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The Reserve Section Season 2007-2008
West Bergholt v Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves 0 - 1
What a beautiful day for playing football. A bright warm and sunny day greeted the players as they entered the pitch at West Bergholt. A change of name this season from Colchester Town which placed this very useful side in Division Three of the Essex County League as they were deemed a NEW side by the management committee. As a result of this West Bergholt came into this game with a played 12 won 11 drawn 1 set of statistics. Sawbridgeworth Town on the other hand had a good win against C&K Basildon last weekend when they managed a 2-1 win with 8 players so while on a winning run and with a full team plus subs they fancied their chances against the divisional leaders.
Early pressure as expected came from the home side as almost straight from the kick off Amy Piper's goal was laid to siege but the defensive unit of Sawbo held firm. The first twenty minutes was a midfield battle in the middle of the park which Sawbo defended well, and from this stiff defensive unit the odd counter attack was made and twice flowing moves down the left flank caught the Bergholt team on their heels but the final pass was not there to put them under pressure. Twenty five minutes gone and Sawbo attacked down the right this time and the ball was played into the path of Anna Williams who drove into the Bergholt defensive third and saw herself almost one on one with the advancing keeper in the middle of the penalty box but the ball did not run kindly for the Sawbo forward and it was gathered up into the arms of the home keeper. Under pressure from the home side midfield Sawbo played the ball into the path of the opposing attacker who moved into the box and came one on one with Amy Piper who had advanced off her line so quickly she put the forward off and her shot hit Piper in the midriff and rebounded to safety. Vicky Silvester and Shelly Anglin have merged a formidable partnership in the centre of the Sawbow defence and it seemed that if one lost the player the other would clean up and on 30 minutes it was Silvester who calmly slid in to take the ball cleanly from the Bergholt forward as she was about to shoot for goal on the edge of the six yard box. As the first half was coming to an end Bergholt mounted another attack and as the forward came to the edge of the 18 yard box she shot with power at the Sawbo goal, for once with Piper beaten the ball looked as if it was going in but it hit the corner of the upright and cross bar and rebounded back into play, as it did so it caught the arm of a Bergholt forward who was advancing on goal for any rebounds and she gave Sawbo a chance to clear as a free kick was awarded for the hand ball incident.
As a result of a slight pull to her calf Anna Williams was replaced at half time by Jackie Stott. As expected the home side came out for the second half with a determined mood and it looked as if anything in their way was going to be cast aside so it became a more physical battle, but neither side was prepared to give any ground. On 55 minutes a solid defensive position taken by Sawbo's Hayley King saw her go to ground and then sustain an unintentional kick to the right temple. After a lengthy treatment on the pitch and again on the side line King was deemed to be ok to carry on and she resumed her place on the right of midfield. As the half continued Sawbo began to cause themselves more problems by defending very deep and allowing the home side to come into their defensive third and but for some superb keeping by Piper throughout the game Sawbo could at this time been several goals down. West Bergholt were sending wave after wave of attacks and time and again it was defended stoutly but several time snap shots were being made and but for their poor finishing again Sawbo could have conceded goals. On 78 minutes the deadlock was broken though when Sawbo attacked down the left with Hannah Fraser and she crossed the ball into the box where Gaynor Fisher had advanced and she hit the ball first time and sent the ball goal wards. The ball seemed to turn at the last minute and bounced onto the upright and fortunately for Sawbo came back into play where Fisher had moved and she slotted the ball home from 6 yards. This goal was obviously against the game plan of the home side who almost straight from the kick off had a really good attacking move but the final shot flew past the upright. The result was an upset to some but no more than the Sawbo team deserved on the day. It was a very hard fought game that required a great deal of concentration and determination to get a result. Well done to all of Sawbridgeworth that put on the Red and Black. Two wins on the trot, who's next!!!!!!!
Squad: A.Piper, D.Keating, V.Silvester, S.Anglin, S.Wynne, H.King, K.Burt, J.Gregory, H.Fraser, A.Williams, G.Fisher.
Subs used: J.Stott (A.Williams), J.Day (D.Keating). Sub not used A.Anstey.
Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves v C&K Basildon Reserves 2 - 1
No Report as yet
Hutton v Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves 7 - 1
No Report as yet
Benfleet v Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves 4 - 1
No Report as yet
Wormley Rovers v Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves 0-6
On Sunday Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves made the short journey to face Wormley Rovers in the return fixture of the first game of the season. Again in a parallel to that game Sawbo were able to field a full team including subs, with Karen Lau & Claire “Taz” Poulton back for the weekend from University. Before the game the referee & both captains inspected the pitch to determine if it was playable after the downpours of the last few days. With both captains in agreement the game was to go ahead. From the kick-off Sawbo went on the attack & inside 3 minutes had taken the lead, good pressure in the middle of the park had forced the Wormley defenders to panic & put the ball out for a corner. Gregory flighted the ball into the box which was deftly flicked on by Burt & met with a powerful header by King into the back of the net, 1-0. 3 minutes later & the lead was doubled, a neat one-two between Piper & Gregory on the right hand side saw Piper whip a cross into the box, the keeper was unable to collect & Poulton was on hand to tap the ball into the back of the net with her left foot, 2-0. From then on it was one way traffic, with Wormley unable to get out of their own half. On 20 minutes Poulton went down under a challenge as she appeared to be trying to get up the referee let the game continue, the ball was crossed from the right wing for xox to volley the ball powerfully into the back of the net, 3-0. It was only then that it was realised that Poulton was more seriously hurt than first thought. The challenge had left her with a nasty deep gash on the inside of her left knee & an ambulance was called.
That is where this match report finishes as although the game continued, with Sawbo scoring a further 3 goals I had accompanied Taz to the hospital & therefore was unable to see them. After a lengthy time spent at Chase Farm hospital Taz was transferred to a hospital closer to home & was taken down to theatre today in order for the wound to be properly cleaned & stitched. We all wish her a speedy recovery.
Squad: Anstey, Keating, Silvester, Anglin, Fisher, King, Burt, Gregory, xox, Piper & Poulton
Subs: Lau (Poulton), Austin.
Sawbridgeworth Town v West Bergholt 1 - 7
No Report as yet
Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves v Benfleet 2 - 6
Today Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves welcomed Benfleet to Bullfields in what was expected to be a highly competitive game, with Benfleet riding high in the league table. Unfortunately some of the Benfleet players got lost on the way to the ground (didn’t have access to our trusted sat nav!!!) this delayed the kick off by over 20 minutes. The delay would affect Sawbo more as they were caught cold after just 5 minutes when a neat through ball cut the Sawbo defence in half, the Benfleet striker raced onto the ball from what looked like an offside position & coolly slotted the ball past a diving Piper, 0-1. Sawbo tried to regroup & go on the attack but for every foray into the Benfleet half it was matched by a more cutting edge attack from a highly motivated Benfleet team. On 15 minutes it was 0-2 to Benfleet, a quick throw in deep in Sawbo territory was not picked up neither was the Benfleet striker who reacted quickest & walked through on goal to score. Not long after another dubious offside decision went in Benfleet's favour as again their striker was put clear on goal to score. 0-3 With 5 minutes to go Sawbo seemed to spark into life & show glimpses of the cutting edge football they can play. King picked up the ball on the right & went on a mazy run; as she reached the edge of the box she let fly with a powerful drive to beat the diving keeper, 1-3. A minute later a Rapetti shot was fumbled by the keeper but much to her delight there was no follow up. Good work from Austin saw a ball laid off for xox to sting the hands of the Benfleet keeper, as Sawbo finished the half the stronger of the 2 teams.
The 2nd half started with continued pressure from Sawbo, Gregory saw a shot fly inches over the bar & then much to the frustration of the players & supporters the referee failed to award a penalty when not only 1 but 3 Benfleet players appeared to handle the ball as it ricocheted around the penalty box from a Sawbo corner. As the game carried on & Sawbo continued to press high up the pitch they collectively forgot about defending as a team. A through ball from Benfleet’s playmaker put their striker through on goal, Silvester chased back & although she managed to slide in & get her foot to the ball she was unable to fully clear as the ball was curled round Piper, 1-4. Still Sawbo tried to attack & Rapetti & King forced the Benfleet keeper into making saves. After 70 minutes Sawbo were reduced to 10 players when Gregory had to be carried off with a badly twisted ankle. As the game was reaching its climax Benfleet were to score 2 more goals, 1 either side of an Anglin free kick that the Benfleet keeper could only palm into the back of the net. The final score was to finish 2-6 to Benfleet. From an attacking point of view Sawbo played some wonderful pass & move football, however we need to learn that when the attack breaks down to recover our position & to defend as a team as time after time the defence were left without any protection. As we have so many new faces within the team, this season is about learning to play as a unit going forwards as well as defending, today’s game was a harsh lesson but one I think we can only benefit from going into the 2nd half of the season.
