19/03/2016 – Wormingford Wanderers FC versus Kelvedon Social FC

ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER FOOTBALL LEAGUE                  DIVISION ONE

 

WORMINGFORD WANDERERS FC:    3.       KELVEDON SOCIAL FC:     0.

 

Date:   Saturday 19^th March 2016.                           Venue: Wormingford Playing Fields

 

So far this season I have managed to watch the current, top five teams in each division with two exceptions, Wormingford Wanderers FC, who have quietly sat at the top of Division One all season , the other being FC Clacton Reserves, who, as Nick Knowles would, is on the list. So a short trip to Wormingford was taken where the confident home team would take on Kelvedon Social FC with both teams boasting players in the top four of the divisional goal-scoring table. The pitch was in very good condition, recently cut and rolled, probably by the hard working Secretary, Brian Jones, who also makes the tea and serves at the bar, commendable stuff.

 

Wormingford had lost two key games in February which has allowed other teams to catch up but they still remained thirteen points clear and had beaten today’s opponents by two goals to one in early December and looking at the team sheet before the game commenced it looked a strong team. Kelvedon Social FC on the other hand had to play defender Dawson in goal and had several other faces on show to the team I saw at Bradfield Rovers FC before Christmas

 

The Match Official for this fixture was Susan Newton, who I believe is going for promotion this year and all I can say is that she was excellent, with both teams seemingly marking accordingly, the game was kept moving, decisions were clear, few contentious issues, no cautions in a game played at a high tempo.

 

Wormingford kicked off and when the first attack unfolded Dobson (R) scampered down the left wing to send in a cross which Earle met with his left foot, with Dawson saving low to his left side. A long forward ball from Dobson (L) found Dobson (R) whose second cross of the game was cleared by Canavan and Earle kept up the pressure down the right wing crossing to Whybrow who fouled Tilley near the penalty spot. The home team had taken this game by the scruff of the neck with Kelvedon having to defend deeply and only playing a long ball forward to Long who was a willing runner all game. Dobson (R) made another telling run down the left crossing to Whybrow who played in Haynes whose first time cross was headed over the cross-bar by Close. Long, for the visitors was holding up play when the ball was played into him but initially he lacked support as his team opted to defend rather than attack. Dobson (L) and Pringle in the heart of the home defence were dominant in the air and always made good use of the ball when pushing forward and it took until the seventeenth minute before both teams contested a decision when Brown (L) fouled his namesake, Brown (K) on the half way line. Play continued when Haynes bombed down the right wing to cross, long to the far post where Fitzpatrick had got forward only to shoot high and wide. Leading scorer, Whybrow, picked up a loose ball just outside the penalty area before unleashing a curling shot that flew just wide of the left hand upright which allowed Kelvedon to reach the other end of the pitch where they won a corner due once again to the persistence of Long whose shot cannoned off Fitzpatrick for a corner, however the corner kick was wasted as it went straight to keeper Lynn in what was his first piece of real action.

Whilst the home team dominated they had only had half-chances and really ought to have capitalised on their overall possession and clearly the game needed a goal. Kelvedon seemed to improve as we approached the thirtieth minute, Matthams played the ball out of defence to Long who found Fisher who played the ball wide to Turner whose eventual cross was headed clear by Haynes. Kelvedon followed up this attack with a free-kick which flew straight to Lynn who caught the ball unchallenged and from his throw-out Long committed a foul on Brown (L) just on the half-way line. As mentioned earlier the left footed distribution from Dobson (L) had been very good thus far so when he decided to have a shot at goal, the away defence perhaps thought he was chancing his arm (foot) from that range but the low, firmly struck shot was only parried by keeper Dawson and LUKE WHYBROW was quickest to react inside the six-yard box to slot the ball home. Long was fouled by Fitzpatrick but Wormingford cleared the ball for a throw-in whilst at the other end Dobson (R) blazed over the cross-bar from a poor clearance by Turner following a cross field pass from Earle.

Long was having to back-track into his own half to see the ball such was the home team dominance but whenever in possession he looked capable of causing problems provided he had the support of his team-mates. Dobson (R) linked up with Whybrow whose driven shot cleared the cross-bar and when the next attack also failed some heated words were exchanged within the home team as chances went begging. Another raid by Dobson (R) led to Dawson advancing to catch the low cross but his poor throw-out almost put his team in trouble, then Haynes embarked on a fine run down the right side from a pass by Earle but his cross was cleared by Tilley who just managed to get in front of Whybrow at the near post, good defending! As the half came to a close a poor challenge by Canavan on Close, saw no reaction from the players and this was a feature of the game so far, foul your opponent, get up, hold out a hand to help them up and carry on but from the free-kick Dobson (L) over-hit the ball out of play.

