Match Report

Finally back on home soil after a couple of indifferent results on the road, including last week’s hard fought cup quarter final, where the teams were only separated by the quality of our opponents’ striking in front of goal.

The team had a well balanced mix of youth and experience, this coupled with a determination that rippled through our dressing room before the game was to provide the springboard for a well deserved win.

Throughout the afternoon, one of the youngest forward partnerships that Farnborough have fielded in recent years, continually created and converted chances.

Michael Seymour almost opened the scoring when he clipped an incoming cross onto the crossbar. After more concerted and controlled build up play from Farnborough, Harry Bidewell converted the first of his four goals of the afternoon, a magnificent effort for a sixteen year old, possibly Farnborough’s youngest ever player to achieve this feat.

The first half produced further goals from Harry and Gary Harrigan, but Penhill still kept in the game when they broke the offside trap just prior to the break to pull a goal back.

Early in the second period an enforced change had to be made with Paul Edwards replacing the injured Mark Doyle, which in turn caused the team formation to be reshuffled, with Michael Seymour who again showed what an adaptable player he is, swapping attack for defence and Joe Lipton moving into the midfield engine room, from where he provided the nucleus of a fine Farnborough second half performance.

Joe Oatley, Laurence Smith and later Tom Hughes had given Farnborough genuine width all afternoon which enabled our midfield to play in more advanced positions. Joe Lipton and Gary Harrigan both scored fine goals in this period, but it was young Harry who cemented his `man of the Match'' vote by completing his four goal haul, the last of which by taking advantage of the opposition goalkeeper’s hesitance in dealing with a back pass.

Seven goals scored, two in reply, but the performance was underpinned by a fine defensive unit marshalled by Mark Friend with another polished performance from our goalkeeper James Stevens, which ensured that Penhill were not able to take advantage of the way they could break quickly from defence to attack.