Second Team Match Reports

September | October

Buxted II  4  Fletching II 2
Saturday 7th November, Malins Cup Round 1

On paper Buxted's easiest game of the season, but Buxted have learnt the hard way that football is played on grass not paper after the stinging defeat to Pilgrims at the end of September.

The game started fairly even, with Buxted looking the more dangerous but as if to replicate the Pilgrims game a slip at the back allowed Fletching to take the lead within the first 10 minutes!!

The equaliser was not long to wait when Adam Smith again troubled the Fletching left back and shot low and hard to the left of the keeper to bulge the net and settle some early nerves. 

Buxted continued to press but were looking frail in the centre of the park with both Muddle and Beeney missing through injury, and failed to control the game for any length of time which always kept Fletching in the game.

The second half saw much of the same, lots of hard work but something was missing...someone who could head a ball maybe!?!?  Fletching took a suprise lead early in the second half, care of a penalty given away cheaply by the out of sorts Cox, who had to date been impressive all season. Luckily the Ref was feeling in a generous mood and decided to even the score by giving Buxted a pen as well which was cleanly dispatched by Brooker for his 12th goal fo the season, with his 13th to follow later in the game.  The introduction of Allan Curtis was key to stabilising Buxted, winning the ball in the air and playing simple passes to spread play and set up attacks.  Scott Richards scored the fourth and was the metaphorical nail in fletchings coffin with an inswinging freekick which bypassed everyone to find the bottom right corner.

Again Bertie looked lively when introduced with 15 mins left, and was unlucky not to score, but it was super sub Allan Curtis who took the plaudits and the MOTM award for his keep it simple football, though was pushed hard for it by John Jeffery and ryan Wyatt was also getting back to the form that kept him in the starting XI for the end of last season.

MOTM Allan Curtis

Team.
1. A Mogridge, 2. R Wyatt, 3. J Cox, 4.  O Lotter 5. J Jeffrey, 6. M Johnson, 7. S Richards, 8. K Smith 9. M Henshaw, 10. D Brooker, 11. A Smith.  12.  B Hudson 14. A Curtis 15. A Marks