Abingdon Utd
City 3-1 Abingdon United: A View From The Terraces
City, without both McSporran and Anya, started brightly, though it was the visitors who won the first corner leading to Josias Carbon putting a shot just wide of Steve Smith’s right-hand post.
Almost immediately a good interchange between George Redknap and Leon Woodruffe on the City left allowed the latter to get behind the United defence and produce a cross-cum-shot that Simon Tricker needed to palm over, and, on seven minutes it got even better for City when Redknap and Gardner combined neatly to put Darren Pond in on goal to finish convincingly beyond Tricker’s dive.
The home side lost midfield possession rather too easily a couple of times and Mark Avery had to be at his best to deal with Beechers and Odihambo.
Jon Gardner was finding it hard to avoid the attentions of the United back-line snapping at his heels and, on 14 minutes Mr Field saw fit to give City a free-kick close to the angle of the box. After a brief pause while he dealt with the criticisms of his decisions from Michael Alexis, and moved the wall back something nearer to 10 yards, Alex Stewart lined up his shot and bent it round the wall and just inside the near post with Tricker unsighted and seemingly expecting the shot to his left.
United responded well to this blow and eight minutes later after several attacks had been repulsed a long cross into the box from Ryan Brooks found an unmarked Micheas Herbert in a good position near the six-yard box and he comfortably lifted the ball over Steve Smith to reduce the lead. Lifted by the goal Abingdon pushed the City defence deeper. Beechers produced a mazy run that took him to the goal-line but his cross was scrambled away by the defence; Ryan Curtin collected a misdirected clearance but shot rather hastily off-target; and Brooks finished off a long sprint with a deep cross that was only marginally too high for Josias Carbon’s leap at the far post.
As the visitors committed more to attack City broke effectively from defence to good effect around the half-hour mark. A long pass from James Saulsbury found Gardner and he produced a blistering shot from wide on the edge of the area only to see it crash back into play off the far post with Tricker rooted to the spot, and a minute later Mark Bell’s accurate pass gave Gardner another sight of goal and Tricker did well to push the dipping shot behind for a corner.
With five minutes of the half remaining, and Leon Woodruffe receiving treatment for what looked like a muscle problem, George Redknap had to produce a great tackle to halt Beecher’s run after he had been picked out with a good pass by Carbon.
Steve Davis replaced the injured Woodruffe and, as the defence found its shape again, United twice went close in the closing minutes. Momentary uncertainty between Smith and his defenders gave Anaclet Odihambo an opportunity, but he hesitated and the defence recovered sufficiently to stifle the chance. The same player had an even better chance a minute later when Beechers found him with a telling pass, but his shot was too near the reliable Smith who held it cleanly.
HALF-TIME: Oxford City 2-1 Abingdon United
A cross from Saulsbury caused the visitors a few anxious moments early in the second half, but for the next ten minutes or so they looked the more likely to score the next goal. Curtin tested Smith with a free-kick from 25 yards which was only half cleared as far as Organ who fired well-wide of the target. Another free-kick from Curtin reached the far-post where it was headed back across the goal to Odihambo who put his header just past the post.
Curtin drew a yellow card from Mr Field for a reckless tackle on Gardner and Andy Gunn headed only just wide from the resultant free-kick. A battered Gardner withdrew at this point to be replaced by Mark Jones whose first involvement saw him produce a great pass to Redknap whose shot was just beaten away by the defence.
At the other end Odihambo was again causing problems, firstly with a low drive across the face of the goal that evaded a forest of players, and then with a powerful shot on the run that brought a fine save from Smith.
With twenty minutes remaining City restored the two-goal cushion. A long pass to the left from Jones found Steve Davis making good ground down the flank and his precise cross into the danger area in front of Tricker was met with a firm header from Redknap that gave the keeper no chance.
It looked as though the home side might add to their advantage as a number of high-quality passing movements brought increasing pressure on the United defence. A terrific 35 yard pass from Alex Stewart gave Mark Bell the chance to produce an incisive run and cross that was only inches away from Mark Jones; a series of first-time passes involving Jones, Redknap and Pond led to a Bell shot that was bundled clear; and some fine footwork from Jones gave Redknap a chance for a shot that Tricker did very well indeed to block.
Alexis delivered a cross behind the City defence but no red shirts were close enough to take advantage, and Brooks sliced a shot wide from distance. But the best chance of a second goal for United came in the last minute as Alexis won a corner on the City left and Herbert stole in at the far post but headed wide.
FINAL-SCORE: Oxford City 3-1 Abingdon United
Oxford City: Smith, Saulsbury, Woodruffe (Davis 40), Gunn, Pond, Avery, Gardner (Jones 62), Malone, Stewart (Williams 78), Redknap, Bell,
Abingdon United: Tricker, Moss, Organ, Alexis, Franklin, Carbon (Holden 57), Brooks, Herbert, Odihambo, Beechers (Hemmings 78), Curtin.
