Wednesday, 10 September 2014

Match 6. Holland Sports v Fleetdown United

Saturday 6th September 2014 @2.45pm
NRG Kent County League Premier Division
HOLLAND SPORTS 5-3 FLEETDOWN UNITED
The Pavilion, Mill Lane, Hurst Green.

Admission: free
Programme: none
Attendance: 25 h/c
Refreshments: Cheese & onion roll £1.

I had to use my daughters car today so couldn’t go very far.  The Pavilion, home of Holland Sports is just off the A25 midway between junction 5 & 6 parallel to the M25. The car park is next to the club building which has a clubhouse at the front and changing rooms at the back. A short path to the pitch, which has an unmarked bowl shaped track surrounding the playing area and a fence around the bowl, although the near touchline is roped off to give a closer view of the match. The club no longer produce a programme.

The home side play in yellow and black stripe shirts with black shorts and socks. The visitors played in orange shirts, black shorts and orange socks.  The first goal for Fleetdown arrived on 15 minutes when a header from a corner was saved at close range but no11 slotted in the rebound from 6 yards. 5 minutes later the visitors doubled the lead when, from another corner, the clearance was collected by no9 on the edge of the box who hit it first time into the top corner. On the half hour mark Holland reduce the arrears where again from a corner no8 headed in from the 6 yard box.  Holland then drew level on 38 minutes when the goalkeeper stormed out of his area for a sliding tackle on the no11 which made the foul easy for him to go down. The tackle, although 17 yards out, was 5 yards shy of the penalty box but what should have been a red card and free kick, the referee decided to issue a yellow card and a penalty.  The kick was converted by no9.

The goals continued after the break for the home side. From the first attack the ball fell to no9 who blasted low into the net from 25 yards. Fleetdown equalised on 53 minutes when a back header went straight to no10 who drilled across the keeper into the net.  The visiting no4 then fell awkwardly in a tackle and was in obvious distress holding his arm.  The ref just told him to go off if he needed treatment.  As he sat in front of me, I could see his arm/elbow was fractured as the swelling was occurring. I asked for someone to get ibuprofen for the swelling and the home trainer found a basic sling which I helped the away side administer. The home side were happy to call an ambulance but as the injured players wife was here I suggested they would be quicker driving back to Darenth A&E as the ambulance would take him to Redhill. While this was going on a definite foul in the area gave Holland another penalty.  No9 converted again in the same spot. A handball on 65 minutes gave Holland their 3rd penalty. Inevitably, the keeper finally saved one as no9 chose to put is to his left for the 3rd time. With Fleetdown chasing the game on 88 minutes no8 chipped the ball over the last defender and slipped the ball past the keeper inside the near post.

After the match I stopped off to get the results at picturesque Westerham pub The George & Dragon for a pint of Guinness costing £4.85!!



No comments:

Post a Comment