CHRISTCHURCH V NEW MILTON TOWN

SYDENHAMS WESSEX PREMIER LEAGUE

MATCH RESULT: 2 - 3

GOAL SCORERS: PAUL RIDEOUT, JACQUES BERNARD

1. STEWART KEARN
2. ADAM COSTELLO
3. DAVID LEGG
4. DAN CRUTCHLEY
5. STEVE LINPOW
6. JACQUE BERNARD
7. MARK SMITH
8. MARC FAIRBROTHER
9. BEN OSBORNE
10. TOM JEFFES
11. PAUL RIDEOUT

SUBS USED:

BEN HATCH
MARTIN HARRIS
BEN HATCH


In probably their worst performance of the season Christchurch were beaten by the odd goal in five by a hard working keen New Milton side who are battling for points to avoid relegation.

The home side started positively in the first couple of minutes putting three balls into the visitors penalty area but as was the case all night these were cleared relatively easily with no pressure being put on the defenders. In the third minute in their first attack New Milton took the lead when they broke through the middle of the home defence and Avery finished neatly giving Kearn in the home goal no chance.

This spurred Church on and skipper Dan Crutchley had a header cleared off the line and a Tom Jeffes effort was well saved. However the visitors were breaking quickly with their forwards looking lively and it took a Jacque Bernard challenge to avoid a clear run on goal on 22 minutes and on 29 minutes New Milton should have increased their lead but a close range effort went over the bar. Tom Jeffes then spurned two efforts to equalise firstly heading wide from a Costello cross and secondly falling over when in a good position. It came as no surprise when the visitors increased their lead on 36 minutes when Dominic Allen who was lively throughout turned a Church defender on the edge of the penalty area and finished superbly again giving Kearn no chance.

If we thought matters would improve in the second half we were in for an unpleasant shock when on 46 minutes the normally reliable Ben Lucas on as substitute slipped over leaving Allen with a clean run on goal to make it 0-3. From then on the home side applied constant pressure and were rewarded on 73 minutes when a Paul Rideout shot went through a packed penalty area and ended up in the net. Church continued to have the majority of the play but balls into the box were well defended and it was not until injury time that Jacque Bernard netted from close range.

Overall we know Church can play much better than this and I am sure that in forthcoming weeks they will but at the moment they lack a cutting edge in front of goal and if they do not score early in games they have problems. We have every confidence that the manager will sort this out starting at home to Winchester on Saturday.

Donners