HAMBLE CLUB 1-1 CHRISTCHURCH FC: THE MATCH REPORT...

Hamble & Christchurch Fail To Ignite The New Season…

Hamble Club 1-1 Christchurch FC

And so it came to pass that a congregation of 167 descended upon The Abbey to watch The Monks take on, er, The Church and indeed, there was a Deacon on the home pews too… At one point a Mason was marking a Stone, Tommy Cooper was present on the visitors’ bench (just like that) and Hamble even fielded a Crook and had a Prince in reserve, to combat the King one of the visiting substitutes… You simply couldn’t make it up. However, the game was unable to match up to the venue, the hype, or the Caribbean food for excitement. It really was more like being at a church bazaar in terms of offense, although it was like a scuffle in an alley behind the bike sheds in terms of effort and physicality, resulting in a brace of bookings for each team. There were however no binned sinners, just as well given that the encounter was played at The Abbey against The Church…

"NICK MY COIN & YOU'RE IN THE SIN-BIN..."

Hamble’s tall striker Nathan Lynch was always going to be a threat aerially and indeed, as well as a shot on the turn before the break which was well wide of the mark, his looping header from the wily Liam Crook’s free-kick was then superbly clawed over the right angle of crossbar and upright by visiting ‘keeper Lewis Gunstone-Gray. Lynch would subsequently score the opening goal after half-time. One or two rushes by John McKie and Jordan Raguette were memorable for the hosts in that opening period but really that was just about the full extent of their attacking prowess. 

THE SPECTATORS ON THE FAR SIDE THINK THAT GARY CAHILL IS REFEREEING...

The guests saw a shot and a stretching header by left-back Harvey Wright pass the wrong sides of posts but Max Wilcock proved to be the most potent Churchman on view, aided by sidekick Luke Stone. Stone’s run on the right led to a deft Wilcock flick which was stopped by the boots of home goalie Rory Anderson and Wilcock got in a downward header too but Anderson collected the ball on the up. 

BYRNE (5) WILL BE CAUTIONED...

Home skipper Michael Byrne had picked up a very early caution for a foul on Wilcock and this left the Monk slightly restrained with his later challenges I guess but combative Churchman Brad Cherrett was yellow-carded too, before home midfielder Charlie Wagstaffe was also booked by the main official. There had been little time on the ball for anyone in truth and guys like Crook, Jake Newton and Wagstaffe for Hamble, and Cherrett, Ben Satterley, Kyle Graham and Matty Neale for Christchurch found themselves hurried, harried and harassed throughout the contest. Perhaps that urged players like Barry Mason and Ricky Bull for the Monks and the supportive Manny Ohameje and Wright for the Churchmen to clip longer deliveries for chasers to hunt down…

CHERRETT SEES YELLOW...

...AS DOES WAGSTAFFE...

After the break, the floodlights made for a tricky filming light but in all honesty, little changed on the field of play. Hamble though scored a goal when Newton’s astute pass freed Lynch into the right side of the penalty-box and he shrugged off Billy Walker’s challenge, composed himself and shot low from the right corner of the 6 yard box and into the bottom left corner of the net.  

LYNCH (9): POINT OF ATTACK FOR HAMBLE...

...& HE SCORES...

However, apart from a low 19 yard effort by McKie which rolled wide, little real offense emanated from Hamble, so that Christchurch’s Walker, alongside the rugged and effective Grant Cormack were rarely put under any awkward pressure and Gunstone-Gray experienced a calm evening, mostly. Cormack would be cautioned for a rough foul though late in the match.

‘Church had seen an angled effort by Neale deflected it seemed off home defender Bull across the 6 yard area, Neale then shot too high, as did Cherrett, following the pressure of three Christchurch corners. Wilcock nodded an effort to Anderson and from replacement Josh Kirkham’s assist he also was denied low at the right stick by the Hamble gloveman, as was Stone from a similar position to the right of goal. However, when the equaliser reared its rather unexpected head, it was truly the bizarre in the bazaar…

WILCOCK (10) HAS REGAINED PARITY FOR 'CHURCH...

A punt forward by Cormack led to Anderson’s rush from goal and a header clear from 19 yards, whereupon the ball fell to the feet of Wilcock some 40 yards from goal and his instant clip rose, soared, dropped and bounced up again, beating Mason on the goal-line and rose untouched into the top right corner of the net… It had been so much easier for Max from 40 yards, than from 6…

MURKY HANDSHAKES...

And that was just about that… The light was fading rapidly, despite the floodlights and dampness was setting in around the perimeter of the pitch but still the Caribbean food was being taken out by the departing congregation at the end…

Plaudits go to Wilcock for his offensive play and his goal from downtown, Stone too for his speed and budding association with Wilcock. Cherrett was a force, Ohameje was often a keen attacker from defence, whereas Cormack and skipper Walker were pillars in the ‘Church defence. For Hamble, Newton was destructive and assisted for the goal, Crook needed more possession to ply his trade but Byrne and Peter Castle held the fort well enough. McKee and Raguette were underused in fairness but that said, this had been a scrap in the trenches for much of the time…  

Billy Walker? Well named, after the famous Villa and England star of the late 1920s and early 1930s…

Hmm…  

SQUADS:

HAMBLE CLUB:

RORY ANDERSON, BARRY MASON, RICKY BULL, PETER CASTLE, MICHAEL BYRNE (CAPT), JAKE NEWTON, JOHN MCKIE, CHARLIE WAGSTAFFE, NATHAN LYNCH, LIAM CROOK, JORDAN RAGUETTE.

SUBS:

CHRIS ONOUFRIOU, HARRY CLARKE, TOM GREEN, LUKE DEACON, PRINCE MCLEAN.

CHRISTCHURCH FC:

LEWIS GUNSTONE-GRAY, MANNY OHAMEJE, HARVEY WRIGHT, BRAD CHERRETT, GRANT CORMACK, BILLY WALKER (CAPT), BEN SATTERLEY, KYLE GRAHAM, LUKE STONE, MAX WILCOCK, MATTY NEALE.

SUBS:

NICK SWANN, JOSH KIRKHAM, TOM COOPER, DAN HAYNES, JAMES KING.