This fixture normally occurs at the front end of the season so the trip down the road to the Poppies has been a long time in coming this term. They have also been feisty close run affairs in the past with few goals, but this season our hosts are on something of a rebuilding programme and would on paper pose less of a threat. One unchanged aspect though was that they still featured a number of Poole old boys in their line-up, namely Fawzi Saadi, Richard Glenister and the most recent departure in their direction, Jack Swann.
On the Poole side, Culliford, Bailey-Pearce and Sturgess were unavailable and Stu Brown was already injured and though he started was soon replaced by Aaron Skelton, who had been privately looking forward to a quite afternoon on the bench to rest his weary legs after Tuesday’s marathon against Wimborne Town in the Dorset Senior Cup SF. In fact there were many sets of tired and aching pins in the Poole dressing room as a result of the extra time in that game and it showed out on the pitch and could be a reasonable excuse for another poor overall league display by the Dolphins.
By the time Stu Brown limped off on 8 minutes there had been little to comment on as the home side contained their visitors but made little use of ball when they intercepted Poole’s sloppy passing. With Skelton now on, Austin was almost a lone striker with Taffy behind him for support , but our old warhorse looked to be really struggling all afternoon and his contribution was much less than normal.
Real chances at either end were few and the first real effort of note came from Gill’s sliced left foot shot, after he had turned Stuart Langrish over en route to goal, drifted wide of the post on the quarter hour. Jack Swann looked really lively and with the regular starts he has been getting after transferring to The Poppies have given the lad some real confidence. On 17 minutes, he got the better of Luke as the ball came over the top into the Poole area and his shot forced Harvell into a fine block, however the rebounded ball was headed for the feet of the charging Paul Roberts and a collision between he and Carl Poore resulted in the first penalty award for the home side.. Fawzi Saadi as captain stepped up to take responsibility for the spot kick but then blasted the ball high and over. Carl Poore was cautioned for his trouble.
Swann continued to plague the Poole defence with his speed and Lamin snuffed out one of his charging attacks with a well timed tackle on 23 minutes and Hubbard did the same a minute or so later from which he fed Gill out wide on a quick break , the subsequent cross was snatched off the top of Taffy’s head by the alert Ed Roberts in the home goal. Poole were beginning to threaten though and on 27 minutes. Preston’s persistence in chasing a lost ball won Poole a corner. Austin was on hand at the near post as the ball floated in to glance the ball across the face of the goal and in with a leaping header and give Poole a welcome lead. Poole 1-0.
Poppies came straight back into the game and two quick attacks and a corner required Harvell’s full attention to deny any quick equaliser. On the break, Poole won a free kick which Hubbard delivered for Lamin to head in but again Roberts snatched the ball away at the point of impact. Two minutes later, with 32 on the clock, another Hubbard free kick was caught again by Roberts just as Lamin contacted with his head and this time the ball went into the goal but referee ruled interference and disallowed the score. Not to be denied a third time Lamin finally headed home on 37 minutes, after Roberts looked to have caught the long ball in. But he dropped it and right at Austin’s feet. Immediately swamped but red shirted defenders, Austin moved away from goal and hooked the ball high over everyone to the far post where Lamin and Taffy awaited. Lamin’s head made the easy contact and it was 2-0 to Poole. Until half-time Poole had their tails up, and both Preston and Gill ranged the wings supplying the forward line with scoring chances. However most of the opposition seemed to come from our official for the day who seemed determined to make his personal mark on the game and this sole ‘consistency’ continued throughout the game, much to the frustration and disbelief of a large percentage of those present in Victoria park.
From the start of the second half, the home side took the game to their visitors Jason deflected a crisp shot wide from Scott Sanderson just three minutes in and ten minutes later he blocked a 25 yard free kick and caught the follow-up on the line. On 67 minutes, Jason came rushing out for a 50/50 ball and bravely blocked Swann’s shot at point blank range but the rebound went to Saadi, who thankfully, again blasted wide this time of a keeperless net. Poole immediately countered and for the first time in the half looked to get another strike. Austin dribbled and barged his way through three stoic defenders only to have his hard earned shot blocked by Roberts. Gill picked up the rebound but Roberts was quickly up on his feet to block Gill’s effort. Again the loose ball fell to a Poole player, and Preston crossed in a fine shot that evaded everyone except the alert Roberts.
On 71 minutes Tom unveiled his latest signing from Christchurch and sent on Russell Cooke in place of Austin before the latter got a second caution. Taffy and Skelton received cautions for innocuous fouls that were nowhere near the ‘reckless’ labeling required and Cooke got his first shot on goal in a Poole shirt with ten minutes left to play, which Roberts saved. The game had long since petered out as a spectacle and to even up the stakes, Wayne Crutcher and sub Kabba Jack were cautioned for the home side. The scoring wasn’t over though and Luke’s header from a corner found the net on 85 minutes but again the referee disallowed the score for a foul on keeper Roberts. Finally in the 92nd minute Gary Langrish’s shot from wide was adjudged to have been deliberately handled by Captain Browner and Poppies were awarded their second penalty of the game. Centre-forward Paul Roberts did the honours this time and got a consolation goal back for the home team. Final Score 2-1.
