WALSHAM LE WILLOWS RESERVES 4 v. IPSWICH WANDERERS RESERVES 0

RIDGEONS RESERVE LEAGUE (NORTH)

WEDNESDAY 12TH APRIL 2006

This was the first game for the reserves in just under 3 weeks so everybody was eager to get back into the swing of things and try and finish the season off with 3 good results.  This game should have been played a couple of weeks previous but it was postponed late on because the pitch was apparently a little too hard!!

However, the team was bolstered by the additions of Jorrell Hurd, Ross Layton and Dean Tournay-Godfrey to try and add some steal to the Wanderers squad.  The game started brightly with both sides looking to gain a foothold in the match.  On occasions the wing play of Hurd threatened the Walsham backline but all too often good attacking moves would break down due to passes going astray with teammates not on the same wavelength. When Walsham threatened, too many tackles were missed or players dived in to quickly, which gave the Walsham forwards easy opportunities to skip round them or claim free kicks on the edge of the Wanderers penalty area.

One such move resulted in Walsham’s first goal, a ball that should have been won was missed and quickly the Walsham forwards cut through the Wanderers backline, Tommy Youngs came across and made a tackle that missed the ball and took the man. The referee had no hesitation in awarding the penalty and also brandishing a yellow card to the forlorn Young whose night was just about to take a turn for the worst. 

During another Walsham attack, Young’s went up to win a header and unfortunately came down awkward with the full weight of his body on his left ankle.  After considerable amount of stoppage time and with support from both benches he was carried off on a stretcher with his ankle strapped and the ambulance on its way.  The latest news we have is that it’s an Achilles injury rather than broken, which is good news, I think!!

The game re-started in much the same manner, Wanderers moves going nowhere and Walsham looking to add to their tally.  They duly did when another flowing move resulted in the Walsham forward scoring at the far post, firing past the luckless Robbie Stannard with the aid of a deflection.

With the score at 2-0 the traveling support were again questioning whether Wanderers could fight back or would it result in more goals being shipped without response. Unfortunately their fears were correct when a Walsham free kick was fired across the box, which anyone of three players could have scored which the 3rd duly did to make it 3-0 Walsham at the break.

Walsham 3 – Wanderers 0

Yet again the players were left with no illusions that this performance was not acceptable, they were very lucky that the tea cups were made of paper and Goffers came without his hair dryer as it could have been a lot messier than it was.  The team was given their instructions for the second half and asked to go out there and try and gain some respect and do the things they’ve were asked to do from the start, namely defend better and play football by keeping the ball.

The next goal was going to be crucial and, as in previous matches, it went to the opposition. Another long ball caught out the Wanderers backline and the forward outpaced the chasing Ricky Ward to score past Robbie Stannard to make it 4-0 Walsham.

The game continued with tackles being made and the referee seeming only to see the ones from Wanderers, resulting in frustrations from the Wanderers bench and traveling support when yellow cards were issued to Blaine Burgess and the impressive Sam Knibbs.  The game seemed to peter out, as Walsham knew they had the result and Wanderers were trying to limit the damage. 

Final score 4-0 Walsham.

As a footnote to this game, we hope that Tommy Youngs makes a speedy recovery, but that shouldn’t hide the fact that the performance was not acceptable and with only two games remaining every player in the squad should want to make the last two games of the season the best they’ve had all year.  As it was commented on at the end of the game, we’re all playing for our places next season and if this performance is anything to go by there might be wholesale changes on the cards!!