KIRKLEY v IPSWICH WANDERERS

RIDGEONS PREMIER LEAGUE

WEDNESDAY 4TH OCTOBER 2006

It was a slow start with both sides feeling their way. Highfield got round the back of the Wanderers defence on 3 mins but put the ball out for a goal kick. Lee Owen caused a scare for Kirkley by taking a quick free kick and Rene Swann’s shot, from a narrow angle was deflected for a corner. Ricky Martin’s kick was headed over by Marc Lowe. With Mark Goldfinch missing through injury, Ben Miller was playing in the middle of the back and was up against his ex-Woodbridge team-mate, Goddard. Theirs was an interesting battle, with Ben Miller just about coming out on top in the first half.

On the quarter hour, Ricky Martin powered into the Kirkley area from a Matthew Cunningham throw-in and, after his shot went for a corner, Sean Bell headed over. J Chenery laid the ball back for Tacon on the edge of the Wanderers area as Kirkley broke upfield, but his shot was weak. After 25 mins, neither side was really threatening the goal but Wanderers were winning on corners 5-1. The referee, previously known to both sides for being handy with the red and yellow cards, was causing frustration and irritation amongst the players and spectators alike and his behaviour was distracting from the football. Ben Miller gave the women standing by the dugouts a show when asked by the referee to remove his underwear, which was, supposedly, contravening the rules but it was Kirkley who brought the focus back onto the game by going ahead on 35 mins. A free kick was saved by Jamie Stannard on the line but the ball ran out to Stone who slammed home, giving the ‘keeper no chance. A similar incident at the other end 10 mins later did not produce the same result for Wanderers as Dean Tournay-Godfrey’s shot was spilled by Attridge but Jefford cleared in the nick of time.

Then, with the half running out, J Chenery and Goddard looked offside as the ball was played through, but the assistant waved play on as the Wanderers defence stopped and Chenery took the ball past Jamie Stannard and planted it in the back of the net.

Kirkley 2 Ipswich Wanderers 0

All the talk in the bar during the interval was about the conduct of the referee but as the game resumed, Neil Shade was replaced through injury by Terry Layton. Wanderers were being caught in possession too often and failing to clear their lines emphatically which was just bringing more and more pressure on them. On 58 mins, Goddard finally won the battle with Ben Miller when the latter fouled him in the area for a penalty. Lee Owen had dithered in the area, not clearing upfield and, eventually he passed across the defence and the ball was picked up by Tacon who put Goddard through. Harewood hit the spot kick to Jamie Stannard’s right and was too powerful to stop.

Danny Smy and Dean Tournay-Godfrey were working well together down the right but, on 67 mins, it was Ricky Martin’s cross that bounced awkwardly in front of Attridge and, with Simon Hyde getting a final touch, the ball ended up over the line.

On 72 mins, Wanderers were reduced to 10 men when Ben Miller tackled Goddard, just outside the area but in exactly the same manner as the penalty incident, but was booked for this one, his second, and left the field.

Wanderers now played with three at the back and started to show glimpses of fluent, passing football, but it was too little too late. Then, Jamie Stannard was forced to come out of his area to clear but was brought down, heavily, in the process and required treatment. As time ran out, Danny Smy was the fourth Wanderers player, and the eighth in the game, to be booked. It was not Wanderers finest hour and, although the referee had too much i8nfluence on the game as a whole, it was Kirkley who scored the goals and Wanderers who let the whole thing get to them.

1 Jamie Stannard

2 Neil Shade (c) (sub 46)

3 Ben Miller

4 Sean Bell

5 Matthew Cunningham

6 Lee Owen (sub 64)

7 Simon Hyde

8 Marc Lowe

9 Rene Swann

10 Dean Tournay-Godfrey

11 Ricky Martin

12 Terry Layton (sub 46)

14 Lee Smith

15 Keith Hetherington

16 Alan Mills

17 Danny Smy (sub 64)

Goals: Hyde (67)

Bookings: Hyde, Stannard, Smy, Miller (x2 SentOff)