Posted by ChrisB on January 1, 2008, 10:00 pm
A good-sized derby crowd shook off hangovers and other seasonal excesses to witness an interesting and competitive match at Court Place Farm this afternoon.City, without both McSporran and Anya, started brightly, though it was the visitors who won the first corner leading to Josias Carbon putting a shot just wide of Steve Smith’s right-hand post.
Almost immediately a good interchange between George Redknap and Leon Woodruffe on the City left allowed the latter to get behind the United defence and produce a cross-cum-shot that Simon Tricker needed to palm over, and, on seven minutes it got even better for City when Redknap and Gardner combined neatly to put Darren Pond in on goal to finish convincingly beyond Tricker’s dive.
The home side lost midfield possession rather too easily a couple of times and Mark Avery had to be at his best to deal with Beechers and Odihambo.
Jon Gardner was finding it hard to avoid the attentions of the United back-line snapping at his heels and, on 14 minutes Mr Field saw fit to give City a free-kick close to the angle of the box. After a brief pause while he dealt with the criticisms of his decisions from Michael Alexis, and moved the wall back something nearer to 10 yards, Alex Stewart lined up his shot and bent it round the wall and just inside the near post with Tricker unsighted and seemingly expecting the shot to his left.
United responded well to this blow and eight minutes later after several attacks had been repulsed a long cross into the box from Ryan Brooks found an unmarked Micheas Herbert in a good position near the six-yard box and he comfortably lifted the ball over Steve Smith to reduce the lead. Lifted by the goal Abingdon pushed the City defence deeper. Beechers produced a mazy run that took him to the goal-line but his cross was scrambled away by the defence; Ryan Curtin collected a misdirected clearance but shot rather hastily off-target; and Brooks finished off a long sprint with a deep cross that was only marginally too high for Josias Carbon’s leap at the far post.
As the visitors committed more to attack City broke effectively from defence to good effect around the half-hour mark. A long pass from James Saulsbury found Gardner and he produced a blistering shot from wide on the edge of the area only to see it crash back into play off the far post with Tricker rooted to the spot, and a minute later Mark Bell’s accurate pass gave Gardner another sight of goal and Tricker did well to push the dipping shot behind for a corner.
With five minutes of the half remaining, and Leon Woodruffe receiving treatment for what looked like a muscle problem, George Redknap had to produce a great tackle to halt Beecher’s run after he had been picked out with a good pass by Carbon.
Steve Davis replaced the injured Woodruffe and, as the defence found its shape again, United twice went close in the closing minutes. Momentary uncertainty between Smith and his defenders gave Anaclet Odihambo an opportunity, but he hesitated and the defence recovered sufficiently to stifle the chance. The same player had an even better chance a minute later when Beechers found him with a telling pass, but his shot was too near the reliable Smith who held it cleanly.
HALF-TIME: Oxford City 2-1 Abingdon United
A cross from Saulsbury caused the visitors a few anxious moments early in the second half, but for the next ten minutes or so they looked the more likely to score the next goal. Curtin tested Smith with a free-kick from 25 yards which was only half cleared as far as Organ who fired well-wide of the target. Another free-kick from Curtin reached the far-post where it was headed back across the goal to Odihambo who put his header just past the post.
Curtin drew a yellow card from Mr Field for a reckless tackle on Gardner and Andy Gunn headed only just wide from the resultant free-kick. A battered Gardner withdrew at this point to be replaced by Mark Jones whose first involvement saw him produce a great pass to Redknap whose shot was just beaten away by the defence.
At the other end Odihambo was again causing problems, firstly with a low drive across the face of the goal that evaded a forest of players, and then with a powerful shot on the run that brought a fine save from Smith.
With twenty minutes remaining City restored the two-goal cushion. A long pass to the left from Jones found Steve Davis making good ground down the flank and his precise cross into the danger area in front of Tricker was met with a firm header from Redknap that gave the keeper no chance.
It looked as though the home side might add to their advantage as a number of high-quality passing movements brought increasing pressure on the United defence. A terrific 35 yard pass from Alex Stewart gave Mark Bell the chance to produce an incisive run and cross that was only inches away from Mark Jones; a series of first-time passes involving Jones, Redknap and Pond led to a Bell shot that was bundled clear; and some fine footwork from Jones gave Redknap a chance for a shot that Tricker did very well indeed to block.
Alexis delivered a cross behind the City defence but no red shirts were close enough to take advantage, and Brooks sliced a shot wide from distance. But the best chance of a second goal for United came in the last minute as Alexis won a corner on the City left and Herbert stole in at the far post but headed wide.
FINAL-SCORE: Oxford City 3-1 Abingdon United
Oxford City: Smith, Saulsbury, Woodruffe (Davis 40), Gunn, Pond, Avery, Gardner (Jones 62), Malone, Stewart (Williams 78), Redknap, Bell,
Abingdon United: Tricker, Moss, Organ, Alexis, Franklin, Carbon (Holden 57), Brooks, Herbert, Odihambo, Beechers (Hemmings 78), Curtin.
posted by Julian at Thursday, February 07, 2008
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