Virginia Water 6 Holyport 1
Combined Counties League Premier Division North
It was a wet and blustery day at Arbour Park, home of Virginia Water, for their pre-Christmas clash with Holyport. Going into the match both teams were in play-off contention, the visitors sitting three points ahead of their hosts in fifth so a close match was expected.
Entry to the game was £8 for adults, £5 for concessions and kids go in free. No printed programme but an online version is available for download here.
I was accompanied to this game by Nick Calvert for his first visit to Arbour Park, and we had a coffee served by a lovely friendly lady in the downstairs bar soon after arriving. Then we headed out to a very wet set of seats in the main stand ready for the game to start.
Holyport had the first couple of chances of the match, the first of which saw Jake Beck-Nardoni find Amari Fashanu inside the box. He cut back inside and hit a low shot which was blocked by Dan Bailey before finding its way to the edge of the area where it was ballooned well over the bar. Moments later another nice move led to a half chance outside the box but it finished with the same result.
In the 16th minute the hosts went ahead. A cross from the right went over the head of the Holyport central defender a suspicion the ball hit Waters Turnell Sinclair on the hand as it came through to Firas Chniba on the left side of the box but the referee waved play on. Chniba beat his man and then fired a low shot across Sam Hayes in the visitors’ goal and into the bottom corner. 1-0
The home side though they’d scored a second minutes later when a nice pass from Chniba found Kweku Lucan in the box, his shot was blocked in a 50/50 challenge with the ball coming loose and poked in but it was deemed to be from an offside position (after lengthy treatment for the two players and a belated decision).
On 25 minutes Virginia Water did double their lead, a quick through by Freddie Solly on the right caught the visitors defence sleeping as Lucan raced clear. He pulled the ball back from the byline finding Sinclair who slid the ball past Hayes from close range. 2-0
Holyport tried to fight back but it just wasn’t happening for them up front. They won a free kick on the edge of the hosts penalty area but the strike only managed to find the heel of one of his team mates on its way goalwards and the ball was cleared.
At the other end a lovely diagonal pass from Jack Mills picked out the run of Solly down the right whose low cross into the six yard box was blocked away only to fall to Cal Hamilton on the edge of the area but he scuffed his shot and Hayes could watch it go wide of the post.
Holyport had a chance to halve the hosts lead when Ryley Campbell was played in inside the box but he tried to hit it with the outside of his right foot and the ball went straight into the arms of Matthew Jones in the home goal.
H-T: Virginia Water 2 Holyport 0
The second half started with the visitors continuing to be forced onto the back foot. Logan Coles lost the ball in a dangerous area midway inside his own half where Hamilton drew the defender to him before playing in Lucan. He hit a low shot to the keepers right which Hayes did well to reach, getting a boot on it to send it to safety.
Holyport struck back following a good run from midfield by Campbell but he snatched at his shot just outside the box and dragged it wide of the far post.
Another defensive lapse led to the hosts grabbing their third in the 53rd minute. An underhit pass across their own box was seized upon by James Goodey and he touched the ball past the advancing keeper before slotting the ball into the empty net. 3-0
Again Holyport responded and after a nice build up Coles made space for a shot and tried a curler into the corner only to see his effort parried away for a corner by Jones. The resulting set piece was swung into the six yard box and headed clear only to fall to Fashanu just inside the area and his low shot went in despite the valiant attempt from Bailey to clear off the line with the ball finishing in the roof of the net. 3-1
Holyport had a half chance soon after and a goal then would’ve made the game interesting but the effort again went over the bar. On the hour Virginia Water were awarded a free kick 20 yards out on the left side of the box and Mills strode up and floated a stunning curling effort over the wall and into the top corner. 4-1
That seemed to knock the stuffing out of the visitors and Waters added a fifth just six minutes later, Hamilton won the ball back in midfield and knocked the ball out to Goodey on the right. His cross-shot caught the swirling wind and sailed over the head of Hayes and into the top corner. 5-1
The hosts were now rampant and another incisive move down the right found Solly in space, he fired a testing ball into the six yard box where it was booted away. The inswinging corner was headed just over at the far post.
Another nice move in midfield involving Mills and Hamilton released Lucan again down the right, the pacy forward sprinted clear of the defence and swept a lovely ball into the box where substitute Guy Davies was on hand to sidefoot past Hayes and make it six. 6-1
The visitors were reduced to ten men in the 78th minute after Harvey Seeman received his second yellow with a fould on the edge of his own box. From the resulting free kick, Mills tried to repeat the stunning finish from earlier but this time Hayes could watch it go over the crossbar.
F-T: Virginia Water 6 Holyport 1 Att: 64
It was a good performance from the hosts who looked dangerous every time they went forward. Mills and Hamilton impressing, bossing the midfield, and the pace of Lucan and the runs from full back from Solly caused the visitors problems all game. This result takes Waters above Holyport and into fifth in the table, same points but ahead on goal difference.
It was a disappointing performance from Holyport who looked second best throughout and didn’t do enough in the final third to test Jones in the home goal. They’ll be hoping it was just a bad day at the office and they can bounce back when Wokingham Town visit next Saturday.
All the best to both teams for the rest of the season and all that is left now is for me to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.
Enjoy your festive season, eat, drink and be merry!