the left hand side of the box to a Bemerton player in the centre. He rushed his shot and in trying to place it only succeeded in hitting it well wide of the right hand post.

Salisbury made the game safe in the 83rd minute when McLaggon made a dash into the penalty area and was brought down by a defender. The referee awarded a penalty which McLaggon stepped up to take. He hit the ball down the middle as the keeper dived to his right to give Salisbury a 2.0 win.

Game 2: Downton 1.3 Blackfield & Langley (Friendly) 17.07.10

My original plan for today was to head down to Arundel to see their match against Bournemouth but after hearing the visitors had withdrawn from the game I decided to stay local and catch up on a couple of Wessex League teams.

This weekend last year I watched Wessex 1 team Downton take on a Wessex Premier team so I thought I'd take a trip down to Wick Lane to see if they could improve on last year's 7.1 defeat to New Milton Town.

Today's opposition were Blackfield & Langley who are managed by ex-Pompey and Saints defender Jon Gittens. I arrived about ten minutes before kick off and wandered over to the main stand to shelter from the bright sun that had been covered by clouds over Salisbury. A real change from last year when I had sat in the same spot to shelter from a torrential downpour! There was no charge or programme for the match.

I was looking forward to seeing how Dec McGregor would link up with new signing Danny Western from Amesbury Town as both players have a good goalscoring record at this level. While there were some decent moves from both teams, neither keeper was really troubled until the 32nd minute when the referee awarded a penalty to the visitors at the far end.

The keeper's preparation for the penalty was unusual. He crouched down in the centre of the goal and waited until the Blackfield captain started his run up. Before the ball was struck the keeper stood up and moved two paces to the right. This put him in exactly the right spot to save the kick and he pushed the ball away.

A great save but his clean sheet only lasted for another minute. Blackfield won a freekick on the left side of the area and played the ball into the centre. Their captain, a centreback, had stayed upfield following the penalty and he forced a header past the keeper from six yards out.

Downton hadn't created much in front of goal but a long through ball in the 40th minute split the Blackfield defence. Western ran onto the ball and as the keeper rushed out to meet him, he carefully chipped the ball up into the air and tried to round the keeper to play it in. The keeper wasn't having any of it and put his arm straight out and into Western's face. The ball came down, bounced back and ended up in the net before the covering defender could reach it.

The game had come to life and Blackfield almost retook the lead 2 minutes before halftime. Another freekick from the left was carefully passed past the wall and the ball was then crossed into the centre. A carefully placed low shot was out of the keeper's reach but hit the left post and rebounded out.

Both sides stayed out on the pitch for their half time teamtalks which meant the referee was able to get the second half started after a ten minute break. The only talking point of the first period was Downton sub Matt Holmes walking off the pitch and back to the changing room. It looked for a moment like he had been sent off but the manager put a sub on in his place. When the keeper asked what had happened it transpired that Holmes hadn't reacted well to some constructive advice and had decided not to carry on playing.

Downton's keeper wasn't confident in kicking the ball from his six yard box and scuffed one effort straight to a Blackfield player who ran into the penalty area only to overrun the ball back to the keeper when he could have taken a shot.

Blackfield took the lead in the 67th minute from another goalkeeping error. The ball was crossed into the penalty area from a corner and it looked like the keeper had caught the ball. However he let the ball slip from his grasp and as he scrambled back to try and retrieve it a Blackfield player knocked the ball into the centre. One of his team mates was the quickest to move in towards the empty net and had the easy job of tapping the ball in.

This lead was extended in the 78th minute from a corner. The ball was crossed into the centre and Blackfield's captain was in the right place again to head the ball down into the ground and watch it bounce up into the net. The game finished 3.1 to the visitors - an improvement on last year but not the positive result that Downton would have been hoping for.

Game 1: Brockenhurst 2.3 Highworth Town (Friendly) 10.07.10

With the final games of the World Cup taking place this weekend it seemed strange to be heading off to the first friendly match of the new season. To make the most of the good weather I decided on a revisit to Brockenhurst as I've only been there for an evening game and wanted to get some better pictures of the ground.

It turned out that the train fare to Lymington Pier was the same price as to Brockenhurst so I took a trip down to the seaside and back before the game. After strolling past some New Forest ponies taking shelter from the sun outside Lloyds Bank I arrived at the ground. There was a 4 page photocopied programme for the match which was included in the £2 admission.

Highworth Town play in the Hellenic League at Step 5, the same level as Brockenhurst so I was looking forward to seeing how the Wessex team would fare against 'foreign' opposition. As you might expect from a first game, both teams were a little rusty and to start with some of the passing wasn't finding the intended target.

