Match Report - Saturday 15th November
Hambleden 5 v Winchmore Hill 1
Hambleden's new management team of Mark Coles and Adam Markwell got off to a winning start last Saturday, with their first victory over Winchmore Hill for 2 1/2 years.
On 15 minutes veteran defender Chris Francis, pounced on a loose ball 30 yards out and drilled it right-footed; the ball struck the underside of the cross bar, came down and went in off Winchmore keeper, Andy Robinson's heels, the sort of luck Hambleden have desperately needed of late.
The second goal came in the 23rd minute with Chris Brunning cutting back from the right and delivering a perfect left-footed cross for Jamal Maknin to head home into the top corner from 12 yards. The score remained 2-0 at the break.
In the second half, as in the first as well, Winchmore's only threat came from Ashley Mitchell's long throw-ins, but Hambleden's defence, marshalled by Nikolai Lakovic, dealt with the danger very well all game.
On 69 minutes, Hambleden played some magical stuff, which eventually led to Hudson Rolfe turning a defender inside out in the penalty box, causing his standing leg to be taken out. Rolfe stepped up himself to the resulting penalty and blasted the ball into the left hand corner, sending Robinson the wrong way.
Again on 75 minutes Hambleden started another attack from the back; Adam North carried the ball out and squared to second half substitute, Steve Sanashee. He then played in Brunning down the right who cut inside his marker to coolly lift the ball over the dive of Robinson.
Then came the only real mistake any Hambleden player made all day; a back pass from the halfway line by North seemed to cause keeper Michael Clarke to take an air shot and he could only turn and chase the ball into his unguarded net.
It only took a couple of minutes for Hambleden to regain their composure. On 80 minutes a good kick by Robinson from Winchmore's goal found Sanashee on the halfway line; his perfect header into the path of Rolfe sent Rolfe clear, and as the keeper came out, Rolfe's delicate chip from 20 yards looped over and dropped under the crossbar for his second of the game. Final score 5-1.
Hambleden now enter into a run of three tough cup matches over the next few weeks, starting with Windsor Great Park at the Dene on Saturday in the Maidenhead Norfolkians' Cup, kick-off 1.30pm.
TEAM: Clarke, Francis, Hobson, Lakovic, North, Brunning, Maknin, Mcleod, Cook (P.Rodrigues 70) (Markwell 85), Rolfe, Gordon (Sanashee 60).
Hambleden 5 v Winchmore Hill 1
Hambleden's new management team of Mark Coles and Adam Markwell got off to a winning start last Saturday, with their first victory over Winchmore Hill for 2 1/2 years.
On 15 minutes veteran defender Chris Francis, pounced on a loose ball 30 yards out and drilled it right-footed; the ball struck the underside of the cross bar, came down and went in off Winchmore keeper, Andy Robinson's heels, the sort of luck Hambleden have desperately needed of late.
The second goal came in the 23rd minute with Chris Brunning cutting back from the right and delivering a perfect left-footed cross for Jamal Maknin to head home into the top corner from 12 yards. The score remained 2-0 at the break.
In the second half, as in the first as well, Winchmore's only threat came from Ashley Mitchell's long throw-ins, but Hambleden's defence, marshalled by Nikolai Lakovic, dealt with the danger very well all game.
On 69 minutes, Hambleden played some magical stuff, which eventually led to Hudson Rolfe turning a defender inside out in the penalty box, causing his standing leg to be taken out. Rolfe stepped up himself to the resulting penalty and blasted the ball into the left hand corner, sending Robinson the wrong way.
Again on 75 minutes Hambleden started another attack from the back; Adam North carried the ball out and squared to second half substitute, Steve Sanashee. He then played in Brunning down the right who cut inside his marker to coolly lift the ball over the dive of Robinson.
Then came the only real mistake any Hambleden player made all day; a back pass from the halfway line by North seemed to cause keeper Michael Clarke to take an air shot and he could only turn and chase the ball into his unguarded net.
It only took a couple of minutes for Hambleden to regain their composure. On 80 minutes a good kick by Robinson from Winchmore's goal found Sanashee on the halfway line; his perfect header into the path of Rolfe sent Rolfe clear, and as the keeper came out, Rolfe's delicate chip from 20 yards looped over and dropped under the crossbar for his second of the game. Final score 5-1.
Hambleden now enter into a run of three tough cup matches over the next few weeks, starting with Windsor Great Park at the Dene on Saturday in the Maidenhead Norfolkians' Cup, kick-off 1.30pm.
TEAM: Clarke, Francis, Hobson, Lakovic, North, Brunning, Maknin, Mcleod, Cook (P.Rodrigues 70) (Markwell 85), Rolfe, Gordon (Sanashee 60).