13/02/2016 – Dedham Old Boys FC versus Hedinghams United FC

ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE                  DIVISION ONE

 

DEDHAM OLD BOYS FC:           4.       HEDINGHAMS UNITED FC:               3.

 

Date:   Saturday 13^th February 2016.                      Venue: The Drift, Dedham

 

Once again the weather played havoc with my original match choice as the Harold Wood Athletic FC council pitch again fell foul, of the wet conditions so Weeley Athletic FC stood idle, a situation that they cannot really afford to have given that they are challenging on three fronts! Last week they had beaten Hedinghams United FC who visited The Drift at Dedham for a Division One, top half clash with the home team going well at present with one player, Vitelli, (17 goals in 16 games) scoring goals almost at will. Hedinghams arrived without their injured regular goal-keeper, so Manager, O’Dell pluckily pulled on the keepers jersey whilst readjusting his team to accommodate two or three players who had been away on a skiing trip with the damp pitch letting them show off their slalom skills!

 

The Match Official for this fixture was local referee, Paul Lawrie who would assisted by plucky clubmen pressed into action on a cold and damp afternoon with a slight drizzle threatening proceedings. The usual hardy home support had gathered for what we all considered would be a close game, and we were not disappointed.

 

Dedham kicked off and should have had an early corner, given by the linesman with a goal-kick being awarded instead but their attacking intent was fairly obvious and within two minutes the home team had taken the lead, as when Moseley slipped the ball into the penalty area from the right side, JOHN VITELLI was lurking, unmarked, and he scored with ease. Such an early goal against a rearranged team format might have spelt more danger for the visitors but they stuck to their task despite a shot from Moseley testing O’Dell who got his fingers to the ball and deflected the ball for a corner. Hedinghams scored their first equaliser on eleven minutes, a long free-kick taken by Robertson from inside his own half, drifted high to the far corner of the Dedham penalty area and the unmarked JAMIE CHANDLER, normally a defender, today playing upfront, headed home across the face of the goal with Wakefield stranded. With the game settling down both teams played end-to-end football and chances were created and missed but the effort was there to see, Peat made a break down the left wing crossing to the far side where Moseley hit a rising volley only for O’Dell to save low to his left side. Mills made a timely interception, just as Vitelli looked to break forward onto a pass from Moodie and the visitors hit back with Pyman finding Bryant and from his cross George got on the end to send a looping header to the home keeper.

Moseley was winning numerous tackles through midfield looking to set up Vitelli who, on one occasion looked to be off-side but with no flag, he ran on but O’Dell reached the ball first to clear up-field where Bryant, nursing a week old injury, forced Wakefield to save low to his left with Baister clearing the ball out for a throw-in. When Peat played an incisive pass forward from his own half, on eighteen minutes, JOHN VITELLI raced through to score again and re-establish the home teams lead. Peat and George had a running spat crossing the half-way line, a bit of retribution from an earlier clash perhaps, words were exchanged between the players with the referee having the final say with a caution apiece. The long ball to Vitelli did appear a bit obvious but a volley from Peat followed as the Hedinghams defence hesitated then Vitelli played in Welham, whose rasping cross-cum-shot hit the head of Bell and flew over the cross-bar. Baister made a good tackle on Pyman and as the home team pushed forward again O’Dell made a great save to deny Vitelli, who also seemed to have a free attacking role. Pearce embarked on a run down the left side from his own penalty area, riding three challenges before the referee brought play back when the move foundered, the curling free-kick taken by Moseley forced O’Dell to save and in the ensuing goal-mouth scramble the ball was cleared and half-time was greeted by the crowd who rushed to get a welcome cup of tea, served up by the jovial Chris Clark.

 

HALF-TIME:       2 – 1

 

Hedinghams replaced the injured Bryant with Pullinger at the second half re-start and with the visitors attacking, a cross from Webb found George who headed straight at Wakefield, Pullinger was hauled down by Bell in central midfield with the free-kick taken by Pyman forcing Wakefield to punch the ball over the cross-bar. Vitelli broke through again avoiding an off-side flag but O’Dell was quickly out to clear but it was the visitors who conjured up another equaliser, Pyman controlled the ball on the half-way line, shimmied past three midfield players and ran goal-wards, I turned to a Hedinghams supporter and we both thought, he is going to hit this and that is exactly what ALEC PYMAN did, a splendid shot from twenty-five yards that curled away from the keeper into the top right hand corner, class! O’Dell kept up his one man battle with Vitelli, saving at his feet and the game remained even but competitive, that was until fifty-five minutes when Peat with his back to goal on the right hand corner of the penalty area and with nowhere really to go decides to hit a long ball wide to the left side, young defender Lowe lost his footing allowing JOHN VITELLI to score again, his hat-trick, driving the ball hard and low past the diving O’Dell. Hedinghams again to their credit kept going and forced Dedham to defend, they just needed a clinical finisher like the home team, Pyman sent Jones away but Bell got back to defend then when Dedham pushed forward a rare miss-placed pass from Pyman fell to Moseley who played in Moodie but his rising shot cleared the cross-bar and the danger passed.