Highworth took the lead in the 16th minute with a great individual move. The ball was played down the right wing and in a move Dutch superstar Arjen Robben would have been proud of, the recipient of the pass cut inside past a tackle before running across the area and hitting a shot past the keeper.

It had been a great finish for the first goal of the season but the second would been even more special. Throughout the World Cup the highly paid superstars have watched most of their freekicks fly harmlessly 20 feet over the crossbar. Brockenhurst's 10 showed them how it should be done in the 18th minute. He hit a superb freekick round the right side of the wall which flew past the keeper's diving hand into the bottom of the goal. I doubt I'll see a better hit freekick for a long time!

Brockenhurst now had the momentum and scored a second goal in the 24th minute. A Highworth player underhit a backpass which allowed a Brockenhurst player to run in to the area with the ball and chip the keeper. The ball curved to the right but remained on target and gave the home team a 2.1 half time lead.

Both teams made a number of substitutions at the start of the second half as the game started to stretch in the heat. Brockenhurst kept possession well and tried to play the ball through the Highworth defence. On several occasions this tactic broke down as the proposed recipient of the pass was offside when the ball was played to them. Highworth were attacking as a unit with the whole team pushing up when they had possession.

This tactic finally paid off in the 76th minute when a deep cross eluded the defence and found a Highworth player unmarked close to the goal. He placed a low shot on target that the Brockenhurst keeper couldn't quite get a hand to.

The game was really entertaining as both teams decided to press on and try and get a winner. Brockenhurst didn't commit players forward into the penalty area quickly enough which allowed the Highworth defence time to close players down. In the 78th minute a delicate chip was deflected just over the crossbar and from the resulting corner, Highworth almost scored when a free header was hit hard but over the bar.

It looked like the game would end in a tie but Highworth had other ideas. In the 89th minute the Brockenhurst keeper was just about able to keep the ball out from a flicked header. A minute later and another long, deep cross looked like it was hit in from my vantage point but it turned out to be an own goal by a home player. On the balance of play the visitors had edged it for me but it was a shame that the great freekick didn't contribute to a win.

2009-10 Season Summary

Games seen: 55

Goals scored: 208

Highest Scoring Game: 9 - Salisbury City 5.4 Southampton

Lowest Scoring Game: 1 - AFC Portchester v Verwood Town, Laverstock & Ford v Poole Town, Calne Town v Downton, Salisbury City v York City, v Stevenage Borough, v Barrow, South Korea v Serbia

Goal Average: 3.78

Grounds Visited: 26

New Grounds Visited: 16

Game 55: Laverstock & Ford 3.4 Calne Town (Wilts Senior Cup Final) 04.05.10

After a short break in Texas that included a trip to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, it was nice to be back on home soil to take in a short drive up to the Ray Mac for the Wiltshire Senior Cup final. Both finalists had similar seasons that ended in relegation, Calne finishing bottom of the Western Premier and Laverstock finishing second from bottom in the Wessex Premier.

Calne took the lead in the 7th minute from a breakaway attack. The ball was played over the top of the Laverstock defence, allowing a Calne player to take it down the right side before crossing to a team mate on the left side of the box. He put the ball into the area where an unmarked teammate placed a header past the keeper.

A good start almost became a dream start two minutes later. A freekick from the edge of the area hit the post and rebounded out to a Calne player. His effort came back off the crossbar to another teammate who hit the ball into the goal only to be given offside. Calne were dominating play and almost scored again with a header in the 18th minute from a corner, only to see the post come to Laverstock’s rescue again. In the 25th minute the Laverstock defence was found wanting again as a Calne player was left unmarked in the box. His header was blocked by the keeper who managed to push the ball away from the feet of an onrushing Calne player.

Laverstock had their first genuine chance to score in the 28th minute. A low cross from the left found a Laverstock player in the box but he put his shot well wide. This seemed to put some urgency back into the Calne players and they extended their lead in the 30th minute. A ball into the penalty area again found an unmarked player who scored with a close range header. Laverstock had a couple of opportunities to pull a goal back before half-time but a goal-line clearance and a shot played straight at the keeper preserved Calne’s clean sheet.

Laverstock found themselves 3.0 down in the 55th minute after losing possession of the ball in midfield. The Calne player moved into the centre and took a low shot that was deflected past the keeper and in. It looked as if it would be game up for the local team but they managed to pull a goal back in the 61st minute thanks to a bad error by the Calne keeper. The ball came into the six yard box from a corner and the keeper went to catch it but managed to miss the ball, allowing a Laverstock player in to score with a header into the unguarded net.

