HAROLD WOOD ATHLETIC FC
WWW.HAROLDWOODATHLETIC.ORG.UK

Results 2008/09

Saturday 18 October 2008

Wood did not take their foot off the pedal and played probably their best 45 minutes of football all season.  Chance after chance was created and once again, like the fixture at Harold Wood a month previously, the Epping keeper pulled off save after save.   The best two being quite outstanding reflex saves to deny both Portway and Gallen.  Church - looking to add to his hat trick last week - lobbed the keeper only for the spin on the ball to take it agonisingly past the post.  Wood went in at half time with a one goal cushion probably thinking it should have been four or five!

The second half was a totally different affair with Wood not allowed to play their neat attractive football and test the Epping back four.  Wood were pressed and harried by the resurgent Epping who had obviously received a rocket from their manager at Epping at half time!  Wood defended gallantly as Epping forced corner after corner.  It looked as though Wood would hold on for three points, but with about five minutes to go a long throw not properly cleared by Wood allowed the Epping player too fire home through a congested penalty area.

Again 2 more dropped points for Wood who need to start winning games they are dominating if they wish to challenge at the end of the season.

 Oyenuga; Klein, Wettner, Fyffe; McKechan, Rafis (Ziepe) , Ayres, Church, Todd; Portway (Hughes), Gallen

Wood's 2nd XI lost out in the Charity Cup as a combination of a hungover management team and an unfamiliar line up took their toll. Wood went ahead through the impressive Munday only to be pegged back to 1-1 at half time. Manford then took the lead and Wood rallied for Wettner to head home 10 minutes from the end to send the game in to extra time. Wood hung on and were all ready for penalties until Manford nicked a goal right at the end to claim what was a deserved win.

Saturday 11 October 2008

On a lovely Manford pitch neither side created much in the way of chances in the first 20 minutes.  The  stop start whistle happy ref was poor for both sides and never allowed the game to flow.  Once again Wood worked hard and never allowed Manford to settle and play the ball around as they like to.

The first goal of the match came courtesy of a powerful midfield header from Kevin Ayres, who won everything in the air all day.  The ball eventually ended up in the box, with some good skill (I thought it was lucky) from Portway playing the ball into the path of  the advancing Church who slotted into the roof of the net.

The second half saw Manford press for the first 5 minutes but couldn’t find a way through the Wood rearguard, again keeper and back three dealing with what was thrown at them.  Wood should have wrapped up the tie but missed some good opportunities and paid for this when a poor defensive header from Wettner allowed the Manford striker to slot home into an empty net to equalise.

Extra time followed, in the first period Wood, well Church scored the 2 goals too settle the tie.  His second goal of the game came from some good football and a very neat finish past the on rushing keeper.  Not even a second goal of the day for Church could bring a smile to his face!  Church’s third was nearly a carbon copy of the two before.  Again Church latching onto a through ball to dispatch his shot past the keeper.  Three goals in a game this time Church did manage a smile, no doubt because he knew he would win the £25 man of the match award that was up for grabs which was donated by the generous Martin Joyce.

Once again the work rate from Wood was exemplary and a well deserved win puts them into the hat for the next round.  Back to league action next week with revenge on the cards with an away day trip to Epping.

Oyenuga; Klein, Wettner, Fyffe (Holliday Snr); McKechan Rafis, Ayres, Church, Todd; Portway (Stone), Holliday Jnr

Towns only real chance in the first half resulted in a goal.  A good through ball was neatly finished by the Canning Town winger.  A breakaway goal that wasn’t deserved.  Wood went in at half time 1 down but the much better team in terms of possession and work rate.

The second half was like the Alamo with Wood camped in the Town half.  The Wood midfield three dominated the game with the back three of Fyffe, Wettner and Klien not really tested.  Chance after chance seemed to come and go, with everyone guilty of not testing the Town keeper.  Free kick and corners were well defended by Town with Wood unable to find that killer pass or finish.

The equaliser though did soon arrive, courtesy of some good interplay down the left hand side with the ball finding Danny Rafis on the edge of the area, who slotted home for his second goal in two games since returning to the club.  This again lifted Wood who must had thought they would go on and find that winning goal they fully deserved.

 A special mention to the Wood keeper Oyenuga who pulled off a brilliant low save to deny Town with their only note worthy attack of the half

 Once again another positive attacking display from Wood.  Even though a point is better than none it felt like two dropped points.

 Oyenuga; Klein, Wettner, Fyffe; McKechan Rafis, Ziepe, Church (Hughes), Todd; Gallen (Ayres), Airsire

Saturday 27 September 2008

The Wood put in their best performance of the season to beat table topping Ongar Town by a convincing four goals to nil on Saturday.

Wood started brightly with Gallen heading wide within the first two minutes.  Wood shut down and hassled the Ongar players all over the field playing some excellent football when they had the ball.  The hard working midfield five managed to get behind the Ongar back four on numerous occasions with the best chance falling to McKechan who blazed over from 8 yards out.

Wood’s first goal came from Airsire who linked up well with Gallen to force the ball home at the second attempt.  Wood went in at half time one goal to the good and looking very comfortable.

The second half was played for the majority in the Ongar final third.  Wettner and Fyffe must have had a bet before the game to see who was going to win “miss of the season.”  Wettner having two glorious chances from corners not cleared and Fyffe trying to acrobatically score from two yards out, when the chance was harder to miss than score.

