Mens 1st XI Match Report
Witham 1st XI v Potters Bar Men's 1st XI
05 November 2011 | by Mark Turpin
After recording their first win of the season last week Potters Bar made the long trip to Witham with a renewed sense of belief. According to our team statistician Witham’s main threat was their short corner routines and in truth this was their only threat. The match boiled down to a team built on short corners versus a team built on flair. This time around short corners won as Witham converted four short corners to win a very evenly contested game.
Potters Bar found themselves behind early as they conceded a short corner which was converted before Chris Chittleborough scored for the second week running to convert a short corner for Bar. A few minutes later there was another Witham short corner and another goal from a well drilled routine. Things then looked to be getting worse as Bar had Ed Greaves yellow carded for controlling a ball above his shoulders. Although there wasn’t another player around him the umpired at the other end of play decided that his actions deserved five minutes on the side. Greaves, like a lot of youngsters, has developed a habit of collecting cards so far this season and I’m sure the league along with the Potters Bar fines master with be keeping a close eye on this. Soon after this the umpire levelled things up by sending one of the Witham players to the side for a time out for the same offence.
As Bar began to realise that the Witham attack lacked conviction they started to grow in the game, pressure from the front six caused the appearance of cracks in the Witham defence. Whybrow started to pick a few passes in between the Witham lines before a run from Sayers drew a number of defenders and allowed him to slip the ball to Turpin in the D. He flicked the ball past the oncoming keeper to make it 2-2. With Bar now back to their full complement they really took control of the game and Witham’s frustration grew and became more vocal.
Just before half time the ball was played into the left channel for Sayers to chance, he took control of the ball and cut inside two defenders heading across the goal. He had the option of Whybrow across the D but decided to smash the ball towards goal where he managed to pick out Turpin who deflected the ball pasted the unknowing keeper and this was enough to see Bar go into half time leading 3-2.
In the second half Witham went back to what they know and looked to get the ball into the 25 and then win a short corner. As boring as this may sound, it proved very effective as they won a number of corners throughout the half. Bar’s defence held strong with Weller in goal coming up with a number of great saves but eventually Witham rolled through their different routines and managed to convert two to make the score 4-3.
Bar struggled to create any real clear cut chances during the second half and with no more short corners Witham weren’t going to change the scoreboard from open play and Bar were left to reflect on a game where they had lead at half time against a team that is second in the league. The next month could be make or break for Potters Bar this season as they play three of the teams around them in the league.
Final Score: Potters Bar 3 - 4 Witham
Goal Scorers: Mark Turpin (2), Chris Chittleborough
Team: Same as ever
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