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Match Reports 13 February 2010

• 

  Fixture

  Tunbridge Wells, 13 February 2010

  Result

  2 - 2 DRAW ( A Devlin, N Poulter )

  Venue

  Away

  Report

  Sutton Valence 2nds dropped 2 points last weekend in a 2-2 draw with Tunbridge Wells. Valence started brightly and dominated the opening exchanges without creating many chances. TW gradually came into the game but the Valence defence held firm. Valence conceded their 1st goal of 2010 when a TW short corner rebounded kindly to the TW forward who slotted home. Valence were level within 5 minutes following a good run down the right from Nat and Andy Devlin clinically dispatched the cross from 2 yards out.

  The second half was a well contested affair with both sides enjoying possession in the middle of the pitch but it was TW who took the lead again when their forward latched onto a loose ball to drill home. With the score still 2-1 Valence were kept in the game thanks to a sublime individual save from Goalkeeper Lee Croucher. Valence increased the pressure on TW with a succession of short corners which eventually saw the ever dangerous Nat Poulter deflecting the ball into the goal from a Ben Tragett shot.

  Team

  Lee Croucher, Finn, Steve Parker, Matt Oakley, Lewis Mitchell, Tom Willson, Tom Morgan, Brett Angel, Ben Tragett (capt), Andy Devlin, Nat Poulter, James Pascoe

  MoM

  Steve Parker

• 

  Fixture

  Sevenoaks, 13 February 2010

  Result

  10 - 1 WIN ( S Wetherill 3, J Stanford 3, B Grabham 2, B Bowens, G Mel )

  Venue

  Home

  Report

  Valence delivered a convincing victory with a score line that had been threatened on many occasions but not for filled. Valence took to the pitch with the memory of loosing 1-nil at the start of the season in a game that they felt was theirs for the taking. With that in mid the tactics were one dimensional, all out attack! From the start Valence played at pace using the every angle of attack to overwhelm the opposition. The sustained pressure resulted in several short corners and shots on target. The first goal came from Bert Bowens, another of his trade mark 3 foot out shots. By the end of the half there had been a goal disallowed for Chad Henderson but Ben Grabham (2) and Scott Wetherill had increased the lead to 4-nil.

  The second half started and Sevenoaks had more control of the game and after a passage of possession they were rewarded with a goal that cut Valence keeper Al-bert clean in half. (It rolled along the floor and in his confusion Al-bert forgot to close his legs and it went straight through him LOL). This galvanised Valence back into action and goals came thick and fast. Scott completed his hat-trick followed by James Stanford, who could have good cause for complaint that he was denied a 4th when he was involved in an open goal clash of sticks with his captain with resulted in both players missing the ball and the goal. DOH.

  Gavin Mel completed the rout and sealed a great victory with the last goal of the game. Man of the match goes to James Costin at right back who played an outstanding defensive game and was also instrumental in distributing the ball to the midfield for several of the attacking plays. He showed great skill and ability to read the game and command his position throughout the game.

  MoM

  James Costin

• 

  Fixture

  Wellcome Unicorns, 13 February 2010

  Result

  3 - 3 DRAW ( S Aylott 2, Unknown )

  Venue

  Away

  Report

  As we were waiting to play, it started snowing so we knew it was going to be a cold one! Both teams had good possession and good play. Valence getting the better of the first half, going 3-1 up through two excellent strikes from Simon.

  Second half started poorly for Valence. We conceded a lot of penalty corners. After two of these hit feet and one hit a knee, eventually Wellcome pulled one back. After this, they had the better of the play and scored an equaliser.

  Valence always looked capable of getting a winner, but never managed to put one away, so the score remained at 3-3, which was disappointing. This now means we have to at least draw with Holcombe to keep us top of the league.

  Team

  Olly Aldridge; Iain Simmons, Phil Morris, Nick Hall; Simon Aylott, Nick Gray, Alan Day, Justin Baker; Pradeep Parmar, Dan Armstrong, Nick Ryder, James Costin

  MoM

  Monkey for umpiring in awful conditions!!

• 

  Fixture

  Canterbury Friars, 13 February 2010

  Result

  1 - 5 LOSS ( C Worsfold )

  Venue

  Home

  Report

  The score does not do justice to the actual balance of the game, honest, as unfortunately Canterbury were rather gifted their first two goals in the first half during a period of some defensive 'misunderstandings' on a late snowy afternoon. It was in this section of the game that Steve Mole, in receipt of some flak from his Captain for not getting the ball away upfield quickly enough, presented Canterbury Friars's centre-forward with a perfect pass-back, when he had meant to pass it to his Captain in the spirit of 'you clear it then!' Fortunately the Friars' player was so startled by the accuracy of the pass that he messed up his collection of it and it was cleared.

  In between Canterbury's first two goals Sutton Valence had scored one, when Charles Worsfold clipped a ball bouncing into the dee past the advancing keeper.

  The second half saw better co-ordination from the backs, and Steve Mole moving the ball well up to the attacking forwards. The forwards were just short of that final accurate conversion on a number of occasions, with Paul Linaker's shot being deflected onto the post by the keeper and Henry Humphrey making regular telling runs into the dee whilst Charles Worsfold was ready to have a strike at anything within reach. The mid-field partnership of Stuart Bates and new player Jeremy Hewlett was particularly effective at harrying the opposition.

  Once more, a handfull of short corners was gained without anything to show from them; they could so easily have changed the direction of the game.

  Whilst Valence got the opportunies but failed to put them away, Canterbury showed no such reluctance and scored three more times from less chances.

  Team

  Dave Britton; Rob King; Gray Smith-Laing; Phil Higgins; Jeremy Hewlett; Stuart Bates; Dave Barton; Steve Mole; Charles Worsfold; Henry Humphrey; Paul Linaker.

  MoM

  Henry Humphrey / Jeremy Hewlett

• 

  Fixture

  Dartford Ladies, 13 February 2010

  Result

  7 - 2 WIN ( E Sullivan 3, M Turner 3, Own Goal )

  Venue

  Away

  Report

  Roles were reversed for this match in that Sutton Russets had 9 players and Dartford Ladies 3 had a full team. Sutton Russets took a while to get in to the game but after Dartford broke through their defence to take and early lead they picked up their play and finished the first half 3 - 2 up.

  In the second half Sutton Russets forwards linked up well and scored a further 3 goals. Dartford were unfortunate to score an own goal to make the final score Dartford 2, Sutton Russets 7.

  Sutton Russets defence and mid field players worked hard throughtout the game to get the ball to the forwards and also prevent Dartford scoring. Thanks to Amelia Shaw for playing in goal this week.

  Team

  Ameila Shaw, Claire Edmed, Carol Turner, Nicola Andrews, Ellie Grey, Morgan Neale, Emily Sullivan, Alex Auger, Margaret Turner

  MoM

  Morgan Neale