Match Report Tuesday 8th September
Christchurch 1 - 1 Sherborne Town FC
Wessex League
This fixture has been a Sherborne Town benefit over the years (eight wins and one draw, including two 6-1 victories last season), so when the Zebras established a first-half lead it seemed like a case of business as usual.
Christchurch certainly looked up against it. They were firmly rooted in the Wessex Premier basement following six straight defeats. However, those were all on the road and, back on home soil, Church came on strong after the break. But for a fine display between the sticks from Rob Hollard, they would have levelled the scores long before the 85th minute.
Hollard, on his first league start for the club, was one of four changes from Saturday's starting XI at Hamble. Charlie Watson was in for Josh Ansell, Archie Bryce replaced Ash Guppy and Liam Nardiello made way for Jordon Matthews.
This was my fourth trip to Hurn Bridge, each one a Tuesday night. Just as well that Christchurch boast "superb floodlights that have been upgraded to almost 300 LUX giving one of the brightest readings in non league football". As a matter of interest I googled 300 LUX, which I discovered is comfortable indoor lighting for working and reading. No wonder I couldn't see beyond 20 yards! Picking out the home players in dark blue was particularly difficult.
Clearly visible early on was Bryce proving a livewire down the right wing, the only element lacking was a cross to one of his team-mates. He combined nicely with Billy Mullins but the cut-back was intercepted. On 15 minutes a piercing goal kick from Hollard set Bryce scampering down the flank with attacking full-back Aaron White in support. It ended with White being narrowly denied by Church keeper Harry Dillon.
The hosts occasionally offered a threat and in the 24th minute a shot flashed wide. Then there was a sign of things to come five minutes later when Dillon fumbled Bryce's cross with Dec Cornish poised to pounce.
In the 31st minute Dillon flapped again under pressure at Cornish's corner and this time it proved costly. He dropped the ball which was thundered into the roof of the net from close range by Matthews, his first goal for the club.
Cornish then fed Alex Murphy whose curling effort was fisted to safety by a diving Dillon.
Church countered with a fluent move down the left on 43 minutes. The unidentified man in blue cut inside and lashed a shot just over the cross-bar.
A disappointing aspect of Zebras' first-half performance was a wastage of free-kicks in dangerous areas. I counted five that never looked like producing anything of note. Something to work on perhaps.
Half-time 0-1.
Re-energised after the break, Church were soon on the attack. In the 48th minute a shot from distance was fired high and wide. Then a free-kick was smothered by Hollard who, on 54 minutes, was scrambling to his left to parry a low effort away.
Home full-back Hamza Bakkali talked his way into the referee's notebook and was soon instructed by the Church manager to take a pew.
The fact that substitute Angel Younger ended up being named man-of-the-match illustrates how much Church had come alive in the second half.
Zebras' forays up front were sporadic. Murphy made a good break down the right flank, forcing a corner. From Ollie Hebbard's delivery Murphy's glancing header just drifted wide.
The visitors were limited to half-chances. Cornish opened his body and curled a shot which was beaten away by Dillon, who then had much less difficulty saving Ollie Crisp's low effort.
Church's counterattacks were proving troublesome. On 78 minutes a superb cross-field pass from left to right ended with a shot well saved by Hollard. The young keeper was soon in the thick of it again flinging himself to deny another goal-bound effort.
Zebras repeatedly gave the ball away cheaply and were also guilty of conceding too many free-kicks. One floated into the penalty area finished with yet another shot tipped behind by an over-worked Hollard.
The visitors were hanging on and Church duly equalised in the 85th minute. There did not seem much Hollard could do about it. After a bout of head tennis in the penalty area, the ball was spectacularly dispatched into the net by James Storey's overhead kick.
Church still had time to press for a possible late winner, forcing an 89th-minute corner and, with the last kick of the match, firing a free-kick into the Zebras wall.
Their first point of the season and no more than they deserved.
Team: Hollard, White, Watson, Matthews, Williams, Mullins (Hebbard 64), Cornish, Graziano, Murphy, J Crisp, Bryce (O Crisp 70). Subs not used: Haskett, Disson (gk), Dacombe.
Goal: Matthews (31).
Booked: Matthews, Williams.
Attendance: 64.