SYDENHAMS WESSEX PREMIER LEAGUE
CHRISTCHURCH v POOLE TOWN
MATCH RESULT: 0 – 6
1. STEWART KEARN
2. JOHN GRACE
3. SCOTT SANDERSON
4. DAN CRUTCHLEY ©
5. COLIN DAND
6. CHRIS SMITH
7. MARC SMITH (BURT, 72)
8. MARK FAIRBROTHER
9. BEN OSBORNE (GRIFFIN, 60)
10. PAUL ROBERTS
11. JAMES BURDEN (DICKENSON, 45)
SUBS:
12. CALLUM BIRT
14. SAM GRIFFIN
15. BEN DICKENSON
16. DAVID LEGG
17. STEVE LINPOW
Anyone hoping for a repeat of this seasons away fixture went away extremely disappointed. The 5-5 classic at Poole will live long in the memory; this was a game all at Church will hope to forget instantly.
A solid start by Christchurch was instantly undone by sloppy play in the 10th minute.
GOAL, Osborne’s misdirected pass in midfield saw a first time through ball release Poole’s Smith in the inside right channel. Pushed slightly wide by keeper Kearn the Poole forward squared the ball to Preston, who scored unopposed from 8 yards.
Fairbrother trying his best to drag Church back into the game was cynically bought down two minutes after the restart. This signalled a twenty minute spell where a series of niggly challenges disrupted the flow of the game.
A good block challenge from Dand prevented Church from going two down in the 29th minute when the home side failed to deal with a long throw.
Six minutes later a poor decision by the referee saw Chris Smith booked, the Church midfielder judged to have committed a foul when he looked to be the victim. This decision was to prove crucial as just seven minutes later Smith received a second yellow for obstructing a Poole free kick, the ball being smashed at him as he tried to retreat ten yards.
It looked like Christchurch would go into the break with only a one goal deficit, but with seconds remaining until the half time whistle.
GOAL, Cann picking up a loose ball on the edge of the box following a free kick finished with a smart right foot volley low to Kearns’ right.
HALF TIME
Dickenson a half time substitute showed promise with two good runs early in the second half, the second of which forced a corner. However from this attacking position Church fell further behind.
GOAL, the corner was cleared to the edge of the box and a long punt saw Smith in behind Sanderson, the Church midfielder playing in an unfamiliar left back role was unlucky to foul the Poole forward inside the penalty area. Hubbard duly converted the spot kick high into the roof of the net.
With the game now effectively over it was just a question of how many Poole would score. Despite a series of opportunities good goalkeeping and last ditch defending kept the score respectable until the last ten minutes.
Former Church favourite Tom Jeffes on as a second half substitute for the visitors dispossessed Birt in midfield and with the help of a wicked deflection scored from 25 yards. Then in the 86th minute Poole captain Walker scored with a free header from 10 yards.
Preston then scored his second and arguably the goal of the game when he ran fully forty yards down the left wing, finishing with a powerful left foot drive beyond Kearns despairing dive.
FULL TIME
B.Whitehouse