The FTL Futbol Hellenic League.Wednesday, 25th March, 2009.
Premier League.
New seats outnumber crowd as resurgent Wantage maintain finishing touch.
Wantage Town F.C.4(1)OldWoodstockTown F.C.0 (0)
Wantage unveiled their 36 additional new seats in compliance with the F.A’s recession ignoring directive, only to have a crowd of 35 hardy souls, but one of them, a young lady, did use one of the seats to take a mobile call. The Wantage contingent amongst the crowd however enjoyed one of the brightest home displays for a while as Wantage found their finishing touch. Wantage didn’t have the game all their own way. Old Woodstock were industrious and energetic, and Wantage had to work hard to secure the victory as the game hung in the balance, with only one goal separating the two teams, for over an hour. But from the start, the majority of the pressure going forward was applied by Wantage. In the 12th minute, the Referee adjudged a backpass to the experienced Old Woodstock keeper Alan Foster. As the entire Old Woodstock team lined up on the goal line, the ball was touched back to Danny Keen whose well struck drive was deflected on the bar and cleared by brave Old Woodstock defending. In the 23rd minute the pass of the season occurred when Adam Learoyd’s cross field pass took the ball from the left back position to the feet of attacking right winger Gavin Jones, but neither of the Wantage strike pairing of Danny Keen or the impressive Richard Guy could meet Jones’ cross. A minute later the pacey Guy found Keen with a well delivered cross from the left, Alan Foster in the Old Woodstock goal saving well. Richard Guy’s sharp and quick movement in front of goal was refreshing, the Wantage striker going close in the 32nd minute with a header from Gavin Jones’ cross after great build-up play from midfield, where Andy Wallbridge (rolling back the years) and Liam McCullough dominated. The Wantage endeavour was rewarded in the 35th minute when again the lively Guy and Keen partnership combined to force a fine save by Foster, but the rebound from the Old Woodstock keeper fell into the path of Liam McCullough, who struck hard and low to give the home side the lead. As the half came to an end, Wantage lost their way a little and for the last ten minutes of the half Old Woodstock pressed but failed to create a clear opening.
Old Woodstock started the second half as they ended the first, pressing forward but still with unproductive energy. But Wantage slowly but surely started once more to boss the midfield and put pressure on the hard working Old Woodstock defence. Gavin Jones slipped a shot narrowly over after receiving a defence splitting pass from Danny Keen. In the 67th minute Wantage went further ahead when Adam Learoyd’s brilliant header from Sam Belcher’s corner was allegedly deflected past Alan Foster by the alert Danny Keen. In the 78th minute, substitute striker Paul Day saw off the challenge of two defenders to slip the ball past Foster with aplomb to put the home side 3 – 0 up and secure the game. A few minutes later, Wantage’s other substitute striker Sean McKeon’s cross was almost converted by the lively Day. In the 88th minute the new strike pairing combined well, as Day played in McKeon who neatly slipped the ball past Foster to give Wantage their fourth goal.
This was a landmark performance for a landmark occasion as Wantage increased their seating capacity to 10 1 seats. Eleven people took advantage of the seats and I interviewed the young lady who sat on one of the new seats. She said it was good.
On the pitch this performance, together with last Saturday’s impressive win away at Reading Town, was some reward for Manager Richie Bourne’s hard work in shaping this squad, whose slick ball to feet passing at times matched that of any other team at this level. Good form to take into next Saturday’s game against local rivals FairfordTown.
Team.Darryl Simms, Tom Rowe, Liam Illsley, Andy Wallbridge, Gary Swann, Adam Learoyd,
Liam McCullough, Sam Belcher, Richard Guy, Danny Keen, Gavin Jones.
