Members
of the Molten Spartan South Midlands League
Members
of the Southern Counties Floodlit Youth League
|
| Match Report |
| Saturday 8th
March 2008 |
Molten Spartan South
Midlands League Premier Division |
| Leverstock Green |
(1) |
1 |
Wardle 45+1 pen |
| Beaconsfield SYCOB |
(0) |
2 |
O'Connor 84, Lennon 90+6 |
| at Pancake Lane |
Leverstock
Green’s players were left deflated
and aggrieved at the end of a match in
which they were beaten by a deflected
goal at the very end of stoppage time.
League leaders Beaconsfield were behind
until the 84th minute, when a series of
questionable decisions by an
inexperienced referee began to turn the
match in their favour.
Beaconsfield featured former Leverstock
striker Mick Swaysland in their side, and
they had the better of the early stages.
In the 8th minute Paul Brett got on the
end of a free kick from Stuart Swift, but
headed over the bar from close range. On
16 minutes Oliver Godwin hit a shot from
distance on the run that brought a good
save from Carl Tasker.
Leverstock began to play their way into
the match, and had their first chance on
22 minutes. Frankie Jowle cut in from the
touchline and crossed to the far post
where Anthony Page got a header in, but
keeper Nick Hart gathered it. Soon after
Jowle hit a similar cross to the far post
for Allan Arthur, but he was penalised
for a foul on Hart. Jowle also delivered
two more dangerous crosses which Hart did
well to claim.
In the last minute of the half Arthur and
Matt Wardle combined to move the ball
forward into the Beaconsfield box, where
Arthur was about to shoot before being
brought down by Loyd Dennison. The
referee pointed to the spot, and Wardle
stepped up to hit the penalty past Hart
to put Green into a 1-0 half-time lead
that they were good value for.
The second half saw Leverstock mostly on
the back foot as Beaconsfield attacked
down the slope in search of an equaliser.
On 65 minutes a short goal kick from
Tasker was intercepted by Craig
O’Connor, who put substitute Arron
Lennon through on goal, but Lennon’s
shot was tipped over the bar by Tasker.
Eight minutes later Tasker was in action
again as he kept out O’Connor’s
shot from close range.
Despite soaking up a lot of pressure,
Green were still holding onto their lead
inside the last ten minutes when the
controversy began. The game was stopped
for a head injury to Steve Boad. Play
restarted a couple of minutes later with
a throw to Beaconsfield though the ball
had not gone out of play. Even then they
might have been expected to throw the
ball back to Green, but instead they
threw the ball forward, and via a flick-on
it found O’Connor at the far post.
Tasker parried away O’Connor’s
shot and a follow-up effort from
Swaysland, but at the third time of
asking O’Connor buried the rebound
to level the scores in the 84th minute.
The next turning point involved Arthur
and Beaconsfield manager Jamie Jarvis,
who came on as a late substitute. Arthur
had not long been booked when he was on
the receiving end of a foul. As Arthur
was getting up, Jarvis ran over and swung
a punch at him. The referee showed Arthur
a second yellow card and a red card for
an alleged reaction to the foul, but
unbelievably only showed Jarvis a yellow
for his flailing fist.
Now down to ten men, Green were even more
up against it. In the second minute of
stoppage time Arran Taylor-Ives hit a
shot which was deflected onto the bar.
Two minutes later Adrian Sear struck the
bar again with a shot. Still the stoppage
time went on, and Green conceded a free
kick near the opposition corner flag.
The kick was taken from the wrong place
and with a rolling ball, but the referee
and linesman turned a blind eye. The ball
was flicked on to put Lennon in on goal.
Jamie Parsons dived in to block
Lennon’s shot, but unfortunately the
deflection off Parsons sent the ball
spinning up and over Tasker’s head
to give Beaconsfield a flukey winner in
the sixth minute of stoppage time. The
Green players were justifiably furious,
but could do nothing about it as the
final whistle went within seconds of the
restart. |
| Team: Tasker,
Hull, Flain, Boad (Oliver), West, Page,
Wilson (Parsons), Hawes, Wardle, Arthur,
Jowle. |
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