Partridge Green II 3-1 Southwater III
On a raw Saturday afternoon in Partridge Green and after three pitch inspections by both teams, as well as the referee, one of the few matches in the West Sussex league kicked off.
Given the conditions and each teams’ position in the league there was some good football played by both sides.
The home team pressed from the start and the two wide men, Plimmer on the left and Mabey on the right, were causing problems for the Southwater defence.
The first goal, after eleven minutes, was well worked from the middle of the park, the ball going wide before being driven low into the box where it was rifled in by Keith Miller.
Southwater reacted well, but with Mark Farrell, Harry Green and Matt Brown resolute in the middle they were struggling, with Ian Bone, the home goalkeeper, only having to extend himself once to hold a shot low at his left hand post.
On forty-seven minutes Partridge Green doubled their lead Adey Taylor’s presence caused confusion in the opponents defence and Miller, again, was on hand to lob the keeper.
Southwater kept pressing, but on the few occasions they managed to pierce the midfield screen, the PG back four, Simon Kelly, Dom Henly, Adey Taylor and Callum Croy stood firm.
The home team wrapped the game up on the hour mark. A low in swinging corner, delivered from the left by Mabey was not dealt with by the defence and Mark Farrell was on hand to crack his shot into the top corner from six yards.
Southwater eventually got their rewards for their persistence with a lovely volley from twenty-five yards, beyond the despairing dive of Bone, into the top right-hand corner of the net.
