Premier supported by McGirls Money Management
Caldecote 3 Westoning Recreation Club 0
Saturday, 28 October 2006
League leaders Westoning Recreation Club came to Harvey Close with an unblemished record from their opening nine games which had seen them shoot eight points clear at the head of the table from their nearest rivals Sandy and an amazing thirteen points ahead of their hosts but they were to have their record well and truly blown apart by the reigning champions who turned in their best display of the campaign to serve notice that they will not relinquish their crown to anyone without a fight.
It was the home side who were the quickest into their game with visiting goalkeeper Craig Manning only to happy to conceed a opening minute corner after Lee Marshall who was to prove to be a handful all afternoon brust through his waffle thin cover, then from a Neil Mapletroft corner, Aiden Jones on the backpost was just unable to direct his header onto target with the Rec Boys defence all at sea.
After such a shaky start the visitors gradually found their rhyme with Jim Simpson planting a free kick just the wrong side of Vinny Govoni woodwork before the home custodian was back in action to come off his line to take the ball of the head of Dave Shirley has he run in to meet a pinpointed cross from Danny Pilgrim., but Caldecote were soon imposing their command in the intriguing battle to control the midfield supremacy with first Paul Rannow and Aidan Jones linking well to gift a opening to Bruce Bass who sent his shot just inches wide then Marshall was quick to latch onto a ball delivered from deep by Mapletroft only to be thwarted by a fine block from the visitors John Lynch.
It now seemed only a matter of time before the home side would break the deadlock and perhaps this should have come after twenty-two minutes when Jones drifted by Rec full back Darren Walker to release Marshall whose perfect layback into the path of Paul Gower was blasted high over the crossbar, but within two minutes Gower made amends for his miss when he rose majestically to plant a firm header passed Manning from the edge of the penalty box has he was the quickest to react to a free kick delivered by the impressive Mapletroft.from the halfway line.
The league leaders now knew they were were heading for a tough afternoon, but were to respond in fine fashion and three times within a space of less than five minutes they so nearly got back on level terms, first Pilgrim left Bass chasing shadows to flick the ball into the path of Nick Shirley which brought the save of the game out of Govoni then Bass redeemed himself by being perfectly placed to nod away a goalbound effort from Shirley as he met a Pilgrim corner kick before lady luck was again with the home sides when Pilgrim pulled a ball back from the byeline into the path of Shaun Cooksley whose effort from just ten yards out rattled the crossbar and the rebound from full back Walker was sent high and wide.
But with just five minutes left on the clock before the break, Caldecote doubled their lead in bizaare fashion , it all started with a free kick taken by Mapletroft some twenty yards inside his own half which he lifted high into the Westoning penalty box looking for the head of Basta whose jump appeared to be the reason Manning took his eye off the ball which duly bounced once before landing into the back of the net much to the amazement of Mapletroft who was still smiling when the teams trooped off at the interval despite Basta trying to claim his goal which he clearly never got within two yards of, but by that break the home side should have well and truely have had the points sealed in the bag as first Marshall fired just wide quickly followed by a fine save by Manning with his legs to deny Rannow after a sweeping move involving Basta, Marshall and Jones had torn the Westoning backline to shreads.
After the resumption the visitors came out looking a more determined side and twice in the opening five minutes they so nearly found a way back into the contest, first Shirley sent a glancing header just wide of Govoni uprights then Mapletroft needed to make last ditched tackle on the same player to keep his side two goals ahead, but the home side were in no mood to release their grip on the game and their were strong shouts from their bench for a penalty when Gower was sent sprawling to the ground as he sought to reach a Mapletroft free kick before a jinxing run from Rannow opened the way up for Marshall only to see his effort come back of the legs of Lawrence Abbot.
That killer third goal now looked likely to come at any moment and would have arrived on the hour mark but for a clearance off the goalline by Rob Faulkner to prevent Jones getting on the scoresheet after he had combined well with Marshall, at this stage of the game the league leaders were being rarely seen as an attacking force and even when they did get onto home territory they were to be let down by some poor finishing from Pilgrim who failed to hit the target from close range then substitute Chris Evans who dipped a speculative effort from range over the crossbar.
With the game now entering its closing stages chief tormenter Marshall was back in the thick of the action only to be folied by a save from Manning then Basta was gifted his opportunity to put the game beyond recall only for him to chip his a shot over the woodwork with Manning stranded in no mans land and his fellow defenders nowhere to be seen, Basta with two minutes left was once again to come out second best to Manning as the goalkeeper made a fine save with his legs before in time added on he was finally beaten for the third time when a defence splitting ball from Gower found Marshall who rammed home the final goal and in doing so just clinched the man of the match award away from Mapletroft.
Caldecote, Vinny Govoni, Neil Mapletroft, Sean McKenna, Bruce Bass, Dave Coleman, Geordie Renforth, Paul Gower, Paul Rannow, Aiden Jones, Lee Marshall, Matt Basta, Subs Used, Mark Wright, Roy Anderson, Andrew Cook,
Westoning, Craig Manning, John Lynch, Darren Walker, Lawrence Abbott, Rob Faulkner, Shaun Cooklsey, Mark Griffiths, Dave Shirley, Nick Shirley, Danny Pilgrim, Jim Simpson, Subs Used, Andy Ive, Kevin Wright, Chris Evans,