Wood got their much deserved second goal from the returning Danny Rafis.  Good trickery at the edge of the box from Airsire who laid the ball back to the advancing Rafis who smashed the ball home!!

Once again the work rate from all of the Wood players was excellent and Ongar never had a sniff of a chance to get back into the game.  The third goal of the afternoon came from Neil McKechan who stabbed home from close range after a cross from Church.  Wood then made a double substitution bringing on Portway and Brown.  Within two minutes Wood were down to ten men.  An eager Brown injuring himself whilst challenging for a ball.  Third sub Mickey Reeves was summoned from his linesman duties which he had been performing admirably all afternoon (unlike his opposite number), only to find their were no shorts to fit him!

Wood played the last 20 minutes with ten men.  This didn’t stop Wood from scoring a fourth with Portway smashing home left footed from just inside the box.  Wood could have extended their lead further but didn’t managed to capitalise on the opportunities.

 An excellent result and a second clean sheet in a row.  Canning Town away next Saturday.

 Oyenuga; Klein, Wettner, Fyffe; McKechan (Brown), Rafis, Ziepe, Church, Todd; Gallen (Portway), Airsire

The first team were unlucky to lose to a poor Epping team. In the first half  Gallen had a goal disallowed for offside despite running from behind the defenders as Wood failed to find any real rhythm.  In the second half, Todd drove home in a congested box to level the scores and later on Portway missed a penalty which would have put Wood 2-1 ahead. Epping stole a goal right at the end as Todd could only turn a cross from the left in to his own goal for Epping to secure an undeserved victory.

Hislop; Todd, Wettner, Brown, Klein ; Ziepe, McKechan, Ayres, Hughes, Gallen (Arisire), Portway.

The third team's game was eventful to say the least. Early on Wood went ahead as Coster ran past his full back and crossed for Sawyer to tap in, then Oldfield added to that lead ten minutes in and Wood were cruising at 2-0. UCC responded with a great strike from 25 yards and then a free kick that could have been saved, so the game was all square at 2-2. In the second half Wood quickly went 4-2 down, and were looking out of it, but Sawyer converted a penalty to claw back to 4-3 after a UCC defender handled deliberately on the line and was sent off. With the extra man advantage, Wood piled on the pressure and James Green levelled after Francois hit the post from a yard out. Sawyer struck the winning goal, again from the spot, after another UCC defender handled in the box.

The first 20 minutes were played at 100 miles per hour with the blustery conditions, a whistle happy ref and narrow pitch not helping. The first chance of the game fell to the Mountnessing striker who capitalised on a defensive error to fire the ball into the bottom corner of the net, one nil to the Boca! 

With five minutes of the half remaining some good work on the right from Hughes, resulted in a low cross to Portway who struck the ball goalwards, only for the keeper to pull off a great save - parrying the ball up into the air. Portway managed to react quickest to nod the ball home.  One apiece at half time.

The second half was played in the same vein as the first, opportunities being very limited.  With 15 minutes to go Mountnessing were reduced to 10 men, due to foul and abusive language.  Minutes later Paul Terry the Wood keeper had to be replaced due to a deep cut about his eye (facial injury no. 597 of his career).  Hughes donned the gloves for the final minutes but was not really tested.  Wood could have taken all three points with a last minute counter attack, which saw right back Church inside the penalty area only for his shot to be smothered by the keeper.  

A scrappy game ended in a one all draw which on reflection was a fair result.

Terry (Milner); Church, Wettner, Klein, Todd; Hughes, Ayres, Brown, Ziepe; Gallen, Portway

Saturday 23 August 2008

Reserve Division Challenge Cup

Saturday’s season curtain raiser saw the most impressive comeback since the Spice Girls world tour of Clacton.

With a slightly unfamiliar line up Wood never really got going in the first half and the lively Shell took the game to them and created a few decent chances. Keeper Wordsell was beaten midway through and Wood went in to the break one down with little to show.

The second half started in similar fashion and Wood found themselves two down after ten minutes as Shell’s lively forward was released down the left and cut in to beat Wordsell at his near post.

Wood tried to raise their game and sent on Huckstepp and changed to a 4-3-3 formation with nothing to lose. The move paid off as Huckstepp’s half volley outside the box was handled giving Jacks the opportunity to curl a left footed free kick over the wall in to the far corner. A goal Wood scarcely deserved, but what an effect it had on their performance.

Balding forward Shepherd started to become more involved and the lively Huckstepp ran hard to shut down Shell’s defenders and make them work. A neat move down the left culminated in Fletcher breaking through and hitting a rising left foot shot over the keeper to draw level.

Wood started to play much better and with Munday all over the place in midfield, looked a real threat going forward. Following this spell of good play in which Wood forced a couple of corners, Fletcher, buoyed by his earlier foray, sent over a left footed cross which dipped in to the goal at the far post.

That was enough to win it and Wood saw the game out comfortably watched by several first team players who were busy improving their fitness by smoking fags and sipping lager out of tins on the touchline.

Skipper Sewell collected the trophy to the cheers of his team mates and the 27 strong crowd, roll on the new season!

Team: Wordsell; Smy, Sewell, Stamp, Fletcher; Munday, Duckworth, Jacks, Ronaldo ; Shepherd, D Wettner. Subs: Huckstepp, Walsh, Gilliballs.