Squad: Piper, Wynne, Silvester, Anglin, xox, King, Burt, Gregory, Austin, Perry & Rapetti
C & K Basildon Reserves LFC V Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves 0-3
After the enthusiastic response to training during the week Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves were looking forward to the away trip to C & K Basildon Reserves. With the sat nav fixed & no directions to Welwyn Garden in sight we headed off with great expectations. Again there were forced changes to the line up with Cath Shaw unavailable due to work commitments & Vicky Silvester playing for the 1st team. We welcomed Gaynor Fisher into the line up & managed to again convince xox to delay her departure for work in order to play in an unfamiliar position of striker. Straight from the kick off Sawbo went on the attack pressuring the Basildon defence into making a mistake, when a back pass was picked up by the keeper. From the indirect free kick xox rolled the ball for Burt to strike but her effort was blocked by a sea of bodies. 2 minutes later a powerful effort was handballed by a Basildon defender in the box, but much to the bewilderment of everyone no penalty was given!!! On 7 minutes King was able to intercept a pass in midfield & powered forward she passed to xox whose powerful effort cannoned off the cross bar down onto the line & out with Austin unable to finish the follow up. For the next 20 minutes there was a lot of sustained pressure from the Sawbo team, with the defence hardly called in to action. On 30 minutes a good combination between xox & Wynne saw a xox set up Gregory who unselfishly moved the ball on for Anglin to shoot just over the bar. On the 41st minute Sawbo believed they had got the break through when Anglin again let fly with a fierce shot from just outside the box, the keeper got her hands to it but only managed to push it up & in to the net behind only for the referee to disallow the effort for a player being offside in the penalty area. The break threw did come 2 minutes later when Rapetti faced with several defenders around her some how managed to keep hold of the ball & weave her way through into the box, her low shot then nestled in the back of the net for a well earned lead 0-1 at half time. The second half started a lot more evenly as Basildon went on the attack, but luckily for Sawbo, Basildon’s final balls lacked the punch to harm their defence. Sawbo realising they need to keep going stepped up the pressure again for the next 20 minutes but were unable to get the killer 2nd goal they wanted. Then as it looked like the game was destined to finish 0-1, Sawbo managed to win the ball back in midfield & a good passing move between Burt, King, Rapetti & Gregory saw Gregory lay the ball on for xox to curl the ball over the keeper from the edge of the box 0-2. 2 minutes later & the score line was 0-3, Sawbo took a corner from the right hand side which was cleared by the Basildon defence. The clearance was controlled by Keating & her pass set xox free, from the cross the ball was knocked on by Austin & finished by Burt who had turned to strike the ball whilst seeming to lose her balance. That was to be the final chance of the game. As the referee blew the final whistle the whole team were jubilant & as manager I am extremely happy not only with the performance but the attitude shown by the whole team, all of which deserved the victory.
Squad: Piper, Keating, Fisher, Anglin, Wynne, King, Burt, Gregory, Austin, Rapetti & xox.
Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves v Hutton 0-8
Today Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves welcomed the visit of Hutton after another enforced week off due to player unavailability the week before. Hutton although a newly formed team, were in fact Brentwood Town Reserves, who we had enjoyed playing the season before. Therefore we were looking forward to a good contest. Having coerced xox into playing for us for the 1st half before heading off to work, we were in the unusual position of having 12 players!!! The first 25 minutes of the game were a scrappy affair with neither team getting the upper edge, the only action of any note was xox being unable to get a touch onto a floated free kick into the box. Then Hutton were to take the lead, a breakdown in communication between players saw a Hutton player free on the left wing she picked up the ball & ran unchallenged into the box, her low curling shot was to evade Piper in goal & nestle in the far corner 0-1. This seemed to spark Sawbo into life & from the next attack a neat through ball from Rapetti saw Gregory through on goal but her powerful shot went agonisingly just over the crossbar. With the minutes of the half ticking away, Sawbo were forced to make changes so that xox could go to work, Austin came on & slotted into the left wing position with Wynne dropping back to left back. Hutton were to take advantage of this reshuffle as they broke down the right wing & a low cross was met with a neat volley as Piper came to claim the ball. 0-2 If the first half was scrappy, the second half can only be described as shambolic. Having only conceded due to two lapses of concentration & now playing with the slope in our favour it was decided to move Piper out of goal & upfront with Anglin replacing her in goal. The hope was that this would allow us to press higher up the pitch & get back in the game. After 5 minutes Piper was through on goal but her shot was well saved, from the clearance the Hutton forward was clear on goal, The Sawbo defence having pushed up to far, Anglin came out to clear but the Hutton player coolly rounded her to tap the ball into the empty net 0-3 This was to be the story of the rest of the game, as Sawbo were to be continually caught pushing to far up in the hunt for a goal & missing the speed of Anglin in the back line to cover through balls Sawbo were to concede a further 3 goals. After the game in the dressing room it was agreed to put aside what had happened so far this season & to look to next weeks fixture as the true beginning of the season. It is hoped that the team can unite together & start playing as a team no matter what circumstances are thrown at us.
