Match Report

This fixture was played in driving rain and on a very tricky surface. Considering all the bad weather we’ve had, the pitch held up really well. This was our first game for a month and how it showed. It doesn’t matter how hard you train there is no substitute for matches under your belt to keep your fitness levels going.

Farnborough were second best for the first 25 minutes, we simply did not start the game. It was the worst I’ve seen us play all season. Holwood put in a competitive start to the game winning tackles and creating openings and chances. We didn’t look ‘up for it’ at all and couldn’t string two passes together, the tackles weren’t being won and there was a distinct lack of heart and fight. George Burkett kept the scores level with a superb save, parrying away a certain goal from a thunderously well struck Holwood shot. This save and some poor finishing from Holwood on several occasions meant we were still level. We were riding our luck at this stage. Admittedly the pitch conditions levelled things up and was an advantage to Holwood.

Very gradually we got into the game, Stevens went on one of his powerful bursts forward. Wray and Keyworth showed what they can do on the flanks by getting in some crosses and, at last, we started to win some tackles! Page came on for Black, and Adams went to central defence with Keyworth coming into central midfield. Wray burst forward passing to Stevens who laid it on for Holmes who, in turn, shot into the top right corner of the net. 1-0 up, and certainly against the run of play.

Half time came as we were just finding our feet, however we carried it on into the 2nd half. We looked much more comfortable and were competing well all over the pitch. We looked a different team. Wray latched onto a clearance from Thrussell and pulled the ball back from the byline for Myatt to finish smartly. Fullone went close with a header and Page had a snapshot well saved by the keeper. Stevens made it 3-0 with a few minutes to go after being set up by Hunt finishing with a powerful left footed shot.

I think the main thing the lads battled against were the conditions. Burkett looked absolutely frozen with hardly a thing to do in the 2nd half and all the other lads were finding it tough to keep their muscles and limbs working in the wet and freezing conditions.

This may turn out to be one of those days when you look back over a season and sometimes you can see a defining game, this may well have been it. To play so poorly in the first part of the game and still win surely says something about the team and its achievements so far. However, you only win prizes for finishing top of the table at the end of the season, no awards are presented for the team that’s top in March, with 6 games still left to play! Overconfidence and complacency may well be our main enemies now, we must make sure we defeat them, the same way we’ve dealt with our other opponents this season.