Laverstock heads were now up and they had two good chances to reduce the deficit further in the next two minutes. The first opportunity saw a long throw knocked down for a rising shot that just cleared the crossbar. The second was a header over the bar from a deep cross. Laverstock made the most of this momentum in the 65th minute when a forward went through and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper. Unbelievably it was 3.3 less than a minute later as a long ball was pumped into the area and headed over the keeper and in.

Parity had been restored and it seemed that Laverstock would go onto win it but their wild celebrations were forgotten a couple of minutes later when Calne scored the best goal of the evening. A Calne player took the ball down the right, beat his man and cut inside to pass the ball into the area. The pass found a teammate who curled a superb shot past the Laverstock keeper and into the net. Laverstock didn’t give up and the final twenty minutes saw them putting pressure onto Calne but they couldn’t quite manage another comeback. The best chance came eight minutes from time when a high looping header came down onto the crossbar with the keeper beaten and bounced over.

After the final whistle, the Calne players received their medals and the trophy before walking down to take the applause of their supporters and others who had enjoyed a thrilling final. With their recent relegation in mind, the tongue in cheek chorus of “We’re shit and we know we are” went down well with the crowd who appreciated a team that had given their all in today’s match even if that hadn't been the case throughout the season.

Game 54: Cranborne 2.4 Portland United (Dorset Prem) 17.04.10

I wasn't supposed to be at this game. At 2.30pm when I arrived at the Mick Loader Recreation Ground I should have been somewhere over the Atlantic but thanks to an Icelandic volcano our flight had been cancelled. Having scouted the fixtures I decided that I'd take a visit down the A354 to one of the nearest grounds that I hadn't visited before.

This was my first Dorset Premier League match although I had seen visitors Portland United in a competitive fixture at their home ground, a Wessex League game a few years ago against Winchester City.

The ground was a basic set up, 3 sides were railed off with the far goalmouth inaccessible with a field behind it. The teams wandered out to the pitch from the social club and the majority of the spectators followed. Some watched the game from the road behind the dugouts, perhaps to save themselves the £2 admission fee that was collected during the game.

The control and skill of the players was a lower standard than I'm used to watching, though perhaps to be expected as this is a Step 7 league. Portland dominated possession and it was rare that Cranborne got the ball out of their half. They managed to do so in the 18th minute with a rare long ball out of their half. One of their strikers flicked a header on to a team mate who ran through unopposed. His shot was parried out but the striker who headed the ball on had followed up and the ball fell kindly to him. He had an open goal to aim for and made no mistake to give the home team the lead.

Portland seemed a little stunned by this and continued to attack but their composure and final ball was lacking at times. When they did create chances, the ball was either blocked by a defender or it was hit wide or over the bar. It wasn't until the 35th minute that we got to see a clinical finish for the equaliser. One of the Portland players dribbled past his marker on the right edge of the area and put a low shot past the keeper.

Portland created several more chances but the Cranborne keeper made some good saves and when he was beaten, a team mate cleared the ball from the line. Just before halftime Portland looked to be about to take the lead. After some close passing in the area, a Portland player lined up a shot but incredibly hit it wide from 8 yards out when a straight shot would have beaten the keeper. Cranborne were defending very deep and weren't helping themselves by playing goalkicks short so the ball only came out to the backline who were barely out of the penalty area.

At halftime I wandered back to the car and took shelter from the sun while listening to the scores on the radio. I couldn't get a signal on my phone so it was good to be able to go back to old fashioned technology to get the updates.

The second half started in a similar fashion to the end of the first half. Portland were dominating play and it was no surprise when they finally took the lead in the 57th minute. The ball was played along the edge of the area and then chipped over the keeper and into the net. A minute later and they almost extended their lead with a shot that the Cranborne keeper did well to tip onto the crossbar.

Portland's third goal came in the 73rd minute. The ball was crossed into the far corner of the area, headed back into the centre which allowed a sub to flick the ball over the keeper and into the net with his first touch of the ball.

It looked to be game over but Cranborne had other ideas and got themselves back into the game in the 78th minute. One of the players received the ball on the left wing, ran down the left before cutting in towards the centre and hitting a superb shot across the keeper and into the right side of the net. This gave the home team some confidence and they broke away again in the 83rd minute. The player only had the keeper to beat but saw his shot sail past the keeper and then just past the right hand post.

Portland had a close escape so made sure of the 3 points a couple of minutes later. Following a good series of pass, run and move plays, the ball was passed across the area and lashed into the top corner. Cranborne were instantly deflated and their comeback was over. Both teams played out the remainder of the game without creating a clear cut chance and Portland earnt a deserved win.