Squad: Piper, Keating, Silvester, Anglin, xox, King, Rapetti, Burt, Wynne, Millbanks, Gregory. Subs used: Austin.
Witham Town v Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves 8-1
After a weekend off last week Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves were looking forward to their first away game of the season. With “Star mix” in hand we were on our way, after a slight detour due to a road closure & one car heading towards Colchester we finally made it to our destination even if the sat nav kept trying to take us to Welwyn Garden!!! In a case of déjà vu Sawbo were again only able to field a team of 10 due to work commitments & injuries, but that did not stop us being the stronger of the 2 teams at the start of the game. Inside 10 minutes Amy Piper, who had put down her goal keeping gloves to play up front, was put through on goal. Her vicious shot from just outside the box was parried by the Witham keeper who then managed to scramble for the ball at the feet of the on rushing Gregory. The shock of almost conceding to a team of 10 woke Witham up & from their next attack they found their striker through on goal. Although she looked offside she was allowed to continue, Shaw used all her 6ft + frame to stay big & managed to push the shot around the post for a corner. The Sawbo defence stayed strong under the now relentless pressure but on 25 minutes the deadlock was broken when the Witham forwards broke the offside trap & this time managed to round Shaw to go 1-0. From the kick-off whilst Sawbo were trying to reshuffle the midfield Witham capitalised to brake again & score 2-0. All throughout the half Sawbo’s biggest threat came from through balls for Piper to run onto. It was from one of these that Witham would get their 3rd goal when the referee gave Piper offside even though she appeared to be in her own half!! From a quickly taken free kick the ball was played through Sawbo’s defence for the onrushing forwards 3-0. It could of easily been more but for some last ditch defending & Shaw standing firm in goal.
The 2nd half started much like the 1st; Sawbo switched to a 3 man defence & pushed on looking to get back into the game. It worked when on 50 minutes Rapetti chased down a ball on the right wing & swung in a perfect cross for Piper to volley home 3-1. This gave the team hope & they continued to press forward but with players getting tired & a few carrying injuries it was always going to be an uphill battle. On 60 minutes with the score now at 4-1 Piper let fire with a long range effort that clipped the crossbar that was to be her last real contribution of the game when following a crunching challenge she was force to leave the field injured. 10 minutes later & Rapetti who had been feeling ill all day followed her to the sidelines & the team were down to 8. As usual with this team they never give up & carry on to the final whistle no matter the score. Witham would score a further 4 goals in the last 10 minutes when the lack of players & tiredness became to much. Witham finishing the game with an 8-1 victory.
As manager of this team I cannot fault the player’s commitment & attitude in the face of adversity. I also believe that we have the potential in the team to compete in this league providing we can get the same commitment from the other players that are signed for this team!!!
Squad: C Shaw, D Keating, V Silvester, S Anglin, S Wynne, H King, J Gregory, L Rapetti, H Perry, A Piper.
(League Cup 1st Round) Sawbridgeworth Town Res v West Bergholt 0-5
Today Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves welcomed the visit of league leaders West Bergholt to Crofters for a League Cup match. Due to work commitments and injuries Sawbo would start the game with only 9 players that increased to 10 with a late arrival 20 minutes into the game. However it was these 9 players that would start the match the brighter of the 2 teams when inside 5 minutes Sawbo managed to force 2 consecutive corners. The 2nd of which was headed agonisingly wide by Silvester. 2 minutes later and Gregory was put through on goal, as the keeper advanced to clear it, Gregory managed to slip it past her. As she went to shoot she seemed to slip allowing a defender to get back and clear the ball. This seemed to wake up the West Bergholt team, who began to realise that it wasn’t going to be as easy as they may have thought against a battling Sawbo team. They began to mount a series of attacks, Amy Piper who was making her debut for Sawbo, had a brilliant game in goal pulling off several fine saves, the most notably tipping the ball over the bar from a vicious long range effort on 35 minutes. As the game reached half time the score was still 0-0 thanks to the whole Sawbo team defending like there lives depended on it.