A long ball from Welch towards Jones almost put Baister in trouble as his clearance only found Webb who passed to Jones and Wakefield had to make a smart save. Another Dedham move from the back started by Campbell and Welham saw the ball reach Halsey who lofted the ball high over the cross-bar. Pullinger was fouled by Robertson but the free-kick taken by Welch did not reach the penalty area and Dedham broke forward with Mills making a fine challenge on Moseley to win the goal-kick. Vitelli hit the base of the post despite the game stopping for a foul on Lowe, and as we moved towards the final twenty minute mark Hedinghams equalised for the third time. Webb made considerable ground down the left wing crossing to Jones who had time to control the ball before playing it back into the path of DANIEL WEBB who curled the ball round the massed defence and into the far corner of the net. Jones forced a corner off of Baister the kick, taken by Webb was flagged as having gone out of play but having been caught by the keeper play continued up-field where Lowe conceded a corner for Dedham.

Vitelli lobbed a loose ball into the side-netting as Hedinghams once again hesitated and when play stopped Dedham replaced Moodie with Mason and soon after when Campbell over-stretched to reach the ball he was replaced by Allston. On seventy-five minutes Dedham took the lead again, Vitelli found himself in a one-on-one situation with Mills and the tiring defender could do little as JOHN VITELLI ran past him and comfortably beat the advancing O’Dell for his fourth goal. Now down to the last fifteen minutes Halsey fouled Chandler, the free-kick from Webb was cleared by Welham, Peat was spoken too at length by the referee for disputing a decision against him when he fouled George, no surprise there then! Another free-kick from Welch caused a scramble in the Dedham six-yard box as Chandler and Jones threatened the latter only managing to foul Allston and the threat disappeared. Lowe was replaced by Argent for Hedinghams and the pace of Mason saw him leave Welch behind only to miss the target. A corner from Halsey fell to Vitelli whose volley was charged down by Mills and the home team made their last change replacing Moseley with Gillies. Despite both Dedham and Hedinghams mounting several more attacks they produced no further goals meaning the home team had won the match.

 

FULL TIME:        4 – 3

 

Well, we expected a close game and this was what we witnessed, both teams had a right go and after seven goals there was not much to choose between the teams, Dedham had useful contributions from Welham, Moseley, Peat and Vitelli whilst Hedinghams had O’Dell, Chandler, Pyman and George in the thick of most of their action.

 

This week for my selection for a Man-of-the Match, I had little trouble deciding this one, as with four goals and plenty of other chances created by un-selfish running and good positioning, John Vitelli gets the nod and I don’t think anyone could complain otherwise, he now heads the Division One scoring chart.

 

Teams:

 

DEDHAM OLD BOYS FC:                                     Colours: Red shirts, Red Shorts and Black Socks.

Kelvin Wakefield., John Pearce., Robert Campbell., Henry Welham., Simon Baister., Daniel Bell (C)., Tristran Moseley., Nathan Moodie., John-Joseph Peat., John Vitelli., Matthew Halsey.

 

Manager:                        Paul Ketley.

Used Substitutes:             Philip Mason., Graeme Gillies., Daniel Allston.

Unused Substitute:           Paul Ketley.

 

 

HEDINGHAMS UNITED FC                                 Colours: Green Shirts, Green Shorts and Black Socks.

Nicholas O’Dell., Harry Lowe., Will Robertson., Stuart Bryant., Daniel Welch., David Mills., Daniel Webb., Sam Jones., Jamie Chandler., Alec Pyman (C)., Sam George.

 

Manager:                        Nicholas O’Dell.

Used Substitutes:             Keith Argent., Barrie Pullinger.

 

Referee:                        Paul Lawrie                     (Thorpe-le-Soken).

 

 

Man of the Match:          John VITELLI                                 (DEDHAM OLD BOYS FC)