Smithswood Firs took on one of last seasons Premier elite in St Georges. The team lined up as follows;
Harber
Else
Morris
Rooke
Glenn
Thomas
Evans
Short
Wall
Anderson
Hession
Subs:
Mayers
Harris
Marshall
Wilkins
Sayer
1430 The match kicked off and Smithswood took the game straight to St Georges
1435 Wall attacked down the left and pulled the ball back to Anderson whose shot was saved by the keeper. Anderson wins it back and passes it to Hession who calmly taps in a great team move.
1-0 Scorer: Simon Hession Assist: Aaron Anderson
1438 Hession is fouled outside the box. Short whipped in the free-kick and Rooke narrowly missed at the back post
1447 Wall won a free kick which was crossed in by Rooke. Morris challenged the keeper winning a corner which comes to nothing.
1449 Anderson passes the ball into Hession whose shot was blocked but he was first to react and lay it to Evans who calmly slotted the ball home.
2-0 Scorer: Craig Evans Assist: Simon Hession
1450 Anderson cuts in field and spreads the ball wide to Thomas who beats two defenders and shoots narrowly over the bar
1457 Evans passes wide to Thomas who beats one defender and shoots low making the keeper save
1459 Wall drove at the full back but defenders doubled up on him to shepherd it out of play
1506 Thomas whipped a corner in and Morris almost has a free header but it is just too high for him to get his head on and goes over
1510 Glenn puts in a great tackle on the half way line which bounces nicely to Hession who is almost free but is just crowded out by defenders
1511 Wall and Anderson combine neatly to put Hession through on goal but the keeper is quick off his line and just clears ahead of Hession getting onto the pass
1512 Wall long shot goes just wide
1515 St Georges win a throw on the right. They take it short and get a cross into the box. The cross isn't cleared and drops to their player who buries it in the top corner just before half time
2-1
Paul Ryder's team talk probably changed after conceeding the goal a minute before half time. Ryder wasn't happy with the goal which he said was through poor marking. He also said that they were holding on to the ball for too long and needed to improve their final pass. If the lads could improve in these areas they certainly had the beating of St Georges
1522 Kick off
1528 St Georges corner headed towards goal but headed clear from Morris, an early warning for Smithswood
1530 Wall won the ball back and then skinned their full back and was cynically bought down from behind but the ref didnt produce a card. The free-kick was cleared by their defence
1532 Harris on for Wall who had took one too many dodgy challenges and needed to come off
1535 Snap shot from Harris saved by the keeper
1536 Evans broke from midfield and hammers shot just wide
1537 St Georges won a free-kick on the edge of the area. Their shot was excellently blocked by the wall
1544 Smithswood continue to probe as Thomas feeds the ball into Harris who turns but scuffs his shot. Harris then bends a shot over the bar from outside the box as Smithswood try to put the game beyond St Georges
1549 Thomas skinned their full back and crossed to Anderson whose lay off to Harris just misses Harris as Smithswood continued to press
1551 St Georges win a corner which is headed over by them and is another warning to Smithswood
1551 Mayers comes on for Hession who has run himself into the ground
1553 Mayers first touch sees him show the full back down the line and cut inside and get a shot off with his left foot but is saved by the keeper
1556 High ball by St Georges is not cleared and their striker manages to get a shot off but luckily it goes high and wide
1559 Marshall comes on for the injured Glenn who is in the wars again
1605 Thomas puts a quality ball over the defence to Harris who beats the keeper to the ball. The keeper is up quickly and dives in at Harris again but he beats his diving tackle and crosses into the box but the defence clears
Final Score Smithswood Firs 2-1 St Georges
Man of the Match: Simon Hession
