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U15's v Martlesham
Posted at 17/09/12 - 04:56 PM
Whitton United 1
Martlesham Youth 0
It’s ugly to watch at times, but Whitton are learning. It was a case of another Saturday, another closely fought match, and another three points for them, and it’s all been down to a miserly defence that hasn’t conceded a goal yet to two seasoned Division 1 teams. The titanic physical battles across the pitch today made for an interesting game, if a bit lacking in the flair and individual skill I grew accustomed to last season when there was slightly more room for error. A single Nathan Ambrose goal early in the second half proved to be the winner in a game were tempers were heated but never boiled over.
In a dull first half in which two good sides cancelled each other out, a speculative shot from just inside Whitton’s penalty area by Gregor Tait sailed over goalkeeper Tommy Gibson’s head and came whiskers away from embarrassing him. A strong Whitton penalty appeal also stood out. Having just come on in the 30th minute, winger Harry Munroe, looking to make an immediate impression, cut inside the left flank and stormed into the penalty area, where he was strongly tackled. The cry immediately went up from the Whitton bench, but nothing was given by the referee, who most people there feel was the wrong decision.
Munroe’s reaction to that decision and a couple of others that went against him was to take matters into his own hands, and he spent the rest of the half charging down Martlesham players, striking them down with the odd late challenge.
A sudden explosion of chances arrived after half-time, including the best of the game. Two minutes in Tait robbed left back Leo Ciufo of the ball on the left hand side, ran towards goal, evaded Sam Harris’s desperate lunge before shooting high into Gibson’s grateful hands. Five minutes later Martlesham’s opponents went one better than them, finding the back of the net for the only time. Contrary to where the game looked to be swinging, Josh Turner’s flick on found its way into the path of the onrushing winger Nathan Ambrose, who lobbed goalkeeper Max Juster with his first touch.
Munroe’s bad luck with the referee continued, highlighted when a one-two with John Goodchild resulted in Munroe making a run past is marker that would have put him through on goal effectively, only for the linesman to flag for offside before he could shape to shoot.
The last meaningful of the game should have been a second United goal, after a Martlesham defensive mix up at the back allowed Ambrose to tackle and go round Juster, but his heavy touch got away from him.
Last season it was all about the stylish victories and dominant displays – this season, Whitton are learning the art of grinding out results.
Whitton United
1 Tommy Gibson
2 Owen Hughes
3 Jordan Lay
5 Kai Duncan
6 John Goodchild
7 Taylor Bannister
8 Caine Bloomfield
9 Ryan Sharman
10 Josh Turner
11 Nathan Ambrose
12 Sam Harris
14 Scott Mackay
16 Harry Munroe
17 Leo Ciufo
Martlesham 747s
1 Max Juster
2 Harry Smith-Howell
3 Cameron Hall
4 Ewan Thompson
6 Brett Walsh
7 Ashley Horne
8 Callum Fray
9 Kiran Verma
10 Jake Wardley
11 Gregor Tait
14 Sam Allen
18 W. Bostock
28 Jacob Fenwick