Division One (East)
Eton Wick 3 Hounslow Borough FC 3
Saturday, 07 December 2002
Hounslow travelled to in-form Eton Wick on Saturday and left wandering how they threw away two points. Hounslow with three draws and two wins out of their last 5 games came into this game full of confidence with the team spirit and a bonding getting stronger with every game, and they attacked their hosts from the first whistle.
As early as the third minute Ian Jones, way out in front of the division?s goal scoring table, made an excellent run but saw his shot fly over the bar. On six minutes Hounslow were caught on the break, a long clearance left the Hounslow defence wanting, and allowed the Eton forward to break free and stroke the ball wide of the outstretched Mark Phillpott in the Hounslow goal. Within a minute Hounslow were on level terms, another attack by man of the match Ben Payne led to a free kick being awarded 20 yards out. And GRAY curled the ball in for his third in as many games. Hounslow then raised their game and gave their hosts a lesson in football, with an excellent display of passing and movement. An excellent run and cross from Payne was fiercely met in the box by Raeburn, who unfortunately couldn?t direct his header wide of the keeper. Ossie Hassan found himself in space when he beat the offside trap but when faced with just the keeper to beat he lost his footing on the sponge like ground and his weakened shot was easily saved by a keeper that was increasingly coming to the rescue of the home side. After dominating the game for the opening forty minutes of the first half Hounslow fell asleep for the final five as Eton scored twice to end the half quite unbelievably in front.
Half Time: 3-1
Hounslow after a half time roasting from Manager Mick Turtle and assistant Daniel Butler came out with determination to control the game, and they did just that, Eton were pushed back further and further, Jones and Hassan going close on several occasions. After good play by John Sharman, returning to the side after injury, the ball fell to JONES in the box and he made no mistake in driving the ball home. Alex Norquoy was replaced with Artan Saliu as Hounslow reverted to a 4-4-2 formation in order to give the team more width in their attacks. Another excellent run and cross from Ben Payne was met strongly by SALIU whose header flew into the top corner of the net. Eton playing more on the break were defending for their lives as time after time the Eton keeper was called into action with the one time he was beaten by an excellent shot by Artan Saliu both posts came to his rescue and the ball flew out. The final whistle came as great relief to Eton and Hounslow left wondering where the two points had gone.
Hounslow Manager Mick Turtle said after the game ? To say we hammered them would be an understatement we outfought them and out played them in their own back yard, three lapses of concentration cost us dearly, but even so we should still have won. The team we are building here is very young with the players on show today just 26, but we are maturing all the time and I was so proud of the way the players reacted in the second half.?
Next Saturday Hounslow travel to current champions Finchampstead who are in third place. The reserves drew 1-1 with Bisley Sports and next week host RS Basingstoke at the conquest
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