Wessex League Division One
After an enforced layoff last week, this weekend started much better with a trip to Sandhurst which is just a 25-minute bus ride away for me. My trust in trains has been destroyed over the first few weeks of the season so for the next few games it’ll be bus all the way! This would be my first game at Bottom Meadow since watching Sandhurst play Abbey Rangers here a couple of years ago.
Entry to the ground was £7, £5 for concessions and there is a printed programme available. The ground, which is shared with Bracknell Town, has changed a bit since my last visit. There is a new hospitality suite on the right side of the pitch and what looks to be a new stand behind the goal at the top end of the ground.
I had a chat with the referee and officials to try and get a photo of the team sheets and was pleasantly surprised to see Anne Marie Godfrey was one of the officials. We first met at my first ever women’s match right back at the start of this project, refereeing the Woodley United v Eversley & California SRWFL match back in 22/23. She’s been rising through the ranks in the Wessex league since and I next saw her on the line a couple of years later at a men’s game in Alton. It’s great to see her progression in the game over the years.
After a catch up with her and with the team sheet photos taken, I had the pleasure to talk with Tony Dean, now back as chairman of Sandhurst, and Raf who is the secretary of the club (and official photographer!). They were very welcoming and it was really nice to chat with them.
Going into the game Sandhurst had made the better start to the season, winning three of their first seven matches and were sitting fifth in the table. Hamworthy, a club based in Poole, were still looking for their first win of the season, sitting in nineteenth place, after taking just two points from their first six games.
So, onto the game and it was a very lively start. The visitors had the first chance, Jamie Ross playing an intelligent pass through to Ben Atiako-Hall who hit a first time shot which keeper Neil Sanneh blocked well.
In the eighth minute the visitors were ahead. Atiako-Hall battled well in midfield to win the ball then went on a run down the right flank into the area to the home byline before chipping a cross into the six-yard box, picking out the unmarked Louis Whetton at the far post, who controlled and stabbed the ball into the net. 0-1
Sandhurst stormed back, Jacob Cowler picked the ball up wide on the left and drove down the wing before cutting inside the full back. He continued his run inside, running past a couple of challenges before being bundled over 30 yards out. Cowler took the resulting free kick and curled a stunning strike goalwards beating Ryan Knibbs at his near post to level the scores in spectacular style. 1-1
The game flowed from end to end as both teams pushed forward looking to go ahead. Ryan Chavez-Munoz shrugged off a challenge and picked out the run of Atiako-Hall but Sannah had read the situation well and got an important touch to halt the run of the forward.
Tiago Moreno on the right for Sandhurst cut inside Jack Kinge-Phillips and dinked a lovely cross towards the back post where defender Louis Bragginton just got enough on his header to take it away from Reece Miller steaming in.
Moreno and Cowler then swapped wings and Cowler began to cause the Hamworthy right back all sorts of problems with his direct style. First, he picked up the ball wide right and played it inside to Miller with his back to goal, he made himself a yard before playing a delicate pass inside the defender to pick out Cowler who fired the ball across the six-yard box but nobody was there to put a finishing touch on it.
Next, he latched onto a through ball and sent a shot towards the near post where Knibbs made a smart save. Cowler then made himself a half chance moments later, knocking the ball outside of the full back and shooting across the box only to see his effort go wide of the far post.
It looked to be only a matter of time until Sandhurst took the lead but as they poured forward, but as is often the case, they got caught by a quick break. A pinpoint pass through the defence from Jamie Ross picked out Chavez-Munoz who in turn picked out the run of Atiako-Hall and he gave the keeper no chance from inside the box. 1-2
The visitors came close again just before the break. Elliot Birtwistle played in Ross down the left flank who flashed a cross into the box looking for the lively Atiako-Hall. Sandhurst captain Conor Alison slid in to block and, with the ball rebounding dangerously, Sanneh managed to get a hand on the ball and divert it away from danger.
H-T: Sandhurst Town 1 Hamworthy United 2
The second half started with the away side looking as if they were going to sit deeper, protect their lead and hit Sandhurst on the break although just three minutes in, Whetton hit a dipping shot on the volley from a lovely pass from Bragginton which sailed towards the goal with Sannah being forced into a smart save to tip the ball away.
The home side pushed forward, a good run and pass on the right from Oli Turner picked out Cowler who ran to the byline before zipping a ball across the box which was well parried away by Knibbs. Miller picked up the loose ball on the edge of the area and got a shot away but didn’t hit it cleanly and dragged it just wide of the far post.
Neither side could force an opening during the opening 15 minutes of the half. Moreno and Cowler had again switched wings and Moreno now playing on the right, drifted inside the full back and tried his luck from 20 yards out but could only find the midriff of Knibbs.
On 65 minutes the home side were back on level terms and there was a touch of good fortune about it. Moreno switched play nicely with a ball out to Cowler on the left, he hit a first-time low cross into the six-yard box which was parried away by Knibbs with the rebound looking like it ricocheted off covering defender Lewis Sainval and, agonisingly for the away side, bounced seemingly in slow motion into the corner of the net. 2-2
It was now all Sandhurst, with the visitors sitting back in the first twenty minutes they were now struggling to get anything going offensively. Jude New did well on the edge of the area and found Miller in space, he hit a first-time left foot shot which curled just past the post with Knibbs beaten.
Still the waves of home attacks kept coming and, in the 79th minute, the home side took the lead for the first time in the match. A long ball forward was pounced on by Miller who outmuscled the defender before calmly stroking the ball past Knibbs and into the bottom corner. 3-2
Now the Fizzers were looking to finish the job and a great run into the box from substitute Felix Hills nearly led to a fourth. Hills went past two defenders before shooting across the Knibbs with Moreno sliding in at the far post just failing to get a touch and the ball went wide.
With a couple of minutes of normal time remaining another ball over the top was picked up by Miller who this time held it up, before passing into the path of New who hit a crisp shot with Knibbs making an excellent save.
F-T: Sandhurst Town 3 Hamworthy United 2
A good come from behind win from the home side in this game, they never gave up, kept plugging away and finally reaped the rewards. They were helped by Hamworthy’s inability to get anything going in the second half, too often giving the ball away in midfield which allowed Sandhurst to constantly put them under pressure.
All in all, a good game and I wish both clubs the very best of luck for the rest of the season.