VWFC vs Sheerwater
29/10/2016 Virginia Water 3 - 1 Sheerwater
Surrey Elite League Reserve Division
Report by Steve Cox
Waters took on last season’s league champions hoping to get their league campaign back on track after last week’s county cup victory. Once again it was a Jekyll & Hyde performance early doors from Waters, as sometimes they were very, very good and sometimes they were very, very bad.
The first half was incredibly frustrating as periods of good football were wasted with a host of missed opportunities in front of goal. It so easily could have 3 or 4 nil to the home side at the break and for that matter it could have been 1-0 to the away side as Waters’ only defensive blunder - with a better finish from Sheerwater - could have been very embarrassing for the home side indeed.
After the break in the 47th minute Waters finally got the kick up the backside they obviously needed to start playing the kind of match winning football so frustratingly missing from many of their performances; Sheerwater scored. The goal came from an unchallenged unspectacular corner that eluded all the Waters’ defenders and allowed at the far post the Sheerwater number 11 to drive low and hard into the Waters net. Thankfully less than a minute later it was 1-1 as an Andy Ingram’s left foot volley from the left corner of the penalty box scorched high into the Sheerwater net. 5 minutes later Dean Guy, capping another fine performance, scored from a Sam Devoil corner and Waters began to move through the gears.
The introduction of Scott Ancell up front and Billy Cox in defence seemed to give added impetuous to Waters tsunami-like domination of the second half. Mike Chambers had his best half hour in a ressies shirt this season as he suddenly found his game and totally tore the away defence apart. He simply became unplayable and set up at least three glorious chances that should have been converted but through some bad luck and some great goalkeeping the score remained 2-1. When the 3rd goal finally and deservedly arrived in the 70th minute it came through Sam Devoil’s powerful and determined drive into Sheerwater’s penalty box and his cunning skill as the Sheerwater keeper and everyone else present expected a Devoil pile driver he sublimely trundled the ball into the corner of the goal leaving the keeper flatfooted.
The last half hour of this match was a little more like what the management expect from this team - there was an intensity and drive about their play that was irrepressible, the epitome of this being the driving performance of Joe Moore who for 90 minutes never stopped working for his team mates. They will need a few more committed efforts next week as the reserves travel to Tooting for a tough match against the Bec.
MoM = Joe Moore
Line up:
Matt Hargreaves
Tom Poulter
Dean Guy
David Atkins
Tom Flower
Paul Butler
Sam Devoil
Dave Guy
Andy Ingram
Joe Moore
Michael Chambers
Subs:
Billy Cox
Rob Lamb
Scott Ancell