Match Report Saturday 29th August
Sherborne Town FC 1 - 1 Andover New Street
Wessex League
Sherborne Town 1 Andover New Street 1
In a strange state of affairs, Sherborne Town are unbeaten on the road this season yet still haven't recorded a win on home soil. However, this hard-earned point against a strong, physical Andover side would probably have felt like a victory.
Having fallen behind early on, the Zebras had to dig deep to stay in contention. This they accomplished, and by putting the opposition under more pressure in the second half they got their reward with a late, controversial leveller. Street will rue a catalogue of missed chances, but that was down to bad finishing, not bad luck.
Heavy showers in the preceding days brought a tinge of green to a firm tinder-box surface at Raleigh Grove. Ideal conditions for someone like Jimmy Anderson but not for footballers. Keeping the ball under control was not helped by a brisk wind blowing diagonally across the Nuova Italia Arena.
Street struck after only seven minutes. Charlie Watson successfully defended a right-wing cross but from the resultant corner, Malachi Dotse, despite being one of the shortest players in the penalty area, rose highest to direct his header beyond Jack Marshall and into the corner of the net.
It all looked rather too simple, and a stunned Zebras almost conceded again three minutes later when Greg Peel saw his curling effort from 20 yards bounce back off the cross-bar. Shortly after, Issiaga Kaba, given far too much freedom, blazed another shot wide.
It took a quarter of an hour for Zebras, attacking the Castle End, to settle down and they finally found some cohesion with a slick passing move involving four players down the right channel. It ended with Alex Murphy unleashing an angled drive which soared just over the apex of upright and bar.
When the hosts pressed next, along the opposite flank, a dreadful clearance by Street debutant Harry Redknapp junior offered a long-range shooting opportunity but it wasn't taken, the ball whistling over the top.
Then, in front of the dugouts, there was the first of many flashpoints after Zach Hine had wiped out Billy Mullins with an elbow. The ball was yards away, but Hine got away with a caution.
Zebras were still struggling to build attacks, with Street doing a good job of telegraphing their passes. One example was George Bennett cutting out Ash Guppy's menacing low cross into the 18-yard box from the right.
On 25 minutes there was much screaming from Street players as Guppy went in with a high boot on a man in yellow, although he did appear to play the ball. The home winger's name went into the book.
Marshall then launched a huge punt down the middle which was expertly rerouted on the volley by Herrin out to the right wing. Guppy was on the ball in a flash but sadly his delivery into the box drifted behind the goal.
On 37 minutes, following some sloppy play in midfield by the visitors, Murphy made inroads down the left before cutting inside and teeing up Herrin for a shot from the edge of the penalty area. Our No11 couldn't have struck the ball any sweeter but it flashed just outside Luke Cairney's right-hand post and crashed against the advertising hoardings.
Street drove forward and were awarded a soft free-kick in an attacking position down the left channel. The referee seemed to hesitate before giving it, his mind probably made up by howls of protest from the visitors. Delivered by Ollie Erdinc to the back stick, Bennett headed across the goalmouth to Dotse who smashed the ball over the bar when it looked easier to score.
In first-half stoppage time, after the referee had got in the way as two home players tried to exchange passes in the centre circle, Street launched a quick counter down the middle. It ended with Marshall rushing out of his area and tripping Peel. Cue more screeching from the whirling dervishes who were soon swarming around the ref like wasps round a jam jar. Protestations continued when Marshall was shown only yellow instead of red. Had Erdinc scored from the free-kick it would have been hard lines on the Zebras, but fortunately for the hosts it was a powder-puff effort straight into the keeper's arms.
Half-time 0-1.
Street were quick off the blocks after the restart with a low shot denied by Marshall and another, following a corner, blocked. Both defences were putting their bodies on the line. For Zebras, Jake Graziano was an excellent cover for the absent Aaron White at right-back. Graziano has also played left-back and in midfield this term. So versatile, he seems to fit in anywhere, with his scurrying speed and snap in the tackle significant weapons.
Then in the 50th minute Zebras caught Street out by going direct. Murphy was caught by Bennett's boot as he surged down the left, but managed to keep his balance and cross into the box. Joe Crisp was on hand to pick up the pieces only to drill the ball over the cross-bar.
Street were starting to get rattled with Cairney bellowing to his troops to wake up. Bennett, a colossus in the first half, suddenly looked vulnerable to a ball hooked over the top. Guppy's low cross from the right reached Murphy whose goal-bound effort ricocheted off George Higgins. From being in control in the first half, Street were struggling to defend their lines. Redknapp cleared a corner before being involved in a tussle with Herrin as they waited for a throw-in. Players from both sides descended on the scene. Handbags at dawn.
On 62 minutes alarm bells rang at the back for the hosts when Hine fluffed a great opportunity to give Street a two-goal cushion, snatching at an effort and yanking it wide.
Zebras were straight back on the offensive and Mullins was harshly cautioned for shoving Cam Thatcher who was shepherding the ball out for a goal-kick. Cameron Thatcher .... wonder if his middle name is Boris?
Two corners followed for Street and a free-kick saved by Marshall. Then a wasteful Claudio Herbert missed the target. On 75 minutes Kaba, given too much room on the right wing, cut inside and struck a low shot which Marshall did well to divert behind with an outstretched boot. Street forced more corners but were unable to convert any of them against a defensive block well-marshalled by skipper Josh Williams.
Entering the final 10 minutes Murphy, still proving a handful for the Street backline, turned the left full-back inside out before shifting across from the right, finishing with a shot which cannoned off a defender. The ball was coughed up to Herrin just outside the penalty area, and his power-packed volley was charged down 'rugby style' at point-blank range by Jake Rawkins whose hands were protecting his face. Shouts for a penalty rightfully ignored, the outcome was instead a free-kick on the edge of the box. It took four minutes for a comatose Rawkins to be revived, during which time the linesman was copping verbals from the Hampshire contingent for not flagging Murphy offside in the build-up.
Just to rub it in for Street, Zebras equalised from the free-kick. Substitute Dec Cornish's low effort was beaten out by Cairney, but only as far as Crisp who crossed from the right for Murphy to guide a header in-off the back post. The ball was clearly over the line before Cairney clawed it out for a team-mate to hoof upfield, but with no signal from the linesman it seemed as though Street had got away with it. However, after waving play on briefly, the referee called a truce, consulted his assistant and a goal was duly given.
The last few minutes were frenetic. There was even a cavalier push for a late home winner with substitute Jordon Matthews, a defender, featuring in an attacking role. At the other end Josh Ansell did well to snuff out a dangerous attack, conceding a corner, then a late Street opening in the third minute of stoppage time was squandered.
As an exasperated away management team pulled their hair out, the missed chances were filed away under "shoulda, woulda, coulda".
Team: Marshall, Graziano, Watson (Matthews 78), Ansell, Williams, McCabe (Hebbard 67), Guppy (Cornish 62), Mullins, Murphy, J Crisp, Herrin. Subs not used: O Crisp, Hollard.
Goal: Murphy (85).
Booked: Mullins, Guppy, Marshall.
Attendance: 104.
Man-of-the-match: Graziano.