The 2nd half started much like the 1st when on 5 minutes the more physical West Bergholt team were deemed to have fouled Gregory by barging her off the ball. From the resulting free kick Silvester forced the goal keeper to make a good save. From the next attack Sawbo forced a corner, Silvester found herself free in the box and was able to swivel and shoot but again the keeper did well to save. West Bergholt made a couple of substitutions and their fresh legs seemed to make the difference. After hitting the crossbar twice in the space of 2 minutes the deadlock was broken in the 65 minute. A good move down the right saw the West Bergholt striker reach the edge of the box her shot was just out of reach of the diving Piper, 0-1. 5 minutes later and it was 0-2 when Piper managed to get her hands to a fierce shot but it was not enough to keep the ball out of the net. Piper who had, had a great game was suffering from a knee injury which had got worse as the game went on. This began to hamper her movement and as the whole Sawbo team began to tire from their efforts West Bergholt took advantage to score a further 3 goals in the last 10 minutes. In the end the score line did not reflect the nature of the game, as the whole Sawbo team put in a mammoth performance. Praise should go to everyone not only for the performance but for the attitude and moral within the squad. Lets carry this forward for the rest of the season.
Squad: A.Piper, D.Keating, V.Silvester, S.Anglin, K.Millbanks, H.King, K.Burt, J.Gregory, L.Rapetti, K.Lau.
Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves v Little Oakley 3-5
No Report as yet
Sawbridgeworth Town Reserves v Wormley Rovers 8 - 0
Today’s game was to be the reserves first league game of the season against a team that were new into the Essex league. However it felt like Sawbo were a new team as well with only 2 players in the squad who regularly played week in week out last season. Within in the first 15 minutes of the game it became apparent that Sawbo were likely to have the lion share of the possession with Claire Poulton, Laura Day & Hannah Fraser causing the Wormley defence problems only for their shots to be well saved by the keeper. After 17 minutes the deadlock was broken when a good move between Day & Fraser saw Fraser through on goal & she coolly slotted the ball under the keeper to go 1 nil up. With Wormley still trying to regroup Sawbo capitalised virtually from the kick off & a good move down the right saw Poulton reach the by-line her pulled back cross was almost converted by the on rushing Day. The loose ball was picked up by Fraser who squared for Day to score her first of the game. 2-0. That was to be the end of the scoring in the first half as Sawbo failed to capitalise on their mounting possession. The only downside to the half saw both Sarah Wynne & Donna Keating substituted with niggling knocks that we hope will clear up in time for next weeks game.
The 2nd half started much as the first & within 5 minutes it was 3-0, a clearance from Shelly Anglin found Poulton through on goal with the keeper to beat & she took the goal well. A few minutes later Jackie Day picked up the ball & drove into the middle of the pitch her vicious shot was pushed onto the bar by the keeper & from the resulting corner Sawbo were unable to convert. From a goal kick Poulton was more alert than the Wormley defenders as she picked up the loose ball, her initial shot was saved & the follow up rolled agonisingly across the goal line with Fraser unable to reach. From practically a repeat performance of the last goal kick Laura Day picked up the loose ball but this time managed to beat the keeper for her 2nd of the game. 4-0. As the Wormley team grew tired Sawbo were practically camped in their half & any Wormley attack that did mange to cross the half way line was well dealt with by Vicky Silvester & Shelly Anglin at the back. On the next attack Jackie Stott picked up the ball on the left & fired in a low curling ball towards goal, the defenders were unable to clear & Poulton did very well to get out of the way as the ball eluded the keeper at the far post. 5-0. another good move down the left saw Fraser run into the box with the ball only to be tripped before she could get her shot away, penalty. Ann Anstey stepped up to take it but her attempt went agonisingly over the bar. The next 3 goals came thick & fast as the game was drawing to a close. Sawbo were causing havoc in the Wormley penalty box any time there was a set piece. From a corner the ball ricochet around the box, Fraser was the quickest to react as she swivelled on the ball to volley it home. 6-0. the next corner saw Silvester rise highest to head a powerful & well deserved goal. 7-0 The final goal came from Jo Gregory who had had a great game in the middle of the pitch, she picked up the ball & let fly with a powerful drive from outside the box that nestled in the back of the net. 8-0.
At the end it was a great performance by all & hopefully we can carry on from here to have a great season. Praise should be given to the whole Wormley team who did not give up & we wish them well for the season.
Team:- Williams, Keating, Silvester, Anglin, Wynne, Rapetti, Gregory, Anstey, Fraser, Poulton, L. Day
Subs used: Clifford (Keating), Stott (Rapetti), J. Day (Wynne)
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