 

HALF-TIME:       1 – 0

 

Despite Kelvedon restarting the second half it was Wormingford through an attack down the right by Close which led to Whybrow kneeing he ball back across the unguarded goal and the home team kept up the momentum they had shown all through the first half. Brown (L) almost set Close away but Whybrow chose to shoot as the players converged on each other and the ball screamed over the cross-bar. Pringle and Close then set up Whybrow whose, first time shot cannoned off Tilley into the arms of keeper, Dawson and Kelvedon followed their defensive duties with an attack with Long taking on Dobson (L) and forcing keeper Lynn to palm the ball away where Haynes cleared up-field. Canavan and Ripper linked up twice in a move down the right side but a poor cross from Canavan followed allowing Dobson (L) to pick up and run with the ball, across the half-way line until he was fouled inside the centre-circle, with his free-kick being floated straight to Dawson. A long kick downfield by Dawson saw Long take the ball down cleanly, run past Pringle only to be stopped by Dobson (L) who seemed to be everywhere this half to win a goal-kick.

Dobson (R) missed a great opportunity to score when he ran past Turner, drew the keeper but placed the ball wide of the far post and a feature of the home team play was their ability to spray the ball around the pitch seemingly knowing that a team-mate would be running onto the ball to switch play and pull the visiting defence out of position. Just before the hour mark Kelvedon replaced Ketteridge with Young and almost immediately Young was chasing forward to close down the home defence which had thus far had plenty of time to clear the ball forward. Ripper, Long and Young were helped in the next meaningful attack when Fisher pushed forward in support and with twenty-five minutes remaining Wormingford replaced Westerman with Curtis who immediately might have scored running onto a loose ball out of defence which keeper Dawson held comfortably. Visiting skipper, Tilley was constantly talking to and encouraging his over-worked players which led to Ripper lobbing the ball forward to Long who was just eased off the ball by Turner inside the six-yard box. Dobson (R) won a corner on the far side and we had not seen many of them in this game where the respective midfield players had almost nullified each other out. Dobson (R) took the corner-kick which was cleared by Tilley but when Whybrow latched onto the loose ball he held his head in his hands as somehow Fisher put in a tremendous last ditch block almost on the goal-line and this danger passed.

Wormingford continued to use the wide flanks of the pitch with both full-backs prepared to attack and over-lap each other in support, Whybrow played Dobson (R) through but he had started his run too early to be caught off-side, this after defender Turner had slipped to lose possession to Whybrow. Just as perhaps we were thinking one goal will win this game, the home team scored again, Haynes attacked down the right wing, Dobson (L) missed his header from the excellent cross with the ball falling to LUKE WHYBROW who turned, only to miss-hit his shot, however the ball bounced awkwardly which caused Dawson to fumble the ball onto the post and into the net, oh well, they all count I suppose but two goal-keeping errors had paved the way for Wormingford. Dobson (R) was replaced by Charlton and Tilley and Whybrow disagreed with each other over a petty foul. With ten minutes to go Dawson elected to clear a cross with his feet, the ball looped up high inside the penalty area off of Whybrow and the fortunate keeper collected properly his time after the ball had bounced twice on its return to earth.

Ripper went down with cramp to be replaced by Newstead who played up-front, whilst Earle ran across the field to find Charlton whose delightful first time cross eluded everyone but once again a poor clearance by Kelvedon allowed the ball to be picked up by Haynes who played THOMAS EARLE into space and he despatched a shot past the diving keeper to make the score-line a bit more realistic. Wormingford continued to press, Kelvedon continued to defend, a cross from Haynes forced Dawson to punch clear whilst Young for the visitors beat three defenders, shoot at goal only for his team-mate Long to effectively get in the way and divert the ball past the wrong side of the post a move which sort of summed up his teams afternoon!

 

FULL TIME:        3 – 0

 

The final score-line perhaps belies the dominance and possession that Wormingford had from the first minute, half chances perhaps, two goals from goal-keeping errors certainly helped but if you give Whybrow any sight of goal then his scoring record speaks for it-self whilst Earle got just reward for a good performance also.

 

This week for my selection for a Man-of-the Match it was probably always going to be a home player such was their teams dominance throughout this game, Dobson (L) rarely missed a challenge either on the ground or in the air, the home midfield was strong and stopped any Kelvedon efforts to progress whilst Dobson (R) who looks to be fit again, Earle with constant unselfish running and Whybrow caused problems all afternoon however many of those attacking efforts emanated from deep on the right side where Haynes was excellent, strong in the tackle, good vision for a ball forward and prepared to get forward at any opportunity to set up and support his eager colleagues

 

Teams:

 

WORMINGFORD WANDERERS FC:         Colours: Royal Blue Shirts, Royal Blue Shorts and Royal Blue Socks.

Danny Lynn., Tom Haynes., Robert Fitzpatrick., Jamie Pringle., Liam Dobson., Lloyd Brown., Jake Westerman., Liam Close., Thomas Earle., Luke Whybrow., Ross Dobson.

 

Manager:                        Lee Whybrow.

Used Substitutes:             Greg Charlton., Martin Curtis.

 

 

KELVEDON SOCIAL FC:                               Colours: Yellow & Black Shirts, Black Shorts and Black Socks.

Gareth Dawson., Ben Turner., Matthew Canavan., Kye brown., Kieran Burton., Robert Tilley., Dan Fisher., Jay Matthams., Shane Ketteridge., Martyn Ripper., Ross Long.

 

Manager:                        Craig Jay.

 

Used Substitutes:             Martin Young., Mark Newstead.

 

Referee:                        M/s Susan Newton                       (Witham).

 

 

Man of the Match:          Tom HAYNES                                  (WORMINGFORD WANDERERS FC)